Training my dog to stay home

Hello-
This is my first post. Please be gentle.

I have recently purchased a home on 17 acres. We move in about a week. We have a 1 year old cholcolate lab. He is a very smart and friendly dog. Probably not much of a guard dog, but he does have a good bark.

Right now, he's an inside/outside dog. Sleeps inside but normally stays out in our fenced yard when I'm at work and the wife/kids are at school. Now that we are moving, he will have no fence to hold him back. He comes outside with me all the time now, and normally just hangs out with me and doesn't try to run off.

Is there any great method to teach him to stay home when we all leave for the day? We will be home with him for the first few days, and plan on testing him a few times to make sure he will stick around when we run errands. We have bought him a collar with his name and phone number on it in case he runs off. I'd really like for him to be outside to discourage anyone from driving up to our house when there's nobody home.

Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Best way is answered by you, he " stays out in our fenced yard". Consider putting in a dog run, it would be cheaper than trying to fence the yard.
I have so many neighbors who's dogs roam the neighborhood that it just makes me sick.
They don't get into things at home, but they will try to get some ones chickens, or rabbits, or chase someones livestock.
And defficate in my yard. If I wanted to clean up dog mess I'd have a dog thank you.
Good fences make good neighbors.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Wil

I agree with wiltat2 [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

A fenced yard, or a run, will not only keep your dog from being a pest to your new neighbors, but will also protect your dog from other predators.

Thanks for the suggestions. I see your point about him being a model citizen when at home, but maybe raising cain when we aren't around. I wish I could trust him, but I guess that's why women call men who cheat "dogs".

I guess a dog run will be one of my first projects at the new place. Which is good, because I really had nothing else to do (ha ha).

Thanks again,
Eric

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
My darkest secret: I love the smell of dead skunk!!---

[/ QUOTE ]

Buy a barrel of Mercaptan!

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

I'm not sure if I want a "barrel" of the stuff, I just love a good whiff when I pass them on the road.

I've trapped and buried, with the FEL, 11 skunks in the past couple of months that have been trying to get into my chicken coop. If you like I'll ship them off to you, it'll save me the diesel! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Greg

Sorry, but I don't necessarily agree that a kennel is the only way.
Sam is a 4 y/o black Lab. He is neutered, and that helps alot. And he is an only dog.

That said, when either myself or DW is home, he is never more than a few yards from the house. If we both leave, we put his collar on and he is then officially on "Guard Duty". He pulls his bedding out of the garage out near the drive, and that is where you will find him no matter what time you get home.

This requires a lot of training, but can be done. Predators? My only concern from predators is the 2 legged kind.

Good Luck!

I have 2 labs, one 4 (mom) and one 2 (a son from the first and only litter)

at our house in the city they have a very small backyard they stay in.

at our new 5 acre property they love to run. we have put them up in the barn a number of times while we were gone and they have dug out. every time we come home they have been there.

when we are there they often go chaseing after other dogs that wonder in to our property because they are not kept in there own yard.

as opposed to a fenced area (not yet put up) we are in the process of "fencing" off a significant portion of of the property via radio fence. this allows us not to have to worry about mantianing a fenced in section for either climbers and diggers. (mine do both if they want "out")

we expect this to be the best solution as it allows them to run around and chase moles etc while setting a boundry for them.

NOTE, mine are both trained touch dogs (we are certified to go into hospitals to visit patents etc) to give you an idea of the level of training on my dogs. (some say the radio fences dont work well for "not-controled/trained-well-dogs")