I have had quite the discussions with people applying to adopt dogs lately about my 'requirement' of having a fence. So I decided it was time to write a page about it. Brace yourself... :)
In a nutshell, dogs who are kept on leashes, tie-outs or that are 'supervised' EVERY SINGLE TIME THEY GO OUTSIDE, find themselves in a perdicament. Think about it... if it were YOU, how would you feel with no 'outdoor' privileges ... unless you could talk someone into TAKING you outside? (yes, I know... dogs CAN be taught to obey off-leash, but they would still need to be 'watched', correct?)
Driving past a house the other day, I noticed a woman out on her front lawn with a furry little dog on a 4 foot leash. As I slowed for the stop sign on the corner, I could see that she shivering from the cold (it's only been about 25* during the day lately) and that she had quite a 'scowl' on her face! I rolled down the window to hear her angrily saying, "HURRY UP!! GO POTTY!! HURRY UP!!" Nice, huh?
She didn't want to be out there and the dog acted like he thought he was in trouble... probably was worried about being on a 4 foot link to an angry owner telling him to get busy and go potty ... but having a nice warm coat on like he did, he was loving it out there, pulling on the leash, trying to sniff at what had been happening on 'his' lawn while he'd been inside all day... smells JUST out of reach of that 4 foot leash. :( He never made it to the most important smell ... he made the mistake of pottying and BAM!, the woman drug him back inside where she could get warm. What a neat trip to the great outdoors, huh?
These are the dogs that desire their outdoor freedom so badly that they will try to 'bolt' out any door anytime they see an opportunity... especiallly when unsuspecting company arrives or departs!!
Now ... while I have to be careful making this statement (and I hope each reader will consider this statement as it's intended...), dogs are outdoor creatures. Not to be KEPT outdoors exclusively, but creatures that ORIGINALLY (before humans got involved and selectively bred them until some have next to no hair on their poor little bodies) enjoyed the outdoors tremendously! They STILL enjoy being outdoors! ALL creatures need sunshine, fresh air and exercise.
One very important way that we can maintain a happy, well-rounded canine pal is to provide these necessities in the form of a safe, fenced yard ... this would include one of our house doors in the process, allowing our buddies to go out and come back in more freely and enjoy life in their home, the same way we and our children do (this excludes 'kennels', which necessitate 'leashing' the dog on the way back and forth to a restricted area).
Now ... if you think really hard about all of this, you will see that a fenced yard SHOULD be a requirement that YOU assign yourself in order to have a happy dog, right? Do I need to argue this point if you consider your DOG'S point of view? I don't think so.
Of course, physical fencing is the preferred way to go. It not only provides the safe area for your own dog, but keeps those OTHER dogs out. But I have been known to talk to people about INVISIBLE fencing, too... this in cases where financial or property (covenant) restrictions do not allow physical fences. In fact, I have a very reasonably-priced source for invisible fencing if you're interested in pursuing that avenue.
I hope this helps you see things from your dog's perspective... it IS important and will help BOTH you and your dog to be happier for many years together.