Leaving dogs outside

[BostonRott]

Many times people come on the forums and talk about their dogs living outside, or leaving dogs outside in their fenced yard while they are not home.

Many times, forum members advise against such practices. It is simply not safe, in today's day and age of weird people, to leave dogs outside unattended. ESPECIALLY if you have had problems with the neighbors, or they hate your choice of breed.......a fence does not prevent poisoning, shooting and other nasty deaths.

Now, there is a sad story of a forum member whose dog was killed in it's own back yard. The breeder of my older male also lost a dog this same way.....Bort's brother was brutally stabbed and carved up, in his kennel.

PLEASE do NOT leave dogs outside if you are not home.

[spoiledbabies3]

Unfortunately, this is a sad truth in today's society. I am a proponent of "inside dogs", however, I know many that prefer "outside dogs". I have experienced "rude and bad" neighbors prior to my current residence. Their thinking was not based on my rotties behavior, but unfortunately on society's view of a rottie. They even had the nerve to throw "poisoned food" over the fence to hopefully "get rid of the rottie next door". When discovered, I left it in the place it landed and called the local authorities. Because I had a video tape of my next door neighbor standing on my lawn and threatening me, my family and my dog I was taken seriously by the authorities. My neighbor was spoken with and I never had any other issues to the day I moved (about 18 months). Per the police, he was instructed that if anything happened to the dog he would be the "primary suspect" and that because of the "physical evidence" (the video tape) I would beat him in a court. He succumbed and decided it wasn't worth going to jail, paying a fine, or worse...paying a civil lawsuit. Sometimes you just can't be friends...but if you live next door to each other you have to at least be respectful of the other's property. I am sorry to hear about the poor rottie that suffered as a result of negative views in society. My heart breaks for all of those involved.

[BostonRott]

Originally Posted by spoiledbabies3

I have experienced "rude and bad" neighbors prior to my current residence. Their thinking was not based on my rotties behavior, but unfortunately on society's view of a rottie.

Exactly!!!! It is not based on our own dogs, but people's general perception of the breed.....and I think that most people on this board who have had grief from someone have received it b/c of societal perceptions, NOT their own dog's behavior.

[spoiledbabies3]

Originally Posted by BostonRott

Exactly!!!! It is not based on our own dogs, but people's general perception of the breed.....and I think that most people on this board who have had grief from someone have received it b/c of societal perceptions, NOT their own dog's behavior.

And this is exactly why my rotties are never outside without me. It's sad that they can't just enjoy nature ...but in our house we ALL watch or in some cases chase the birds in the backyard together...safe and secure.

[hcelsa]

Thanks for posting this Gretchen...it's a subject near and dear to my heart. It's not just Rottweilers or other large publically percieved as "scary" breeds that shouldn't be left outside unattended, in our current society this really applies to ALL dogs (and terrible things are done to free-roaming cats as well).

Where I teach herding we see a lot of people and dogs. Mainly herding breeds, but lots of random other breeds as well (many "small and cute" too). Generally once a month or so we hear about a dog that was harrassed, injured and sometimes killed when left alone in a fenced yard while the owners are away. We strongly recommend that ALL dogs be kept inside the owners home when no one is home!

Some of the reasons for the very real dangers to our canine companions (IMHO of course)...
Kids are growing up in today's society without empathy/morals/ethics whatever you want to call it (I know this because I spend 9 months out of the year with HS kids...and I teach "good" kids compared to many other school). They torture cats, dogs, birds etc with no regard for other living things (heck...they injure/kill other humans too), and even many of the "good" kids do not understand how my animals can be as important to me as they are (and they lack the ability to interact with animals at anything but a cursory level). And then we have adults that are uneducated in relating to other animals, and percieve normal canine behavior as dangerous or just not what "they" like to see. Rather than talking to the owner or calling the authorities they feel it is within their rights to "remove" the particular animal from their selfish little world (often via rat poison, anti-freeze, or some other method where they don't have to "see" the results of their actions and face the fact that they KILLED the animal). Maybe a barking dog puts them over the edge due to lack of sleep, a busy lifestyle or whatever. Suffice it to say that our dogs are endangered most by the very species that they are said to be the "best friend" of, and as their owners it is our responsibility to protect them from others of our species that do not have their best interests in mind.

[LORHEL]

Excellent advice, I've learned from mistakes in the past... even though at the time we had a six foot fence, and our boy was inside his own 6 foot kennel with shade, etc... it was not safe...he was ok, nothing happened, but i will never do it again ....we didn't know what we were doing then, and I regret it. Luckily I had good neighbors.

Now, if I let Makita out, I am either watching her out the window and if she goes where I can't see her, I either step outside or move to where I can see her...
She is NEVER out when I am not home....

Too many people want to hurt our dogs, or even steal them...

[brunie's mom]

This is a hearbreaking situation.

I would also like to add that many people do not realize that their dogs are a nuisance while left outside. They leave...and the dogs bark, howl and carry on sometimes for hours. This is no excuse to do harm to a dog...but someone that is on the edge of mental behaviour...just needs that push of sleepless nights, not being able to keep a window open ,and relentless barking....to put them over the edge.

The person that suffered through this tragedy, had a bitch in heat. Her male and female had mated and I wonder if the male left alone in the yard was going crazy to get back at the female in heat???

I do not believe in leaving dogs outside while the owner is away...it's just too dangerous.
If you do leave them outside, check in with your neigbours, ask them if the dogs are barking while left alone outside?? It could help prevent a tragedy.

Gina

[gail pang]

Gee....made me think about when we first moved to this rural and rather
remote location. We had lived in Chicago for many years (30 plus)upon
my husband's retirement we moved to this area. Along with our four
rotten kids. We had purchased a little over an acre, put up a 6 ft privacy
fence around the back yard which was almost an acre. Well, to make a
long story short, what we didn't realize we purchased property a block from the school bus drop off.
The kids tossed basketballs, shoes, sticks, even a kitten over the fence.
Had to call the school, talked to the police, animal control you name it. We put up a 10x20 kennel in the yard, in the event
we had to have some one come in to do some work. I could tell when that bus was coming 10 minutes before it showed up.....my rotties would start walking that fence line. I would go out and bring them in....the kids
on the bus would ride pass our home calling their names and screaming.
Sometimes I had to confine them to their kennel. One morning I was getting ready for work and my neighbor called, told me to look at the north west
corner. I stopped and went out to the yard and looked over there. there
sat two girls straddled up in the tree hanging over the fence. I ask what
in the world were they doing. They told me they just wanted to see the dogs. Now it that branch had broken, shame on me and them. Had to get
the police to put an crossing guard on that corner to control the kids from
tormenting our dogs. I kept up with my babies.

So yes we do have to protect our rotten kids in more ways that one.

[onthedl74]

Thanks Gretchen for starting this thread. I don't get why people leave their dogs outside! Anything can happen and as we are seeing, the dog is the one who suffers.

If your dog isn't going to be allowed as part of your family, in the home, don't get one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[HerculesMomma]

I don't know why people ho get dogs leave them outside all the time anyway - whats the point of even having a dog then? But thats a different topic.

Leaving them outside when the owners not home, I kind of do all the time with the dog door. Herc lets himself in and out all the time when I'm not home and I really don't worry about. The gate is locked, neighbors have been informed that I would like to know if he ever is bothersome etc.

Yes, there is the slim chance someone will kill him or steal him. But, I do not live my life based on slim chances.

HOWEVER, I would not leave my dog outside and/or with access to a dog door with a neighbor I know has it in for me and/or my dogs. But to me that is just common sense more than anything.

[observer]

I have a dog door as well, similar situation. Missy is quiet even when she goes out when I'm home. No reports of anything any different when I'm not home. No dogs on either side to get wound up with, etc., neighbors who don't have any issue with her, so I feel like she is safe.

[Bruce Lanthier]

When it is nice enough outside my dogs are in their pen quite a bit. I will put them in there and go to work and they will be in there all day. When I get home we go for a walk through the woods and back into the pen they go. I bring them in when it is their dinner time or before dark whichever comes first. When it is nice I will put them out there even when I am home. I am usually doing a lot of work in/out of the house so they can hang out in their pen. They sleep indoors and I consider them indoor dogs but they spend the nice weather outside.

If I had problem neighbors or lived in a high traffic area I would reconsider but where we live is kind of isolated so the only thing they bark at are the squirrels and deer and occasional truck/car going by.

[Jopet]

I am sorry if this offends people but my dogs are mostly outside dogs and I don't intend on changing that, they don't seem to mind either. Thank you for posting possible problems with having outside dogs but my dogs are very well looked after and are usually in site of me, they have a great set up outside (on back patio) and enjoy sunbaking exploring and just generally running around and playing. We also have nearly 6ft fence and neighbours that love our dogs.

[Rottnlove]

Thanks for posting this, Gretchen. I totally agree with you. I have never left my girl outside unattended. I just don't want to chance it. Call me paranoid or whatever. Better safe than sorry.

[RottieMom51503]

My dogs are completely inside dogs and are left indoors when I am not home. I do believe it is really good for dogs to be outside. I spend early morning and late nights training my dogs outside and I also make sure I do something with each of them and they have their playtime together outside.

I am ALWAYS outside with the dogs. While they play together I entertain myself by doing something outside in the flower beds, reading, sun tanning, sending out bills, taking pictures, etc.

I am a firm believer in it being dangerous for the Rottweilers or the Chihuahuas being left unattended outdoors. They could be teased or killed by the neighbors, it wouldn't take much of a hole under the fence for the Chihuahuas to slip out, they could be bite by snakes or any other wild animal, stolen, have heat stroke, etc. I would rather worry about it and be over protective now than suffer the consquences later on.

One thing I remember that has always stuck in my head is a story about my Dad's German Shepherd Sable. Sable was a very atheltic dog and was always bouncing of walls. My Dad had her in several sports. Anyhow we lived close by a high school and there was one kid in particular that used to tease the heck out of Sable, weather my parents were around or not. They used to take her out before school let out and then take her in the house because of this kid. This kid would still tease her while she was in the house by throwing objects at the windows she would be standing at. My Dad was tired of talking with the parents, school and police department and I think basically gave up.

My Dad had the air ducts cleaned one fall afternoon and had Sable outback while that was being done. My Mom was working in her garden out back as well. My Dad was out front washing his car. My Brother and I were then in high school and on our way home, luckily. This kid walked past the house and mouthed off to my Dad and that I guess was when Sable had enough. According to my Mom (Sable had never even attempted this before) Sable jumped up on the picnic table and right over the fence after this kid and started chasing him. Luckily My Brother saw her and dropped his books to chase her down before she caught up to the kid. Of course if Sable had attacked this kid it would have meant a law suit and we probably would have had to put her down even though she was reacting to years of teasing by this kid.

That kid never walked past our house again. Sable was not an aggressive dog by any means. She was well socialized, well trained, and lived with three other dogs, 2 cats, 3 hamster, 3 kids, my parents and elderly Grandmother that had caretakers coming in to take care of her at all hours of the day without a single problem.

My point in telling this story is even if your neighbor or whom ever doesn't do anything more than tease your dog, your dog may one day have his or her fill of it and is all the more reason to be outside with your dog to be aware of what is happening to your dog.