We're about to buy a house with a couple of acres of securely fenced land, in large part for the dogs.

I'd be really interested to hear from those who have such enclosed land or large gardens whether their dogs actually use it, or just stay within 20 metres of the house all the time anyway?

Mine go exploring, which is great because there is no need to worry, knowing that they can't escape.

My old boy is 14  only has one eye and not a lot of sight in the other but he still delights in going exploring when it's safe to let him. My garden has a few levels so not great to leave him unsupervised. I have a friend with a totaly deer fenced garden and he loves to sniff wander and pee there. Their Shetland grazes it too so it is totaly secure.

I moved here many years ago and had a Toy Poodle with only one eye.  His only eye had very poor sight.  A neighbour thought that I was cruel moving him as he was an old man.  I bought this place specifically for the dogs.  My boy went outside, found the boundary, and made his way round the entire outside of the huge space.  He was just fine. 

I would make sure they use it, if I were so lucky.
A place for games and ball throwing, and enough room for your own agility equipment. What's not to like?

It's amazing how they cope isn't it

Probably a case of familiarity breeds contempt, so perhaps them having restricted access so that they exercise when let into the large area.  Also training etc.

I know several people who do this it helps keep the ground from getting torn up when the weather is bad, and also the dogs are kept clean in bad weather.

"Probably a case of familiarity breeds contempt, so perhaps them having restricted access so that they exercise when let into the large area.  Also training etc."

I can immediately see that this is clearly a very good idea. I knew there was something, and this is it. Manage their access to keep it interesting and special. Of course. Thanks, Barbara. :)

You could also do enrichment type activites by hiding things and have them search, a game that your scent hound would enjoy and be good at.

I know they lay aniseed trails, blood trails etc, and at the end of the track is a prize/jackpot, be it toy or food.

If it's just me and my girl no she does not use it, likes to stay near me and the house, so kind of a waste, same with the older family dogs when I'm looking after them, they like to stay near me..........gets used by them when I go for a jog as they come with, or when we play games, also when there is a puppy or adolescent, they will run and play and venture further away.

But nope, the mature dogs don't tend to go more than a few feet from me.......talk about being stalked.

Luckily I have plenty of family with younger children who make full use,

We have several acres with fields and woods and a very large nature pond. The dogs love running and sniffing, digging and chasing - but only when one of us are there with them. They never go down the fields on their own without our company except.... There is always one exception, the 2 Patterdales will spend hours by themselves. One rabbiting and the other searching for frogs in the pond. But as for the other dogs, then forget it, you can almost hear them saying' You take me Mum'

It is great for ball throwing and games but apart from the 2 Patts they tend to need our company

We bought a property with several acres 6 months ago. It was the BEST thing we ever did, for us and our dogs. To be fair, we did buy it because of having a number of large breeds dogs, and it's out in the middle of nowhere, so we don't have to worry about barking, or other dogs

We use it ALL the time, playing, chasing, training and general meandering. We're planning on having a tennis court size pen erected so when the weather does get bad, the dogs don't get too mucky and the fields don't get too churned up, but in nice weather, we can spend hours just spending time out there and admiring the views

> we can spend hours just spending time out there and admiring the views

but do the dogs have unlimited unsupervised access.

Most people I know with their won land use it as a safe place to excersise and train, as an alternative to off lead walks on public land that is becoming more and more fraught, especially when you have several dogs.

Received:

"Stephanie Presdee says: I would have secure paddock area near the house. You never know who can steal your dogs or what problems the dogs encounter when dogs are out of sight for a while, adder bites etc. I would always be with mine when going round the larger area or using it for training."

I have lived in 2 houses both with 3 acres of land for the dogs, in both cases we decided it was far safer to have a small garden sectioned off for the dogs to do as they please each day but we then take them to 'the paddock' for exercises rather than let them free run in there all day

Currently our land is securely fenced, BUT we always supervise, hence the plan to put a tennis court sized paddock up, so they can have un-supervised access too, maybe not loads of room, but plenty to play round in

My friend has 5 Italian Spinone,she lives in a rural area with a medium sized garden,the other large area of land she has is used for 1 to 1 gundog training. She says that way the dogs learn that when they're in the field they know its time to work/train and not play.

Many great ideas and experiences. Many thanks to everyone. One of ours is a large gundog, and we've got a large paddock which is already earmarked as the training field, and that's a useful reminder not to let that dog use it for anything else. There's also a manege, on which I think we'll put agility equipment and use sometimes when it's extremely muddy (although another criterion for this house was that it had to have an intermediate "dog room" between the back door and the rest of the house, in which they could dry off and clean up in the winter). And it's also got a public footpath passing the back gate and leading along a river. Happy days. (Hopefully, though one can't help but be nervous).

> also got a public footpath passing the back gate

Hope this is used rarely & if so by sensible people....

Sounds beautiful BeagleBaggie. I'm very jealous. Think a drying off/dog room is a must to let dogs dry off etc. Oh well I can always dream can't I .........

I agree ms temeraire,it would be my heaven to have a bit of land!!x

> Probably a case of familiarity breeds contempt, so perhaps them having restricted access so that they exercise when let into the large area.  Also training etc.

I'm about to do this and I don't even have a lot of land!  What I do have is a 130ft long outer corner plot, so a fair-sized garden, and with my gang it is really starting to suffer.  And, I'm fed up with the boys weeing on my rhubarb!

So they're getting a smaller area fenced in and covered with bark, so they can play in that bit and not mess the rest up.

I have 8 Border Collies. I live in a small house with a tiny back garden. If I'm not in the garden, neither are the dogs. Most of my dogs work sheep ... I'm fortunate to have a small flock of sheep living in 3 fields totalling 7 acres. If I'm not in the fields then my dogs just sit at the gate waiting for me to go out to play ;)

So, I think in answer to your question ... if I'm not out with the dogs then no, they wont go out and use the land on their own. However, we, make a huge amount of use of the land but I do need to be out with them. Love it when people say you need big gardens for Border Collies, what a load of old ...... ;)

> Love it when people say you need big gardens for Border Collies, what a load of old ...... ;)

Of course you don't!
They are much happier being mentally stimulated at home. Gardens are for pooing in!

> Love it when people say you need big gardens for Border Collies, what a load of old ...... ;)

agree, it's the time you put in taking them off base.

Sorry to be frivolous, but when I saw this heading I had a wonderful image of doggy landowners with a 'bubble' saying "now Rex shall we go into livestock or arable!" Seriously, when I had land I always used it for exercise and training. We did have one paddock in front of the house but if I put the dogs in there and went indoors, they just sat by the gate until I reappeared. In my experience, they enjoy being with us above all. Enjoy your lovely new environment.