Leaving Puppy Outside

[Mason_Gibbs]

When I go out my pup is outside with my older dog, never had any issues but I did fence off the garden and he has no access to anything besides toys/kongo I leave out and a little clam shell pool

[OverAlready]

I leave my dog oustide in a fenced area also. Personally I think that is more humane then locking them inside all day. I feel bad for dogs that are only let ouside to "do their business" then brought back in to never run around outside and have fun on their own.

As long as they have food, water and shelter ignore those that made you feel bad. Its ridiculous !!!

[Rozzie]

Yeah I know MEH! dog might get some sunshine and mud on it's paws. As long as the boxer let's the elderly dog rest it should be fine.

I don't think 8 months is elderly

[Rebanne]

I see no issue with it. I guess I must be bad breeder as I let my puppies outside, unsupervised in their safe secure puppy run while I was at work, in winter. They had plenty of shelter and even got to enjoy the whole backyard with the big dogs after their devil of a mother busted them out!

If it is safe and secure and has appropriate shelter then I see no issue with it.

me too, in fact my pups were outside day and night from around the 4 week mark, at night in the puppy yard, during the day they had half the back yard. My dogs are all outside on the nights I work no matter what the weather.

[simmo]

Thanks for all your replies. It makes me feel better to know im not a bad dog owner after all. Ben has a kennel, water, toys and he is undercover. The yard is a square of grass with no plants at all and a 6 foot fence all round and padlocked gates at either side so i think he will be fine. As he will grow so quick i personally think this will be better than keeping him in a crate while we are out and he hates being locked in a room, so i think he will be happier outside.

[DobieMum]

I have a 4 3/4 month old dobie running round with a 9 month old tenterfield terrier. When my dobie gets a little rough my tentie will tell him off and then go and be on her own, God help everyone if the dobie goes and annoys her until she's ready to come back!!

[Clyde]

Mine all get left out too although I don't know if I'd leave a large bouncy pup (ie 6 months -1 yr) out with a small breed. I guess it just depends on the dog!

[mumof4girls]

This has been a very interesting read as I have been agonising what I should do when I go back to work.. We have cage with an open top that is a good size for a pup, t I was going to leave part under the deck and part on the grass so he has shade and grass. I am just really paranoid about someone taking him as we have an open grassy easement at the back of us.. I may just put the cage thing under the house where i can shut the door, it is cool and is enclosed its a big open concrete space that we did use as a rumpus room.. This is such a great forum to get ideas from

[Ons]

I left my golden retreiver pup at age 8 weeks onwards outside in a secure safe yard whilst I was at work, I did go home at lunchtime to see him. I also had a maltese at the same time but I never left her out with him, just he was too big and bouncy even at that young age.

I did leave my female golden retreiver pup inside until she was a big bigger so I really think it depends on the dogs

I don't tell my american golden retreiver Forum where I leave my dogs now, they think outside is absolutely dreadful and that they should be crated all day. PErsonally I think outside in a safe yard is much preferable

[Shelby]

Quite a lot of houses in the US don't have fencing around the property perimeter like we do. My dog friends in the US leave their dogs outside in runs. I have four here at home - two go in kennel runs while I am at work and the other two have the run of the yard.

[Esky the husky]

I left my golden retreiver pup at age 8 weeks onwards outside in a secure safe yard whilst I was at work, I did go home at lunchtime to see him. I also had a maltese at the same time but I never left her out with him, just he was too big and bouncy even at that young age.

I did leave my female golden retreiver pup inside until she was a big bigger so I really think it depends on the dogs

I don't tell my american golden retreiver Forum where I leave my dogs now, they think outside is absolutely dreadful and that they should be crated all day. PErsonally I think outside in a safe yard is much preferable

I never understood how that was a better alternative.

Crated all day and then also usually of a night while the owners were asleep.

[Gayle.]

Crated all day? That is awful. When does the poor dog get to be a dog?

We moved so our dogs could have a better life outdoors.....more space, more interesting stuff to do, less traffic etc. The times I've had to leave Dusty inside because she's been in season (Isaak is entire and I don't want puppies), she has tolerated it but by the time we get home, she is champing at the bit to be allowed outside for a run around, a wee and just a good doggie sniff and play.

I just can't imagine crating a dog all day, I can't even imagine kennelling them for long stretches of time.

[koalathebear]

Haha, US dog fora... When I first got Elbie, I received some really comments that made me realise that the US approach to dog ownership is quite different - over there because of difference weather/fencing/whatever, it seems really common to crate your dog ALL DAY/leave it inside all day and having the dog outside is considered really bad. These were the comments I got:

I really, really don't recommend leaving him alone that long in the yard. There's just so much that could go wrong - he could piss off a neighbor, a dog or other animal could come in and injure him, he could figure out how to dig under/through the fence, he could be stolen (especially if he even LOOKS possibly purebred). Just because he's behaving well now doesn't mean that after two months of this every single day he won't get incredibly bored one day and spend hours on end barking or try to escape. It's really not worth the risk if there's any possible way to leave him indoors (either crated or not).

IA. Dogs should not be left to their own (and everyone else's!) devices outdoors. Bad, bad, bad news. :D

Leaving him in the yard for that long a period of time could be dangerous. If he doesn't get hurt or loose, someone might come in and steal him. If I may make a suggestion, perhaps leave him in a crate or secured room while you're away and hire someone or ask a friend to stop in at a specified time to bring him for a short walk so he can go to the bathroom and stretch his legs.

I agree with everyone above: please do not leave your dog unattended in the backyard. So many things can go wrong. I've personally witnessed a couple of horrific disasters from dogs being left in the backyard alone. One broke his 2 front legs and walked on the broken legs to the back of the yard to lay under a tree. Which meant by the time he was found, both broken bones were sticking out clear through the skin. He survived, but I will never, ever leave a dog outside unattended again.

My favourite was this one:

FWIW I agree with the others about the issue of leaving him outside unsupervised at 10 wks. That would be like leaving a 4 year old child outside unsupervised for the same amount of time IMO. But that being said, I don't leave my dogs outside in their fenced area unsupervised for longer than it takes for me to run in and go to the bathroom. My dogs are 3 and 4 years old.

Good grief ... her dogs are never outside unsupervised except when she's in the bathroom and they are 3 and 4???? My dogs love being in the house but they love their outside time, too. If my dogs were crated all day while we were at work, they could probably 'hold it' but they would hate it.

Edited November 26, 2011 by koalathebear

[megan_]

Those poor dogs. Sensory deprivation is a form of abuse. People are far to worried about what could go wrong - I see it as an emerging trend

[LizT]

Yeah I know MEH! dog might get some sunshine and mud on it's paws. As long as the boxer let's the elderly dog rest it should be fine.

The Maltese X isn't elderly. It's 8 months old.

[LizT]

Haha, US dog fora... When I first got Elbie, I received some really comments that made me realise that the US approach to dog ownership is quite different - over there because of difference weather/fencing/whatever, it seems really common to crate your dog ALL DAY/leave it inside all day and having the dog outside is considered really bad. These were the comments I got:

I really, really don't recommend leaving him alone that long in the yard. There's just so much that could go wrong - he could piss off a neighbor, a dog or other animal could come in and injure him, he could figure out how to dig under/through the fence, he could be stolen (especially if he even LOOKS possibly purebred). Just because he's behaving well now doesn't mean that after two months of this every single day he won't get incredibly bored one day and spend hours on end barking or try to escape. It's really not worth the risk if there's any possible way to leave him indoors (either crated or not).

IA. Dogs should not be left to their own (and everyone else's!) devices outdoors. Bad, bad, bad news. :D

Leaving him in the yard for that long a period of time could be dangerous. If he doesn't get hurt or loose, someone might come in and steal him. If I may make a suggestion, perhaps leave him in a crate or secured room while you're away and hire someone or ask a friend to stop in at a specified time to bring him for a short walk so he can go to the bathroom and stretch his legs.

I agree with everyone above: please do not leave your dog unattended in the backyard. So many things can go wrong. I've personally witnessed a couple of horrific disasters from dogs being left in the backyard alone. One broke his 2 front legs and walked on the broken legs to the back of the yard to lay under a tree. Which meant by the time he was found, both broken bones were sticking out clear through the skin. He survived, but I will never, ever leave a dog outside unattended again.

My favourite was this one:

FWIW I agree with the others about the issue of leaving him outside unsupervised at 10 wks. That would be like leaving a 4 year old child outside unsupervised for the same amount of time IMO. But that being said, I don't leave my dogs outside in their fenced area unsupervised for longer than it takes for me to run in and go to the bathroom. My dogs are 3 and 4 years old.

Good grief ... her dogs are never outside unsupervised except when she's in the bathroom and they are 3 and 4???? My dogs love being in the house but they love their outside time, too. If my dogs were crated all day while we were at work, they could probably 'hold it' but they would hate it.

Makes you wonder what kind of neighbourhood they live in doesn't it?

[Rusky]

I agree with the US posts except the twit who never leaves her dog except to go to the barthroom at 3 & 4.

I have a 14 week puppy, she has absolutley never been alone unless crated. I would never leave her with my dogs unsupervised in the garden.

If I absolutely have to go out and leave her she is crated. We have made a special run for her on the verandah with toilet facilities which will be extended as she gets older but that is for use when I am home for emergency toilet break.

She sleeps in the bedroom with the pack and I supervise all play.

I would be mortified if she were stolen, hurt, unable to defend herself or ate something she shouldn't. People do awful things to dogs, in our city there is an area where dogs are being poisoned and killed.

This was also going on when I lived in a country town and my dog was a target but had food refusal.

So many things can go wrong.

[Gayle.]

Hmmm, I must be a neglectful dog owner then because at 14 weeks, Isaak was haring around with the big kids (unsupervised) when I was home and on weekends, and at 15 weeks he was with them permanently, outside. They come inside to eat dinner in the evenings, then go out the next morning for the whole day. Every day. Bad me.

But then I used to let my kids walk to school on their own when they were like 9 or 10, so I was probably a neglectful mother too.

[Christina]

I don't understand all this crating bit. I never even saw a dog crate until a few years ago & while I admit they have their uses, especially with my toy breed as 4 week old puppies are absolutely so tiny I have say that every pup we have ever had at around 8 weeks plus just lived loose in the house & stayed inside when we went out.

Obviously we shifted things that were unsafe & switched plugs off & moved wires & chewables that we noticed but generally we put them off the carpet, like in the kitchen & that was it, no crates, no pens.

It is a bit different having say just 2 dogs & having 5 dogs. With 5 pack mentality can start from just play unexpectedly so supervision with a young pup coming in is needed.

Even with friendly dogs that are not usually aggressive it can just flare in seconds so I would never leave a young pup alone with the adults for the first few months.

[Jumabaar]

I leave my dog oustide in a fenced area also. Personally I think that is more humane then locking them inside all day. I feel bad for dogs that are only let ouside to "do their business" then brought back in to never run around outside and have fun on their own.

As long as they have food, water and shelter ignore those that made you feel bad. Its ridiculous !!!

I welcome you to try and tell my kelpies that they should be outside more!! Particularly if it is raining- according to them it is inhumane to force them to walk on wet grass.

My dogs get the run of most of the house when I am out. I try and limit it to no more than 8hrs, anything more and I take them to my grandmothers to be minded. I don't have secure fencing (6ft paling fence to a silly neighbour who has thrown food into my yard etc so fine when I am home and can supervise) and I also have joyous neighbours who don't care if their little yapper fence runs and annoys my dogs all day.

I hope in the future my dogs will have a doggie door but I am guessing that won't be until I move.