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?

I think cats are a weird grey area where they mostly don't count as pets for the DDA, but they've left it a bit vague in case the attacking dog was somewhere it shouldn't be, like the cat owner's garden.

You are responsible if your dog injures or causes people to reasonably scared of injury, even in your own garden though.

Thanks Butthole for linking.

For the most part my dog is unsupervised but only because we have fenced off the portion of the garden that is safe for him . As a pup he ate a bit of a daffodil bulb after digging it up and was lucky to survive so I always supervise if he is on the grass . That said he spends little time outside as he prefers to lay in the conservatory where it is hotter , occasionally he will sit out on the bench . I should say that how I act is for the benefit of my dog and I wouldn't supervise to protect the local cat population , they can take their chances if they want to risk it .

I'm not worried about DDog hurting tht numerous farm cats - this is a dog who catches mice in his mouth and then releases them unharmed although a bit soggy!

No, not really. Our garden is fully visible from the back of the house and fully enclosed. That way I can watch the Bastard Spaniel on the trampoline in peace.

Not at all, garden is enclosed and as far as I know it's safe...it's not risk free but nothing in life is.

I don't even supervise my kids when they are out there keep hoping they will escape

I'll take my chances with ddog killing the neighbour's cat, and if the neighbours planted poison meat in the garden or under the trampoline, I'd never spot the dog eating it even if I was supervising him. All seems a bit OTT.

Didn't used to with last two dogs but recent addition is Houdini on four legs so I'm always watching.

Not really - our garden is entirely surrounded by high walls (and our house on one side, obviously) and by neighbours' gardens on all sides, so I think the theft risk is small. She's fine with our cats so don't think she'd kill a cat - she's a gun dog and very soft mouthed.
Having said that, she doesn't want to be out there on her own for any length of time, anyway. If she was, I'd probably check on her fairly often, just in case.

Ours is unsupervised. He doesn't chase cats, he like a to watch our rabbits. Completely enclosed garden. No toxic plants (but he takes no motive of plants anyway). No danger of theft as we live in a gated community (military base)

Ours likes to be outside most of the day when it gets warmer so I wouldn't be able to supervise anyway (I've got plenty of other things to do!). He would be miserable if I kept him in all day.

If it was just big dog, then no, as she wouldn't go anywhere! She has zero interest in wandering off (accidentally left the front door wide open once, a couple of years ago, and came home to find her sat on the doorstep waiting for me!), doesn't dig or eat plants. However the pup needs constant supervision as he will escape if given half a chance. Garden is very, very secure though.

Yes and no I supervise him when in my garden because he's small and it's not secure enough there are small gaps in the fence but No I don't suppervise him in my fathers garden as it's totally secure with 8 ft wall all the way around and no one would try to enter to steal him as my father's Japanese akita is an excellent deterrent.

We have a weird set up with a closed in lower garden, but the upper bit of garden immediately by the house we share a central driveway with a neighbour. It has a gate across but his dog is a very obedient collie with road sense so he never remembers to shut the gate. And the road out from is national speed limit. So I have to open the back door holding pup's collar, and even if the gate is shut, if neighbour is home I have to keep an eye out as he goes in and out, leaving the gate open. His wife never does, but it's usually him walking their dog and he takes her out about 10 times a day!

On the other side (so adjoining the closed in bit of garden) we have nuts neighbours who probably loathe my puppy as she barks every time they start hammering, or the postwoman comes, or anyone coems to the door (my old dog was utterly silent) - and they do some very strange stuff, like going through our bins, so I wouldn't trust them not to poison the dog, or nick her. I have about frozen my tits off out in the garden this winter!

Only the occasional glance through the window as we are completely enclosed. Ddog1 has killed some wild rabbits in our garden :( but luckily none of our neighbours have cats. I now open door loudly before letting the dogs out. Ddog1 & 2 have a vendetta against dog in adjacent house so I do bring them in if they start barking through the fence.