Our yard is not fenced *yet*. It is high on our priority list for next spring after we build a deck. It has been on our list since Malone was a puppy, but there were too many other pressing house projects. One of the benefits that we DO have is a 3/4 mile trail that runs right beside our house (snowmobilers use it in the wintertime, but the rest of the time it is pretty much unused); and we let the two dogs run and play 2-3 times per week. The other days, we take them for a leashed walk up the road.