I have a 5 year old prue bred English Setter. The history on this dog is a little complicated, so please bear with me.
Up until about 6 months ago, the dog lived with my mother. While my mom had this dog, she would frequently let the dog roam around in the front yard (while there was someone outside), usually without being tied up. This dog is a very spoiled, very sweet, loving affectionate dog. She is basically harmless, but like all dogs she is very territorial.
Since the dog has been living with me, she is much more disciplined. I NEVER let the dog in the front yard, with or without a leash or teather. She is strictly kept in the back yard. When the dog lived with my mother, she would frequently get out of the back yard, and be found roaming in the front yard. She has never once gotten out of the back yard at my house.
Yesterday, I was at my mom's house with the dog. I had left the dog in the backyard, and I was outside with my mom and sisters. To make a long story short, somehow the dog got out of the back yard and bit some lady on the butt, who was walking past the house. I guess it was more of a nip than a bite, no harm done. I apologized to the lady, and after about 5 minutes I took the dog back to my house.
Now, I am worried about the dog getting out of my yard and bitting someone else. I am thinking that since my mother let the dog roam around in her front yard (we both live in the suburbs NOT the country), that the dog figured the front yard was part of her territory and viewed this lady as an intruder. As I have said before, the dog has never been outside of the backyard of my house except to go for walks or car rides. But, still I don't want to take the chance of the dog getting out and "nipping" anyone else.
The possible solutions that I have thought of are:
1. Lock the gate at my house to prevent the dog from getting out of the back yard - This solution has several draw backs, and may not be totally effective. If the dog managed to push the gate open even a little, she could probably still squeeze through. Besides, there are issues with the lock freezing in the winter preventing me from getting the car in or out of the garage, and rusting, etc.
2. Buy a muzzle - This is a little more practicle, however, the dog has never worn a muzzle before, and I am concerned about how she will deal with it. Can an adult dog adjust to wearing a muzzle? I also do NOT want to prevent her from barking.
3. Teather the dog in the back yard - This is a drawback because I don't want to limit the dog's range withing the back yard. I want her to play, and be able to roam around the entire yard. But, I want to make sure that she cannot get out of the back yard.
I don't want to spend a bunch of money on an "Invisible Fence" solution, and I am not getting rid of the dog. Any other suggestions?