Hi Yorkiemom1, You said that you do not like doggie doors. Why? I have 2 of them, one going from my kitchen into the laundry room & then one from the laundry room to the outside. My hubby built a little "porch" so it's not a big step down from the doggie door to the deck. We have our yard fenced from the deck. There's a lock on the gate & my hubby & daughter are normally home all day. We take them for daily walks & I go outside with them after it gets dark. We also have 4 flood lights on the yard and a motion sensor. We go on poop patrol at least 3-4 times a day. I would welcome your opinion. Thanks.

Yes. I always have my eye on him and I hate leaving him alone for more than a couple hours. Luckily, I work from home so I don't leave him much. I would take him with me more often but my poor little guy starts getting car sick as soon as I put him in the car. I only put him in the car when we take him to the vet, groomers, or dog park.

Speaking of dog park, I get super paranoid there. The park is divided into 30 lbs and under and over 30 lbs. 30 lbs is still really big compared to him (5 lbs). Of course I freak out when I see a larger dog approach him. I also can't stand it when little kids try and pick him up. They are always trying to pick him up. Even some adults. He hates being picked up when he's at the park. He's in leave me alone I am in play mode.

It's better to be on top of them to prevent anything from happening. I'm super protective of my daughter same goes for my puppy. My daughter might say I'm too over protective lol.

I think worrying comes with the territory of owning a little dog. There are so many things that can hurt them.

I wish I had more time to worry about them! As it is, I do the best I can, hug them every day as if it's their last and try to give them the best, most interesting life I can.

I can't answer for Yorkiemom1, but I won't ever install a doggie door. The doggie door is there so the dogs can go in and out on their own free will...unattended. I don't want my boys going outside unattended, ever. Too many things can happen to them if they are outside by themselves. Just recently, someone had to rush their dog to the vet bc it got stuck in a snow bank and the dog wasn't there for very long....there are lots of other animals that are bigger than a yorkie and can hurt them....possums, coons, stray cats and dog, hawks...heck, even a bee sting can kill one of these little ones quick. Not to mention that people steal them. I would not want to give my dogs the freedom of going outside like that. Once in a while, I'd leave my sliding glass door open in the summer....but I'd always be right there to watch my pup if he went outside. I never let him out of my eyesight.

My younger dog was a rescue that was found wandering the streets. It took them a month to trap him. I am sure someone left him outside unattended and that's how he was able to run away like that. He's very lucky to be alive.

I have a friend who has a doggie door. It works great for him while he's gone long hours at work, but he has a bigger dog. I am sure there are lots of people who let their dogs out unattended, but I am just too paranoid to do it.

I agree with tpy on a doggie door. It may work for some people and I really wanted it to work for me, but there are more potential problems than it's worth to me.

Other than predators (which we have) and the possibility of other dogs jumping over the fence into the yard, I don't want them to have the freedom to go outside every time the neighbor dog barks. They would definitely do that.

If there standard size yorkie a bird can pick them up and eat them.

There are people who patrol there fences to check for problems regularly. Also mine is never left home alone so if she is heard going out the doggy door she is watched. There are dogs who have escaped from burning to death because there house caught on fire and they had the doggy door to escape out. No I would never think they are good for dogs small enough to be dinner for a bird to go out into an open back yard but there are cases that it's ok. Even with small dogs it should not be 100% marked as a bad idea because there are exceptions to the rule like a kennel attached to the doggy door that has a top and sides so nothing can get to them.

Another reason for not liking dog doors is undesirable things getting in, especially if the door is for a medium/big dog.

Agreed. If it works for you, I think they'd be great. You can also lock them so the dogs can't go out when you're not home.

I was going to get one just for the fire thing until I was told most dogs don't think to use them in a fire. They hide under a bed and suffer the consequences. But, hey, if they could be taught to use them in an emergency, it would be worth it.

I don't know if it is paranoia, probably it is to some people. But I do tend to worry a lot about Bull. My greatest fear is that he gets stolen. So I simply never leave him anywhere unattended, except of course when I go to work. But he is then inside the house. Even when I walk him in the street, although he is always on a leash, I am on the look out for a potential stranger just grabbing him out of my arms.
My husband and I are the only people allowed to hold him. Noy even the friends or family members who come home hold him, because I feel they underestimate the fragility of these babies.
Unknown big dogs are simply a no no near Bull. I don't care how sweet and mellow they are described to be by their owners. I simply do not trust them, mainly the owners' judgement.
To many people, sometimes even to my husband, I go too far. Maybe I do, but better safe than sorry.

Yes I worry about George, he stays home some mornings if it's busy at work and I worry about earthquakes or a fire and him not being able to get out, cant have a dog door as I don't want him out in the yard when we are not home, don't trust people to shut the gate or some one dog nabbing him. Don't need to worry about birds getting him as New Zealand doesn't have any predators like that. Worry about the dogs over the road as they can jump their fence and hope like hell they wont jump mine, have complained to the ranger many times about it but nothing is done.
I worry when my DH takes him for a walk as he doesn't use the commands like me, like STOP, SIT, DROP IT he goes "no George" in a nice voice. George isn't going to respond to that is he.
Sometimes I think I worry more about my little George than I ever did about my kids, That's bad isn't it.

I don't think that really happens that much but when it does people make a big deal about it so it's heard. My parents have had one for 15 years nothing like that has ever happen but it also leads to a fenced yard so maybe it happens more if left to an open yard.

Speaking of fencing
 

Is the issue at our house right now. Anybody have anything that pacifys DH who is yard obsessive and against fence. Zoeys 1st summer and she's not a baby anymore. Lot more energetic and brave. We live on a lake and have a large and irregular yard. Road nearby.....I say we have to keep her safe AND let her run. We were long leashing it last fall and kept her between us to run , but no more of that. He doesn't want to move it every time he mows.... Good grief. I need to think of something fast before the weather breaks! I have2 wire x pens right now that can be attached.....thinking of getting more and doing it that way.

I certainly worry. if I can take the with me I do when I go some place. We to have big birds of pray and trees whose branches fall all the time, just all sorts of dangers outside. even people who might want to steal them. I dont let my babies go outside without supervision. Right now with Athena being so young, I wont leave her home without human supervision Shes only 8 weeks old. Although we have as of yet ( knock on wood) not had any episodes of hypoglycemia, I worry wonder if she does when im gone. so I refuse to leave her home without her human babysitters. If I have to leave and there is no one to watch her, I take her with me, even into places that dont usually allow dogs. I found when its a little cute puppy like her, most of those places dont care. I dont put her on the floor or even in a cart, but keep her wrapped in a blanket, usually in my coat. I keep Nutri-cal in my purse. "just in case". Yes, im very paranoid.

Absolutely! We watch him every second that he is outside. Also, he's SOOOooo small, we've gotta be pretty gentle/careful around him.