• If you're a past member of the board, but can't recall your password any more, you don't need to set up a new account (unless you wish to). As long as you recall your old login name, you can log in with that user name then select 'forgot password' and the board will email you at your registration email, to let you reset your password.

Why a fence? (mini-rant)

MishathePooh

Well-known member
Why do so many rescues and breeders require fenced yards? We always have people come up to us of their own volition on walks to tell us how happy our pup looks and he grew up sans-fence. Of course he gets walked daily and comes out on a tether with us, but I suppose it's better to not have a dog if we don't have a fence. Incidentally, I also tether my cat when I'm working in the garden and he loves it.
 
Our breeder would not sell us our cav pups unless we had a fenced yard. They do love to run and chase each other!
 
i'm sure they require fenced yards for safety, especially rescuers because they find so many lost stray pets. Of course, a conscientious responsible dog owner can keep a dog safe without a fence, but i can understand how they would come to have that policy. When i was looking for a dog, rescues were out of the question i soon found because i live in an apartment and i would be required to get the written approval of the apartment manager. I knew if i got well behaved dog who did not cause disturbance to the neighbors, the manager, who lives off site, and who is very nice and caring and considerate of the tenants' feelings, would not object to my having a dog, but my lease says no pets so i wasn't going to force the issue by asking permission because he might be forced to say no. So, getting a rescue was out of the question. The breeders i talked to were very interested in whether the yard was fenced or not. Also interested in my working during the day. I understand all of these considerations. But it made it awfully hard to find someone who would sell me a cavalier, as far as a reputable breeder or rescue goes.
 
We also promised to come home at lunch time, another promise we've kept. One or both of us always comes straight home after work too. These pups really are the center of our lives! :flwr:
 
My breeder wouldn't agree to us having a puppy until she knew every aspect of the way we live our lives. We must have been there for three or four hours. We also had to have a fenced yard and someone home most or part of the day.

I personally think she was right & in the 30 plus years she's been breeding, she's still in touch with most of the owners and previous owners of her babies.

We still send and receive Xmas cards and occasionally phone calls from her & I think it's lovely that she cares so much. I also know that if ever I couldn't keep Maxx for whatever reason then he'd be welcomed back into her home, no problem. In fact, Maxx is 7 this month and I still use her as my first line of advice if there are any Cavalier related problems in the house (fosters & rescues etc) as she is so knowledgeable.

Not many like her around and I wish that there were :flwr:
 
I hate to answer for other breeders, but from my point of view, it's a safety issue. But:

As for Kris and I, we don't require a fenced yard. However, when we first talk to people on the phone that inquire about puppies, we always ask if they have a fenced yard. If they don't, they get the "third degree" to be sure they understand the importance of protecting the dog, walking, etc., etc. If we don't feel comfortable with the answers, we would not sell a puppy to them. Having said that, as far as I know, we have only once decided not to sell someone a puppy but there were other issues about the person we did not feel comfortable with.

We also don't want to see the electronic fences; I think it gives some owners a false sense of security . Our problem with those is that they don't keep other dogs away from your dog and we have heard of dogs that run through the fence and can't get back, or the collar fails, and so on.

MishathePooh and others that have run into this, I do sympathise with you (which is why we don't require the fence) because we were in your shoes years back when we were looking for our first Cavalier. Not only did we not have a fenced yard, but we lived in a duplex and rented out the other side. Two strikes against us! Took a lot of talking to convince a breeder to sell us a puppy.
 
I think that also depends on where you live also. Like if you live in a larger city where there are a lot of apartments, then you will have more folks without fenced yards. Now I live in the country almost, Oklahoma. There aren't too many people here that don't have a fenced yard. But I have not yet sold a puppy to anyone who hasn't had a fenced yard.
I don't think that I wouldn't sell a puppy to a person that didn't have a fenced yard. It depends on the person really. You know dog people when you see them, trust me :flwr:
 
When we first got Cedar, we did not have a fenced in yard. We had just purchased our home. (Cedar's breeder wasnt interested in whether or not we had a fence; she was more interested in whether or not we could make the downpayment.) So I know that while time consuming, taking good care of a pup without a fence is a possible thing. We put up a fence in March, and I have to say the difference was really surprising. To see Cedar, and now Willow, dash out the door to RUN like crazies, free from harm and secure in the yard, is something I would never have had the chance to appreciate.

Even if you dont have a fenced in yard now, I highly encourage anyone who can to fence it in. It will not only be safer for your dog, it will make them happy, which will make you happy, too.
 
I think the concern is primarily safety -- but also that you need to talk to individuals and their situations. I have only a small side area that hardly constitutes a 'yard', filled with potted plants etc, and while the cats love to sit outside there (they can't roam) the dogs show not the slightest interest in being outside. They are totally indoor dogs when at my house; but they get a minimum of four walks a day because they need to go out for their business. I would say my dogs get more exercise, and see and do more, than many dogs that live in houses with large yards -- where the dogs never see outside that fence.

On the other hand, for many people with a yard that is also unfenced, the temptation is to let the dog run around freely or to pop it out to do its business -- all being very high risk anyway but especially with cavaliers, who have no road sense at all, and are also frequent targets for dog-napping.

I rehome rescue cavaliers and never would have a fanced yard be a requirement for taking a dog, nor would having a yard in the first place be a requirement. However I would be of the exact same perspective as Bruce -- If there's no fence, I would be stressing that the dogs cannot be allowed out freely nor can an electric fence be used; the dog needs regular exercise, etc. A lot more things would be at the top of my agenda for homing than a fanced yard!
 
Back
Top