[lonestar]

Opps............ I posted this in the WRONG place sorry How do I move it?I worry that Rudy doesn't get enough time outside to play.I take him to work with me everday.10-5.Up until now it was already dark when we get home and either rainning and or cold,so he didn't get to play out doors.Now that it's still light out when we get home I take him out to play for maybe 15-20 minutes because it's almost always too cold to stay out very long.On the weekends I take him shopping,to the dog stores and maybe if weather permits to the park or to play on the yard.I cant leave him alone to play because the yard is huge and theres a pool.Way too many things that are not puppy safe.And them theres the poop eatting thing (ugg) I play with him inside and one of us is always holding,kissing talking or doing something with him when were at home.He gets all the attension he can stand but I worry that he needs more time outdoors.He sleeps off and on when hes at work with me and then all night as well.How much is a dog suppose to sleep?Okay this is my first little dog and I'm one of THOSE kind of moms.How much time out do your babies get?I'm sure it will be better come summer.

 

[Ladysmom]

I am in North Carolina so our climate is much better for outdoor time in the winter (it's the summers that'll kill ya!), so Lady gets two 10 minute walks on decent days. She's older and has a lot of health issues, so that is fine for her.

I happen to be one who believes that Maltese should be treated like "real dogs" and get outside to sniff the smells, etc., but the winter really limits how much you can be out with a toy breed dog. I think the mental stimulation is the important thing and it sounds like Rudy has a pretty full life, from "working" all week, to shopping and parks on the weekends!

There are some Malt owners who have strictly indoor Maltese who do just fine so don't worry.

 

[pico's parent]

I understand your concern about getting outdoors. There are things to see and smell outdoors that just don't exist indoors and Pico loves it out there. In Texas we have lots of sunny days and I try to get Pico out for 15-30 minutes of sun and air and sniffing every day. I think a dose of sun is good for everyone.

He has his little outdoor routine. In back he heads for the Zen Garden area because that is where he can best see if the neighbors cats are out. He scans and sniffs for them and will sit there looking longingly at their house hoping they will come out and let him scare them. I actually feel bad for him when they don't show. After a while he will just bark at their house a couple of times, then get up and walk away.

It's so funny.

Then he makes a circuit of the back yard fence, sniffing the ground and sniffing the air currents. (also for cats, dogs, etc). Once he's had his fill he will quickly and willingly come inside when I call him but until he's finished I can call till I'm blue in the face and he will amble and sniff and amble and sniff and take the most circuitous route toward me until I would have been better off just letting him stay out a another 10 minutes anyway!

 

[020202]

Izzy is 3 months old and she has never set foot in the outdoors. We have a enclosed sun porch that I will put her in when the weather warms up in PA. However, I don't think it's necessary for her to ever "play" outside.

 

[FannyMay]

Fantasia gets no "play time" outdoors and she gets little outdoor time at all. She is for the most part an indoor dog. She is pad trained. We don't like her out doors because our neighbors are disgusting pigs and Fantasia got worms when she was outdoor potty trained because EVERYONE in this complex takes their dogs to potty in our yard and doesn't clean it up. It really stinks in the summer! I have complained several times to the apartment management but they don't ever do anything. They say to get apartment numbers but when I give apartment numbers they don't do anything! Those people are still here and they still don't clean up after their dogs! I can't wait till we are out of here! There is a weight limit of 15 lbs for dogs here but I see German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Labs, Boxers, and other way too big dogs here. It's like the management turns their heads!
When she does get outside its either straight down the sidewalk to the car or straight down the sidewalk for a short walk (once in a blue moon) and then half the time we are carrying her. We won’t let her potty unless we find a nice clean and dry spot far away from the complex.
I can’t wait till we get a house and she has her own fenced in yard that no neighbor dogs can poop in!

 

[Laceys mom]

Now that it is cold here in Ohio Lacey hasn't had any play time outside since October, except for the time my wonderful husband took her outside in January and let her play in the mud...we had a day of almost 60 degrees. When the weather is nice Lacey is outside all the time. My husband owns his own company and in the summer time he stays at home and works from the patio...I hate him!!! LOL. So Lacey spends alot of time outside with him. When I come home from work she and I go for a walk in the park. We have a beautiful park behind our house that I just love to walk her in. But in the winter time Lacey stays inside and plays. I have noticed that she is starting to get a little cabin fever so we have been taking her for rides in the car when I get home from work...what we won't do for these little ones to make them happy.

 

[dr.jaimie]

parker doenst like it outside too much. i let him out to potty and he goes and comes right back in. i wish he would like it more outside. his nose is so pink right now. it could really use some rays!

 

[Sisses Momma]

Sis gets out onto the porch (only) right now. Still finishing up those dreaded shots!! She has NEVER set foot on the "dirt yard". Joe washes the porch down every morning before he takes her out. Her pee-pad is on the porch (she hated using the one inside). So, I guess for now that will just have to do her!! Her nose is almost all black now since we started getting her out and the sun got to her!!

 

[Harleysmom]

We are having an invisible fence installed this mth so that Harley can go outside without worrying about him getting away. Can't wait because he loves it outside.

 

[FannyMay]

Usually an invisible fence works because of a collar around the dog's neck. Some are a high pitched noise and they don't always work (still a chance that he can get out and get hit by a care or taken by someone. The other way is a shock. These shock collars have caused burning around the necks of big dogs, imagin what it would do to a Malt. Please don't get an invisible fence. If you don't like the look of a wire fence then get a nice white picket fence or something.

 

[Ladysmom]

I wondered about the collar also. I've never heard of anyone using invisible fencing with a Maltese.

Truthfully, Maltese shouldn't go out unsupervised. Predators often mistake them for prey. Terry doesn't post here often, but she had a hawk nearly pick up her Missy a couple of years ago while they were outside with her.

As Jodi suggests, a nice fenced area where you could watch Harley would be best.

 

[Sunshine]

I am dying to give Abby a bit more sunshine, she loves it so much!

But I'm not willing to just yet. I have a large fenced yard, but I worry that she might be able to crawl under the fence SOMEWHERE that I haven't spotted and I live on a VERY busy road - one that has semis driving past regularly. We also live beside a family that has about 5 children ranging from 2 - 8 (ish) - I worry that they will be rough with her. On top of that I always worry that someone will steal her. She is a purebred dog afterall and there have been cases in a close by area to where I live, of purebred dogs being stolen in an attempt to breed them.

I never let her outside without me being there!

Once she has been spayed (hopefully within the next 2-4 weeks) and microchipped (I am doing this at the same time) I hope to give her a little more time outside - I will be a little less worried about her then! My parents and I are going to make her her own "play yard" under the big tree in the back yard, with a kennel type structure and I want to buy lots of agility items like the tubes etc... BUT again, I worry about, like Lady's Mom said, something getting her - if not a human then another animal

- so she would only be in there when I am home - but I figure I can do the yard work, hang the washing etc and know she is safe in there and still be around to supervise her....

I also have to get her registered. I wanted to leave this until I got her spayed because it is much cheaper then (by about $60). Also, I have been "protesting" about registering her. -_- In paying registration, I am paying to control the pets of those people who aren't responsible with their pets. Now, under normal circumstances I can see that people would say that I am being just as irresponsible by not registering my puppy - but Abby DOES NOT leave my sight. She remains in the house except for short periods (potty breaks and about 10-15 mins supervised play in the back yard), she is NEVER out of my yard except when I take her to my parents ( from about 4pm to 8pm 5 days a week because I work down there) and even there she is closely watched and never out of sight. -_-

I also was unimpressed by the fact that you have to pay registration in the city I live in from 6 WEEKS OLD. That is ridiculous in my eyes. How many puppy's don't make it that far past that? LOTS! Many puppies die before 12 weeks!

And there's no refund if that was to happen!

It doesn't promote responsible breeding at all. If someone has a litter of puppies they would try to get rid of them at 6 weeks old so that they didn't have to pay the registration for each of them, instead of leaving them where they should be - with their mother.

On top of that, you have to pay a much higher registration because your puppy can't be spayed at 6 weeks old!!! So for a breeder, that would mean paying something like $72 for EACH PUPPY

- same for owners of puppies before they are spayed!

The town half an hour down the road requires that puppies are registered from 6 months old. That's a bit more like it!

 

[k/c mom]

Mine don't get out much.... in the winter it is dark when I get home from work. ... and cold. When the weather is nice we go on the patio, which they do love... I have a fenced-in grass and pine bark mulch area and they love to romp there... However, they are always putting yukky stuff in their mouths... they love to eat the pine bark and Catcher starts pulling at the grass. I am constantly chasing them and saying "no".... So it isn't a lot of fun for me.... I do think it is good for them to get fresh air and sunshine but unfortunately I am not real good at following through with that.

We do a lot of playing in the house. I have a living room/dining room combo and it is a perfect place to play ball... I have a lot of room to throw it. Kallie and Catcher have lots of room to chase each other, etc. so we do our playing inside.

 

[doctorcathy]

the dogs get 1 hour walks in the morning and in the evening. and we do a bunch of little walks throughout the day. and if they want to go in the backyard---they're allowed to. AND...i feel like its not a lot.

when it stops raining we're thinking that a few times a week we'll take them to dog parks. hopefully griffith park is nice. we didnt like the sepulveda dog basin. AND i'm hoping that jongee and my dogs become friends so that jongee can come over.

and there's a dog down the street named Scooby that's totally nice and i'd like for him to come over for playdates too.

 

[Harleysmom]

Harley wouldn't be left outside unsupervised.It is for when we are out doing yard work he can roam around freely. Our neighborhood has an homeowners association and a list of do's and don't's a mile long. When I open the front door he jets out & I don't want him to go out in the street & get run over. The installer says they have diff collars & strength settings for the smaller toy dogs.

 

[Harleysmom]

Also all dogs in our neighborhood have invisible fencing-no dogs running around causing any probs at all.We can not have fenceing around the front our our home.

 

[FannyMay]

Can you put up a gate before your front door? Then he can't get out the front and you can have the fence in the back. I know there are different levels for different size dogs but that doesn't mean anything. I have seen what these things can do to dogs and I don't like them. Would you want to get shocked every time you try and play or say hi to a friend? Your dog will try and get out of the yard when he sees a cat, bird, rodent, or people and he will get shocked every time until he learns. And even then he will continue to test his boundaries. It's cruel to use the collars.

 

[rubyjeansmom]

Originally posted by FannyMay@Mar 1 2005, 10:10 AM
Fantasia gets no "play time" outdoors and she gets little outdoor time at all.  She is for the most part an indoor dog.  She is pad trained.  We don't like her out doors because our neighbors are disgusting pigs and Fantasia got worms when she was outdoor potty trained because EVERYONE in this complex takes their dogs to potty in our yard and doesn't clean it up.  It really stinks in the summer!  I have complained several times to the apartment management but they don't ever do anything.  They say to get apartment numbers but when I give apartment numbers they don't do anything!  Those people are still here and they still don't clean up after their dogs!  I can't wait till we are out of here!  There is a weight limit of 15 lbs for dogs here but I see German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Labs, Boxers, and other way too big dogs here.  It's like the management turns their heads!
When she does get outside its either straight down the sidewalk to the car or straight down the sidewalk for a short walk (once in a blue moon) and then half the time we are carrying her.  We won’t let her potty unless we find a nice clean and dry spot far away from the complex. 
I can’t wait till we get a house and she has her own fenced in yard that no neighbor dogs can poop in!
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[/QUOTE]
Would it be possible for you to make a cute little sign to put on your lawn?-hopefully people would get the hint....I don't know if those sprays work that you could spray around your yard to keep strange dogs out.....maybe someone else knows if they work or not. How irritating!! I wouldn't have a problem going to their door myself and asking nicely.--Ruby Jean loves it outside we go out everyday all day--she loves to chase the cats and they love playing with her-well all of them but one! lol ... good luck I hope you can solve your problem-

 

[Harleysmom]

No,we are not allowed to build anything without the associations approval. I am wanting the invisible fence to keep him in not keep others out. As I said,dogs do not roam around freely in our neck of the woods.I am sure he will be fine-I don't want him to get run over....which is worse? A small shock or dead? It doesn't take long & they know their boundaries.....

 

[FannyMay]

RubyJeansmom was talking to me, and I still think you are wrong, but it's your dog. Then again I wouldn't say that to someone who was kicking their dog in front of me.
Here are a few links that I found to back up what I have been saying. If you still get the underground fence then I think you are abusing your dog and what’s worse is that now you KNOW its abuse! So you can’t say that you didn’t know when your dog’s in the ER vet with a fried neck or worse, dead.
http://www.animal-advocates.org/youshouldknow.html (picture)
http://www.chathamanimalrescue.org/invisiblefences.shtml
http://www.positivedogs.com/electronic_fencing.html
http://www.grrom.com/electronic_fencing_grrom.htm
http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/fence.htm
http://www.peaceablepaws.com/pages/faq.asp#3
http://www.calahouston.org/dogcourt2.html (the outcome isn’t important, just the fact that the dog got burnt from this thing is the point.)
http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/IL119.html (scroll down to About Invisible (Electric) Fencing and keep in mind that this is a RESCUE!)
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.p...S=1&SourceID=60 (this one shows the fence does not always work. And keep in mind if it does work for your dog it won’t work for say a Lab who wants to eat or play with your tiny fluff ball and decides to get our of his fence and into your fence!)

I am sure you won’t read all of those since your mind is made up, but please try and at least read some. The first one has a picture of what the collar did to a dog. I can’t find the picture of the lab that had the same neck burns but you can see from the other picture that I am not full of it. You can’t just believe the guy that’s installing the fence. He will tell you anything to get you to pay him to install this thing. You have to do the research yourself. Please for the sake of your Malt, read those links and feel free to research yourself.


RubyJeansmom, I can't put up a sign. I live in an apartment complex and three of the dogs that go in my yard are close enough neighbors that it's their yard too. All the other dogs are the dogs that I keep reporting to the complex. I am not a confrontational person so I never tell them to their faces. I was shocked at myself for yelling at a kid the other day. They always play basketball around our cars and always hit them and don't even care. They just fetch the ball and continue to play near the cars! There's a spot in the back of some of the other buildings that has a hoop and there is a park just down the road but they still play near the cars! So one day my husband and I were sitting in our car getting ready to pull out when a football (they were playing catch that day not basketball) hit our car hard. John just sighed and I opened the door and told them that they need to be more considerate and if they hit the car again we were going to report them. John told me later that he was about to call the cops. HAHA finally I get the balls to say something and I give them a warning when here John was ready to call the cops without warning!
Now my old neighbor had some balls. She shared the same lawn as us and she had a Jack Russell that her and her husband cleaned up after. A woman with a Pit Bull came into our yard and started to leave without cleaning up after her dog when my neighbor yelled at her that she better pick it up. Now the woman with the Pit Bull was buff and butch looking and my neighbor was petite and pregnant (not showing yet). The buff woman said what are you going to do about it and my neighbor commented that she was a black belt! So the woman cleaned up after her dog! HAHA I almost peed my pants! But my neighbor has since bought a house and moved. That was almost two years ago and it seems like since she left we have had MORE people taking their dogs to our yard!
It’s ok though because hopefully it will only be one more year here. Less even. Our lease is up January 31st. Hopefully we will have a house by Christmas! I would be so happy if I had a house for Christmas, it would be the best Christmas gift ever! We started a savings account and we are going to put $150 a month in there and anything else we have left. Last time we opened a savings account we got it to $300 and had to close it because something with the car needed the $300. Now as soon as we put $100 in our new account I cracked the front windshield trying to get off the ice! We can’t afford to fix it so we got a $10 glass repair kit and even though you can still see the crack we hope it won’t spread. We have till 2006 for inspection so hopefully we will be fine till then lol. We are going to get a 100% loan and the money we have saved up will be for closing costs. The 100% loan will cover down payment.
Anyway my point is only one more year of Fantasia not going outside.

Sorry for the long post!