How long should dog spend alone in yard?

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Editor’s Note: In our readership area, it is unsafe to leave dogs of any size unattended in our yards.

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: My toy poodle Scraps loves to run around in our big backyard. He never tries to get past the fence, so I usually leave him out while I clean house or handle other tasks. A few days ago, however, as I was calling Scraps inside, my next-door neighbor told me off for leaving him out there for hours. I don’t see anything wrong with him being out in our backyard. What’s your take? – Miffed in Ocala, Florida

DEAR MIFFED: Your neighbor may simply have been worried for Scraps’ welfare. If the weather was hot, did you put out water for him to drink while he was outside? Could the neighbor see it?

You also should consider dangers we don’t think about when we’re outside. Scraps is a toy poodle, so is small and light. He may not be interested in escaping under the fence, but he may look kind of tasty to a bird of prey. In some suburban neighborhoods, coyotes roam through backyards, and Scraps wouldn’t stand a chance against such a predator.

At the very least, make sure Scraps has a shaded area to rest in when he’s outside, and has plenty of water to drink. Check on him every 15 to 30 minutes. And bring him in after one to two hours – don’t leave him outside for long stretches, or all day. You can let him out again after a couple of hours’ rest indoors, again for just an hour or two.

More importantly, give him more one-on-one attention. He may love being outside, but Scraps would adore playing fetch with you or reviewing basic commands like sit, stay and lie down.

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