We have always had a dog door since we have had Labs. Once the pups were trained enough to have the run of the house, they also had the run of the back yard. None of our dogs have been escape artists, and they don't bark much when outside, even if the neighbors dog barks at them. I've never been to concerned about dog theft where we live, since it is not a common problem here. They spend most of their time in the house, but they will go out and patrol the back yard, or sometimes play during the day.
