Some time ago I realized (somewhat indignantly) that I do not qualify to adopt a dog from my local private shelter because I do not have a fenced-in yard. This threw me something for a loop because I have always had dogs and I have never had a fenced-in yard. And, well, I like to think any dog that lived with me would have a pretty good life. But no, no fenced-in yard, no dog, no questions. But this policy annoys me on more than a personal level, it annoys me on a professional level. Because as a dog trainer, I hate fenced in-yards.
In my professional life I have met many people who have behavioral issues with their dogs whose heart lies in their reliance on their fenced-in yard to help them care for their dog. To me, this is akin to using your television to help care for your child. Yes, I believe fenced-in yards encourage lazy dog ownership.
Fenced-in Yards Can Foil Housebreaking Efforts
Many folks who have fenced in yards find themselves stymied at some point during housebreaking by a dog who will go outside quite readily and then come inside and pee on the floor. Of course, the owners don't know if he actually peed or pooed outside, because while the dog was outside (chewing on sticks and rolling in raccoon poo) the owner was sitting in the comfort of his kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee in his fuzzy slippers.
Simply letting your dog outside does not give your dog any message at all about what to do outside. And small puppies being let outside alone are probably going to spend the majority of their outside time either exploring or trembling in terror and aren't going to think about going potty until they are in the warm, safe, somewhat less interesting confines of the house. Older dogs may patrol around the yard and pee on things to mark territory but chances are if there's anything left, it'll end up on the floor once he's indoors and relaxed and remembers that his bowel and bladder are meant for things other than writing "Killer the Chihuahua was here" on the rosebushes.
If you want to housebreak your dog you have to physically go outside with your dog. You have to catch him going potty where he is supposed to (not just where he's not supposed to) and you can't do that if he's in the yard and you are in the house.
Fenced-in Yards do NOT Exercise Dogs by Themselves
If you think your dog is going to exercise himself if you let him out in his yard a few hours a day, think again. Unless his arch nemesis lives on the other side of the fence, impelling him to run up and down the fence line barking hysterically, he's not likely to get much exercise at all. He'll probably do a couple of circuits of the yard, make sure everything is in order, check to see if the gate's ajar, find something gross to roll in, pee on a few things and then settle down to chew on some sticks or rocks. If he really needs exercise he will probably dig a hole or destroy something. Unless it's very hot, then he'll dig a hole to nap in. When he gets bored, he'll probably start looking for things to bark at. But all in all, not much healthy exercise.
Dogs left to their own devices don't tend to be very constructive from our point of view. If you want your dog to exercise, you are going to have to go out there with him. Throw a ball, chase him around, whatever. He's not going to do it on his own. At least not in a way you'd approve of.
Fenced-in Yards Can Expose Your Dog to Dangers
When you wake up in the morning, groggy, bleary eyed, and let your dog out the back door into your fenced -in yard before you go off to make your coffee, have a shower, etc. what are you exposing your dog to? Do you know? A lot can happen overnight while you're asleep in a yard, even a fenced-in one. A raccoon could have gotten into your garbage and spread dangerous deliciousness all over the yard, which your dog could be consuming even now and later, when he's violently ill, you will have no idea what it was that caused it. That raccoon could have been rabid. That rabid raccoon could still be out there.
Or another dog could have gotten in, drawn by the scent of a bone you dog left out there yesterday. He could have dug a hold under the fence. He might not still be around. Your dog might not still be around.
Or it could have been really windy. There could have been a storm in the night. Maybe you heard it, maybe you didn't. Maybe a branch fell on your fence. Maybe a power line came down and landed inside your yard.
You don't know. You didn't look. You just let your dog out. Because you have a fenced-in yard, you have that luxury. Not like the rest of us who have to get dressed before we take our dogs out, who would have had our dogs on a leash and would have seen these dangers before our dogs were exposed to them.
Fenced-in Yards Build Bad Habits
It's really only natural to take the easy way and a fenced-in yard gives us that. Your dog's getting on your nerves? Rather than correct him and train a more appropriate behavior, it's much easier just to put him out in the yard. When you have a fenced-in yard it's easy to blow off walks, it's easy to blow off obedience practice and exercise time. The yard is there, always ready, always beckoning; there for you to take the easy way out with your dog.
And what do dogs learn all alone in a fenced-in yard? They learn to entertain themselves, of course. By chewing on sticks and rocks, digging holes (sometimes under or even through fences) and barking barking barking. Barking is a huge behavior issue with dogs who live behind fences.
A dog who has to wait for his owner to get dressed before going for a walk is going to have better manners and self-control than a dog who is simply let outside every morning. A dog who is walked will be more focused and obedient as well because the actual walking is very grounding for a dog, not just being outside. A dog who receives regular human-interactive playtime indoors or on a long line outdoors will be more obedient and happier than a dog let out to romp for several hours in the afternoon.
What Are Fenced in Yards Good For?
Every dog likes a good run. Fenced-in yards are great for running and playing fetch with your dog.
It's important to practice obedience off leash and with increasing distractions so you know it's there when you really need it. Fenced-in yards are great for this. But you can do all this on a tether as well.
Fenced-in yards are also handy to have in an emergency if there is no one to take your dog out just this once. If you must leave your dog in the yard, make sure you check it for safety first - every day (things do change) and leave him with some safe activities to engage in. Hide some biscuits around the yard, hide a Kong stuffed with canned dog food, etc. Make sure he has a shady spot to rest in if he gets too warm, a warm spot in case he's chilly and a bowl of water.
Never, ever leave your dog outside when you are not home or when you go to bed at night.
In my professional life I have met many people who have behavioral issues with their dogs whose heart lies in their reliance on their fenced-in yard to help them care for their dog. To me, this is akin to using your television to help care for your child. Yes, I believe fenced-in yards encourage lazy dog ownership.
Fenced-in Yards Can Foil Housebreaking Efforts
Many folks who have fenced in yards find themselves stymied at some point during housebreaking by a dog who will go outside quite readily and then come inside and pee on the floor. Of course, the owners don't know if he actually peed or pooed outside, because while the dog was outside (chewing on sticks and rolling in raccoon poo) the owner was sitting in the comfort of his kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee in his fuzzy slippers.
Simply letting your dog outside does not give your dog any message at all about what to do outside. And small puppies being let outside alone are probably going to spend the majority of their outside time either exploring or trembling in terror and aren't going to think about going potty until they are in the warm, safe, somewhat less interesting confines of the house. Older dogs may patrol around the yard and pee on things to mark territory but chances are if there's anything left, it'll end up on the floor once he's indoors and relaxed and remembers that his bowel and bladder are meant for things other than writing "Killer the Chihuahua was here" on the rosebushes.
If you want to housebreak your dog you have to physically go outside with your dog. You have to catch him going potty where he is supposed to (not just where he's not supposed to) and you can't do that if he's in the yard and you are in the house.
Fenced-in Yards do NOT Exercise Dogs by Themselves
If you think your dog is going to exercise himself if you let him out in his yard a few hours a day, think again. Unless his arch nemesis lives on the other side of the fence, impelling him to run up and down the fence line barking hysterically, he's not likely to get much exercise at all. He'll probably do a couple of circuits of the yard, make sure everything is in order, check to see if the gate's ajar, find something gross to roll in, pee on a few things and then settle down to chew on some sticks or rocks. If he really needs exercise he will probably dig a hole or destroy something. Unless it's very hot, then he'll dig a hole to nap in. When he gets bored, he'll probably start looking for things to bark at. But all in all, not much healthy exercise.
Dogs left to their own devices don't tend to be very constructive from our point of view. If you want your dog to exercise, you are going to have to go out there with him. Throw a ball, chase him around, whatever. He's not going to do it on his own. At least not in a way you'd approve of.
Fenced-in Yards Can Expose Your Dog to Dangers
When you wake up in the morning, groggy, bleary eyed, and let your dog out the back door into your fenced -in yard before you go off to make your coffee, have a shower, etc. what are you exposing your dog to? Do you know? A lot can happen overnight while you're asleep in a yard, even a fenced-in one. A raccoon could have gotten into your garbage and spread dangerous deliciousness all over the yard, which your dog could be consuming even now and later, when he's violently ill, you will have no idea what it was that caused it. That raccoon could have been rabid. That rabid raccoon could still be out there.
Or another dog could have gotten in, drawn by the scent of a bone you dog left out there yesterday. He could have dug a hold under the fence. He might not still be around. Your dog might not still be around.
Or it could have been really windy. There could have been a storm in the night. Maybe you heard it, maybe you didn't. Maybe a branch fell on your fence. Maybe a power line came down and landed inside your yard.
You don't know. You didn't look. You just let your dog out. Because you have a fenced-in yard, you have that luxury. Not like the rest of us who have to get dressed before we take our dogs out, who would have had our dogs on a leash and would have seen these dangers before our dogs were exposed to them.
Fenced-in Yards Build Bad Habits
It's really only natural to take the easy way and a fenced-in yard gives us that. Your dog's getting on your nerves? Rather than correct him and train a more appropriate behavior, it's much easier just to put him out in the yard. When you have a fenced-in yard it's easy to blow off walks, it's easy to blow off obedience practice and exercise time. The yard is there, always ready, always beckoning; there for you to take the easy way out with your dog.
And what do dogs learn all alone in a fenced-in yard? They learn to entertain themselves, of course. By chewing on sticks and rocks, digging holes (sometimes under or even through fences) and barking barking barking. Barking is a huge behavior issue with dogs who live behind fences.
A dog who has to wait for his owner to get dressed before going for a walk is going to have better manners and self-control than a dog who is simply let outside every morning. A dog who is walked will be more focused and obedient as well because the actual walking is very grounding for a dog, not just being outside. A dog who receives regular human-interactive playtime indoors or on a long line outdoors will be more obedient and happier than a dog let out to romp for several hours in the afternoon.
What Are Fenced in Yards Good For?
Every dog likes a good run. Fenced-in yards are great for running and playing fetch with your dog.
It's important to practice obedience off leash and with increasing distractions so you know it's there when you really need it. Fenced-in yards are great for this. But you can do all this on a tether as well.
Fenced-in yards are also handy to have in an emergency if there is no one to take your dog out just this once. If you must leave your dog in the yard, make sure you check it for safety first - every day (things do change) and leave him with some safe activities to engage in. Hide some biscuits around the yard, hide a Kong stuffed with canned dog food, etc. Make sure he has a shady spot to rest in if he gets too warm, a warm spot in case he's chilly and a bowl of water.
Never, ever leave your dog outside when you are not home or when you go to bed at night.
