I was thinking about this the other day too. I sometimes let dd1 outside on her own if I am in the kitchen or on the lounge where I can see her most of the time, I also leave a window open so i can hear her (if its quiet she is normally up to mischief).

Yesterday it was quiet and I called out to her asking what she was doing she yelled back to me 'a poo'. She had done a poo in the dogs dinner bowl .

We have 2 dogs and if dd is outside on her own I put the dogs away. I trust my dogs but Im not sure I can trust my dd not to poke them with a stick or pull their tails and its just not worth the risk IMO. I also move the dogs water bowls round the side where the dogs are as my friends nephew almost drowned in their dogs water bowl and he needed to be rescusitated.