For Those Who Take Their Furbabies Outside to Potty

[CouversMom]

We live in the suburbs, so wildlife is not really an issue here. I go out with them just in case, but we haven't seen anything but squirrels and small birds in our yard.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Until we have known hawks/owls in our area, which is not near woodlands, rolling hills or uninhabited acreage, farms or anything flying predators might tend to inhabit, I'm going to let Tibbe have his potty time as one of his few chances to just act like a dog and run about and pee & potty without me leashing and staying attached to him. There is some risk to just living and unless we get wind the predator bird risk is escalated around here, I will just stay on the porch or outside with him but let him be a dog for a little while, free to sniff and run and do his business alone and off leash in his backyard. Once I know we have a threat though, I'm changing things!

[YorkieSpirit1]

we have hawks, racoons, owls, coyotes, foxes, you name it and I've seen
them all right out our back door. I just spent a months wages on a 6' x 16' kennel with a corrugated roof. We put it on our concrete slab that is attached to the back of our house...I just am afraid to walk her in the dawn, even on a leash, I've seen 4 big racoons recently cross our driveway in front
of our house to get to trees on the other side, worst part was I was out
walking, but I was at the garage and I was holding Emy when I saw them...that did it. Bought the kennel, bought a big 41" long indoor/outdoor
potty with artificial grass, hopefully she will get used to it..at lease we will
be safe, it has a roof on it...what we do for our babies...!! But I love her...

[Quiverful]

Tons of wildlife here, too. Yes, even turkeys! LOL We have a section of our yard fenced that is just for the dogs and that's where they potty. My Yorkie is never outside unattended. The fence keeps out most land critters...we get the occasional groundhog that digs under....My other dogs are much bigger and they usually scare anything from the dog area

Not much issue with hawks at my house. It's mostly fully wooded and they have no room to swoop and dive for prey. I am very watchful when we take my little one out to other, more open places. She's always on a harness and leash.

[teeneythebetta]

Cat grass grows REALLY fast.

[gracielove]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

Until we have known hawks/owls in our area, which is not near woodlands, rolling hills or uninhabited acreage, farms or anything flying predators might tend to inhabit, I'm going to let Tibbe have his potty time as one of his few chances to just act like a dog and run about and pee & potty without me leashing and staying attached to him. There is some risk to just living and unless we get wind the predator bird risk is escalated around here, I will just stay on the porch or outside with him but let him be a dog for a little while, free to sniff and run and do his business alone and off leash in his backyard. Once I know we have a threat though, I'm changing things!

I take Gracie to a friend's house that lives in town and has a nice fenced backyard. When I let her loose out there she acts like she doesn't know what to do. I thought she would love it. She just kind of wanders around a little and keeps looking at me like, "well, when are we going to do something?" When I have her on a leash she acts like a hound dog on the trail of something!

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by gracielove

I take Gracie to a friend's house that lives in town and has a nice fenced backyard. When I let her loose out there she acts like she doesn't know what to do. I thought she would love it. She just kind of wanders around a little and keeps looking at me like, "well, when are we going to do something?" When I have her on a leash she acts like a hound dog on the trail of something!

She's used to the leash probably & some dogs are kind of insecure when not used to a yard at first. Tibbe is so independent, just loves his backyard and runs chasing his squirrels and birds and bouncing around, fur all flying and he's dog-laughing, panting & so happy. I pray we don't ever get airborne predators or even possum, etc., to stop his free play. He's a free soul at heart and I would hate to follow him all around outside from a leash and hope and pray we never come to that. (LOL. It's bad enough standing out there with my umbrella near!) It's one of the advantages of living in a busy neighborhood not near things bird predators care for. We're only 4 miles or so from Dallas city limits on one of its busiest sectors and wildlife tends to stay on the far edges of our little city. May they stay happy out there and leave us be!

[celstu1]

I have a fenced in yard, but there is a pathway that a coyote COULD get in... also there are no cover from the air, owls or hawks could be just as dangerous. At night, we always take them out with at least 2 people. 1 person bangs on the glass door really loud and then goes out and looks around, listens for noises, etc... the other person lets the dogs out when they get the all clear sign. Both of us stay outside near them when they are out there. I know it probably does not sound like the safest thing, but most animals won't come INTO a fenced in yard with 2 humans in it ... and it would be hard to fly into the yard to snatch up one of the dogs with 2 humans in the way also (although it's been done, both things, I'm sure!). We just stay and watch and stay close to them. We also don't let them sniff around and take their time, they are Out, done and IN in less than 5 mins.

ugh, we have wild turkeys too, a whole bunch of them and for us it's what brings the coyotes into the area!!!!

[gracielove]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

She's used to the leash probably & some dogs are kind of insecure when not used to a yard at first. Tibbe is so independent, just loves his backyard and runs chasing his squirrels and birds and bouncing around, fur all flying and he's dog-laughing, panting & so happy. I pray we don't ever get airborne predators or even possum, etc., to stop his free play. He's a free soul at heart and I would hate to follow him all around outside from a leash and hope and pray we never come to that. (LOL. It's bad enough standing out there with my umbrella near!) It's one of the advantages of living in a busy neighborhood not near things bird predators care for. We're only 4 miles or so from Dallas city limits on one of its busiest sectors and wildlife tends to stay on the far edges of our little city. May they stay happy out there and leave us be!

When Gracie was a puppy she used to rush the door and she escaped a few times. It took younger faster people than me to get her back in. She just loved running and would always run up toward the main road. Don't know why. I guess she thought she wanted life in the fast lane. Now she does not even try to get out the door. She is used to me making her stay back when I open the door. I guess it's all about training and the fact that dogs just get used to a certain order after a while.
It is a shame that people who live in the suburbs and smaller towns have to be so cautious when walking dogs these days. People minding their own business getting their dog's out for exercise should not have to be afraid for their pet's lives.

[gracielove]

Originally Posted by celstu1

I have a fenced in yard, but there is a pathway that a coyote COULD get in... also there are no cover from the air, owls or hawks could be just as dangerous. At night, we always take them out with at least 2 people. 1 person bangs on the glass door really loud and then goes out and looks around, listens for noises, etc... the other person lets the dogs out when they get the all clear sign. Both of us stay outside near them when they are out there. I know it probably does not sound like the safest thing, but most animals won't come INTO a fenced in yard with 2 humans in it ... and it would be hard to fly into the yard to snatch up one of the dogs with 2 humans in the way also (although it's been done, both things, I'm sure!). We just stay and watch and stay close to them. We also don't let them sniff around and take their time, they are Out, done and IN in less than 5 mins.

ugh, we have wild turkeys too, a whole bunch of them and for us it's what brings the coyotes into the area!!!!

We have a lot of smaller animals like skunks, racoons, opossum that attract those looking for a night snack, too. Your doing what you can. It's true that most of those who prey on small animals will not come near a human. Except for a hungry coyote. But you are scaring away any small animals that may be in the yard so that increases the chance that a coyote won't come in. Bright light at night time is another thing that will help to keep them away. Always keep your garbage where the coyotes can't smell it, too.

[joannscpo]

We have a fenced yard, so I take Gigi out unleased and I carry a flashlight. Usually, if she doesn't find a frog, she goes, then wants to come right back in and go back to bed. But I always go out with her, during the day there are more hawks, etc flying around so I am always there.

[Maximo]

My boys are pad trained because I don't want to take them into our yard at night. We are very woodsy, with the trees almost growing over the house and we have hawks, owls, and black vultures -- the kind that kill their prey and not just eat roadkill. Plus snakes, opossum....but no armadillos that I know of. Our neighbor spotted a coyote nearby recently!

[Hooligansmom]

My husband made a "pen" out of plastic lattice, that measures approximately 3ft x 3ft, that we used since day one to puppy train our Pippin.

She knows when she is put in there it is to do "her business". It is very convenient at night time or during bad weather, because we carry her to it, pop her in and she knows what to do, rather than wander around the yard looking for a spot, which she does do during the day when she's outside to play.

This pen is collapsible (the corners are hinged) and lays flat, so we can take it with us when we go away and we also place it on our deck under our gazebo in the winter; we lay snow down, and she'll "go" easily in the most inclement weather while we wait under the protection of the gazebo!!

We can't let her out in our yard at night because of skunks, raccoons etc and she is so easily distracted by any "scent" it would take forever to get her business done. We put her in her "pen" and she is "done" in no time!!

Wishing you well.

Janet

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by gracielove

When Gracie was a puppy she used to rush the door and she escaped a few times. It took younger faster people than me to get her back in. She just loved running and would always run up toward the main road. Don't know why. I guess she thought she wanted life in the fast lane. Now she does not even try to get out the door. She is used to me making her stay back when I open the door. I guess it's all about training and the fact that dogs just get used to a certain order after a while.
It is a shame that people who live in the suburbs and smaller towns have to be so cautious when walking dogs these days. People minding their own business getting their dog's out for exercise should not have to be afraid for their pet's lives.

Oh my Tibbe was a door darter too. He used to get out the front door quite a bit when I first got him. Little devil.

Oh, well, there are off-leash dogs everywhere, not just the suburbs and small towns. At least here, if they are off lead, you can get real response from AC if you ever wanted to report them but off lead dogs are rare in our neighborhood - maybe one every 6 mos., if that, thankfully. We're pretty lucky. Now if you go to the dog park, most are off leash. And the regular park just outside our city limits, there will be one or two sometimes but we have a leash law here so not bad. Mostly out walking its just regular people & then those fitness types with the weights in their hands and sweating a lot. We have many devoted joggers and runners, too, around here - you better be ready to dodge them! They are flat out moving! They do give me the fisheye sometimes when I'm walking Tibbe & carrying my umbrella on my arm. You can tell they are thinking - it's not raining & the sun has gone down, why do you have an umbrella? But for 15 years, I've carried one jic.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by joannscpo

We have a fenced yard, so I take Gigi out unleased and I carry a flashlight. Usually, if she doesn't find a frog, she goes, then wants to come right back in and go back to bed. But I always go out with her, during the day there are more hawks, etc flying around so I am always there.

I've always heard of Tomball, Texas. What part of Texas are you in and is it still hot there?