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It’s no secret that most dogs love the great outdoors. From basking in the sun to observing assorted wildlife to exercising, there’s no shortage of activities for your pooch to enjoy while spending time outside.
Unfortunately, when leaving dogs outside unsupervised, many pet owners make a multitude of mistakes that compromise the safety of their favorite canines.
To help ensure that your dog remains safe and comfortable while enjoying the great outdoors, take the following pointers to heart.
Failing to Provide Sufficient Shade
Spending too much time in the sun can result in a host of negative consequences for people and animals – and canines are no exception. To help ensure that your pup is kept safe from excessive sun exposure, you’ll need to provide it with plenty of spots to cool off.
At the very least, your pooch should have access to a doghouse that’s large enough to comfortably keep it out of the sun.
A porch that’s equipped with a resilient awning can also serve as a safe haven for pups that are looking to get out of the sun, especially if its owners have invested in a good outdoor ceiling fan.
Not Putting Enough Toys Out
To say that dogs are easily bored would be an understatement. While your pup is likely to find running around your yard entertaining for short periods, it likely won’t be long before it starts craving additional stimulation.
With this in mind, it’s in your best interest – and that of your pooch – to purchase a wide variety of dog toys and provide your pup with ready access to them. Tennis balls, rope toys, chew toys and plushies are just a handful of the entertaining playthings that should be available to your dog. Furthermore, if you have a pooch with a propensity for destroying toys, keep an eye out for playthings that are designed with resiliency in mind.
Failing to Fence Off the Yard
If you intend to leave your dog in your yard unsupervised without a leash or tether, there’s simply no way around fencing off the area. Regardless of how trustworthy you think your pup is, leaving a leash-less canine in a yard that lacks proper fencing is extremely irresponsible and stands to compromise the safety of both your dog and your neighbors. It’s also likely to generate negative attention from onlookers, who may report you to local authorities.
To avoid such headaches altogether, simply fence off any outdoor area in which you intend to leave your dog unsupervised. Make sure the fencing you select is too tall for your dog to leap over and bereft of pointed tops, as these stand to injure any dog that attempts to jump over them. Additionally, to prevent your pup from digging their way out of the yard, take care to place large, partially buried rocks along the bottom of the fence line.
Not Providing Ready Access to Water
Every dog should have ready access to fresh water. In the absence of this, your dog is liable to find itself extremely parched and fatigued, particularly during periods of excessively warm weather.
A lack of water can also facilitate such serious issues as dehydration, heatstroke and even death. To nip such undesirable outcomes in the bud, make sure your pooch is never left without water. Investing in an automatic water dispenser can be a fantastic way to ensure that water is always there when your pup needs it – provided, of course, you refill it as needed.
Much like a lack of fencing, a lack of water is likely to catch the attention of neighbors and various onlookers, who may report your irresponsibility to the proper authorities. In addition to landing you with hefty citations, such negligence may even result in your pooch being taken away.
For many dogs, the great outdoors represent a veritable paradise, as well as a treat for the senses.
Given how much pooches love being outside, many owners opt to leave their dogs outdoors for extended periods – which can prove highly problematic in the absence of the proper precautions. Allowing your dog to remain outside without supervision stands to compromise both their safety and that of your neighbors.
So, in the interest of being a responsible pet owner – and a good neighbor – take the pointers outlined above to heart before leaving your dog outside.
