How can I keep my dog in the yard without a fence?

Mysterious: How can I keep my dog in the yard without a fence?
I will be able to get a dog, if it lives primarily outside. I just need a way of keeping him in the yard. I don’t think I will be able to get a fence. I would rather not get an electric dog fence. If that is my only choice I would consider it, but I don’t like it at all.

Tying the dog with a rope. I would worry that he would get caught up in it and hurt himself. I really don’t know how much awarness they have of them. But, this would probably be the one I go for if we can’t get a fence.

Would there be a way to train the dog to stay in the yard?
Do you have any ideas to share on what I could do?

If you are worried that the dog will be bored, I have a LOT of time to spend. I am very much a dog person. If I could I would let the dog in the house in no time.

Thanks!
I forgot to mention that the dog will be sleeping in the house at night. The dog will also be able to come inside on bad weather days to play inside and to eat. I am outside a lot be with the dog so he won’t be bored or isolated.

Answers and Views:

Answer by [brown♥eyed♥girl]
a leash??

Answer by eldude
you can try using the invisible fence it might work, probably will work well if your dog obeys you at all

Answer by Cali4niaGirl
By beating him senseless whenever he tries to leave it.

Answer by Josiah B
if you don’t want an invisible fence. lots and lots of training

Answer by Heather
don’t get a dog if you are going to keep it outside. there is no reason to get it then. that’s cruel. you need a fence.

Answer by babydoll400119
try tying him/her to a tree or something with a long rope to give it some freedom.

Answer by $ Italiano $
How about an electrical fence? Its in the ground, invisible, and the dog gets shocked if it goes out of bounds, thus causing it to go back. Sounds brutal but it isnt, the dog is given a warning with a beeping sound from the collar, after a day or two they just dont go near the boundary.

EDIT: Jesus I didn’t read that very thoroughly. Dont get a dog if youre gunna make it live outside you monster.

Answer by Rustified
A really deep hole, that should do it.
Worked for my brother.

Answer by Mohsy
they have those wire things that you lay on the premier of your house, and if the dog runs past it he gets shocked with this special collar. Eventually he/she will get used to it and won’t try to leave the yard,

Answer by |h|e|y| |t|h|e|r|e|
im not sure if this would work or not, but i might. find something that the dog really doesnt like to smell, such as fingernail polish. you could try drawing a line with it around the yard. that might help, but im not sure. a dog won’t hurt itself when it’s tied to a rope.
you could also try going to the vet and asking this question; im sure you’d get some great answers.
good luck!

Answer by DP
Sure, if you have no fence, and the dog needs to live outside.. You could volunteer to live outside with the dog.. You can train him not to leave, but if something cool shows up you can be guaranteed he’s leaving the yard.. Sleep out there with him.. You could tie the rope around your waist and to the dog.. That way if he tries to leave you’ll know immediately.. It’ll work !

Answer by honey92e
i think you should get a fence, just not an electrical one. a leash somtimes annoys a dog with a fence it’ll have more freedom but won’t get out,

Answer by kys
Don’t get the dog until you know for sure if you will be able to fence it.
Even if you did train it to stay in the yard, it will still tend to wonder when you least expect it. Don’t take the chance. Also, without a fenced yard, your laws may require the fence because it would then be considered “dog at large” and you can be fined. Yes, even if it is in your yard, unsupervised and without restraints.

Answer by lovepets
invisible fence

Answer by morgan
they have dog chain/ropes and screws u put in the ground and u hook the chain the the screw(my dogs the hiperest breed and it works for her and she doesnt get tangled)
make sure it doesnt chew on it though so give it an outdoor bone too

Answer by yvonne W
Sounds like a difficult position you are in. First, when it comes to electric fences you must know that your dog may not leave the perimeter however, other animals can get int and your dog can’t escape leaving it in harms way.

Tying up a dog is not the greatest idea especially being out 24/7.

I really fencing is the only answer. If you can’t do that you may not be able to handle the dog. Dogs are companions and want to be with its family. Being outside in the elements would b difficult and may cause the dog to excessively bark and irritate you neighbors.

I really thing you should reconsider and not have a dog at this time. Sorry to say that.

Answer by amziex
The problem with electric fences is that if the dog’s in prey mode and sees a bird, squirrel ect. across the road he won’t think about the fence and easily run across it.
If he’s a smart dog he’ll learn that the shock is only temporary pain and the faster he gets past, the less it hurts.
Plus most of them don’t prevent outsiders from getting in so some sickos out there could taunt your dog or steal him. It’s also a danger for kids who don’t know their boundaries.

If he doesn’t learn to get out, and an agressive stray dog gets in where will the dog run to?

Answer by doctoru2
I do not recommend that you get a dog at this point until you can have the dog inside. Summer heat and humidity and winter cold and wet do not create a good environment for any dog. I’ve seen dogs freeze to death or die of heat exhaustion. Dogs are not wild animals anymore – they are domesticated. But even if they were, they would find nice cool dry places to stay in the day in the summer, and warm dry places in the winter. They are social creatures that would relay on each other.

My advice is to instead crate train your dog. When you aren’t home or cannot supervise, your dog can be in his/her crate. Dogs will grow used to their crates – even going in them willingly if trained properly. By crate training, you help give the dog a secure spot (a den), you help him control his bladder and you ensure that no damage occurs to your home in your absence. This way you don’t have to worry about all the issues of an outside only dog (fence or lack thereof, escaping, strangling, people stealing or taunting the dog, etc.).

Electric fences may work for a short term or with supervision, but if the battery ever dies, your dog may walk beyond the barrier and escape. Even if your dog is very loyal, all it takes is for him to stray gently onto the street and some bad timing before he’s gone.

Of course, you stated that you don’t want an electric fence. You also stated you can’t put up a fence. This leaves you no choice but to tie your poor dog up outside all day and night for the rest of his life. And you say you are a dog person? I can’t imagine tying my dogs up outside all day and night forever! Plus, even a strong leash can break and again, your dog can wind up lost, stolen or dead.

My advice – do not get a dog or reconsider your options of an outside only dog at this point. I recommend inside crates instead.

Answer by rescue member
Don’t get a dog if you are not planning to keep him in the house. Even if you had a fence, it is cruel to leave a dog outside all the time.

Without a fence it amounts to animal abuse – you would have to tie him up – horrible!!!
That makes a dog mean and nasty or just plain miserable.

Outside dogs are unhappy and uncomfortable – dogs want to be part of the family.

Reconsider, either get a smallish dog you are willing to keep in the house unless you are out with him, or don’t get a dog at all – try another kind of pet.

Answer by bsassy
I agree with DP!

Answer by Corey P
Oh don’t worry your dog won’t get hurt.You should have some kind of shelter though.I Put my dog on the chain all night and let him off during the day.Hope I helped!

Answer by dog owner
An invisible fence is a couple hundred max and very effective. Also I would recommend teaching the dog to stay at a finger point command with no verbal to stay until called. I like teaching my dogs this, especially insiders to restrict them from entering the living room with company present.

Answer by karla t
It’s very unlikely that you could train him to stay in the yard and have him obey ALL of the time.

When our dog is outside she has a long leash that is attached by a pulley to a metal line we put up between two buildings, this gives her room to move around and decreases the possibility of getting tangled up on things.

A couple of reasons that it’s not a good idea to keep a dog outside all of the time. There’s the danger of predators (other dogs, coyotes, bears, etc depending on where you live) or rabid animals (raccoons, skunks, bats) or weather (too hot or cold) or getting caught on something and choking.

Answer by Ed S
I would strongly urge you not to use a tie-up to keep your dog in the yard. I have seen dogs wrap themselves around obstacles and have no option but to wait until the owner returns. There have been other stories of dogs getting into things and hanging themselves on their own leash/collar.

If you are against the electric underground dog fences, you probably need to consider if this is the right time to get a dog. I have not seen even the most well trained dog stay in their yard exclusively. Many times, they will push the boundaries while owners are away. They typically will not leave the immediate area, but can get into your neighbors yard and the street (which is obviously dangerous).

As for leaving it outside, generally dogs can be left outside, if they are properly acclimatized to the weather and have adequate water/housing. Your vet can probably offer some more advice on this topic, especially as I do not know what type of dog you have.

I think an underground fence is a good option, if you are completely against a traditional fence. They are easy to install and you can adjust the amount of correction needed to keep your dog in the yard. There is still a lot of training involved, even with these types of fences.

You need to be prepared to spend a significant amount of time training your dog no matter which option you think is right for you.