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[Mitzy]

at what age would you let a puppy out into a fenced yard alone?

My husband and I are having a "discussion" about what age is appropriate and safe. Our yard is fenced and dog safe, since we have two already, but I don't know.....

[Devo]

My pup has been outside to play on his own since he was 11 weeks old.. He loves it out there! he has more fun playing outside with the birds and his toys than being inside.

Edited May 9, 2006 by Devo

[BrunoBella]

Good question Mitzy. When I had my first pup (Bella) I was having my fences replaced so she was in a big pen outside while I was away. I can't remember when I left her in the yard by herself.

With my new puppy, Bruno, who is nearly 11 weeks, I leave him outside when I'm home (most of the time as I work from home) and lock him up when I'm out. I'm not sure when to leave them out safely either as he has a big sister who is a big pup (2.5 yrs) and I'm definitely not ready to trust them outside together yet. I was thinking another couple of weeks when he gets a bit taller and can fit through the dog door. I have done a few experiments with going to the neighbour's across the road while the two are playing together (I can hear yelping from there) and they played nicely together. I also experimented with leaving Bruno in the big pen and Bella outside the pen but that caused lots of crying from both dogs

What do other people suggest?

[Mitzy]

Well, I am afraid that Mica could squeeze out under the gate if he put his mind to it and he is nowhere near ready to be alone with the other dogs yet, so....

As I talked to my husband (on Messenger, one of us has to work to feed this menagerie!) he clarified that what he meant was for me to take Mica out in the yard and sit with him, but have him off the lead. My husband raised both of the dogs we have now and they have wonderful manners, so I am relying on his guidance alot. I have had Mica outside off the lead, but not much since he came home Sat.

I see him with lots of rocks and sticks in his mouth. This may sould stupid, but will he eat those rocks?

[Safadao]

As soon as you make your back yard puppy safe. Ours was out at 14 weeks. We had to put things under fences, and gates to ensure pup stays inside, and others stay outside. We just used scrap timber, bricks etc.

Both my dogs love their outside time as much, if not more than their inside time :rolleyes:

[Ons]

I kept Matilda-Rose for the first four weeks locked in the bathroom which she hated. First up I left her for awhile in my backyard and then longer periods. This is the third day that she has been outside whilst I've been at work. She seems happy when I come home i.e. not the whining for ages after she used to do but is pretty tired. She is left with my older retreiver who now gets along well with her. MR is 12 weeks old. She is allowed inside when I am at home but often both of them spend ages outside playing. Both are golden retreivers, don't know whether being bigger dogs that makes a difference.

[BrunoBella]

Excellent, will try it a bit more with Bruno then as I hate crating him just so I can go out. He has so much fun outside :rolleyes:

I do believe bigger, high energy dogs love to be outside, my GSPs certainly prefer it (unless its really really really cold). I also spend a lot of time outside with them and they come in to watch telly in the evening. Bella likes "Inspector Rex"

Edited May 9, 2006 by BellasPerson

[Mitzy]

We have discovered that Mica loves the back porch! Don't know why. It is a half-wall all the way round, no possible way for him to get out. If there were a way, the cats would have gotten out over the last year, and they haven't. I think if I put his crate out there and give him his toys, I might be able to leave him for the one half morning a week I take Yoga! Yay!

[BrunoBella]

Great that you found a solution

I see him with lots of rocks and sticks in his mouth. This may sould stupid, but will he eat those rocks?

Puppies will stick anything in their mouths but won't eat rocks. My pup likes to chew on sticks - and this is not recommended due to possible splinters - I make sure there are lots of toys/chews for him to chew and direct him to these instead.

I've never seen a puppy eat a rock, they're not very exciting really.

My older dog used to eat apricots that fell from my large apricot tree I asked the vet if this was dangerous and he said no as long as she didn't eat too many pips (they contain very small amount of toxins). Bella has been eating apricots for 2 years and just gets the runs :rolleyes:

Most things in the garden cannot do any harm. There are some flowers, like oleander, which can make dogs sick - not sure of any more details.

I'm lucky Bruno is such a bruiser and can't squeeze under my gate. Your little poodle probably could though!

[Echo]

Puppies will stick anything in their mouths but won't eat rocks.

I've never seen a puppy eat a rock, they're not very exciting really.

Young puppies WILL eat just about anything, including rocks. I had a pup from a litter recently that stayed overnight at the Vet because it filled its little belly with rocks from our driveway. No harm was done, apart from the fact that the pup felt quite ill for 24 hours, and the rocks eventually made their way out, but it goes to show that you never know what a pup may find edible.

It doesn' have to be anything terribly exciting. They will give just about anything a go. Dogs have been known to swallow all sorts of things, such as glad wrap, rope, shopping bags, children's toys (or parts thereof), safety pins, paper clips, jewellery and even kitchen cutlery etc.

So it is wise to monitor what he plays with, and if you see him showing interest in chewing rocks, or anything else that could be harmful, distract him away by giving him something good to chew, or by having a game of some sort.

Most dogs will lose interest in chewing bizarre things as they mature, but pups should be watched closely.

Cheers

Julie

[BrunoBella]

Amazing about the rock eating puppies. My dogs are obviously fussy about their garbage :rolleyes:

[Keen]

Puppies will stick anything in their mouths but won't eat rocks. I've never seen a puppy eat a rock, they're not very exciting really.

Erm... my puppy eats rocks! Little ones. And my old bitzer used to eat rocks all the time. You could always tell his poos if you ran over one with the lawnmower. It was fatal - he died when he was 17.

[Devo]

Great that you found a solution

I see him with lots of rocks and sticks in his mouth. This may sould stupid, but will he eat those rocks?

Puppies will stick anything in their mouths but won't eat rocks. My pup likes to chew on sticks - and this is not recommended due to possible splinters - I make sure there are lots of toys/chews for him to chew and direct him to these instead.

I've never seen a puppy eat a rock, they're not very exciting really.

My older dog used to eat apricots that fell from my large apricot tree I asked the vet if this was dangerous and he said no as long as she didn't eat too many pips (they contain very small amount of toxins). Bella has been eating apricots for 2 years and just gets the runs

Most things in the garden cannot do any harm. There are some flowers, like oleander, which can make dogs sick - not sure of any more details.

I'm lucky Bruno is such a bruiser and can't squeeze under my gate. Your little poodle probably could though!

Devo was sitting on the couch the other night minding his own business when i started to hear his tummy grumble.. after a few hiccups he vomited up a mouth full of little stones and rocks!!

I'd noticed he liked to put them in his mouth and chew them but i never thought he swallowed them!

Such a weird little thing!! :rolleyes:

[Mitzy]

Yep, the little rocks in the front flower bed are the ones he likes and they are the same size and shapes, roughly, as the cat food!! Which he loves!! That is what I was afraid of. Of course I know from my kids that if it is small enough to go in, it is probably small enough to come out!! That is what their doctor used to tell me!

I just try to distract him with his chewy toys. He love the rabbit fur ones with squeakers. He took all the cat's toys and I have to go out today and buy them some more.

He also scared me half to death last night by jumping off my lap when I was sitting on the sofa after a toy. He just LAUNCHED and landedabout three feet away!!! I won't let him do that again. There is a step down into the lounge room and he always runs and jumps off that and then looks at me as if to say, "Look what I did, mum!!" My husband calls him the circus dog!

[Safadao]

Bella likes "Inspector Rex"

Strange .... my lil guys like it too ... makes you wonder how they intereact with the TV (if they can tell the difference). As my GSP is usually quite flighty when he hears a big dog. Although, watching footloose the other night ...... the big put bull in that "Grunt", when ever there was a bark Eddy would jump up into a defensive stance, and scan the house .... was quite funny.