Do you leave your dogs outside in the yard while you go to work all day?

[ynl063w]

After reading the thread about the lost/adopted dog, I’m really curious to know how many people do this.

I cannot fathom doing this with my dog. I have a secured, fenced in yard and she has not ever shown any evidence to suggest she would ever try to get OUT of the fenced area (doesn’t dig under or try to jump over the fence), but I would NEVER EVER dream of leaving her outside if I am not home, even if all I’m doing is going to the gas station around the corner for 5 minutes. There is no way I could focus on anything if I knew she was outside in the yard all day by herself. I would be way too worried about her.

Am I an over-protective dog owner?

[starhorse]

My mom used to leave her large dog in a fully fenced yard when she would be gone for less than 10 minutes or so, if the weather was decent. She lived in a super safe suburban area.

I probably wouldn’t with my current dog, but that has more to do with my current neighborhood and my current dog than with it being necessarily inherently wrong.

[ryansgirl]

Absolutely not. I would NEVER leave my dog outside all day without constant supervision. People sadly think it’s okay to steal dogs. Yes I’m gone all day and my dog stays inside - he gets plenty of outside playtime at the barn every morning and night while I’m doing chores. He gets free-range of the house and he basically sleeps all day. I would worry too much if he was left outside alone. Just not going to happen…:no:.

My family has had dogs for over 40 years and not one of us has ever left a dog outside unsupervised while we were at work, running errands, etc.

[FitToBeTied]

We have for decades, no problems. I can’t fathom leaving them cooped up inside all day. To me, that’s not fair to the dog.

[Abbie.S]

No, you aren’t. But it sounds as though your reasoning is about you, not so much your dog. So, to each to their own.

I think my comfort level with leaving my dog out all day would depend on A) the neighborhood/area I live in, B) the weather, and C) the dog.

Personally? Not so much a problem with it. But I also live in a fairly rural area, we know all our neighbors very well, and generally no “pass-er by’s” on our road. In this day in age, it’s not the dog I don’t trust. It’s everyone else.

[EAH]

Well, I have a house on a dead end road and I leave my dogs out all day when I am at work and they love it. I think it is nice to them to be able to run and dig for ground squirrels as they like. I have them chipped and do not really worry about them leaving. I am really the only home one a square mile.

[EAH]

Well, I have a house on a dead end road and I leave my dogs out all day when I am at work and they love it. I think it is nice to them to be able to run and dig for ground squirrels as they like. I have them chipped and do not really worry about them leaving. I am really the only home on a square mile.

[twotrudoc]

No, two cute little terriers? Nope! One won’t approach strangers but one pretty much will jump into any car that the door is open :lol: They would get stolen in a heartbeat-or worse.

[Canaqua]

No, never. I’m not convinced that most dogs would REALLY prefer to be out all day alone. Our two are herders (ACD mix and BC mix) and, while they need a lot of exercise, they don’t exercise themselves, so leaving them out would be pointless from that perspective. They really want to be with people, and if they can’t, they’d rather be in the house, where they have less territory to be responsible for. Leaving ours out would cause them massive anxiety.

Our neighbor at our old house used to leave her little, backyard bred, “Pomasomethings” out all day when she wasn’t home. The barked their fool heads off ALL DAY. Clearly not happy about being out there, but the neighbor couldn’t be convinced. One of the reasons we ultimately moved, no one likes listening to that.

I also worry about dog’s safety if outside alone when no one is home.

[LaurieB]

I work at home and I have a securely fenced yard. But I would never leave my dogs outside when I’m not here and paying attention. I certainly wouldn’t leave them out all day.

[katyb]

When it’s nice weather, mine stay out. I live on a private road; they are on a wireless fence. I really don’t see how it would be a problem. Dog theft isn’t really a thing here, and my dogs aren’t the sort to run off. Right now, it’s been raining pretty much forever, so they are almost always in. I am so tired of cleaning muddy paws; I can’t wait for dry, outside play time, weather!

[ynl063w]

@Abbie.S;7932364

No, you aren’t. But it sounds as though your reasoning is about you, not so much your dog. So, to each to their own.

Yes, I thought I made it clear in my original post that it was mostly about my mental well-being, in that I would worry about what could happen to her being left alone all day outside. I did that specifically so that those who felt differently would not feel as though I would judge them for their decisions, and I’m glad to see that seems to have worked. We seem to have a mix of opinions/ways of doing things.

For what it’s worth, my dog seems well-adjusted and happy with the routine that I have provided her, and it sounds that many others’ dogs are just as happy with their routines (which are not all the same as mine).

It seems as though this, as is true for man things in life, is not a one size fit all situation.

ETA: Abbie.S, I’m really not even sure what you meant by the above statement. Are you saying that my dog would be better off left outside unattended all day long, but since it would make me unhappy, it’s ok that I keep her inside even though others wouldn’t?

[Ladylexie]

Wow, but, no way!!!

[heronponie]

No. But my yard is not securely fenced, and one of my dogs is intact, so it would be very irresponsible of me to do that.

I have considered building a dog run out back for them, but the expense is prohibitive. Plus honestly, the older dog would rather sleep in a nice temperature-controlled house all day, and the two younger dogs are quickly following suit. They get training and play time, lots of mental and physical stimulation, and they accompany me for all barn chores. They live fulfilling lives. I do not feel guilty about leaving them in a safe, comfortable environment for a few hours while I work.

[sunridge1]

Back in the old days (20 years ago) I did every day. Until one day a nasty storm came through while I was at work and my beloved dog disappeared for 3 days. Never again.

[saultgirl]

If my yard was fenced and I had a shelter for the dog, sure.

I leave the horses outside all day while I’m at work!

[Hunter_Mom]

We’ve done both. Our old house had a backyard akin to Fort Knox due to weimaraners who were too smart for their own good. They were quite content to romp in their yard, even if the squirrels did torment them. Our current home doesn’t have sufficient fencing for our brittany, so they’re never outside unattended. We do have a small run that they go into once in a great while, but the gray one thinks she’s being abused if she doesn’t have a lap to sit in or a couch to sit on and voices her opinion loudly. The neighbors aren’t appreciative.

[twotrudoc]

I have been mulling over a completely contained run, like 10’x10’ or so (chain link with sides and top) with a little house but what is more likely to happen is I take them with me to work on temperate days, then I can let them out to play at lunch, etc.

[stb]

Nope. If I’m not home my dogs are always in the house.

[ynl063w]

[QUOTE=saultgirl;7932423]
If my yard was fenced and I had a shelter for the dog, sure.

I leave the horses outside all day while I’m at work![/QUOTE]

In my mind, horses are different than dogs. Sure, they’re both domesticated animals, but they’re domesticated at different levels. Most horses don’t come to the back door of the house and ask to come inside so they can curl up on the couch for a nap, or get fed and have a drink of water. Your experience must be different than mine, but I just can’t understand comparing leaving a horse outside to leaving a dog outside.