Puppy question - large garden but not possible to fence it...

[brawhen]

I'm doing the research to think about getting our first dog. Can anyone advise me about whether our garden is dog-feasible?

We live fairly rurally (edge of a village at the foot of open hills). We have a large garden, 0.75 acre ish, but it's not possible to fence it. The back of the garden goes on to open woodland/hillside (which then runs for miles) - there is nominally a 'fence' but it's just a line of wire and could not realistically be secured as the garden there is steep, rocky, full of bushes/trees etc. One side of the garden has a dry stone wall which is 3-4ft high so also probably not dog proof. The front of the garden goes on to the road - that could be secured (we'd have to put a gate on the driveway, but that's very do-able.)

Ideally I would like to feel that a dog could hang out in the garden without constant supervision (at least once they got past young puppyhood)...

We've only recently moved - last place we lived was a bit more suburban and was easy to see how dog owners sorted their gardens. Am trying to bump in to friendly looking dog-walking neighbours to ask them, but hoping I can also get some ideas here!

It sounds like you can’t let your dog out there unattended really for his safety as much as others
could you fence of one area?

Can’t you fence part of it?

most of my garden isn’t secure, so he only goes there on a lead or a longline - but we fenced in the front so he can be offlead.

Hmmm - there's not an obvious area that's fence-able, but I'll go and have a look with fresh eyes today.

We could maybe fence the patio area right outside the back door, but that would be just slabs for the dog. Also not particularly large or sunny. It would be a bit kennel-ish.

I wouldn't let any dog hang out in any garden unsupervised nowadays due to dog thefts which have occurred from all kinds of locations from urban areas to peaceful retreats like yours.

Get a long line and make sure the puppy/dog is supervised at all times just as you would a toddler.

What sort of dog are you looking at getting?

After being on a few holidays where we've not had access to an enclosed garden I wouldn't consider a dog unless I had an enclosed space, not necessarily the whole garden but somewhere you can let them off for a nighttime wee or a but if a wander and a sniff. It makes everything so much more difficult without this. I can wfh with the patio doors open and keep an eye on her but I don't need to be watching over her constantly.

My dog likes people more than the garden, so if we don't go out she just pops out for a wee and back.
I think you need a fenced grassy area for morning and eve wees. It could be front or back garden.

unless you get a lapdog or similar, you should let the dog roam the in garden. You could put up railings so they are see through but the dog couldn’t get through? You do need to make part of the garden dog proof IMO.

If you Google dog fencing you will see ideas that may work for your situation

Watch the height for the breed though. Some can jump and climb skilfully

I wouldn't leave any dog unattended in the garden really - it's not just theft, what if they chew or dig their way out, or eat something they shouldn't?

By the sounds of things you'll either need to take the dog out on the lead at all times or fence off a small area so they can go to the toilet easily.

You could fence off a section of the garden that can be accessed from the front or back door so you can just open the door for them when they want to go out.

Garden access makes like easier for you both and can provide entertainment for the dog. If I leave our back door open our dog will sit in the sun and dander about the garden for hours. He doesn't like to be out by himself with the door to the house shut. It's also great for playing fetch and other games with him in.

You can train a dog to stay in a garden but it isn't foolproof so you would still need a secure garden. Ours hasn't run out of the garden when the gate has been left open but I strongly suspect he would shoot like a bullet out of an open gate if the local cat he hates sauntered past.

Googling dog fencing suggests the 'hidden' electronic fence systems. I would have to do more research, but from what I've read previously on here they are not popular (and some people feel very strongly about them). Can anyone recommend a good source of info for me to read to think about that?

Am going to have lunch in the garden now and consider fence areas.

Can you post so pics of the garden so we can see what you're dealing with?

Depending on dog size, you could try T posts and mesh fencing. Won't be the most pretty but is very flexible. Probably wouldn't stop a big dog from jumping over though.

www.mccoys.com/images/default-source/content-pages/lumber-yard/t-post-fencing/t-post_lp-sf-weldedwire.jpg

This is the sort of thing I mean. 😁

Dog radio fences, i.e. fences where a dog feels a shock/vibration through a collar when passing a boundary are illegal in Wales and legislation to ban the e-collars is under discussion for England and Scotland

Against the grain here, but we live in an area fairly rural/ villages and a fair few people have dogs. Very few have fences around garden to dog proof as wildlife has to be allowed access here. So at most a hedge area a dog could crawl through.

I don’t know much about how you train dogs, but they all seem trained to just stay in their garden or driveways. None are puppies but they obviously were once.
Im not in the uk so it’s very normal here, but dogs world over I assume have similar train ability.

We have a large garden and have fenced in about a third of it for our dog. She prefers being outside rather than in as long as it isn't raining.

We have the garden laid out as sort of rooms, so one room is fenced but the rest not. It means the fence fits with the style.

We have a 14 month old dog and live semi rurally. Our house is surrounded by fields and our garden has had no fence on one side since we got him due to building work (which took far longer than expected). I wouldn’t recommend it! Thankfully our fence is about to go up!

Each time he needs the toilet we have to take him out on a long line, we do let him off for a good run in our garden with two of us guarding the entrance/unfenced side but his instinct to chase birds, hares (and the odd car) is strong and no amount of training has stopped this! He is pretty well trained otherwise/when not around wildlife! The nearest road (we live off a long dead end lane which nothing really comes up) is quite far away but he has chased a hare over several large fields and across this and it was awful. We take him to a family members garden, dog fields kids and daycare for off lead time which is time consuming but he needs it as well as his daily walks.

The dogs on the farm by us do stay in their fields though and always stop at the entrance to their farm so not unfathomable but it certainly wouldn’t work for our dog to be left unsupervised in an unfenced garden so you’d need a back up plan. Also we saw an obvious regression in training (like he forgot everything he was taught) at about 11 months which trainer and vet said is typical adolescence and could last until he’s 2. It is already improving though!

Also he loves people and dogs so would absolutely approach everybody who passed which would worry me both from somebody being scared (he’s big) or that he’d happily go with them.

All the training in the world won’t stop people stealing your dog or another dog coming into your property and attacking it

@Hoppinggreen - no, but I haven’t ever heard of any dogs locally being stolen or attacked by others.
you have to pay for an annual dog licence here which is expensive, so maybe less dogs are kept in general?
Im not sure, but there’s definitely lots of open farms and houses with dogs and no way to fence them in.

Children aren’t fenced in either at home, parks, nursery or school. But there’s not a higher epidemic of them being stolen than in the Uk. Ie rare

OK I have been out to consider the garden.

Something like this could probably work, if we got a few sections of it: flexipanel fencing . It's 1m high, which sounds quite escapable to me - but I'm not yet very dog-expert. Does it look like it would actually contain a dog? Obviously the advert sings its praises! It would work because we could move it to get lawnmower etc & people through it - we'd have to keep remembering to put it back.

Someone asked about breeds. Early days of consideration still, but it would be a mid-size active breed that can do regular long days out hill walking and be a running companion. Possibly a sprocker spaniel. Or something that's got some spaniel or collie in the mix. That kind of size. Max size would be a lab or golden retriever, but that feels on the big size (all in my imagination at the moment). I don't think we would go for a lap dog.

I don't agree with having any size of dog unless you have a secure garden, fully secure, no chance of escape by climbing or digging, I volunteer homechecking for lots of different rescues and the first thing examined is the garden boundaries. You seem to live in a rural setting which means a dog could upset livestock and/or wildlife if not secured. A dog does not have to be big to cause distress and injury. Add the risk of theft and its easy to see why such strict rules are in place by rescue groups. I know you didn't mention getting a rescue dog but are planning on a pup but all the same risks are relevant, please look at secure fencing of a section, preferably a section accessible straight from the house for your own comfort, toileting on a cold wet night is easier if you can just open a door and let the dog out knowing it can't take off because it's caught the scent of something interesting. Best of luck, preparation can be expensive and time consuming, a dog can make to wonder why you ever thought of having one particularly in the puppy stage but they can be so worth it, I wouldn't be without ours but I also wouldn't want to add up what they've cost us between fencing an entire site to eating my expensive bras!!!!

Pic of the most fence-able area below. The slope & steps to the left lead up on to open hillside. Wall on the right is at least 6 foot, so that side is easy! Behind me the slabs continue in a wide area open the side/front garden that wraps all the way around the house. Back door is just to the right (by the sheet on the washing line).

@Doggydarling we would also consider a rescue, but don't know if they would consider us (first time owners, secure garden issues...)

I have done home checking for a couple of dog rehoming charities and an open garden would be a concern