I have a doggie door and we love it, not to mention my Basenji, Sahara. I also have underground electric fence, so that keeps her in the yard. I leave it open most of the time, but I have had to close it when I didn't want her to go outside. I have not had any trouble with other animals coming, I live just outside the city limits, and my town is small, not many wild animals near me. It has been really warm here in NC so I have not closed it at night, but when cold weather comes I will close it. Sahara goes out by herself when she has to potty during the day, but most of the time I take her out at night on her leash. She does not like the darkness by herself, silly girl. haha!!!! By the way I never use the crate anymore, she is free to go since I got the fencing.
The Canine Behavior Series…excellent articles/website!
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This is a wonderful site to go to for all behavior questions that you may have. A definite bookmark site! Here is the intro for the articles
Unwanted barking, jumping up on people, pulling on the leash, mouthing and nipping, not coming when called… how many dog owners haven't had to deal with at least a few of these common canine behavior problems? It's never too late to train a dog, or to work on his or her behavior problems. Bad habits can be broken, good habits can be taught, and most importantly, with a little effort and love, you can make sure your dog stays a happy member of your family forever!
Should the training articles available here or elsewhere not be effective, contact your veterinarian. Veterinarians not specializing in behavior can eliminate medical causes of behavior problems. If no medical cause is found, your veterinarian can refer you to a colleague who specializes in behavior or a local behaviorist.
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47
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Great articles, a lot of good info.
Thanks