I'm back from a long hiatus of not owning a dog. A little history of negative events in my dog owning history, some of which can be found on past posts on this forum. I had a great Rottweiler which was trained in canine search & rescue along with his CGC cert. We also did some bite work along with the tracking training with the local sheriff's deputies. That dog's demise came prematurely due to MMM (masticatory muscle myositis) devastating the dog. Subsequent to that Rottweiler I had the pleasure of a fantastic Malinois trained as a PPD. Great dog which I sadly put down once her hips became so bad she refused to get up to eat or relieve herself. She was the best dog I have ever had. Following her I acquired a Dutch Shepherd which did not work out so well. After he got into the horse pasture one night and killed a horse, I sold that dog to a canine officer who has been pleased with the dog.

I have been without a dog now for about 6 years as my living situation has not allowed me to have the time for a dog. That is about to change. I am soon to be retired and will be living on considerable acreage in a rural area. My question is how to best maintain and house the dog. That may seem like an elementary question but I'll elaborate drawing on my experience with the dogs mentioned above.

During the time I had the Rottie mentioned above, I lived in a neighborhood and I had an adequate fenced back yard. The Rottie was mostly an inside of the house dog but could be let out back to do his business or put out back for convenience if someone stopped by the house. Same with the Malinois which followed him. Subsequently, I moved from that house to a more rural setting on 5 acres with a pond, horse pasture and a barn. If the Mal was let out for a second, she became filthy from going in the pond, laying in the dirt or laying down at the barn while accompanying me while doing my chores. That led to me fencing the entire 5 acres, giving her run of the property and relegating her to outside life. It wasn't harsh. She had good accommodations in the barn and she enjoyed running to the driveway gate to save us from the mailman and UPS drivers.

In my new setting I will be on even more acreage. This new acreage does not lend itself to being fenced. Especially with it being more than 5 acres. There is also a creek that runs through the property. If I attempt to allow the dog in the house, I fear I will quickly become frustrated trying to keep the dog and the house clean. I think the dog's house privileges would be short lived. It seems many in my area let their dogs just roam. I am not on board with that. Too much to go wrong for the dog or for me if the dog gets into the wrong trouble. The only option I see is building a kennel, keeping the dog kenneled except for when I am outside with the dog while doing things on the property. When I'm not physically outside with the dog, it will be in the kennel. I'm not sure how I feel about that prospect.

In addition, that takes away the deterrent of having a dog to greet anyone with bad intentions. If the dog is confined to a kennel it may make a good alarm dog, but it won't be able to get up close and personal to a bad guy. I haven't come up with a better option though. That's what has me here asking for guidance and suggestions.

Am I misunderstanding? It seems that you're proposing getting a dog who will live in a kennel with little or no interaction with you or anyone.

I'm seeing exactly what Connie says. The dog is a pack animal and time spent with its pack/family can't be beat.

And with more than one dog and without lots of individual time with each dog, the dog will bond closely to the other dog rather than with you.

With all that property why not fence off half an acre around the house. The dog can be kept lots cleaner and have access to the house.

Agreed, Bob.

But the original post includes "If I attempt to allow the dog in the house, I fear I will quickly become frustrated trying to keep the dog and the house clean. I think the dog's house privileges would be short lived."

For me, I'm having trouble seeing anything positive in the situation as described.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

Am I misunderstanding? It seems that you're proposing getting a dog who will live in a kennel with little or no interaction with you or anyone.

That lack of interaction is what has kept me from having a dog for the past several years. My circumstances did not allow for me to have that needed interaction. With my situation now changing, I will have the time to spend with the dog. I am very active outside whether it be on my own property or hiking elsewhere. The dog will be outside of any kennel and by my side during those times. Far from 24/7 with me but also far from 24/7 apart from me.

 Quote: Bob Scott

I'm seeing exactly what Connie says. The dog is a pack animal and time spent with its pack/family can't be beat.

And with more than one dog and without lots of individual time with each dog, the dog will bond closely to the other dog rather than with you.

With all that property why not fence off half an acre around the house. The dog can be kept lots cleaner and have access to the house.

It would be only one dog in the picture. I'm far from ready to jump in with both feet into the commitment two dogs would require.

I have been mulling over how to best fence in a small portion of the property. I'm trying to work out how to best fence off an area adjacent to the house. That's still a nut I'm trying to crack but will probably end up happening.

 Quote: Eric Eschmann

In my new setting I will be on even more acreage. This new acreage does not lend itself to being fenced. Especially with it being more than 5 acres. There is also a creek that runs through the property. If I attempt to allow the dog in the house, I fear I will quickly become frustrated trying to keep the dog and the house clean.

A couple of things. No matter how many acres you have, you wouldn't need to fence the entire property for a dog. I live on eleven acres. My dogs (when they are outside) are always contained within the securely fenced yard right out my back door. It might be a quarter of an acre. It's much larger than your average suburban backyard but not so big I cannot see the dogs easily from the back door. You could get away with half that size and still have a nice-sized yard for a dog.

I am not a fan of letting dogs run loose on acreage (or anywhere else for that matter). Thankfully, it sounds like that's not your plan. Over the years I've lived here, I have seen too many of my neighbors' dogs killed on the road, or lost, never to be seen again. And FWIW, I've seen that happen even when the owners were outside with the dogs. People get distracted, and all it takes is to turn your attention away from the dog for a couple seconds.

The other thing I am confused by is your comment about keeping the house clean. It sounds like your Rottweiler and your Malinois were house dogs. What would be different with a new one? I don't know, none of my dog-loving friends mind a little hair and/or dirt to have to vacuum up. It goes along with owning dogs. My dogs are a part of my daily life, and if I ever move to a new home, the needs of the dogs will factor in strongly, and I would choose a place with a house that would be suitable for both the humans and the dogs, and have room for a safely fenced yard.

I think you have to ask yourself the hard questions. Why do you really want a dog? Mainly to "get up close and personal to a bad guy"? Or do you want a devoted companion that may be with you for twelve years or so? How much time do you think you would actually be able to spend with a dog on a daily basis: training, walking or hiking for exercise and pleasure, maybe participating in a dog sport or two? Or even just watching TV together in the evening?

Do you have a plan for how you'll handle it if you have to be away from home for a whole day, or if you go on vacation? I agree with Connie and Bob that a dog spending many hours a day alone in a kennel is a sad situation.

Cheri, I agree with much of what you have shared on this. Thank you.

I’m looking over an area now adjacent to the back porch to fence in. It will not be as large as the 1/4 acre your dog enjoys but I remind myself that even when my previous Mal had access to 5 acres, she stayed near the house unless chasing after something. By fencing this area off it may help to keep the dog cleaner by keeping her out of the creek, the mud, and other areas which would just make a mess of her.

No carpet in this house, so clean up is not as arduous. Just something I’ll need to devote time to, which I now have being retired.

My dogs have always been hiking, jogging, or just close by me companions. I enjoy training with others, although there is little opportunity for that in my area. On road trips the dogs have traveled with me in the past. Now, I’m not much for traveling.

The other details I can work out.

Thank you all for weighing in with your opinions. They have helped to refine my thought process.