[clearhooter]

Years ago I never had a problem with letting my dogs roam the neighborhood. My closest neighbor was half mile away and we might get 10 cars go down our road per day. Now times have changed. Neighborhoods have grown up all around me while my closest neighbor is still an 1/8 of a mile away tha number of cars ripping down the road infront of my house is probably closer to 10 every 5 minutes.

I'd love to let my Bassets run free. But I don't think they'd last a day here now. When we first got "Funk" I let him roam. The problem I found with that was he didn't come back. Caught him about four miles down the road the third or fourth day of his freedom. Since he's been confined to the side yard. I really hate this but otherwise he's gonna end up "road kill" and a "sail dog."

Question #1: Does anyone have a method of keeping a "roamer" home and not have to put them on a leash or behind a fence?

Question #2: How do you house your basset?

 

[corvuss]

Question #1: Does anyone have a method of keeping a "roamer" home and not have to put them on a leash or behind a fence?

Question #2: How do you house your basset?[/b]

No one should let their dog roam free, period. Particularly since I think you wrote that your hounds are intact, Funk is gonna go looking for females in season. You want your dog fathering unwanted puppies down the road somewhere?
Sorry for the lecture, but I had to say something.

Some people have success with invisible fences, others say a determined basset will ignore the fence "zap" if they are chasing a rabbit or other animal.

My 2 hounds live indoors and have a decent size fenced backyard. Free access in and out via doggy door.

 

[clearhooter]

Its been 5 years since we let a dog roam. There wasn't as much build up around here then. "Memphis" got stole that way. Since our other dogs have been in the back yard.

 

[BubbaLeroy]

Bogie is a house hound with a fenced yard. When he wants to go outside he rings the bells we have mounted beside the door. NO doggie door due to the severe cold winters and deep snows here in South Dakota.

 

[Elvismom]

I would feel very uncomfortable letting my dogs roam free even though we live on a dead end road with no traffic and neighbors are few and far between. Even if they would come back on their own there are just too many things that could harm them if they were roaming.

My houndies have a large yard and a room they can get into if I'm gone. On bad weather days I leave them in the house with the TV on. The Food Channel is a favorite!

For their safety and my peace of mind I want to know where they are at all times.

 

[clearhooter]

Ring a bell? Very cool.

We had a mutt named "Trigger" (After another WWII USMC double ace, Herb "Trigger" Long, who was a friend.) Probably the smartest self trained dog we ever had. He learned to open the latch on the screen door on his own. Knew all the tricks.........Except staying out of the road.