I just purchased a cabin near Roscoe, New York, 5+ acres; mostly coniferous forest. My eleven year old (God Bless Her) toy, Tara, has spent most of her years in the city. She's a large toy, at 10 lbs, Used to forays to parks; beaches; I let go of her lead and let her wander a bit Upstate I never let her out unescorted. The most I'll do is let go of her lead as we climb through forest. After dark, she does her business on paper in the bathroom. My concerns are these: will coyotes approach a dog accompanied by a person? What threat do snakes pose? Is there a mouse poison that won't harm her if she eats a dead mouse? What about poop eating in the wild? Tara is a regular "poop" geiger-counter" -- not her own, anything else's My house is fairly close to the road, and she has that collapsing trachea thing (no electronic collars for her), so I only let her out around back, and tell her "NO" if she moves towards road. I've thought of fence near road, but hesitate because of expense. Any cheap way to do it?

Thanks. E P.S. Poodles are peerless. She is by far the best dog I have ever had. Smart, loving, empathetic and funny as anything. Up here in NYC they sell "poodle-mixes" -- crosses with Bichons or Yorkies. The line is "all the poodle brains without the neuroses" -- at $400 each. The ones I've seen are dumber, uglier and duller. Go figure.

-- Anonymous, April 27, 2002