Small family dog that can be left in secure garden for an hour or two?

[kissmyheathenass]

Can dogs (if so which type) be left in a secure garden - with shelter - while I go out for a hour or two (ie shopping)?

I work from home so am usually in the house but when I do have to go out somewhere that's not dog-friendly, I will need to be able to leave the dog in the garden so it doesn't trigger our alarms. We have a large garden which will be secure. We also have plenty of shelter and I could get a kennel. Would any dog (Im thinking of a smallish terrier-type) be ok with this arrangement?

[Gingersstuff]

I'm sorry but I'm of the opinion there is no such thing as a secure garden. What if the dog barks incessantly? What if someone delivers a parcel and leaves the gate open? What if someone steals him (there's a lot of that going on just now, scumbags travelling around looking for dogs left in gardens to steal as bait dogs)? What if he digs his way out or finds a convenient hole to escape through, especially being a small dog and more especially a terrier variety?
Why can't you just leave your house alarm off while you're out? The dog would surely be a burglar deterrent anyway?

[silverangel]

We just have a small area under the stairs / in the hall zoned off from the alarm - would that be an option? I think our Cairn terrier would bark if he was outside.

[mistlethrush]

You can get alarms that take account of the dogs being left in the house. Too many dogs are stolen from gardens to leave a dog in the garden with no one around.

[Floralnomad]

Also realistically there will be times when you are out for more than 2 hours ie hospital appointments ,days out ,visiting family where you can't take a dog . You have to be able to leave a dog in the house IMO.

[nearlyreadytopop]

I wouldn't leave a small dog outside unattended under any circumstances. To many small dogs stolen for bad bad purposes.
I have had miniature schnauzers in the past and they have been all we could ever want in a family pet.

[CoolStoryBro]

My alarm system 'recognises' my two dogs so doesn't go off. That said, I do leave them in the garden on a nice day. They have shelter and water. They invariably spend it sunning themselves on the deck. They're not really barkers though.

[MrsBennetsEldest]

Terriers dig. The name comes from terra- meaning earth.

[kissmyheathenass]

thanks for so many frank replies. I had no idea people stole dogs for bait . Bastards.

As far as being out from more than a couple of hours, this isn't an issue as my mum would have the dog, I was thinking more of when I might meet a friend for a coffee and be out an hour or so. I have no idea if our alarms can be dog-proofed in any way but I shall call alarm company and find out. Leaving alarms off when I go out isn't an option - dh would be apoplectic!

silverangel, is the area under your stairs fenced off in someway so the dog cant get out ? (love cairn terriers btw, on my shortlist).

Nearlyready, I love miniature shnauauzers too but a bit at them going for £800. They were on my shortlist till I saw that.

[mistlethrush]

What you need is a small lurcher so that they'll happily zzzzzz all the time you're out...

We set our alarm fully with the dog in the house.

[MothershipG]

If it's only a couple of hours you could use a crate, much better inside, warm and secure IMHO.

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

Agree that a crate is a much safer option but my alarm has pet sensors and my Border Terrier has never set it off.

[Artandco]

Yes alarms should be able to either be completely activated with dog in or at least zoned. If zoned you could just choose say for the kitchen to not be alarmed but all the others alarmed, so as long as door is left shut.

Ours wouldn't be able to have dogs in house wandering as sensors pick up any movement ( like the time a robin got in, hid, then flew after alarm was activated!)

A little dashound might be good. As at least say an avergae size kitchen will be enough space for an hour or so, and small enough for your mother to handle if she has it.

[squeaver]

Our dog has a crate under the stairs where there's no alarm sensors He's more than happy to be left there with the alarm on.

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

A moth has set mine off before Artandco, as has ds when he has dived downstairs and forgotten! But the dog doesn't.

[ErrolTheDragon]

We have a dachshund and don't set the alarms if we leave him home alone - he sounds like a much bigger dog!

But if we did need to set the alarm, we could put him in an upstairs room and just set the downstairs zone.

[CMOTDibbler]

I work from home, and my lurcher is a great companion for this as he snores the day away.

When we're out, he snores in his crate, and its not in a sensor area

[Lonecatwithkitten]

I also have pet friendly sensors. They also don't pick up small boys unless they play with light sabres!

[kissmyheathenass]

That's a revelation that you can combine dogs and alarms. Our alarms have been set off by those helium birthday balloons before, and by a spider! Will ask dh about zones etc, each room has a sensor so maybe they can each be programmed independently. That would be brilliant.

The crate is an excellent idea. Thank you for that.

Love all the dog suggestions and most are on my short list which isn't actually very short at all.

CMOT, I love the idea of a dog snoozing at my feet. Are lurchers really as docile as that? (have read some of the threads and they sound just lovely).

[nearlyreadytopop]

kiss if you Google for schnauzer rescue there will be details of a breed specfic rescue organisation

[kissmyheathenass]

I was determined to get a rescue - even went to look at some (I wanted them all) but so many people (including dh) have said avoid rescue dogs because of the dcs. I really don't want to go to a breeder but it's one of the conditions that dh insists on.

[silverangel]

Kiss - we have a babygate across a hall corridor. You can get dog gates that are nicer, and easier to open but I also have twin toddlers to contain so it's a bit like Fort Knox in our house at the moment!

[silverangel]

Just to clarify, I dont contain the twins when I am going out of the house, they come with me!!

[CMOTDibbler]

Kiss, they really are that docile! But very adaptable - so he's happy to either have two short bounces round a day, or to run 10k with me. To only go out in the garden for a wee on rainy days (he doesn't do rain) or to spend the whole day out walking.
Ours is a rescue, who we got at 6 months (an age many lurchers are rehomed as its when its apparent if they will work or not), and he is a soppy lump. Right now, he and ds are cuddled up on the sofa watching tv.

For a dog and working at home to be compatible you really do need something that sleeps a lot so that you aren't up and down letting them in and out/being asked to play/having a ball dropped on your keyboard.

Evesham Greyhound and Lurcher rescue (who can homecheck over a large area) have some lovely puppies for rehoming atm - look on their FB page. Katie looks like a gorgeous little girl

[kissmyheathenass]

CMOt, Katie is lovely. She's perfect. Have to convince dh not all rescue dogs are vicious and unpredictable. Are lurchers generally calm and docile dogs? Ds is very nervous around dogs and I want to avoid anything jumpy or yappy.

[ErrolTheDragon]

avoid rescue dogs because of the dcs.

which is a bit odd, as you really don't know what quirks a puppy may have versus a rescue with a known background - they're not all mistreated or being rehomed for bad behaviour.

If your DH insists on going to a breeder, they sometimes have older dogs needing a pet home - ours was a 10 month old house-trained, socialised, known to be good with their grandchildren and other animals.