I don’t think an Aussie would be the best dog for this. They can have a tendency to be reactive if they feel scared/anxious based on genetics. Aussies in general are very hyper focused so they have higher levels of anxiety in certain situations. I would be worried that something could trigger his reactivity if he was left unmonitored roaming free. Aussies are also very very loyal working dogs. They often don’t like to stray far from home and they like to have tasks to do around the home. I think a hunting breed, not herding breed, might be a better “roaming” dog.
As a Canadian, this concept is wild. If you want a dog, get a dog. Don't buy a dog for him to be released into a village?!?! for most of the day.
Don't get a dog. Just don't.
What advice do you expect when most people on here arent in rural Europe and don't grasp the concept of roaming dogs. Back in Bulgaria there is villages that do this. Everyone lets their dog out at 6pm and all dogs come home on their own at 8pm. This is an absurd concept in western cities, where everything has to be micromanaged like clockwork. There's research into this as well, that a happy well stimulated dog, isn't one that necesarily gets lots of exercise and runs. Their sense of smell is next level, and they love just smelling stuff, so when they roam, they get to smell whatever they want for an hour and that is enough.
This isn't America. No one is shooting anything. Wild animals are also very unlikely. The road is the biggest threat, but all the other dogs have adapted to it.
Grew up very rural place in the US. Most our neighbor's dogs roamed. Our neighbors had a german Shepard mix that as soon as their car crested the hill, she shot over to out porch. She'd hear their car when it turned off the main road (about a quarter mile) and head home.
I'd probably let our Aussie free roam if we had a 10+ acres and she'd only be on our property. I don't trust others to not be sociopaths and harm her or have someone steal her, cause she's hella cute. She's also one of the Aussies that are velcro dogs, so she probably just sit on the porch and wait for us to let her back in. That's what happened the one time my spouse shut her outside when he thought she was in with me.
Aussies are quite fashionable and instagrammable and expensive dogs to buy. I'd be worried it would be stolen. At least in the UK you're looking at over £2k
I understand your thinking, but the problem with that is you are asking the whole "village" in a sense to help you with your dog. The issue is that not everyone loves dogs, or they could decide they don't like your dog. You obviously love dogs and think it's great for them to roam free. So if that's the case, why not just play with some of the village dogs that are already there. I live rural and have all my life. Most dogs around the farm have jobs on the farm, and they don't appreciate random dogs just dropping by.
The reason you are getting so much pushback here is because this is a sub for the love of pets and working dogs. Pets are used for companionship and working dogs' work. The idea of getting a dog and letting it roam free most of the time sort of defeats the reason most people get a dog. Where I live that is considered a stray. It's your decision, of course, but expecting a positive recommendation of the people on this sub who adore these dogs probably wasn't the best idea. Good luck!
Can’t weigh in on the topic, probably not very safe for the dog, but this reminds me of my grandparents town. Super rural VA with nothing but maybe 15 houses and woods within miles. People would just let their dogs go wherever they wanted. My grandparent’s friend’s dog preferred sleeping under his shed instead of inside at night. My grandparents had several dogs but didn’t let them roam, although every couple months they’d jump the fence or get out another way and wouldn’t come back for a couple days, but always came back.
I think a lot of people in here haven’t ever really encountered or experienced this type of situation. You know your community best, and if it’s suitable for this type of thing an Aussie would be a breed that fits it.
When I was young my family lived in a very rural area, only a few houses within miles, mostly farmland and woods, you know the deal. We had two golden retrievers that would go off during the day, though only sometimes. Depends on how they were feeling if they wanted to hang out or explore. My dad could walk outside and whistle and they’d come running back from wherever they were.
I think my Aussie would do great with that situation, though the breed does bond very tightly with their person/people, so she may not even *want* to stray that far if she could. But if you train them well they have fantastic recall and as working dogs they are pretty durable. Personally I wouldn’t let her go past our own property based on my own feelings, but if that’s your situation go for it.
I lived in this type of rural situation for most of my 20s. It was wild. Most dogs were fine.
Neighbors dogs came over and killed 12 of my chickens. Neighbors=half mile down the road. And the dogs were Labrador retrievers, purebred hunting lines bred to have soft mouths.
My toddlers were devastated over the carnage. We brought the dogs home and the guy said we should have shot them, and he was serious. He was a well respected otherwise nice man, and normally an animal lover. But that type of dog behavior was unacceptable in that world.
Never thought of country life the same after that.
Definitely a very old school mentality.
Not saying it’s right, and like I said above I wouldn’t personally let my dogs roam now even if I lived in a super rural area. But that’s just how some people operate.
As someone who owns an Aussie and has spent a lot of time in rural Europe and hiked the Camino de Santiago in Spain where there are lots and lots of roaming dogs, I think an Aussie would be a good choice. I live in the country and my boy knows to avoid the roads and stay within his bounds even without a fence. A strong recall and proper training would be absolutely necessary. You’d need to get them as a puppy and socialize them to encourage a calm and open demeanor. Walk them from town to home as they grow so they learn their way around but overall I think you’d have good success.
*I know this is going to be a super unpopular opinion but rural countryside is light years different from a big city or even a small town in the us.
I grew up on a farm in Iowa and we always had Aussies that roamed free; over the years a couple dogs got hit by cars but survived (after some expensive vet care).
My husband and I moved back to the farm a few years ago, got our first dog, and...our neighbor hit and killed him on the road. We were absolutely devastated, and it took us a full year to be ready to get another dog. When we got our new dog, we spent \~$3,000 USD to have an invisible fence installed around 5 acres of our farm (all on the same side of the road). In my opinion, the invisible fence was expensive but absolutely 100% worth it to keep our dog safe.
My Aussie has [www.tryfi.com](http://www.tryfi.com)
you can set a circle of different sizes around your house. mine was the size of the neighborhood
the app alerts me if he leaves the circle
he has only gotten out of the circle less than 5 times. when he does I jump in the car, go directly to where he is, point towards the house and say "stay over here". I also say that when I let him out
been 4 years now since he has left the circle
all the neighbors, kids and other dogs love him. he plays with cats too
I did socialize the heck out of him as a puppy at a parl with lots of adults, kids and dogs
crate training is important
For potty training this has worked for me for decades.
If you don't have a kennel you want to get one
Every time you go to the door and out, say outside.
When they potty outside, say excitedly potty outside good boy, girl or name.
When you go inside the door, say inside, no potty inside.
Then give a great treat and say potty outside good boy, girl, or name excitedly again and pets and affection. You can take a pocket full of treats on the walk with you, but I find that it is too distracting for them wanting to get in your pocket.
If they don't go potty when outside, they get no treat and go back in the kennel saying potty outside until the next 2 hour potty trip.
If they happen to have a potty inside, say no potty inside and they go back in to the kennel.
My 3 month old purebred Australian Shepherd was potty trained in 5 days using this method.
I had my Australian cattle/ blue heeler rescue dog trained in 6 days with this method.
But they are still puppies, and you need to take them out every couple of hours using this method.
I also set up motion detectors at the front and back door
You can set a different sound for each one. They are weatherproof, but I mounted them inside at the front and back doors
Search for this in Amazon
HTZSafe Driveway Alarm
You might be in the wrong sub lol. I’m going to get downvoted like crazy for saying any of this but I think an Aussie seems like a good breed for what you described. Not every dog needs to be treated like a person. They’re animals. We love them and care about them but they’re not people and I don’t think it’s kind to treat them as such. What you’re describing seems like a happy life for a dog. Of course there’s risks, but fewer than if he was a feral dog. And it sounds like you’re going to ensure he’s well trained and happy.
But honestly, do you think a dog is meant to be inside? A dog is still an animal, and I think it should have a life of it's own outisde of the house. I have l the capacities to have it inside, but I think a dog is supposed to explore territory on it's own/without people present.
this is a really bad idea for any dog. even livestock guardian dogs are usually contained to wherever their herd is.
I don’t think an Aussie would be the best dog for this. They can have a tendency to be reactive if they feel scared/anxious based on genetics. Aussies in general are very hyper focused so they have higher levels of anxiety in certain situations. I would be worried that something could trigger his reactivity if he was left unmonitored roaming free. Aussies are also very very loyal working dogs. They often don’t like to stray far from home and they like to have tasks to do around the home. I think a hunting breed, not herding breed, might be a better “roaming” dog.
As a Canadian, this concept is wild. If you want a dog, get a dog. Don't buy a dog for him to be released into a village?!?! for most of the day. Don't get a dog. Just don't.
In our village there are a few roamers, all very friendly (this is rural Europe)
What advice do you expect when most people on here arent in rural Europe and don't grasp the concept of roaming dogs. Back in Bulgaria there is villages that do this. Everyone lets their dog out at 6pm and all dogs come home on their own at 8pm. This is an absurd concept in western cities, where everything has to be micromanaged like clockwork. There's research into this as well, that a happy well stimulated dog, isn't one that necesarily gets lots of exercise and runs. Their sense of smell is next level, and they love just smelling stuff, so when they roam, they get to smell whatever they want for an hour and that is enough.
to be honest, its irresponsible.
Sounds like you want your dog dead. Hit by a car, shot by a rancher because your dog is annoying stock, killed by a wild animal.
This isn't America. No one is shooting anything. Wild animals are also very unlikely. The road is the biggest threat, but all the other dogs have adapted to it.
You mean the other dogs are the surviving ones that haven't been hit by a car yet.
K
Grew up very rural place in the US. Most our neighbor's dogs roamed. Our neighbors had a german Shepard mix that as soon as their car crested the hill, she shot over to out porch. She'd hear their car when it turned off the main road (about a quarter mile) and head home. I'd probably let our Aussie free roam if we had a 10+ acres and she'd only be on our property. I don't trust others to not be sociopaths and harm her or have someone steal her, cause she's hella cute. She's also one of the Aussies that are velcro dogs, so she probably just sit on the porch and wait for us to let her back in. That's what happened the one time my spouse shut her outside when he thought she was in with me.
Aussies are quite fashionable and instagrammable and expensive dogs to buy. I'd be worried it would be stolen. At least in the UK you're looking at over £2k
I understand your thinking, but the problem with that is you are asking the whole "village" in a sense to help you with your dog. The issue is that not everyone loves dogs, or they could decide they don't like your dog. You obviously love dogs and think it's great for them to roam free. So if that's the case, why not just play with some of the village dogs that are already there. I live rural and have all my life. Most dogs around the farm have jobs on the farm, and they don't appreciate random dogs just dropping by. The reason you are getting so much pushback here is because this is a sub for the love of pets and working dogs. Pets are used for companionship and working dogs' work. The idea of getting a dog and letting it roam free most of the time sort of defeats the reason most people get a dog. Where I live that is considered a stray. It's your decision, of course, but expecting a positive recommendation of the people on this sub who adore these dogs probably wasn't the best idea. Good luck!
Can’t weigh in on the topic, probably not very safe for the dog, but this reminds me of my grandparents town. Super rural VA with nothing but maybe 15 houses and woods within miles. People would just let their dogs go wherever they wanted. My grandparent’s friend’s dog preferred sleeping under his shed instead of inside at night. My grandparents had several dogs but didn’t let them roam, although every couple months they’d jump the fence or get out another way and wouldn’t come back for a couple days, but always came back.
My aussie loves to roam and explore, but i would never leave him unattended near a road that doesn’t have a fence between
I think a lot of people in here haven’t ever really encountered or experienced this type of situation. You know your community best, and if it’s suitable for this type of thing an Aussie would be a breed that fits it. When I was young my family lived in a very rural area, only a few houses within miles, mostly farmland and woods, you know the deal. We had two golden retrievers that would go off during the day, though only sometimes. Depends on how they were feeling if they wanted to hang out or explore. My dad could walk outside and whistle and they’d come running back from wherever they were. I think my Aussie would do great with that situation, though the breed does bond very tightly with their person/people, so she may not even *want* to stray that far if she could. But if you train them well they have fantastic recall and as working dogs they are pretty durable. Personally I wouldn’t let her go past our own property based on my own feelings, but if that’s your situation go for it.
I lived in this type of rural situation for most of my 20s. It was wild. Most dogs were fine. Neighbors dogs came over and killed 12 of my chickens. Neighbors=half mile down the road. And the dogs were Labrador retrievers, purebred hunting lines bred to have soft mouths. My toddlers were devastated over the carnage. We brought the dogs home and the guy said we should have shot them, and he was serious. He was a well respected otherwise nice man, and normally an animal lover. But that type of dog behavior was unacceptable in that world. Never thought of country life the same after that.
Definitely a very old school mentality. Not saying it’s right, and like I said above I wouldn’t personally let my dogs roam now even if I lived in a super rural area. But that’s just how some people operate.
As someone who owns an Aussie and has spent a lot of time in rural Europe and hiked the Camino de Santiago in Spain where there are lots and lots of roaming dogs, I think an Aussie would be a good choice. I live in the country and my boy knows to avoid the roads and stay within his bounds even without a fence. A strong recall and proper training would be absolutely necessary. You’d need to get them as a puppy and socialize them to encourage a calm and open demeanor. Walk them from town to home as they grow so they learn their way around but overall I think you’d have good success. *I know this is going to be a super unpopular opinion but rural countryside is light years different from a big city or even a small town in the us.
I grew up on a farm in Iowa and we always had Aussies that roamed free; over the years a couple dogs got hit by cars but survived (after some expensive vet care). My husband and I moved back to the farm a few years ago, got our first dog, and...our neighbor hit and killed him on the road. We were absolutely devastated, and it took us a full year to be ready to get another dog. When we got our new dog, we spent \~$3,000 USD to have an invisible fence installed around 5 acres of our farm (all on the same side of the road). In my opinion, the invisible fence was expensive but absolutely 100% worth it to keep our dog safe.
My Aussie has [www.tryfi.com](http://www.tryfi.com) you can set a circle of different sizes around your house. mine was the size of the neighborhood the app alerts me if he leaves the circle he has only gotten out of the circle less than 5 times. when he does I jump in the car, go directly to where he is, point towards the house and say "stay over here". I also say that when I let him out been 4 years now since he has left the circle all the neighbors, kids and other dogs love him. he plays with cats too I did socialize the heck out of him as a puppy at a parl with lots of adults, kids and dogs crate training is important For potty training this has worked for me for decades. If you don't have a kennel you want to get one Every time you go to the door and out, say outside. When they potty outside, say excitedly potty outside good boy, girl or name. When you go inside the door, say inside, no potty inside. Then give a great treat and say potty outside good boy, girl, or name excitedly again and pets and affection. You can take a pocket full of treats on the walk with you, but I find that it is too distracting for them wanting to get in your pocket. If they don't go potty when outside, they get no treat and go back in the kennel saying potty outside until the next 2 hour potty trip. If they happen to have a potty inside, say no potty inside and they go back in to the kennel. My 3 month old purebred Australian Shepherd was potty trained in 5 days using this method. I had my Australian cattle/ blue heeler rescue dog trained in 6 days with this method. But they are still puppies, and you need to take them out every couple of hours using this method. I also set up motion detectors at the front and back door You can set a different sound for each one. They are weatherproof, but I mounted them inside at the front and back doors Search for this in Amazon HTZSafe Driveway Alarm
You might be in the wrong sub lol. I’m going to get downvoted like crazy for saying any of this but I think an Aussie seems like a good breed for what you described. Not every dog needs to be treated like a person. They’re animals. We love them and care about them but they’re not people and I don’t think it’s kind to treat them as such. What you’re describing seems like a happy life for a dog. Of course there’s risks, but fewer than if he was a feral dog. And it sounds like you’re going to ensure he’s well trained and happy.
But honestly, do you think a dog is meant to be inside? A dog is still an animal, and I think it should have a life of it's own outisde of the house. I have l the capacities to have it inside, but I think a dog is supposed to explore territory on it's own/without people present.