We have two puppies (abt 7 mts old) that love to run around the woods around our area. They are kept in a 12x16 pen with their two dog houses when we are not at home (most of the day) and at night. In the evening and on weekends, we were letting them just "roam" (they love chasing squirrels). Neighbors are now complaining (I can live with that). Although we live on 5 acres, they won't stay on it! At any rate, I want to know what types of things you can put in the fenced off area that will keep them entertained, healthy, and happy. They love climbing atop the dog houses. Should I build a little obstacle course in there? Toys? I have some ideas, but I'm hesitant to put a lot of effort/money/work into a project that they will just ignore. Any thoughts will appreciatively added to my own. Thank you in advance.

Anthony

-- Anthony McCormick (shmam@earthlink.net), March 02, 2002

Answers

My pet peeve and I am sure others too --people who let thier dogs roam on other's property!

I am sure you don't mean any disprect to your neighbors, but try to understand, your teaching your dog a very very bad habit! Dogs kill chickens and goats, puppies chew things, they irritate the neighbors dogs, they poop where people walk, they kill flowers and plants by peeing on them or trampling them, and I can go on and on why to keep your dog at home.

But the bottom line is that it is totally disrepectful to let your dog roam into others property. You wouldn't walk into your neighbor's house without permission. Also, it is a good way to loose your dog. I know of many neighbors here who will shoot on site to protect thier livestock. You may know your dog won't hurt anything, but they don't!

-- Lucy (db0421@yahoo.com), March 02, 2002.

You may be able to live with your neighbours complaining about your dogs going on their property, but your dogs may not be able to.

Your neighbours have legally taken the first (or first two or three) steps which lead to them being allowed to call Animal Control and have your dogs impounded, or trap your dogs and hand them over to the authorities, or to being allowed to shoot your dogs. Actually, they don't need to do that - if the pups go anywhere need livestock, all they need to do is shoot them. It's kind of nice of them to have given you this warning first - if you ignore it, then it's the pups who will suffer. Of course, if the dogs are impounded rather than being shot, then you'll be liable for fees to get them out, and fines as well - or fees and fines if you decide you'd rather have the dogs killed.

You already know your dogs chase animals (squirrels, but how are they going to know the difference without being taught). I've known of uncontrolled dogs to pack up (that's gather in a pack) and run ten miles to kill livestock, then ten miles back - dogs can and will easily do all that in less than two hours. If your neighbours have or will ever have poultry, YOU will be liable for damages if your dogs decide to chase them - and ANY purebred or even just plain pet livestock can be amazingly expensive - even more so if you argue it in court. In court, under those conditions, you can't win, but you can be assessed punitive damages as well as witnesses time and court costs as well. Your dogs won't know to stay on a little five-acre block if you don't have it adequately fenced.

Sorry this doesn't address your question, but it does address your situation, and IF you listen it may save your dog's lives - not to mention the lives of a lot of livestock as well.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), March 02, 2002.

You said you have 5 acres. Why not build them a larger pen. I only have a little over 2 acres, and our two dogs have a pen, that is 75ft. by 75ft. and they have plenty room to run. One is half rottie and half lab. The other one is half rottie and half chow. So they are both large dogs. About 75 to 85 lbs. They will chase each other and have lots of fun playing and running. They have been in the same pen since they were 8 weeks old. You cannot hardly get them out to take them for a walk or the vet. Wire and post would be less expensive than having to pay for damage to someones property. We also have stray come aroung our place and my husband uses his pellet gun on them.

-- ruby (rubyfmc@cs.com), March 02, 2002.

I agree with all of the above. Our dogs go out when we do and they have to stay with in sight. If they run off I go get them. These are just puppies, they will grow in both physical size and their idea of their territory size. Dogs do and willpack up and cause a lot of damage. In Minnesota if your dog chases/harasses, or kills livestock you can kill it after telling the owner it is being a bother. if you animal causes death or damage you are liable. If your dog knocks-up a bitch in heat your are liable for any and all medical costs.

As far as toys and things to entertaine the babies while they are locked up. Balls are always good. Wiffle balls (ones with holes all over)work well, a dog of any size can hook a tooth in a hole and carry it. They are difficult to chomp down on. Do NOT get them those string/floss rope toys. These are intended to be used with human supervision. Dogs will, and have, ingested the strings, causing intestinal blockage/damage and death. I know many dogs this has happened to. Anything you leave in there will get dirty. Too much clutter could cause trouble. I would reccommend rotating toys. If they like to climb, sure build an obsticle course, but remember they need room to move on the flat too.

Susan

-- Susan in Minnesota (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), March 02, 2002.

We are presently fencing off our five acres so our dogs can have free run of the property. In the meantime, we keep 'em penned in a 40'x60' area.

They don't enjoy it, so there is an encentive for us to complete the fence.

It will be very hard for dogs to play in a 6x12 area (unless they are mini's).

-- Rudy (rbakker@wcrtc.net), March 02, 2002.

Take your dogs on a leash, one at a time, and walk the primeter; this instills a knowledge of boundries; physically "mark" the boundries as a dog does, the dogs will understand the limits.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), March 02, 2002.

We have four large dogs (50-75lbs..) that are in a 200sq ft. fenced area. They play with each other more than any thing else! We do have toys that are in there. Their favorite thing is the wading pool that's filled with water in the summer! It's small but they run through the pool and chase each other around, and around! We empty it every other day because it gets filled with trash/dirt! We have different areas-a sunny morning area, an area that total shade, one we leave the leaves in and some we rake, some we weed, some we don't! I am working on using the old swimming pools(with holes in the bottom) with dirt and nice rye grass. I know it won't last long but I could rotate them in and out! Good luck. We have 14 acres --twenty years ago our dogs could roam with no problems ( we were WAY out in the boonies) now we have to take them to our farm to run! Good luck!

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), March 02, 2002.

Can you take them for a walk around the fence line like Mitch said only use a shock collar to keep them from leaving the property. Maybe in time they will learn not to cross the fence. It's going to get harder to train them the older they get. Just a thought, better than having the neighbors shoot them. Best of luck!

-- cowgirlone in OK (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), March 02, 2002.

Building the bigger fence is the best answer because then you will know they are safe!!!

ALSO, you won't have to worry about others dogs, coyotes, and things like that coming onto YOUR property as much!

Our latest dog, Maggie, who we think is about a seven month old Eskimo Spitz, is in a big pen all by herself but where she can see the other dog fence, the chickens and the rabbit barn. She is also basically in our back yard, between us and the garden plot, so she sees a lot of activity.

She has enjoyed playing with one of my old tennis shoes! (take out the laces and cut off anything (like metal) that might chock them)

Also, she has an awful looking out teddy bear that I got at a yard sale that she has basically shaken all the insides out of but still loves to carry around in her fence! She sleeps with it some too! For toys like that cut off metal eyes and noses, etc.

We are planning to get her and each of the other two dogs, large balls from Wal-Mart as soon as we have the money. THey enjoy chew sticks from the $1 store too.

we'll be taking Maggie to the vet to be "fixed" some time within the next month so she will likely get a new toy (that we'll put our smell on) to take to the vet for her overnight visit!

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), March 02, 2002.

Ditto's to everthing everyone said about letting them run. It will end up costing you. We"ve always had two or three dogs, the place wouldn't be the same without them, so here's a question. Our dogs have always been like members of the family. Working, hunting, camping, or just crashing out in the living room they're almost always with us. I could never understand people who get a dog, throw it in a pen and pretty much leave there the rest of it's life. That's what pet fish are for. I know none of the kind folks in this forum would do so, but they might have some insight into this reasoning that I've missed.

-- JJ Grandits (JJGBDF@aol.com), March 02, 2002.

Electric shock fence is best idea. They will be safe at home and not get picked up and worse. As for toys, big bones from the market for them to chew on, maybe large rope braided for them to tug-o-war, etc. You are doing the right thing keeping them at home and away from others animals and gardens.

-- Hank (hsnrs@att.net), March 02, 2002.

Anthony, you have had some good advice here. I would add to that, that you need to start taking some responsibility here for your dogs. If I were your neighbor I would have already shot them and been well within my rights. You should be spending time with both of the pups,on leash, one at a time, with lots of obedience training and other forms of constuctive exercise, not letting them out to run loose and be ,not only a pain in the ass to others but not much good to you either. A pen like you have is OK, IF they get lots of time and excersise with you every chance you get. Keep in mind when you have more than one dog, the trouble they get into is squared for every dog you add. Take the time to work with them both. Get a good book you won't be sorry. LQ

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), March 02, 2002.

Anthony,

I have read others advice, but because this is rather late I decided to post privately.

Kong! have you ever seen them? I have several for each dog. And OH! are they expensive! about $14.00 each! ok, the neat thing about Kongs...

You can fill them with food! I like filling them with hamburger meat then freeze them. Takes the dogs a long time to get the food out! Or peanut butter mixed with their dry dog food. You can fill them with lots of neat food ideas.

I have a basket filled with different leather chew bones. I buy chicken flavor, beef flavor, plain, twisted, compressed, bone shape, stick shape, real soup bones with marrow inside and let the dogs pick and choose (I get most of them from Costco cause they have the best price for the big bags of rawhide chew bones..including pig ears). Just fill the laundry basket up with the toys. Also there is a ball called a "Jolly Ball" it is a ball for horses. This ball has a triangle shape attached (handle) to the ball. I tie a large rope to the handle and the dogs play tug o war with it.

My other suggestion is to use "field fencing" which is 48" tall and 330 feet long. The cost of this fencing is about $80.00. The biggest expense is the poles to attach the fencing to. You could in essence fence in your place and let the dogs have run of _your_ 5 acres. Keeping your dogs on your property makes for happy dogs and neighbors. This also keeps your dogs safe.

-- westbrook (westbrook_farms@yahoo.com), March 02, 2002.

We think we lost our male peacock to a neighbors dog a few years ago. Don't allow your dogs to run. People often say I live in the country and it's not fair to the dogs. Well...it isn't fair to homesteaders who have their animals killed by dogs either. I would go with the electric fence and tie them when I'm away from home. I have a rottie and he does not leave our place. But...he is never outside without me either. Do have a dog house to tie him if company comes or I am busy outside and can't keep an eye on him. If you love your dogs be responsible and keep them home. Good Luck !!!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), March 03, 2002.