We recently moved to a suburban/rural area (sprawl ;), but it has an enclosed back yard for our Beagle mix…she’s fine going in and out of the dog door all day, and free reign over the house. She’s 12 (people years) and getting up there, so she sleeps almost all the time now, but when she gets the gumption, 3–4 times a day she goes out and sniffs around.
Come dusk though, we learned from neighbors to get small pets in the house-our hilly environs are a lure for the wildlife, who will apparently scale fences for a late-afternoon snack, if you catch my drift…so far no sightings but I’m considering getting some deterrents in place (up to and including non-lethal firearms)...coyotes and bobcats and a very occasional bear (oh my!)...the price of living amongst nature I suppose.