Unsupervised Backyard Time

[Chula]

So - assuming that everything goes as planned, we will be moving into a house with a 6ft fenced back yard in just over two weeks. Chula will be nearly five months - but as we all know, has a "eat everything she finds" problem. 

 

With that said...

 

When did you start to leave your dog unsupervised in the backyard? I don't think she is ready, and I'm even hesitant to leave her off leash/tie out in case I have to reel her in with a big wad of something bad in her chomps. But I do want her to have the freedom to run around and be happy.

 

I wish she'd stop eating things that can kill her!!

[Andy]

First check the back garden for plants.

See if you can identify anything growing there and check if it's

dangerous for dogs.

If she's as intent as you say on eating anything and everything.

You can get any offending plants removed before you move in.

[Elyse]

While I don't have any experience with puppies, I do know some plants are dangerous for dogs, you'll have to look them up. Things like mistletoe, pointsetta, tulip bulbs (I think...?) and the bark of cherry trees (?). 

 

When I got Suka at 4 years old, he was fine with being left alone in the backyard. He goes on a tie-out, because our yard isn't completely fenced in. I love the tie out, because if he doesn't listen to me for whatever reason, I can reel him in. 

 

His tie out is 30 ft - just enough room so he can just reach the neighbours' fences, but he doesn't have enough room to jump over said fences and (accidentally) strangle himself. 

[Chula]

It's more that she will eat sticks, or pine cones, or any paper or plastic or other random garbage that might blow into the yard. 

 

There are dogs currently living in the home, so I would assume that if they didn't die, there probably isn't anything majorly poisonous back there.

[Andy]

If there is a patio (paved area) out the back I would give it a thorough disinfecting

first before letting Chula out there.

The other dogs may not have had their shots and be carrying and leaving behind all

kinds of nasties in their deposits.

[HuskyGuerl]

I would still do a safety check just in case..I have to have Cherokee on a tie out because she is a huge ecscape artist. But Echo and the girls do great and they have both been in a fenced in yard since well when they were first able to go outside..Cherokee has been on the tie out for so long that i can just let her out now and she wont tempt to get out

[LittleLuka]

i still don't leave mine unsupervised in our fenced in backyard. i don't trust Luka not to dig out. i will let them out first thing in the mornings and they play for 30 minutes but i'm periodically outside checking on them.

 

other than that, they're never out there without me. needless to say, i spend  A LOT of time outside. haha

[Stormy]

I get loads of random things blow into my garden or just thrown in tbh including glass.... so i do check my garden every morning for anything. They can be left out their unsupervised but i do check on them every few minutes because Skye likes to dig.... Shadow isn't a worry he just sits on a rock or trys to dig himself through the actualy door to get back in... lol

 

My advice to you is to clear the garden give it a good thorough check before you let Chula out there Check at the bottom of the fence for any kind of holes make sure they are filled in etc and obv take up anything you think Chula may eat. Shadow was like Chula an abs nightmare for eating things i came home once and my housemate at the time had let him out and he had eaten all the tops of all the flowers... he was fine though! I now dont have flowers other than in hanging baskets! 

[raindog]

I don't know what the weather is like in your part of Virginia, but one of the biggest problems we have at the moment is a plague of huge slugs caused by the very wet conditions over the past year or so. Slugs can carry lungworm eggs and larvae, so it is really important that dogs don't eat them.  Luckily our dogyard is completely concreted, so this is an issue we avoid. Nationally however, lungworm (previously pretty much unknown in the UK) is now beginning to be a big problem for dog owners.

 

http://www.lungworm.co.uk/

[sharloid]

I don't leave mine in the garden unsupervised even with a 6ft fence. Maybe I'm over cautious. 

 

I can't fathom the people who leave their dogs in the garden whilst they go out. I'd be forever worrying if they were still there! 

[Stormy]

Yeah i would never go out and leave them in the garden i dont even like to do that if i am going in to the garage etc

[Chula]

I didn't mean I'd leave her out while I was gone, just to let her run around and get her zoomies out outside.

I hadn't considered slugs. Ugh they are so gross. And given her propensity for earth worms...maybe she needs a muzzle.

[Stormy]

I dont see the issue Just check the garden and keep an eye on her

[Jay]

depending on how big the yard is, I would probably get a tie out, so at least you can reel her in like others said, and maybe keep her roaming in the same spot, and check the yard for any foreign items. 

 

You could just start by staying outside with her, and then gradually give her more freedom as she gets older.  Once she gets a litter older hopefully she will grow out of eating anything and everything.