Is a fence essential?

[lawyerlee]

I'm looking for some opinions from dog lovers.

I really, really, really want to adopt a dog. My DH is gone all day, every day, and I would love having the companionship of a dog. Also, it really helps me to have someone to take care of when I feel depressed. Knowing someone is relying on me for walks helps so much.

Unfortunately, we don't have a fence at our house yet and likely won't be able to fit one into our budget until next spring. So I thought that was that.

However, today my therapist said she thinks I should get a dog anyway. I want a small dog, so she suggested I get one and just get a stake to put the dog out to go potty and take it for walks in the morning and evening. I'm liking the idea, but I wanted to get some feedback from some other dog lovers before I go to my DH with this idea. I know he wants me to wait, but I think we can make it work.

Thanks for chiming in. :)

[jennylou]

Big dog, no fence here. It would be more convenient, but not necessary.

[PinkMartini]

We have 3 dogs - 1 giant breed & 2 toy breeds. We also have a large fenced in backyard. I don't necessarily believe that a fence is absolutely essential to own a dog, however, having 1 has made it easier to potty train them and allow them time to romp around and play together...

A lot of people that own toy dogs train their dogs to go potty on pee pads so they don't need to take them outside to go potty...

[carrie9142]

It is just so convenient to let the puppy out without you having to come with it!

We have a very small dog that we first trained to go on the potty pads. Since we were gone all day, and he has such a small bladder, we wanted him to have somewhere he could pee and not get in trouble. He learned to poop there too, and that we would just pick up. Then we started taking him out to poop and then we just opened the door and let him go. The fence isn't neccesary, but it is helpful and convenient. It sucks to wake up in the middle of the night, get dressed and stand out there with them while they do their busniess (especially in winter!). You could possibly make a little pen or something.

[jesvet]

helpful- yes, essential, no. If that were the case none of the thousands of people out there in apartments with dogs would be able to have one! ;)

As long you're fine with accompanying him or her outside several times a day for walks/potty, I'm sure you would be fine.

[lml41981]

My parents raised us in an apartment complex until I was 15. We never had fewer than 2 dogs and never had a fence. Their chains were attached to a tree and they went for walks on leash.

It is more convenient, sure, but not essential...especially with proper training.

[lawyerlee]

Thank you all for your responses. Hopefully I can convince DH it will be okay to get a dog and put in a fence later. :)

[ejs]

Check the laws. I know you're not in CA, but we now have strict laws about tethering a dog outside.

There are many places where people don't have fences, but have dogs. So it can be done.

I would never do it with my dogs. Our dogs are trained to use a doggy door so they go in and out when they want.

[Maggie8202]

We don't have a fence either. It would bring more piece of mind, and the new house will have one because I don't want to go through training another dog without one. It is not a need though, more like a convience.

I have a golden retriever, and she has been trained so well that she will never leave the yard even without a fence. However, she became so used to my DH or myself taking her to go out for so long on a leash that she will not do her business without one of us standing right next to her. :)

I do actually like going outside with her especially in the morning. She waits till I make my coffee and I will play ball with her for a while. If I had a fenced yard I probably wouldn't have gotten into this nice little routine.

[Lucy Van Pelt]

We have a fenced yard, but it's not landscaped so we have to take Lucy out to potty. I certainly don't think a fence is necessary if the dog gets enough exercise. However, I don't like the idea of tethering a dog either. I would never leave Lucy outside on any kind of tether. I would be afraid she would get it caught on something and choke herself.

[cr8zyforaf]

Helpful, yes...essential, no. we have a lab - and 2 acres of partially unfenced (DH has been working on the fence project for years) yard. I would be SO nice to let him out and not have to watch him but we manage.

[Belm]

It's easier having a fence, but it's still very do-able.

[NotDesperate]

I say, it depends on how lazy ya are. Not that *you* are lazy, but *I* am and therefore would not want walk a dog all the time, especially in bad weather. However, you can also have a dog tieout or an overhead trolley system so all you have to do is leash up the dog at the door and then let him out.

[Hello Kitty]

No, I don't think so. Regardless of how you keep your dog outside, we all need to remember that tethers and fencing are not substitutes for walks, training, and play with us outside.

We didn't have a proper fence when we trained our pup, and I actually think it helped train her very quickly, because we were so attuned to her needs and ready to treat & praise her b/c we were outside too. However, that first winter we were in our house, and let her out at 5am to do her business, alone, off leash - priceless. ;)

[May27JnJ]

Our dogs go on potty pads. If you don't want to train your dog on those, just take it out with a leash every time.

[fuzzy]

I echo everyone else -- essential? No. But very, very, very helpful. Just remember that you'll likely need to give the dog more walks/runs than you would if you had a fences in yard.

Also, invisible fencing tends to run a bit cheaper than traditional fencing. We fenced in a large amount of our property and so it was pricey, but they offered us some really good financing options and I think we ended up on a payment plan of something like $26/month.

[boilermaker]

We've had 3 houses without a fence and 1 with and yeah, it was convenient to leave the dog out when we had the fence but definitely not necessary.

I'd disagree with fuzzy in our case because our dog won't exercise himself, he would just lay in the yard if we aren't out there playing with him. So the fence made no difference in the amount of time we spent exercising him.

[chefker]

When we adopted our dog, we lived in a condo (no fence). Actually it was good, it forced me to get off my ass and walk him several times a day. :)

In our current home, it's all fenced in, and I'll admit - I've gotten lazy about walking my dog. But anyway, it's completely doable to have a dog without a fence! Do you have a deck or anything like that? I used to gate off our deck so Ivan could lay out there and sun himself when it was nice out - and that worked out well. (Our condo board did not allow tying a dog outside to a tether, but leaving him on the deck, with supervision, was allowed).

Oh, and DH wanted me to wait on adopting a dog too - but once he met Ivan, he couldn't say 'no', and has no regrets about adopting a dog before he thought he would be ready to. :) Good luck!

[Kate&Joey]

When I first got Dog#1, I lived in an apartment by myself (no fence). I walked her every AM for 35 minutes and when I got home from work, I walked her for about 20 minutes. I also took her out for an additional quick potty break before I left for work and one before bed. On the weekends, I would walk her for an hour each day, at least.

It's definitely not essential to have a fence and knowing you have to walk your dog is a great motivator to get more exercise! Although I was a fairly fit person and worked out regularly, I lost about 5 pounds from adding those daily walks into my routine. :)

[sdianems]

One more vote for super helpful...yes! Necessary....no! Actually, as Tasha has gotten older and better behaved she is able to run around the backyard by herself (no fence) without supervision. But as a puppy, there is no way I would have been able to do that!
Be aware that some shelters/rescue groups will NOT adopt out a dog to a human that can not provide a fenced in yard, though...

[Ohana]

It depends. If you are going to leash your dog and walk it whenever it needs to go out and never leave it unattended outside, I'd say you're fine without a fence. Especially if you choose a smaller dog that's better suited to staying indoors. If you're going to let the dog out without supervision, get a fence. Our neighbors have 2 huge mutts and no fence. They used to let the dogs out every morning, and go back to bed themselves. One dog in particular is very unpredictable and aggressive. They would dig under our fence to get into our yard to chase us, or chase me in my car and come after me as soon as I opened the door, even though we have a fully fenced lot and keep our gate closed. I got tired of their aggressive behavior and worrying about my kids' safety all the time, so I started calling animal control every time they were left outside. They were a menace, and their owner has thankfully started keeping them indoors. I fell bad that the dogs are cooped up all day, but their owner should have thought it through before he adopted them. Big dogs + no fence +no walks = miserable barky dogs.

Sorry, I'm a bit bitter about our idiotic neighbor's pet care abilities...

[keska]

We trained our dog to use a litterbox. He goes to daycare during the week for exercise with other dogs. We actually have a fenced yard but it's not secure enough to let Rollo out without a leash. Fences are definitely not essential. Some rescues do require them, though.

[Wen]

I voted other b/c I think it depends on what you want to try, what breed of dog you have, and what the laws are. We have a husky(runner and knows no boundaries - fence necessary) and a rescued Great Dane(the rescue requires a fence to even apply for adoption). My brother lives close-by and has a German Shepherd that comes and goes but always stays on their property with no fence. Some dogs are good like that. Definitely if you let it go out without a leash watch it. ITA with Ohana.

[LIZNKEITH]

I voted other.

I really think it depends on the breed of dog and how often you, as an owner, are willing to exercise to dog.

For us, a fence was a necessity. Our pup, Lucy, is a very energetic dog who loves the outdoors. It's nice to let her outside so she can run around "free" for an hour or so, chasing squirrels and birds and doing the things dogs love to do. When she's bored and ready for some human lovin' she comes to the back door. She's be lost without her fence.

[Foley42]

We live in an apartment so no we don't have a fence for our Beagle. I'm sure it's helpful, but not essential.

[jessied1025]

We have a yellow lab and don't have a fence. Both DH and I take turns walking & taking her out. It would be nice to have a fence, but its just not in our budget right now.

[Secret_Squirrel]

A fence isn't necessary. We sold our house and are currently living in an apartment. Our poochie has adjusted quite well. He loves all the walks he gets with his family now. And when we move into our new house, it'll be a while before we get a fence installed, too.

Taking him out on a leash can be helpful with house breaking, too (btw - I *highly* recommend crate-training. Our dog never has an accident.). You can take your doggie to a certain spot in the yard and he'll associate it with potty.

Tethering isn't necesary, either. Your therapist probably didn't know that regularly tethering a dog outside is not healthy for pets. Why don't you read what the Humane Society says about it: http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/animal_abuse_and_neglect/the_facts_about_chaining_or_tethering_dogs.html

[LittleFredPunkinHead]

We managed fine without a fence for our big shepherd mix for a year. We'd take him on longer walks twice a day and out to the curb a couple times a day and that was fine. I'd guess for a smaller, more sedentary dog it'd be pretty easy.

A fence is nice if you're a sucker and your dog knows it and wants to go out at 3 or 4 in the morning, but definitely not essential.

[j*east]

I've never had a fenced yard, but my dog seems pretty happy anyway. She has a regular schedule of walks 3-4 times a day. Keeps us healthy, too. :)

[coquelicot]

We had a fence for our dog back home. It was nice to be able to let her out and not worry about her sneaking off. In our current home, no fence. But she got so used to having boundaries that she doesn't leave our yard unless a neighbor calls her over.

Is a fence a good thing to have? Absolutely! Is it necessary? I'd say it depends on the dog. Some dogs are fine with knowing "invisible" boundaries, others will run away at will if given the chance.

[Asha]

my parents have a huge yard which would be very difficult to fence plus it would ruin the look of it. they fenced a very small portion of their yard for the dogs to do their business in.

i agree with secretsquirrel that tethering is probably not a good option. or neighbor's dog ended up choking himself to death while tethered to a post in the yard. also, i always feel so badly for dogs that are tethered bc they don't look to happy, imo.

[kam]

We had Piper and Ally well before we had a fence. It isn't essential but I would strongly suggest you get it as soon as possible. The earlier you get it, the easier the entire process is! When we lived in the apartment, we had a screened in porch so they could enjoy the outdoors.

Just keep in mind that a small dog doesn't necessarily mean less walks/energy. It sounds like you'll adopt so you'll be fortunate to know the dog's personality as well as his/her breed.

[EJM]

We didn't even have a yard for the first 3.5 years of our dog's life. She's a Boston Terrier with lots of energy and required lots of walking, but we knew that in advance and didn't mind.

We are now in a house with a fenced yard. She has no concept of recall so a fence is essential, and we actually still use a tie out sometimes so I don't have to chase her to come inside. I never leave her outside unattended, she's much too smart for her own good. :) I do love having the fence so I don't have to drag our toddler out on the walks, especially in bad weather, but pre-kids not having a yard or a fence was not a big deal.

[maniach]

I voted "no" but I guess it really depends on your dog. When my dog was a puppy, we HAD to have a fence. He was actually like Houdini and would break out of every yard we lived in for about 6 years. Then, one day he just stopped trying to run away. Now we have a fenced backyard but half the time I just let him out front completely unsupervised and he doesn't ever leave the yard.

It is definitely more convenient but not necessary when you have a puppy.

[Scooter]

I think it depends. If you plan to leave the dog outside alone for awhile, you'll need one. I think you can get by without for a year, though. Does your therapist think you should get one for therapeutic reasons or just because you want one? If it's for therapeutic reasons, it makes sense to go ahead and make it work now.

Here's our situation, if you want an example. We've got a fence, but our dog doesn't like hanging out outside by herself. She's kind of weird that way. She's always stayed inside with me all day, just goes out to go to the bathroom. I take her on a walk or to an off-leash place for playing fetch every day or two so she gets exercise. When we leave, we left her in her crate for the first year or so, but now we just let her roam in the house. Works fine for us!

[kanga1622]

A fence is definitely not essential. Some dogs don't like them. Our pup won't go outside by himself even in a fenced yard; we have to be outside also or he'll just sit next to the door.

We've had our toy breed for 2 years with no fence. We just know that we are required to take him and walk around the yard when he wants to potty and then we go for a nice long walk in the evening when it has cooled down.

I hate tethers because I'm always afraid that the dogs are going to end up choking themselves.

[sublime311]

I agree with a PP about checking the laws on tethering a dog. In AZ, we have laws that prohibit that. I'm sure it's because of our heat, but I would double check to see if there is a law in your state.

For me, it would be essential, but I think dog ownership without a fence would work for the right owner.

[jajacobsen]

It depends. Upon teh ag and breed of dog. Your willingess to provide wals and exercise. Lots of factors. I will tell you I am NOT a fan of chaining dogs an am happy to know doing so is becoming illegal in many parts of teh US, even parts of GA!

Fotr the first six months of their lives, we did not have any kind of fence. However, Dh or I (mostly I) tooke the, out for supervised potty trips, or sat outside wit them while teh romped and plyed. Doing that certainly caused us to be nmore attune to tehir needs, as a PP poster said, and allowed us to train them to use teh woodsy atreas of our yard to go number 2 (very helpful - we still clean it up daily but I don't worry about someone doing a huge dump on teh front lawn five minutes before guests arrive) and helped them learn the borders of teh yard (which really hlped out later with our underground fence). Spending the time with the dogs every day really helped with a depresion I suffered from, which I might not have done if I could just let them out in a fenced back yard.

At six months we built a large kennel and pen, where they stay when I am at work, and put an underground fence on teh perimeter of our yard. The underground fence works great when we are home, but is not enough protection for them from other dogs when we are not home as it will not keep other more aggressive dogs from entering our yard.

[CindyLouWho]

No fence here. Our dog goes out for walks twice a day. And not like clock work either. She rarely has an accident and if she does, we clean it up with no fuss. It's not her fault we have wacky work schedules and they dont' always jive with her system's schedule. Frankly, if we had a fence, I'd still be hesitant to leave her out unattended.
We have a lead line for her. We put her on it and she just sits there waiting for us to come out and walk her. This dog wants company and wants a walk. If you go to a shelter, maybe find a less active breed and a non-puppy. Good luck and have fun. Dogs are so great!!!

[Asha]

i thought of something else. a fence doesn't always keep a dog in the yard. some dogs are diggers and get out that way. some dogs can jump over the fence.

[daener]

Essential? Probably not, but I grew up in the 'burbs and never knew anyone who had a dog without a fence. This colored my perspective as a dog owner -we have a six-year old beagle and had an eight-year old basset until she passed in November. I don't think I could manage a dog without a fenced yard.

That said, DH has had many dogs in apartments and they were all fine, but we decided that -- for the sake our marriage, and since neither of us is a morning person, it would be best to have a fenced yard with our pups. Otherwise we would fight DAILY about whose turn it would be to do morning walk duty :).

We've been spoiled. A fenced yard was a top priority in our home purchase two years ago...but we do dream of owning a condo...