Does your dog...

[Frixturbo]

have use of a garden?

Just wondering how many people own dogs and don't have a garden?

How practical is it?

[Jasandjules]

We have a little under half an acre. It REALLY p***es me off but our dogs rarely use it... Now and again they go out and have a nice play but most of the time they want to be in the house....

[66comanche]

Mine does, but to be honest she makes little use of it - she prefers the great outdoors, the garden in her eyes is just to have a quick wee/poo in before brekkie. I do walk her 3-4 hrs a day often with her doggie pals so the garden is boring to her, she'll stay out there with me or on her own with a bone, but thats it. Not having a garden is no barrier to not having a dog IMO as long as you are willing to take them out very early and very late and exercise them as they need.

[mnkiboy]

We have a garden but he rarely uses it, unless we're sat outside (a rare thing so far this summer!). He does like to play catch with me throwing a tennis ball at the house wall, but it's not an alternative to proper excercise when out on a walk.

As the poster stated above, it's more of a useful toilet stop for him, than a play area. This also means every couple of days I have to remove all the little land mines he's left.

[Too Late]

Mine does,
When i get in from work she goes bat st crazy, runs about, gets her toys. Then she runs straight outside for the toilet.

Dont know if she uses while at work though

[size13]

We had a garden, then got a Beagle, we now have two gardens with a fence around one that now looks like a minefield that has gone off and is devoid of plants!

He does use if a lot and we have a doggie door so he can go in and out without bothering us

[C722]

Yes, but loves digging holes in it..

[LordHaveMurci]

Jasandjules said:

We have a little under half an acre. It REALLY p***es me off but our dogs rarely use it... Now and again they go out and have a nice play but most of the time they want to be in the house....

HaHa, not just mine then! Not got 1/2 an acre but still have a largish garden which my spaniel refuses to use, OH's Westie on the other hand...

On the plus side, he rarely craps in the garden so only have to clean up behind the Westie.

[Sexual Chocolate]

We have quite a large garden. Our dog has 1 or 2 spots where he will lie down and nap (under the tree or right by the patio) and a few more spots for peeing and pooping. Occasionally he might run around for a bit but in general he uses, at max, 10% of the garden. And there was me thinking if we got a bigger garden how happy would the dog be?

Anwser: He is not that bothered.

[RDMcG]

Live in the city, no garden though do have three large roof decks. Great Dane and Standard Poodle get walked by my wife for approximately two hours a day and have encountered no problems.( They are both 9 years old). Admittedly they winter in Arizona where we have a big fenced back yard, in which they loll around much of the day

[balders118]

I don't have a garden, but I do have the park at the end of my driveway.

The only time it's a PITA is when she needs the loo, and rather than just opening the door and letting ehr out we have to put her lead on take her out and wait for her to go.

[Who me ?]

Not as large as some .About 60' long.He will only lift his leg out there.Anything else needs a walk ,and he gets three of those a day.
He'll sit out there in summer,when it's warm or charge about telling the birds to keep out.

[Dennis99]

Labrador not bothered.
Lurcher loves it for peeing, sunbathing and football. She stays out all day if she can (as long as it's sunny or warm )

[TackleburyUk]

May as well add my two cents worth..

Our dog would rather have some turtles head all day then use the garden.

Most dogs won't deficate in their own territory. We have to walk the little sod.

Does give me a great reason to pop to the pub however....

[Jasandjules]

TackleburyUk said:

We have to walk the little sod.
....

Well ours get an hour a day walking (which is more than enough for them) - a garden is no substitute for a walk IMHO though.

[Sprouts]

Our dog's lucky we rescued her, and now she lives on a kibbutz. With a beach. This is her an hour ago, just after eating one of them rubber balls that beach people play with. If I didn't have a garden I don't think I'd have a dog.

[Turn7]

Small garden, but if its sunny, then when Millie was here, she would ALWAYS be out in the sun.

Milo, who is now single sadly, will happily sleep on the decking once the suns out as well.

Small amount of landmines to clear, but not an issue if you keep on top of it.

[Who me ?]

Jasandjules said:

Well ours get an hour a day walking (which is more than enough for them) - a garden is no substitute for a walk IMHO though.

Mine gets three walks a day.Possibly about half an hour each,but he is not too big and he's a lively 11 year old .I love it when he meets a lively Greyhound, as he's got a liking for them and loves to (try ) to keep up with them . After that they get down to his forte,serious business to him, a Pee off . Folks tell me that Greyhounds and terriers don't mix ,as Greyhound might see terrier as prey. He's never got the message .

[Karyn]

Ours are a little bit spoilt... houses are chosen specifically with long, large gardens for them to play fetch in!


They get nigh on 2 hours of on-lead walking a day, and then an ad hoc amount of chasing things in the garden.


They like to poop in the garden, too. Mainly because they love the garden, so love to be out there, and then... whoops! Time to poop!

Garden is no substitute for a walk, though, IMO.

[astroarcadia]

We have a working cocker and she loves the garden. Its a good size with a mix of lawn, paths, borders and trees.

Every morning she goes out first thing for a good sniff to see what has been in the garden in the night. She hides under trees, sunbathes on the lawn, stands there sniffing the breeze.

Really would be lost without it as it provides so much varied stimulation for such a busy dog.