fenced yard INFO
Are fenced yards required to adopt?
We don’t ALWAYS require a fenced yard… but we do for dogs who are fearful and undersocialized and have never seen a leash before. It is not fair to ask or expect them to be proficient and comfortable on leash for pottying purposes. That is setting them up for failure and we would never do that to them.
When we bring dogs into our care, we address ALL of their needs. Physical health is one thing, but very often mental/emotional health is where the hardest work comes in. Many of our dogs come from bad situations where they have been neglected and abused. They lack trust in humans, have had little or no socialization, and a lack of freedom to exercise. Learning to wear a collar, which is needed for their safety and identification, is a challenge in itself, but we get there. Being tethered to a leash is a whole different story and often sends them into a chaotic panic, or complete fearful withdrawal. Neither is good for building trust and creating a bond with their caregivers. Asking them to tolerate such because that what their humans wish for is cruel. We won’t.
When a dog who has been denied such care is given this freedom, they learn to go potty outside as they are given time, space, and privacy to get comfortable enough to do so. As a big bonus seeing them enjoy this new freedom, stretching their legs and truly enjoying an opportunity to exercise freely is a joy to watch. Ther are also dogs who have come from homes with fenced yards. They are used to that freedom. We won’t take that away from them.
Sure, some of our dogs are fine on leash and we do not required fenced yards for them. Some of our dogs who do require a fence, eventually learn to be comfortable on leash but it can take months or years of gentle exposure. Some never get comfortable. Leash walking is not something we require of them while in our care if they are fearful of it. Many of our dogs are not ready to be leash dependent outdoors, outside a safe and secured area, when they are available for adoption.
So, when a fence is stated as “required” for an available dog, it’s for very good reasons. You may be the ultimate dog trainer or have success with leash training with other dogs, but that doesn’t translate to success with dogs who have been neglected and abused, and who are terrified of such. What works for people’s personal dogs cannot be applied to what will work for our newly rescued dogs. If you believe these dogs should be leash trained and insist this is an unnecessary or unfair requirement, then these dogs are not a good match for for you.
When we bring dogs into our care, we address ALL of their needs. Physical health is one thing, but very often mental/emotional health is where the hardest work comes in. Many of our dogs come from bad situations where they have been neglected and abused. They lack trust in humans, have had little or no socialization, and a lack of freedom to exercise. Learning to wear a collar, which is needed for their safety and identification, is a challenge in itself, but we get there. Being tethered to a leash is a whole different story and often sends them into a chaotic panic, or complete fearful withdrawal. Neither is good for building trust and creating a bond with their caregivers. Asking them to tolerate such because that what their humans wish for is cruel. We won’t.
When a dog who has been denied such care is given this freedom, they learn to go potty outside as they are given time, space, and privacy to get comfortable enough to do so. As a big bonus seeing them enjoy this new freedom, stretching their legs and truly enjoying an opportunity to exercise freely is a joy to watch. Ther are also dogs who have come from homes with fenced yards. They are used to that freedom. We won’t take that away from them.
Sure, some of our dogs are fine on leash and we do not required fenced yards for them. Some of our dogs who do require a fence, eventually learn to be comfortable on leash but it can take months or years of gentle exposure. Some never get comfortable. Leash walking is not something we require of them while in our care if they are fearful of it. Many of our dogs are not ready to be leash dependent outdoors, outside a safe and secured area, when they are available for adoption.
So, when a fence is stated as “required” for an available dog, it’s for very good reasons. You may be the ultimate dog trainer or have success with leash training with other dogs, but that doesn’t translate to success with dogs who have been neglected and abused, and who are terrified of such. What works for people’s personal dogs cannot be applied to what will work for our newly rescued dogs. If you believe these dogs should be leash trained and insist this is an unnecessary or unfair requirement, then these dogs are not a good match for for you.