Re: New article: Labrador proofing the garden Good article, Pippa! Where I live there are many people who have dogs which live on farms and acreages, unfenced. The sad truth is that most of these dogs have a short life, they either run off never to be seen again or are struck by vehicles and killed (which is likely what happens to the ones who run off and don't come back). Dogs are territorial, they will "hang around" their homes, and there are dogs who will stay close to their properties and live a ong life, but those are in the very small minority. And even those can come to a sad end. My friend had a dog (Chesapeake Retriever) who lived with them on their acreage and got to be about 12 years old or so.....but one day took off across the highway right in front of a semi trailer truck. . He had started to go deaf; that, coupled with the excitement of the chase, took away his natural caution around the road. Unfortunately many people on acreages around here think if their dogs as "guard dogs", and think if the dog is behind a fence it is of no use in scaring off potential trouble. But if you live in a rural area and want to keep your dog safe, a secure fenced area is a must.
