moving and need info.....

[GUNDOGS]

we are putting our house up for sale and moving to our new home with close to 15 acres within the next few months..we currently live in a subdivision so having all this land is going to be new to us..my question is to those who live on larger properties, how do you intro your dogs to the new land properly so they dont run, do you keep your dogs on check cords at ALL TIMES, no exceptions?? do you have a fenced area you keep them in on the property?? do the dogs ever just STAY on your land or have they taken off?? sorry lots of questions but any and all info, tips or advice on do's and dont's would be great..we got a few months and the kennels arent done yet neither is the exercise area so help is appreciated..also do any of you keep a GPS on your dogs when they are loose while your outside as if you were hunting?? im very excited about the move but really nervous about losing a dog, thanks in advance...ruth

[Cajun Casey]

Letting your dogs run free is asking for someone to put a bullet in them. Fifteen acres is not very much space. If you have neighbors with livestock, you will be losing dogs quickly.

My dogs have over a hundred acres to run and no stock to bother, and still get in trouble if they aren't supervised. They compensate a little by minimizing thefts at the one adjoining property, but I really don't want them crossing the road. Predators and the cowdogs from half a mile away are the other dangers.

[larry]

We use a hidden dog fence

[JWP58]

I would start by paying your new neighbors a visit to talk to them and imform them of what type of dogs you have (breed, temperment) and to call you if they happen to wander onto their property.

I probably wouldnt just let them roam free unless you're out there training or letting them out for a run.

[dan v]

We have a 40....but we also have two dog yards, one off the house, the other off the the kennel. The kennel yard is like 100 x 150. If you try something other than a physical fence or underground fence, you're asking for trouble.

[MOOSE]

We have a fenced in area that is connected to the house so they can do their "duty" out there and have a place to run off lead. When we are hanging outside we don't let them just run as they will go hunt and such though they will come back when called. Check cord if we run in the woods on the youngsters and once they understand the "trails" and have a good recall we e collar them and run them on the trails in the back area.

It will be nice to have more room! Congrats!

[GUNDOGS]

thanks guys, i will be keeping them on a long cc until the exercise pen is done..i assumed most people let them run the property but ya theres a farm across the way with cows so i dont want them over there for sure..good idea introducing myself to the neighbors, i already met the cop now i will go meet the other guy/gal with the cows, thanks...ruth

[shags]

We have a fenced dog yard and never ever allow our dogs to be outside it unless under direct supervision. It was a pain until we got the fence up, but we'd take them out as necessary or used a modified stake-out placed where we could see it easily from inside.

Don't be one of those jerk city-people who move to the country and let their dogs be "free". The ones who have tried that on my road have dogs that become road kill (not many drivers on country roads go slow and carefully), get shot (killing chickens and running livestock isn't viewed kindly), or get carted away by county animal control (those are the luckier ones).

Congrats on the new digs

[solon]

Our dogs run free and we haven't had any significant problems, but our situation is special. We have lots of space. Our farm is over 400 acres at the end of a dead end one tract lane and it is surrounded on three sides by forest with maybe 20 square miles of mostly undeveloped mountainous land. Traffic is not an issue. Even with that, there are potential hazards and problems. Our dogs are deer proof and we have sheep and they won't bother them. There are cows and horses about a mile or less down the road and I doubt they would chase after them. We also have chickens, which can be a problem for bird dogs. They are in a pen and some of our dogs, the Small Munsterlanders mainly, were at one time trustworthy with free range chickens. However, the setters are not chicken proof and even the SMs can be triggered to go after a chicken, if it squawks and flees. So I think our dogs could get into trouble, if they went over the hill and got after someones free ranging chickens. Mostly they don't leave the immediate environs of the house unless a person goes with them. We have coyotes and bear in the area, but never had a dog incident with them.

A big potential problem is the free dog gets into the habit of self hunting, if allowed to run unsupervised. Getting shot by a trigger happy idiot is not a negligible risk either. In our state, only law enforcement and game wardens are authorized to shoot dogs, unless it is to protect person or property. They also will usually give an owner a warning about dogs that are running deer before any shooting happens. Nevertheless, I know someone who should have known better, who shot a neighbors pet dog because it was chasing one of his free range chickens. Thus he shot a families pet belonging to a neighbor, maybe worth $1000 or more, not to mention its emotional value, to protect a chicken worth $1.50. That is what I call a perfect jerk. They are out there.

So with all that said, with 15 acres I would set up an invisible fence or even better fence a good area that will allow the dogs plenty of space for exercise or even a training area, but not permit them to roam the neighborhood. I would proof them to deer and livestock, just in case. Cats can be an issue, particularly with the versatile breeds. As suggested, make sure the neighbors know them so if they get free, the neighbor can catch them and call you. It is nice when you have a house dog that wants to go out and you can just open the door and let them go. But it incurs risks even when you have all the space you could want.

[Ryman Gun Dog]

Gundogs,
Our mountain home is in the forest and we have a Petsmart invisible fence, set on the large circle pattern, each dog has his own collar. Its more than enough room for the dogs to exercise and its nice to be able to open the door and let them run without worry.
RGD/Dave

[GUNDOGS]

Great help thanks, how reliable is the electric fence??..are they reliable in stopping a dog even in full chase or would a dog run right threw it?? i was thinking we would only have the dogs loose if we were out but i know they can go MIA in seconds if they decide to go after a squirrel or cat or somethin so i definitely need something to ensure they dont go out of bounds otherwise i will keep them in the exercise pen or on a CC..the other question i have is my husband told me when he went to work on the kennels the last few times there was an old lab (grey face) roaming our property and seemed pretty cozy being there (laying around in the driveway) definitely not a stray and i assume, could be wrong, but i assume its the guy/gal across the road with the cattle we havent met yet, how should i approach him if its his/her dog and is use to roaming there, in a civil way to get things started off on the right foot of course ...ruth

[Cajun Casey]

I suggest you find out if your soon to be neighbors are running a guardian dog. If they are, your dogs would not get a second chance to trespass.

[GUNDOGS]

I suggest you find out if your soon to be neighbors are running a guardian dog. If they are, your dogs would not get a second chance to trespass.

whats a guardian dog, a dog to guard their cattle?? how would i keep this dog off my property when we move there ...ruth

[Cajun Casey]

I suggest you find out if your soon to be neighbors are running a guardian dog. If they are, your dogs would not get a second chance to trespass.

whats a guardian dog, a dog to guard their cattle?? how would i keep this dog off my property when we move there ...ruth

A guardian dog is one of the giant mountain breeds, like a Pyr, Anatolian, Kuvasz or Akbash, that lives with its herd and protects against predators. Properly trained, in addition to instinct, they will not leave their stock unless chasing a predator. For their size, they can be wicked fast and have a natural agression toward other canids. Look for one or more huge white or tan dogs in the stock pasture. They do not want to say, "Hi," believe me.

[nikegundog]

Letting your dogs run free is asking for someone to put a bullet in them. Fifteen acres is not very much space. If you have neighbors with livestock, you will be losing dogs quickly.

My dogs have over a hundred acres to run and no stock to bother, and still get in trouble if they aren't supervised. They compensate a little by minimizing thefts at the one adjoining property, but I really don't want them crossing the road. Predators and the cowdogs from half a mile away are the other dangers.

This just does to show how different this country is, around here 90% of farms have dogs that are off chain/no fence, with no problems. We hunt in SD and just about every farm place be go to appears to be the same way as here.

[markj]

i assumed most people let them run the property

I have 4 acres wired in ground pet safe and use the stubborn dog collars. Keeps them in my area and safe. you can do all 15 acres with one for about 300.00 or even go smaller like I did so I have a feed lot for my steers, a huge garden area and 2 other lots for the horses (I hate them). So with carefull consideration you can set up the place like you want it and the neighbors need not ever see yer dogs.

I have a huge 4th of July party and invite all the neighbors too.

[Karen]

If you want them to have access to the whole 15 acres, invisible fence is your best bet, or fence in a dog yard. We have a 50' x 100' area off the house fenced in for the dogs with a dog door out from the basement. Keeps everyone safe.

[markj]

BTW congrats on the move, you will love it out there in the country.

[GUNDOGS]

BTW congrats on the move, you will love it out there in the country.

thanks , im looking forward to being away from neighbors, especially one i have now, on one side anyway, her obsession with picking up all the leaves that fall off of my tree onto her lawn and throwing them back onto my lawn is getting old along with her well known hate of all children and dogs :roll: somehow she found a man to marry her, he must have done some bad "bleep" in a previous life to receive such a punishment ...ruth

[pinebrookkennel]

Ruth
One little tip I picked up at a trainers is never let your dogs run or walk out into a feild or yard without a release command
Set the boundry where you like it then after a little work the dogs shouldn't go there without your blessing.

[GUNDOGS]

Ruth
One little tip I picked up at a trainers is never let your dogs run or walk out into a feild or yard without a release command
Set the boundry where you like it then after a little work the dogs shouldn't go there without your blessing.

great tip and makes perfect sense..i have them stand at the door with it open until released, not eat until released, and when we get out to train i have them stay in the kennel with it open until released so i will do the same in our yard too, what command do you use when they go to leave "out of bounds" do you just tell them HERE or FAR ENOUGH, something along those lines so they get the jist? thanks ...ruth

[pinebrookkennel]

make them stop at whatever point you want the boundry to be. Just the same as door training.

[GUNDOGS]

make them stop at whatever point you want the boundry to be. Just the same as door training.

kay thanks ....ruth

[Buckeye_V]

Oh boy am I a rebel. We have 34 acres and 16 next to us we have the run of. I let me dogs out to potty and exercise without any restraints other than a reliable recall. Haven't had any issues. I only have 3 dogs, but the biggest problems they run into are the horse barn and the pond in the summer but thems small potatoes.

It can be done.