We searched and read and finally found the perfect rescue dog for us. My question is about how to have him play outside with us. We live in a townhome and have neighbors on both sides. The neighbors ACROSS the street chain their dog up. Is that how you do it? I grew up in the country and we never ever had to chain our dogs up but the association rules state animals are not allowed outside unleashed. Keeping in on a leash to play in our yard seems weird to me. Thanks!
*No yard except our small patch of grass out front.
You have a leash law. That means that unless you have a fenced front yard, the dog has to be on a leash when he's outside with you. You can take him on walks and hikes -and I'm betting there is at least one dog park in Minneapolis where you can let the dog off-leash to run.
It's rough when you don't have a yard and have to live by the "rules".
I manage an apartment complex and dogs cant be off leash here either.
I am lenient tho, as long as the dog minds the master, they can play ball and frisbee...... main thing is that you never know when another dog might show up and distract everything and it can go awry.
One of the things to always consider before getting a pet is the environment in which it has to grow up in. I myself wouldnt have a dog if I didnt have a secure yard where he/she could play on his/her own for a time, but that's just me.
You'll probably learn that going for leashed walks will be the best way to exercise your new addition and hopefully there's a park or open field somewhere nearby where you have some unleashed freedoms.
You will find that when you live with association rules that there is always someone ready to turn you in for non compliance.... aka "the overly nosey neighbor".
In my "Stepford Community", we have back yards so that makes it a little easier with dogs. We are NOT permitted to tie any dogs to any tree and all dogs out must be on a leash. I think you will have lots of daily walking in your new schedule. Be careful, they might prohibit dogs on some greenbelt areas,
Have you ever walked past a dog who was tied out on a rope who DIDN'T bark at you like a pyscho? Dimes to dollars your neighbor's dog's barking will eventually drive you crazy.
Tying out a dog makes a dog feel extremely vulnerable. Anyone who studies dog behavior would not recommend this. Think about it. You're a pack animal, away from your pack, who's exposed to the world. A predator walks by (another dog, a person, a car, etc.) and the dog senses that this threat can hurt them. At the same time the dog can't run away. Since the dog can't run away to safety, it barks to warn the threat away. That's why tie-outs make dogs NUTS.
You'll have to fence your teeny yard or walk your dog several times a day. Or move back to the country. Or get a cat.
What rescue group placed a dog with someone in a townhome?
They're not even allowed in the backyard w/o a leash? Yikes! Or does "townhome" mean you don't have a backyard?
If I were you, I'd buy a really long leash so the dog can stay in your yard, but have lots of room to run and play ball with y'all or whatever y'all are doing. Before getting him on a long leash, check the association rules and see if ther is a leash length requirement.
Is there a do park in your area. We have one and can let our dog run free there and play all we want.
Yes, you have to keep the dog chained or leashed if you don't have a fenced yard. You can take him for hikes with you, however you still need him on a leash, unless you take him out in the woods or desert.
Yay for you! Great, too, that you got him from a rescue!
How about creating a large hexagon play pen out front on the grass?
I got the idea when I saw a huge hexagon baby gate-type play pen.
You could google that one. (It's for babies but it would work) or you can
buy the same type of material at a Home Depot type store. It will
probably be more costly there.
Make sure he has some shade (beach umbrella or small tent thing you see people take to the beach.
Also, you can get him out more by taking him to nearby dog parks & for
walks.
Hope that helps. Enjoy your pooch! :)
If your dog ran away, it would be devastating ! There is a dog in our area who is lost. The family has signs w/ a photo of the dog up everywhere I go. A leash is very important.
We have a very small fenced in area for the dog. It's great!
My friend lives in a townhouse. She takes her two dogs out for a 30 minute walk every afternoon. Most dogs love walks !
Many - perhaps most - communities have leash laws. Some say "on leash or on voice control" but that's like telling your children to keep out of the street - they may, and then again they may not.
You may want to do some extensive walking with your dog for his exercise (and yours) rather than chain him outside and leave him there. Rover can get tangled up in the chain and not be able to disentangle himself.
Is there a dog park near you? You could take your dog there to play, but you'd want to supervise your pup closely.
I lived in a townhouse in Mpls in a simliar situation when I got my first dog of my adult life years ago. I took him out on a leash to poop and pee and took him on a long daily walk for his exercise. The townhouse also had stairs so we could throw a ball up and down the stairs for him inside. I wouldn't leave the dog out on a chain unless you are with it so then it's really not much different than a leash. A dog left alone chained up outside can get bored and bark or be destructive. It is also subject to theft. How big is the dog? You can buy a "play pen" at a pet supply store or on line. Also, be sure to clean up after your dog right away. I was good about that when I lived in the townhouse, but I threw the poop in my large trash can outside so in the warmer months it did smell a little. One of my neighbors filed a complaint against me--I think because of the odor they thought I wasn't cleaning up enough. I had my very own square of grass that was separated from the neighbor's square of grass by a paved driveway and my trash can was in my driveway, but the townhouse association rules allowed them to complain.
Our son and daughter in law took their dog to a dog park and they live in MN so maybe one is not too far from you. You can take the dog there and let it play with other dogs too. I couldn't handle that myself but they did very well with their dog. They have a boxer. Also some parks let you take the dog off leash and there the dog could play with you but not like in a country family setting. Sorry.
