Do you let your dogs wander the neighborhood?
By Phyrre
@phyrre (2317)
United States
July 26, 2009 7:16pm CST
I've noticed recently that there are a LOT of people around here that let their dogs wander outside their yard.
I went for a walk today and right down the road we encountered 3 LARGE dogs that bounded out of their yard and came up to us. Now, I don't mind dogs coming up to me if they're friendly and I absolutely love petting them and giving them love and attention, but then we face the problem of getting them back. And I don't want to see them get hit by a car, either.
I managed to coax two of them back into the yard only because their owner came out and yelled at them to come back. The third refused to go back and wanted to stay with us and no matter what we tried he wouldn't go. The owner told us to just keep walking and he'd come back, so we did. Surprise, the dog didn't go back. He followed us for about the next half mile to a mile where there were some children playing and he went into the yard with the children and their mother made them go inside. And then he went to the yard next to that and laid down and stayed there.
His owner wasn't even concerned. We were only a little ways down the road from his owner's house when his owner got in the car and left--not to pick her dog up, but to go out somewhere! So her dog was just wandering the neighborhood. I'm not sure how much the neighbors mind, but I know that this family in particular has a reputation for their dogs going quite a distance from their house and into other people's yards.
The picture below is one of their dogs. I absolutely love him, he's so gorgeous and lovey and friendly. He's the one that followed us. But the road we all live on is twisty and narrow and if someone goes even a little too fast with a dog in the road--that could be bad news for either the dog or the driver, or even both!
What about you? Do you let your dogs wander the neighborhood, or do you keep them in your yard?
4 people like this
8 responses
@brendalee (6082)
• United States
27 Jul 09
My dogs are mainly inside dogs. But when they go out, they go in a fenced in yard. I would never let my dogs run free.
2 people like this
@metschica25 (5399)
• United States
27 Jul 09
Hey,
Yeah I just dont trust it and she is not street smart mine and doesnt get cars can kill her . I keep her fenced in now , and we go for long walks and she is happy with that.
1 person likes this
@clorissa123 (4926)
• United States
27 Jul 09
I don't have a dog myself, because it would be too much work for me. Plus, I don't like picking up dog poop if they did it to other neighbor's yard. And I definitely don't have enough money to feed them, and treat them if they get sick. My cousin has a dog, and she won't let it wander around the neighborhood. Unless she put a leash on it, and she walk the dog along the neighborhood.
1 person likes this
It's always nice to hear. @metschica25 (5399)
• United States
27 Jul 09
Hey!
I dont trust my dog outside really she is way too little , and when she was a puppy she would just dart out the door and almost got hurt a few times . For the most part now she will listen , and she hardly tried to run now because she has outside fence time , and also we go for walks . At my old place next door their two dogs would roam all night and just make so much noise , and go thru all the cans.
@corona1234 (467)
• United States
27 Jul 09
We have 8 dogs and we try and keep them in the yard but one or two of them do get loose but we always call them right back and if they do not come back we go and get them and tie them up.Not many people like dogs and they can be scary to little children. that women should have went and got the dog ,she is not a very responsible pet owner if her dog was loose and she just went out something bad could have happened to him.
1 person likes this
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
27 Jul 09
That's how our dogs are, too. It's kind of inevitable. At some point one of them is going to get loose. It happens.
That's exactly what I was thinking. I cringed whenever I heard a car coming because I was so afraid it was going to get hit! It didn't have the sense to get out of the road and it was walking right down the middle of it. :(
@jaizhi (260)
• Philippines
27 Jul 09
I dont allow my dogs to get out of our house gates. I dont even allow kids touching them. I am not selfish is just that they are still dogs and can bite them of any reason valid for dog's brain. I let them run and play in the backyard. Here in my country drunken bum will surely eat dogs running on the streets regardless if they know the owner or not.
1 person likes this
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
28 Jul 09
Oh wow. It's not like that here, but I can't imagine someone eating another person's dog, though I guess it does happen. Just seems weird to me. But it is definitely better to be safe than sorry. I like your attitude towards preventing your dogs from possibly biting kids and such. It's definitely a good idea.
@dianatapu (42)
• United States
27 Jul 09
My dog was grown in a big ranch, where he had a lot of freedom, but now we mooved in a city, and we have a very hard time to keep kim in the yard, he is jumping in the neighbors yards, and recently I got a ticket for that. He is a very smart dog, but it is taking a very long time for him to understand this time.I guess we will never be able to take the sense of freedom from a dog. And yes, I do think you should keep your dogs in the yard, because there is some rules, also is very important for their safe.
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
28 Jul 09
Yeah, sometimes it's hard for dogs to adjust to a change like that. I hope he understands soon, though. If he's a smart dog I'm sure he'll figure it out in no time.
You're right, it's much safer in your yard, especially if you're in the city or live on a busy street. I've seen too many pets get hit in my neighborhood and it's really sad and yet people still let theirs wander.
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
27 Jul 09
In New Mexico there is a law that dogs can't just wonder the streets. They need to be on a leash or inside the yard. If there are dogs roaming the streets we are suppose to call Animal Control. This happen to me last year. I was leaving my house and two big dogs were at my doorstep. I love dogs but if I don't know them and they are big I will be afraid. The animal control were there in a matter of 5 minutes but by then they had left my premises and were gone from sight. I have no idea what happen to them.
1 person likes this
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
27 Jul 09
Yeah, they have that rule in the cities around here, too, but we're more rural (a bunch of farms, really), but the houses are not that far apart. It's a short walking distance next door. But no one really enforces it around here, I guess. Not even in the city because every time I go for a walk it seems like there's a dog wandering around.
We had animal control called on our dog once. He broke his chain, though, and managed to stake himself in someone else's yard (his chain had been broken with a long portion still attached to him and it got stuck on something in the yard). The people were wondering why someone had staked their dog in their yard when really we were worried sick about him and had been out searching for him! 
2 people like this
