OMG, Twisterdog! You have me convinced. That's just absolutely terrible. Jeez! Not at all the sweet, peaceful life in the country that I had pictured. Wow!

I did live in the country for a few years as a child, and in the area where I lived, people really didn't keep dogs indoors. It was just the thing to do - to let your dogs run. But now that I think of it, their relationships with their dogs weren't as close as the relationships we have with our dogs. I was so young, I really didn't pay much attention.

The thing is - Max can jump HIGH. I really don't know how high he could go, but he's unbelievably athletic. We have a big 4WD truck, and one day after our walk we had the window closed halfway and he was still able to jump into it from the ground. And he digs craters halfway to China. So - we couldn't have a great big fenced in area for him to romp in. The logistics are just too much. It's either freedom or containment for him - no in-betweens.