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Haven't been on in a while due to trying to buy and sell a house - and move to another state with my dogs, my son, and my 88 year old father!
Anyway, we finally found a house in my price range that I think will meet all of our needs for privacy. Namely, a rec room, and three full baths.
However, it has a very tiny yard (Ringo will hate it and Lucy won't care). It comes with an underground fence. I note that the neighbor's fences are all picket fences about 4 feet tall. Problem is - there is too much space between the boards and Lucy can get out. There is an active HOA so I doubt I'm going to be allowed a privacy fence like I have now. Most of the yards are quite small compared to what I'm used to.
What to do??? My dogs are used to about 1/2 acre of fenced yard. Can I make it up to them with all the cool walking trails? Can I use the underground fence long enough to get a real fence and hopefully one that will keep my yorkie in??
How am I going to keep my active Westie in a small yard with an underground fence? I don't think that collar will stop him for one minute if he sees something interesting.
So many questions; so little time. Thanks for any advice. I'm really worried about it.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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I really don't like those underground fence thingies. I'd always be worried about exactly what you're worried about with Ringo. ESCAPE! To use the collar/fence, you'll have to train him. But still... possibility of ESCAPE!
I'd get a real fence up as soon as you can. As for the smaller lot, I wouldn't worry about it even for a second. Y'know what? Dogs are the most adaptable creatures I've ever seen. Ringo will totally adapt to his smaller place. Lucy won't care, like you said.
I was visiting my cousins this past weekend and they have a 60-pound dog in a yard that's less than half the size of mine, where 35-pound Artie runs his guts out. Wally (their dog) was running around like a mad-man, just in smaller circles than Artie gets. (I'd say that their yard was the size of a football field, but half of it is a multi-level deck, so Wally really only gets HALF a football field. And he does GREAT! and gets his exercise mojo going.)
And the walks on the trails? They'll love it!
Dogs adjust and adapt in minutes. You'll see. I'm more concerned about your Dad!
And, finally, HUGE congratulations on the move and the new house. Who's going to clean all those bathrooms?
My step daughter has rented out her basement to a friend of her husband's who is about to retire from the Army. He set one of those invisible fences up for his dog around their yard. Angel is used to this from where they've lived before. A couple weeks later, since Angel had been a good dog, Jay decided to treat her to a ride to town in the truck. But he forgot to take her collar off her and couldn't figure out what in the world was going on when she fell in the floor of the truck howling her head off. When he did stop, he couldn't get that thing off her quick enough to suit her! Said he couldn't see where any damage was done.
HAHA! Very funny. That's about as likely as my teen-age son cleaning them.
Thanks for the input guys and reassuring words that Ringo will adapt to his small yard. I plan to get a fence up but it might take me a few weeks. I never have liked those underground fences - ever.
Yes, I am worried about my Dad too - but he seems excited about it for now. He's big on eating out and he will have all kinds of new restaurants to try.
Haven't been on in a while due to trying to buy and sell a house - and move to another state with my dogs, my son, and my 88 year old father!
Anyway, we finally found a house in my price range that I think will meet all of our needs for privacy. Namely, a rec room, and three full baths.
However, it has a very tiny yard (Ringo will hate it and Lucy won't care). It comes with an underground fence. I note that the neighbor's fences are all picket fences about 4 feet tall. Problem is - there is too much space between the boards and Lucy can get out. There is an active HOA so I doubt I'm going to be allowed a privacy fence like I have now. Most of the yards are quite small compared to what I'm used to.
What to do??? My dogs are used to about 1/2 acre of fenced yard. Can I make it up to them with all the cool walking trails? Can I use the underground fence long enough to get a real fence and hopefully one that will keep my yorkie in??
How am I going to keep my active Westie in a small yard with an underground fence? I don't think that collar will stop him for one minute if he sees something interesting.
So many questions; so little time. Thanks for any advice. I'm really worried about it.
Has your house sold? I hope so!
I think they'll get used to a smaller yard. I think Cesar (I know, he's a controversial topic on the forum) says something like a big yard is just a big cage, and dogs need exercise. My dogs have a pretty small yard, but they do fine. They would rather be around us anyway, and we walk them pretty much every day. I think yours will be fine with walking trails.
My mom has underground fence, and even though her dogs are crazy and want to chase everything, including birds, neither has ever left the yard, and it's been 5 years. Actually, my aunt has had invisible fence for a long time, and none of her three dogs left either. I think you have to be consistent with training. If you're going to put up a fence and not use the invisible fence, I might just take them out on leashes for a few weeks.
One of our problems in finding a house we like are the restrictions on fencing, so I know what you're going through. However, some HOAs in neighborhoods we're considering allow wire fencing combined with split rail. It might be worth asking if you could do a picket fence and wire. The wire is pretty much invisible from the street.
Or, train them for the invisible fence, and put up the picket to keep other dogs out and further deter your dogs from running off.
Good luck with your move!
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(Ringo will hate it and Lucy won't care). It comes with an underground fence. I note that the neighbor's fences are all picket fences about 4 feet tall. Problem is - there is too much space between the boards and Lucy can get out. There is an active HOA so I doubt I'm going to be allowed a privacy fence like I have now. Most of the yards are quite small compared to what I'm used to.
