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Build a dog yard attached to the back door of the house. You can put a lot of energy into training and still have her killed on the highway, and possibly some people too if she's not contained. Heck, its a Lab mostly, a hunting dog. The OP feels bad because she loves her freedom so much- If not contained the OP will feel even sorrier when the dog is dead and ambulances are hauling away the accident victims. Also, a nice dog fence yard would increase the value of the property.
OP Is the dog actually interested in the cows or is it the cow pies that he is interested in? I mean my dogs love walking where horses have been and grabbing a nugget or two
Ha ha I think you're right. A few frozen cow patties showed up in our yard mysteriously. I think she was the culpret.
I was noticing today that on my way home grom the grocery store that at one house there were two black dogs asleep in a yard about 4 feet grom the road. No fences, no collars. There is a house about 3 miles from me where the neighbordood dogs hang out. Thet are usually playing by the ditch,or in the driveway just a few feet grom the busy highway I live on.
In the local town (population 426) there are always a fewvdogs roaming, the streets that surround the courthouse. And, one little fuzzy Benji type dog who is friends with a Jack Russell Terrier mix, who can often be seen near the library.
I'm beginning, to think that the attitude of country folks is quite a bit different than city folks. I dont think of my pets as something that I need to babysit 24/7. They are their own being. They make their own decisions. I remember back in the day when I lived in Colorado Springs and worked at a pet store and the "upscale" patrons wrte CONSTANTLY kvetching about the "Rez Dogs" on the Navajo reservation and how horribly mistreated they were. But I never considered letting a DOG be a DOG as mistreatment. They go their own way and are not "owned" by anyone
And yes, sometimes they eat road kill, and sometimes they ARE road kill. But thats life.
I will try to keep her out of the road for the sake of the motorists involved. And I might install an electric wite which will also keep the hoards of raccoon, possums and such oit of the garden, nut I can't be a dog nanny 24/7 and I cant take away the immeasurable joy that she gets fromm ruuning around the yard like a lunatic.
OP obviously what you are doing or not doing now isn't working. You are going to have to do something, and it will involve time and money. Can't avoid it if you want to protect your dog as well as everyone else. You don't have to fence your entire property to protect her. Your dog isn't going to pine away because she can't roam as far. Ironically, a smaller defined territory may have the opposite effect....a controllable area your dog can boss over a bit. She will end up being closer to the family which she probably craves more than wandering. Wandering often means the dog is searching for something it isn't finding at home. Look, its either spend money, time, or face losing your pet or possibly being sued.
Like Allison said, just build a dog yard, not the whole property. She can zoom around when you are out there with her. You said running a hot wire along the front highway barb wire fence was a no go because of all the brush. Please commit to this dog if you love her. That is what people do when they care about animals. Otherwise rehome. You didn't want this dog, she was probably dumped. DO you want a dog or not?
Like Allison said, just build a dog yard, not the whole property. She can zoom around when you are out there with her. You said running a hot wire along the front highway barb wire fence was a no go because of all the brush. Please commit to this dog if you love her. That is what people do when they care about animals. Otherwise rehome. You didn't want this dog, she was probably dumped. DO you want a dog or not?
Wants the dog, but not the responsibility, is my guess.
I was noticing today that on my way home grom the grocery store that at one house there were two black dogs asleep in a yard about 4 feet grom the road. No fences, no collars. There is a house about 3 miles from me where the neighbordood dogs hang out. Thet are usually playing by the ditch,or in the driveway just a few feet grom the busy highway I live on.
In the local town (population 426) there are always a fewvdogs roaming, the streets that surround the courthouse. And, one little fuzzy Benji type dog who is friends with a Jack Russell Terrier mix, who can often be seen near the library.
I'm beginning, to think that the attitude of country folks is quite a bit different than city folks. I dont think of my pets as something that I need to babysit 24/7. They are their own being. They make their own decisions. I remember back in the day when I lived in Colorado Springs and worked at a pet store and the "upscale" patrons wrte CONSTANTLY kvetching about the "Rez Dogs" on the Navajo reservation and how horribly mistreated they were. But I never considered letting a DOG be a DOG as mistreatment. They go their own way and are not "owned" by anyone
And yes, sometimes they eat road kill, and sometimes they ARE road kill. But thats life.
I will try to keep her out of the road for the sake of the motorists involved. And I might install an electric wite which will also keep the hoards of raccoon, possums and such oit of the garden, nut I can't be a dog nanny 24/7 and I cant take away the immeasurable joy that she gets fromm ruuning around the yard like a lunatic.
Oh and yes we do have coyotes and bobcats too.
Whatever you need to tell yourself to justify your (lack of) action.
You should see the pictures that were online of a rez dog that got torn apart by coyotes and then almost froze to death. He had to be euthanized later. But it's a just a "dog being a dog."
They evolved to want to be close to us. They WANT to belong to a person.
We did not plan on having a dog. She magically appeared one night and has stayed ever since, even though she has always been free to go.
We have a very small home. Less than 800 sq. Feet. We also already have 5 indoor cats who have never seen or been around a dog.
The dog is very young. Certainly less than two. She has the kind of boundless energy that only a toddler can have. I watch her in the morning tearing around the yard going 80 miles an hour. I cannot FATHOM in my wildest nightmare what would happen to this house if she were left unattended for even 5 minutes.
Training takes time. I am all for training and happy to invest the time. But what in the heck do I do in the mean time?
20
You're leaving her outside during the brutal cold we have been having over the last 6 weeks or so??
Even my tough little cattle dogs and even tougher JRTxBeagle don't want to be out for long in it.....
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