Okay, so maybe a third of an acre isn’t really “lots of land” – but it’s huge to me and makes me happy. I don’t know about other areas of the country, but here in Western New York, most suburban lots are about one-eighth of an acre. Sure, it’s possible to buy houses on larger plots of land, but those are far out of my price range and often fairly far out of commuting range.
When looking for our new home, one of our “musts” was a fenced in yard for Puppy Cody to run in. Puppy Cody loves to chase bunnies and squirrels.
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Um, gee, CM didn’t you realize when you looked at that house that there were no fences around it? Seems like that would have been pretty obvious.
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Yes, we bought a house with no fences. I knew we would have to hire a contractor to install fences as soon as possible, and I also knew that we would have to walk Cody on leash until we could make that happen.
Puppy Cody does not like walking on leash. Even at 6:30 am, there are enough people out and about to make it embarrassing when Puppy Cody stops in mid-stride and causes me to trip over both her and the leash, or when Puppy Cody suddenly decides that roaring truck three blocks away is a threat that must be avoided at all costs and reverses course, dragging me into the middle of the street. Or, when Puppy Cody pulls so hard that both the no-pull harnass and the regular harnass disengage and wind up somewhere around her middle or tangled in her front legs.
After a month or so, Cody finally realized that Mom gets really pissed when any of the above happens, and being yanked back home by an angry Mom is not as much fun as one might think. Now, she goes out fairly easily in the morning, on leash, does her business and comes back in for breakfast. So much more pleasant.
However, there’s still the issue of Cody needing more exercise than she can get walking the block around our house. In the last neighborhood, we used to take her to the track at the elementary school and walk her for as long a she desired. Before moving to our new house, we weren’t sure if there were any green spaces within easy commuting distance to do that.
We shouldn’t have worried. Just one minute away is the local high school – and the campus is enormous! Unlike the elementary school in our old neighborhood, this school is dog-friendly. The only requirements are that pets must be on leash, and the owner must pick up and discard the pet’s “gifts.” The school even has strategically placed trash cans – no one wants to take those “gifts” back home if they don’t have to.
Of course, Cody also needs to run off-leash occasionally. When it’s too long between off-leash runs, Cody can become quite irritable in the evening. Trust me, a good-sized dog running full speed inside the house and bouncing off furniture is not as much fun as one might think.
Yes, there are dog parks in our area. But Puppy Cody tends to be skittish around other dogs (and their owners), and I worry about bigger dogs taking advantage of her nervousness. Sure, in time she would adjust, but I’m not willing to risk injury waiting for that time to arrive.
Fortunately, our youngest daughter bought a house just a few minutes away from our new house – and she has a fenced-in yard. She has been kind enough to allow us to take Puppy Cody over there on weekends and just let the dog run. Daughter even has frisbies! Win-win, and as they say: A tired puppy is a happy puppy!
Also fortunately, the fence contractor we signed on with way back when has finally scheduled us for the installation – next week! I can hardy wait.
May the bunnies and squirrels enjoy their last days of freedom in my back yard. Puppy Cody will be on duty.
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Images by Cordelia’s Mom
Cordelia's Mom, Still 
Oh it’s grand to have our own back garden and my washing line again. Simple pleasures. Even better is the fact that Maggie is content to wee on either back or front grass so that final walk after 9pm is not always necessary. Of course, the biggest space for miles is the beach, and she just LOVES that!
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Are we a little nuts, or what? Buying a house with the dog in mind? I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Of course! They are family too. The beach for Maggie is a bonus!
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I get it. We bought new construction, and the first thing we did was have a fence constructed. You are so lucky to have that school campus so close. We have a lot of parks here, which helps, but some are not pet-friendly.
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Even if I didn’t have a dog, I would want a fence. Guess I’m just antisocial like that.
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My babies love their fenced in yard. I can’t walk them, but they get enough room running after squirrels and the multiple bunnies out there.
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I hear you. Walking Cody has been very difficult for me – I have enough trouble walking on my own without having a stubborn dog at the end of the leash. Hopefully, she’ll get plenty of exercise in the yard once it’s fenced.
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That is a lovely yard! I prefer fenced yards, too. In case I wish to recline on the chaise in the nude. Not that I ever have. I just want to feel like I * could*.
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A woman after my own heart! One of the things I said the first week we were in the new house was that it’s nice I can go do whatever I want in my own yard – front or back – without interference from loony neighbors. Not that I would ever sit out nude, either, of course.
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that’s a nice size lot. enjoy the gardening. 🙂
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I think I may get back into gardening come spring. It’s so nice to know I could do so because it’s a much better neighborhood than the one we came from.
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Congratulations! I’m sure Cody is looking forward to that fence.
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Cody’s oblivious. But I’m sure looking forward to it!
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I love having fenced in yards for dogs, but it sounds like you found some great spots for Cody to run and get exercise, too.
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Ha! I find that my life is revolving too much around the dog at times, but I wouldn’t want to be without her.
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Good job all around, CM, for you and Cody. The fence will make morning life so much easier. Open door, allow business to be done. Yay! I’m with you regarding dog parks for our Ellie B. She’s not the best socializer at all moments with all dogs, so we don’t like to push the off-the-leash situations.
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Thanks, Mark. I was beginning to think I was the only one who doesn’t love dog parks. But I bet if Ellie B. and Puppy Cody ever got together, they’d get along just fine.
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I think they’d be happy doggie cousins, CM.
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Oh nice, congrats on the new house, CM! Now I know why you have been quiet. Cody will be so happy with that fence and you will have the opportunity to put your shoulder back into its socket. Win win all the way around!! I tried to figure out from your pics where you are but I failed. LOL ☺️
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I’m closer to you than I was before, Amy, but still not within walking distance.
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Nice! We used to live near a baseball diamond that was dog park when not in play. Good for puppies and their peoples.
Here, there’s a bit more land, so average lots are 1/4 acre.
We thought surely we’d have a fence up around our 1.3 by the second summer. Uh, No. But I am glad for the part that IS fenced in. Who knows when we’ll get the whole thing enclosed! Round the time money falls from the sky, perhaps? 😛 Until then, Sadie and I will envy your fencing! 🙂
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Houses do tend to suck up the extra cash, don’t they? We opted for a 4-foot chain link rather than a 6-foot wooden privacy fence. Chain link is very affordable.
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They really do. We got caught in the plumbing fiasco less than a month after moving here, and that was a hit. Phew.
I agree on the chain link’s affordability, that’s what we’ve got on the small part. I’m leaning toward agricultural fencing, wood with metal roll-out. Maybe next summer. Maybe two more summers… lol who knows?!
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We had privacy fencing at the last house, and we really needed it because of the loony neighbors. At the new place, we thankfully can get away for just enough fence to keep the dog in.
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That IS a bonus. I don’t have troublesome neighbors — so far, so good.
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Nice yard, CM! You got to get de-fence up soon though. ~ヾ(＾∇＾)
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As soon as we can. The fence company is behind schedule, though, due to recent torrential rain.
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I took us months to get our fence installed too. Turns out, these guys are REALLY busy! Congratulations!!
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I’m hoping to get on the fence schedule this week, Marilyn. Tripping over Cody and her leash is really getting a bit old.
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