In or Out?

[MyPemCharlie]

I'm always on the fence with where to leave Charlie when I leave the house...inside in his crate, or outside in the big backyard.

I home office, so I'm only out of the house a few hours per week to run errands and I go out to "socialize myself" with real humans one evening a week. Charlie and I spend probably 23 hours/day average together.

Everytime I leave the house I'm unsure whether it's better to put Charlie inside or put him in the yard. (The yard is completely privacy fenced.) I expect that he's probably happier/comfortable in the yard and would get less bored, but I have read that some trainers advocate quite a bit of isolation crate time so that the owner/dog bond (dependency on the owner as Alpha) is strengthened. My take on that opinion is that leaving him in the yard alone might make him too independent and harder to train. I'm not sure.

Anyway, I'm about to run errands for about an hour, and I'm leaving him in the yard. It's a beautiful, sunny and nice cool Fall day here!

Any thoughts either way?

[fogebotom]

Just because of where I am at-out in the middle of no where, farm country and on a big acreage, there are times that if I am only gone for a little bit of time, I do leave some of the dogs outside on a nice day. Or in the house, loose. I work outside the home and am gone for 9 or so hours a day, which means someone if left out, usually gets in trouble. So if it's more then an hour or two, it's in the bedroom, or the crate they go. We also live down a long lane, so if someone pulls in, we definately know about it. I have locks on the gates to the dog yard, so I don't worry about someone thinking about taking the dogs either. Plus a rather large and very growly german shepherd kind of makes people think twice-though he's the worlds biggest baby-it's only is bark that you have to worry about.

It also depends on who it is. The couch slug is okay all day long, but gets pissed about being left and usually just tips over a garbage can just for laughs. The collies-no way-it's like living with a group of holligans. Nothing but trouble, including their 9 yr old grandmother. The cardigans, well, they get bored,especially those under 4. Things go missing, torn up, climbed on. So nope they aren't left unsupervised.

When we lived in town though, if I was thinking about leaving, they all came inside. Didn't want to take any chances at all.

Cindy and the crew at Foggy Bottom
www.foggybottomusa.com

[Louwants]

Duncan and Chloe have the run of the house. There is usually someone home all the time because my husband and I work different shifts. Duncan hasn't chewed up anything after he got past that puppy stage, and he has plenty of toys. Chloe's only bad habit, is sleeping on the bed while we're gone, so no biggey. Neither one of them bother the trash can or anything. If both of us are gone, it is usually just for a couple of hours and we usually give them a good play session outside before we go. I guess you can say, we have it pretty lucky with our two dogs.

[fogebotom]

Sleeping on the bed a bad habit? Don't tell my crew! Last night we had two adult collies, the couch slug, and I think two cardigans snuggled between myself and the youngest. Hubby is traveling again, so Meredith sleeps with me during those times. She actually sleeps in bunk beds-bottom bunk, with the two adult collies, one cardigan, a cat and sometimes one of her small dogs. Add in the lifesized stuffed animals and some nights you walk in to find her on the floor, while everything else is on the bed!

Cindy and the crew at Foggy Bottom

[Michael Romanos]

If your Corgi is trustworthy - leaving inside the house alone at night time and during cool to cold days is by far the best option. But if you have a fully fenced and safe property or section of your property containing shelter/shade, leaving a Corgi outside on a warm to hot day would be my choice for my Corgi/s

[Louwants]

We don't let the dogs out by themselves for too long. One of us is always outside with them. Well, Chloe doesn't mind, and Duncan is velcroed to my husband when he is home. I'm always afraid someone would try and take them, even though they bark at everything the comes near the house. Seems like there are a lot of lost pedigrees offering rewards in our area, and I have a hard time believing that that many owners neglect their animals that much. Guess I'm a cynic anymore about trusting people.

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by MyPemCharlie

I'm always on the fence with where to leave Charlie when I leave the house...inside in his crate, or outside in the big backyard.

I home office, so I'm only out of the house a few hours per week to run errands and I go out to "socialize myself" with real humans one evening a week. Charlie and I spend probably 23 hours/day average together.

Everytime I leave the house I'm unsure whether it's better to put Charlie inside or put him in the yard. (The yard is completely privacy fenced.) I expect that he's probably happier/comfortable in the yard and would get less bored, but I have read that some trainers advocate quite a bit of isolation crate time so that the owner/dog bond (dependency on the owner as Alpha) is strengthened. My take on that opinion is that leaving him in the yard alone might make him too independent and harder to train. I'm not sure.

Anyway, I'm about to run errands for about an hour, and I'm leaving him in the yard. It's a beautiful, sunny and nice cool Fall day here!

Any thoughts either way?

IMO, it's not a training issue. I can't see why a dog would be more indpendent or harder to train if left in the yard as opposed to the house. Just doesn't make any sense to me.

I also don't buy the "isolation" time in a crate makes them easier to train. Again doesn't make sense to me.

Ok, as for leaving dog outside while you're not home. IMO, I think it comes down to what's safer for the dog. In most neighborhoods in the US the houses are quite close together and neighbor kids could possibly bother the dog, making it bark and be a nusiencse to the neighbors. Also someone might toss something in the yard. (Yes, I've heard and seen both things happen.)

IMO, just for the safety of the dog I think it's better to leave them inside when you're gone.

Just my opinion.

Peggy

[Chip's Mom]

We live in the country and have a fenced in yard but my two corgi boys are always in the house when we leave. I just feel they are safer that way. You are right, you never know these days.

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by Chip's Mom

We live in the country and have a fenced in yard but my two corgi boys are always in the house when we leave. I just feel they are safer that way. You are right, you never know these days.

I live in the country too, but like you my guys are inside when no one is home. As you say, you just never know. And I'd rather they be where I know they are safe.

Peggy

[Chip's Mom]

Chip is Mr. Personality and draws people to him like flies and even though he doesn't like strangers to pick him up it would be so easy for someone to pick him up and carry him away or leave a gate open. Dale is more reserved by nature and isn't as outgoing as Chip. He doesn't greet strangers but mostly ignores them. My two also have free run of the house. Dale has never liked a crate from the time he was a wee babe although he has been in one and I have used it for travel, an x pen has worked better for him. They have gotten into their share of mischief when left alone, but they are getting alot better at behaving themselves, usually it is Dale that can think up the mischief but he is still a baby yet.

[Michael Romanos]

I would agree that a Corgi use to being inside a house, adopting house rules and close to constant human companionship and greater opportunities for handling etc is in-itself part of a training programme as opposed to a Corgi left constantly outdoors. I have told a breeder who wants me to handle his 4 month old Corgi in the show ring, that he should have the pup inside frequently and not rarely for the purposes I previously described.

[FoxysMommy]

Where we live in PA, leaving Foxy outside isn't an option, but we (hubby) and I are always going back and forth on the question of leaving her out of her crate full time when we're not around.

Already, we leave her out when we go out for a short time (3 hours or less), but when we leave for work it's usually around 9-10 hours and we put her in the crate. Has anyone "de-crate trained" in this way? How did it work out?