How Relevant Is Yard Size?

[cointreau]

I have what I consider a good sized yard which both my Dane and cat like to run in. They really only spend time outside in the yard when I am out there too. Occasionally they will go out and sunbake for a very short amount of time. I think any dog left alone needs to be able to be occupied by something to reduce bordom. I have rejected rental properties because the windows were to hight and would not allow my dog to see outside and I felt it was cruel to leave her in a house with just the walls to look at. Remeber the bigger the yard the more work for you to do too!

[Gayle.]

We have a huge yard plus a paddock and my dogs use all of it. They don't have access to the paddock as that's kept for playtime with me.....I throw balls, frisbees and train them there, but the rest of the yard is their playground and they love it.

We moved from a regular sized suburban block to 3/4 acre and it's made a huge difference to the dogs. But they are a breed that love to play and play, especially with each other.

[Esky the husky]

Nope. Yard size doesn't matter.

Currently live on 1/2 an acre with my boyfriends family(not by choice i assure you )

Anyways the dogs here are ridiculously unfullfilled. No walkies, none of that because they have a big yard.

My dog on the other hand gets a bike ride in the morning and a walk/ bike ride at night. At the moment I'm full time study in the city, so all the time we spend together is valuable. She causes the least trouble out of any dogs here because she is exercised and mentally challenged.

According to my FIL she spends most of the day asleep or chewing the bone I give her before I leave.

So yard size CAN be detrimental if owners become complacent.

[Luvmy4]

I've a 1yr old sbt and a huge yard (it's a farm) she lives inside. There is so much exercise you don't count I've 3 kids. When she's not following me like a lamb while I go from room to room doing housework, feed the chickens that are in different pens around the yard, she's playing with the kids or entertain the hyper work pup. Before I realised this the other day I thought she was low energy

Edited June 7, 2010 by Luvmy4

[voloclydes]

:D you mean the yard is where dogs go zoomies..... oh i thought that was the lounge!

compared to the land i own my yard is small too small for even the littlies to go zoomie in due to the shape.

they do go out to the paddock.

this arvo its cold.. like temp is now 1.9degrees.... they have not even even been out for a wee since before tea....

it will freeze tonight there i NO way any of this lot will even volunteer to even pee!

in winter they play and train in the lounge...

[Starkehre]

What I have always found amusing (and this is not necessarily about anyone on DOL), but that some owners that believe that it is cruel to only have a small yard when you own dogs are often the same ones that also think that dogs must always be kept inside, and that having them outside is cruel. The bizarre thing about this is that even the biggest house is often smaller than the smallest yard, go figure.

My opinion is that yard size bares little relevance on good, responsible ownership of a dog.

It is what you do with the dog, what you make of the space you have and time you have with and for the dog.

[ravenau1]

Thanks everyone for your replies

[aussielover]

I've had an Aussie shepherd on a farm, large suburban block and in a townhouse with a courtyard and it really made not much difference to her. The courtyard was a little more effort for us (we had to go onto the street to toilet her- my parents didn't like her peeing in the bushes), but made no difference to her. All the houses have had pretty large indoor areas though which made a difference as you could play in there.

If you get a dobe with the right temperament then you should be fien I think, but i am not a dobe person, perhaps someone else can answer this?

Your potential puppy sounds very lucky, 2hrs + of walkies a day is great and only being left 5 hrs a week is amazing, lucky pup !

[Agility Dogs]

I have 2 border collies and yard size is only relevant because it limits what I can train at home. Yesterday I went home at lunch time and they couldn't get inside quick enough. When I went back to work they didn't want to leave the house (and I didn't make them.)

One of them is a high drive nutter who just wants to work 24 hours a day if I am around. The other one is a work in progress, but will also play for as long as I ask.

The key is installing the 'off switch'.

ETA - one is JUST 4 and the other one is 3.5 years, both carry on like puppies.

Edited June 7, 2010 by Agility Dogs

[Kody's_Mum]

I also feel that yard size is irrelevant providing you provide enough mental and physical stimulation.

I have a small yard and Kody is only out in it whilst I am at work. We do 5kms in the morning before I leave and he has interesting things to chew on and dig for whilst I am away. He just sleeps whilst I am gone anyway.

I am lucky as we back directly onto an off leash oval so I do our training out on that.

When I am home he wants to be wherever I am so is inside with me. I am sure that he just sees our yard as a big toilet anyway!

Before I purchased this place we lived with my parents who have 7 acres. He would self exercise out there, however only when he could see the Kangaroos in the adjoining paddocks (he would run our fence line, something we are working on!). When there are no roos around he just wants to be inside with everyone else.

I felt incredibly guilty when I bought this house because of the yard size, however anything with a bigger yard was out of my price range. I had contemplated leaving Kody with the parents, however decided to trial him here with me. I found that as long as I am committed to simulating him physically and mentally each day he is happy. It is great for me as it forces me to get outside rain, hail or shine each day.

[Jumabaar]

In my houshold I have to say that BED size is currently more of an issue. I currently sleep with three Kelpies in my SINGLE bed!! Plus my Lapphund has decided its getting too cold and is hopping up to!!

The only dog outside is the Lapphund- the Kelpies are all back on the bed snoozing. Occasionally they go out by themselves but 95% of the day is on my bed. They do agility, flyball, obediance and are shown which is far more exciting to them than being out in the back yard. And since my mum got a new place with a bigger back yard I have been getting more injuries- uncontrolled zoomies is not always a good thing i have realised!!

So ultimatly- when I move out i will be looking for rooms that can accomidate a king sized bed rather than a big yard

[ophnbark]

I agree with everyone that has said yard size isn't important as long as the mental stimulation and exercise is there. We have got a small farm with a half acre running yard and most of the time they are back at the gate wanting to be let back in.

[JulesP]

I have about an acre and it is an interesting acre. The dogs love it. They prefer to be out and keep themselves fairly busy. I love watching what they are up to. I did have borders on a smaller block but that was still about a third of an acre.

[Greytmate]

Puppies need lots of access to soft surfaces to run around on for their bones to develop to their fullest potential.

So whether you need a large yard for that would depend on whether you could provide that for the dog in other places. Small dogs will get that on large carpeted areas.

Large breed pups need a large area to run on. Off lead parks can provide this, but it is most needed when the dog is of an age where it may not yet be under good control. So it may be necessary for some people to take their pups to exercise daily in somebody else's large yard, rather than have their large puppy loose in a public area.

An adult dog will cope fine with a small yard and regular exercise, but it isn't always that simple with puppies.

[Bjelkier]

I don't think you need a large yard for the dogs to be happy provided they get enough exercise and mental stimulation elswhere.

Having said that I am on 38 acres here and the dogs use a good deal of it.

They love running around and exploring, playing with each other and so on.

[W Sibs]

In my houshold I have to say that BED size is currently more of an issue. I currently sleep with three Kelpies in my SINGLE bed!! Plus my Lapphund has decided its getting too cold and is hopping up to!!

The only dog outside is the Lapphund- the Kelpies are all back on the bed snoozing. Occasionally they go out by themselves but 95% of the day is on my bed. They do agility, flyball, obediance and are shown which is far more exciting to them than being out in the back yard. And since my mum got a new place with a bigger back yard I have been getting more injuries- uncontrolled zoomies is not always a good thing i have realised!!

So ultimatly- when I move out i will be looking for rooms that can accomidate a king sized bed rather than a big yard :D

Oh... totally understand about the bed issue. I'm currently looking about upgrading my bed to a king size bed!

He is only 5.5kg!!! How he can take up most of the bed is still baffling to me!

[juice]

i agree greytmate, i have a very small yard, only 460sqm, big house and pool

the older settled dogs don't care, they move from one bed in the sun to another, and go out twice a day for a big run, but i have fostered pups, and its much harder, they have no brakes, and hoon around, they need space to get out of the way of the older dogs when they get cross too

i gave up on pups, much prefer seniors

[Tiggy]

What I have always found amusing (and this is not necessarily about anyone on DOL), but that some owners that believe that it is cruel to only have a small yard when you own dogs are often the same ones that also think that dogs must always be kept inside, and that having them outside is cruel. The bizarre thing about this is that even the biggest house is often smaller than the smallest yard, go figure.

My opinion is that yard size bares little relevance on good, responsible ownership of a dog.

It is what you do with the dog, what you make of the space you have and time you have with and for the dog.

I know people like that

[HeavyPaws]

In preparation for my dog, I made sure my yard was large and sprawling, with trees and plants, a digging patch, lush grass...a large dog's fantasy.

My Dane hates the outdoors so much that when it has been raining, I need to stand behind her and use physical force to make her go outside to go to the toilet.

When it's summer and I open the back door, she stand on the threshold, turns her face away from the door and blinks. I've seen the same expression on middle aged women who wake up at 11 to a blazing bright day and don't have any coffee left.

Then she does a long, slow yawn, and sllowwwwllyyyy places her front paws on the ground. About 5 minutes later, the hind legs follows, she does her business, then does a slow uncaring circuit of the backyard, and then comes back inside.

I used to have fantasies of '101 Dalmations' style romping as I wave the leash above my head, but all I get is an open eyes, a snort, a fart, and then she rolls over.

We go for an hour walk a day but it's noticeably faster on the way home.

[Dame Aussie]

We always aim for a large yard but only so we can play fetch with Lili. Otherwise they sleep or are inside. I think with 2 walks a day and only 5 hrs alone each week you will be fine