 |
|
A small yard does not necessarily mean you can not own a dog. Even a large dog can be happy in a small apartment as long as it has adequate exercise both physically and mentally for its size and type.
|
HOW big is big enough? How big should your backyard be to have a dog? I'm sure you have heard someone say "if I had a big yard, I'd get a dog". I know I have heard the phrase many times. And after living through a huge property size change in my life, I have come to the conclusion that you really do not need a big backyard to have a dog. That said, of course dog size and activity level of each individual dog is going to factor in, as well as local by-laws.
I have three dogs, two of which started their life on a three-acre spread of land surrounded by acres and acres of farm land. These two dogs, along with our youngest dog, now live with us on a matchbox size property. This house is by no means my idea of a dream home, I would much rather have a rolling meadow out my back door, but I don't. I have a matchbox to work with and that is not going to stop me from having my dogs.
Having three dogs on such a small piece of land does take extra work. You cannot just open the back door and let them out for a run. If your yard is like mine, there is no room for dogs to run. I make sure that each dog has at least one outing every day. Some days all three join me to an open field for a good long pack rip and tear. Other days each dog is given individual one-on-one time with me, focusing on its favourite activity.
Both of my standard poodles love Frisbee, which is one of the best activities for physical exercise. My Jack Russell loves to hit the canyon for some lizard hunting and digging, which can really burn some energy. Just imagine if someone told you that you had to stay at home. No outings, no sightseeing, no movies, no eating out! Like most people, you would go stir crazy. As our lives are enriched from experiencing new sights and sounds, so are our dogs' lives enriched from stimulating activities and outings.
As well as exercising our dogs' bodies, it is equally important that they get mental stimulation that is accomplished through training, games and new environmental visits. Visiting new parks and places is great fun for dogs and humans. Thinking up fun games to play indoors can be lots of fun, especially if the yard is smaller than the house.
So what about that small yard out your back door? And what about your poor grass, if you even have grass? Water, water and more water is the answer. My hose is set up and ready for action, hosing regularly to minimize those tell-tale brown spots. Fencing off a predesignated potty area is a good idea and it does not have to be a big area. As long as you are diligent in your hosing and pick up, a small area will do just fine.
If you have no grass, a gravel area or one of the new potty boxes will do as well. These new boxes that have come out, are great. They have sod in them that is replaceable and can be hosed. Even people that live in an apartment can use one of these boxes. And, if your dog is accustomed to using grass to relieve itself, training time to box usage will be short.
Don't let yard size stop you from having the dog you've always wanted. When you consider getting a dog, your yard should not be the deciding factor. No dog should spend its life alone in a yard, so the yard should be the least of your worries. As long as you devote quality and quantity time with your dog, it doesn't matter how big your yard is.
