Do you supervise your dog when they're in the garden?

[Helgathehairy]

I don't. We have an escape proof garden (she says optimistically) and I let DDog wander off out whenever he wants. He can come in whenever he wants as well (he can open the door - I only lock him out when I'm mopping). If it's been a while since I've seen him I'll go double check he's still there but he always is.

Just once or twice I've seen it mentioned on threads that dogs should always be supervised and I'm wondering why? I can understand if the dog can get out of the garden but if not then why?

Yes, he does things out there - ungardening I call it, lol...and I don't know for sure that all my plants are non-toxic.

You've also got things like the possibility that there's foxes or hedgehogs or other people's cats, that there's a hole somewhere you haven't spotted, that one of those postmen that randomly leaves parcels in weird places is going to come in or has left the gate open.

Depending on what type if dog you have, there's dog theft to worry about, I have balls appearing followed by children despite the 6 foot fence.

So yes, he's supervised out there.

One of mine no need, but the younger one is a vandal and an escape artist so I look out the kitchen window from time to time to see what she's up to.

No, never.

For one, dog theft is beginning to become big business.
Many dogs have been stolen out of 'secure' gardens while unsupervised........

'Ungardening' ha ha, yes.

I do or he escapes... Twice I've had to drive to the street behind ours and get him out of someone's garden.

There's also the risk they could chase and kill a neighbours cat that has ventured in and despite the fact the cat is on your property you would still be liable.

Or, while you think they are pottering round there could be a little hole they are secretly working on, hidden out of sight, ready for them to escape under.

Nutty neighbours slipping the dog cooked bones, chocolate, poison..
There are some awful people out there.
Just look at all the cases of neighbours locking cats in sheds, hanging, poisoning etc.

No, not at all, but they are outdoor dogs.

Never, there's absolutely no way out and unless she can scale a 9ft fence all around then I won't start supervising

I give the odd glance but I haven't got eyes in the back of my head to watch the dog and a toddler and a baby all at once!

No, she's not usually out there very long. She flings herself at the door when she wants to come in, drives me potty.

No, she has free access to the garden throughout the day although she usually chooses to stay stuck firmly to my side in the house with us.

No. They have a dog door and come and go as they please.

only if I suspect the sod has gone into the bits he's not allowed in (yes big garden). Most of my garden is a disaster dog friendly zone because ddog likes to dig to australia as an extreme sport. I have fenced off a veggie patch so of course that's the bit he want to get into because that's where the fox and cats hang out. I'm not worried about toxic plants because when I first moved here 20 yrs ago I was paranoid about toxic plants and dogs and children (never had a garden before) so did a lot of research.

In the summer the back door stays open and he wanders about as much as he wants.

No, we have a dog flap and he runs in and out as he pleases. I also have a toddler so can't supervise them both. He occasionally digs holes in the grass but that's the reason we've never bothered landscaping our garden . We have an 8ft wall all the way round.

Oh and we don't have plants, let alone toxic ones!

"There's also the risk they could chase and kill a neighbours cat that has ventured in and despite the fact the cat is on your property you would still be liable. "

Are you absolutely sure about this Buttholelane?

No, I don't supervise. Impregnable garden (from the point of view of dog theft), non-toxic plants, fenced off to deter escape etc

I am certainly not going to supervise in case a neighbouring cat strays in and gets savaged. If that was to happen (hopefully not since I wouldn't want to see any animal hurt) and Butthole is correct that my dog is liable (which if this is the case, the law is an ass), then I am afraid my neighbour simply would never discover what happened to their cat.

catsrus that sounds exactly like our set up.

Some of the reasons for supervising never occurred to me as we're rural so don't have neighbours.

If mine sees a cat he runs inside and hides with his tails between his legs . He's a beagle and a wimp.

Buttholelane I don't think that information is correct about your dog killing a neighbours cat on your own property. I' havent heard of a dog owner being prosecuted in those circumstances. I've just down a Google search and can't find anything to back that up. Can you provide a link? I'd like to know the legal aspect of this.

To be fair, I don't think any of my plants are actually toxic, I just can't guarantee it...also I kind of prefer them where they are, rather than wherever he'd leave them after he's finished, lol.

Yes. A local dog nearly died after eating poisoned meat that someone chucked over 6ft wall so I now closely supervise whenever they go out to toilet.

I am sure I read a thread on petforums where it was said you would be liable because the cat is classed as someone's property.
I will try and search for it

Yes, for all sorts of reasons. Our garden wraps all around the house though
I suppose if it was a smallish, fenced and enclosed garden it's different.
I'd be worried someone would steal her here tbh as there have been a lot of local thefts and she's very pretty (biased :o)

www.problemneighbours.co.uk
says that a dog who kills someone's pet can be classed as dangerously out of control.

The new legislation includes private property like gardens.

However I can find no mention of harming another pet directly in the legislation itself.