[jae]

the other day, we were lounging outside in the backyard, dogs were given a tough task of basking in the sun while i toiled endlessly in my chair with a beer and newspaper.

then it occurred to me, that they never eliminate in the backyard near the furniture. always the front, or around the side away from where we sit.

so that got me thinking about every anti-outdoor dog argument that i have gotten into, how does it matter to the dog whether or not he is raised outside or inside? either way, the area is the home, where they sleep, eat, drink.

okay then there is the argument of "dog gets into things outside" yes, but my dog has gotten into things inside as well. chewed up floor moldings, carpet, shoes, couch, so there are inherent dangers in anywhere the dog stays. and really, every time he was given access to the backyard, he rarely messed around. dug a bit just once, that's it.

just like indoors has its cold and earthy basement, the wet and dirty entrance, the cold tiles... outside there is grass and dirt, damp and dewy spots, shady brick and rocks. so if you spend regular time and leisure time outdoors, what does it matter to the dog where he stays? now, i guess the answer is it doesn't matter, it is just human opinion and preference.

 

[doggiedad]

it's safer if you're going to leave your dog outside unattended
to have the dog in an outdoor kennel and not let the dog roam freely
in the yard. inside it's better to crate your dog when you can't
watch them. they can't chew things in the house when they're
crated. only let your dog have free roam of the house when they're
house trained and proven.

 

[Kaimeju]

I thought the argument against outdoor dogs was simply that they belong wherever their people are. I've never heard the "gets into things" argument. Around here people mostly throw their dogs outside when they don't want to supervise them (which in this heat is cruel, IMHO).


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[sitstay]

I don't leave my dogs outside when nobody is home simply because I don't think it is fair to my neighbors to have to put up with my dogs barking. It doesn't really matter to me whether they can chew things up inside just as easily as they can dig things up outside. If they are destructive inside, they are crated if they can't be supervised.

The dogs like to be with me. Whether I am outside gardening, or inside reading. And I like being with them. So beyond trying to be considerate of my neighbors and wanting the dogs to be with me, I really don't spend any time thinking about it.
Sheilah

 

[onyx'girl]

then it occurred to me, that they never eliminate in the backyard near the furniture. always the front, or around the side away from where we sit.

so that got me thinking about every anti-outdoor dog argument that i have gotten into, how does it matter to the dog whether or not he is raised outside or inside? either way, the area is the home, where they sleep, eat, drink.

We were playing outside with a litter of 6 week old pups yesterday(about a dozen humans to 9 pups)
The puppies would go out about 10 feet away from the cluster to eliminate, not just go when the urge struck them within the area where we were.

The pups are raised in the home, not outside but learned a week ago to use a doggy door to a small area to do their business.
I thought that was pretty cool, as they are so young~ smart puppies! Housetraining will be a breeze when they go to their new homes as long as the owners see the "I need to go out" signals!

 

[Carriesue]

My dog loves to be outside, he's even perfectly fine lounging out there by himself. My biggest fear and the reason I do not leave him out there is someone stealing him. Southern California has a high incidence of dogs being stolen for bait dogs, etc and even though our yard is kind of hidden and we have a 6 foot privacy fence I'm not taking my chances. So when we're not home they stay in their kennels so they're safe and can't get into anything inside or out.

 

[llombardo]

just like indoors has its cold and earthy basement, the wet and dirty entrance, the cold tiles... outside there is grass and dirt, damp and dewy spots, shady brick and rocks. .

My dogs are indoors and are in the nice comfortable house... I would never stick them in a basement, there is no need.

 

[APBTLove]

My dogs are indoors because I live in the city, and I do not have a fence I trust. Growing up I had two GSDs who lived outside for their entire lives, they came in when it was needed and they hated it then. They had and underground room to keep both cool and warm, dry, and comfy if they chose to use it. They had a dog house, they had privacy fences and nobody would have tried to steal them. They were walked, fed, interacted with plenty and got the perks of living outside - like hunting and be DOGS, they were trained and we had a beautiful bond (as did my parents with them) until their dying days.

I have zero issues with dogs living in secure outdoor areas. They're dogs. If I can do manual labor every day in the burning summer sun and not die, I don't think a dog who can go lay in the shade and pant has much to bitch about. I can't help but think of most of the world's population of dogs, the thousands being skinned alive and tortured, stuffed into crates like packed meat alive and tossed around, strays being shoved into trash compacters and killed by humans, other dogs, illness, dying in shelters across the US, shoved in gas chambers and having their hearts stabbed and pumped with poison.. I can't feel bad for a dog who gets to live a good life, just because he doesn't sleep in bed with his owner.

Sorry for the rant, I've seen too much as far as dogs and animals go, so to me this argument is ridiculous. It is not cruel to have a dog, an animal, live outdoors. People live without AC/Heat, **** even daily food and water, and they get by pretty well. A dog who's cared for? Ha! I can't call it cruel.

 

[Jordan1017]

Hmmm, I've always heard also dogs should be where their people are. Some take letting them outside to the extreme though, where it is no longer truly apart of the family and instead that dog in the backyard.
I think if at all possible the dog should stay within supervision, but know it depends on the yard and dog. When my dogs have been given the option they preferred to stay in the same room as me.
We only have one now and she's just a baby and is always close by except rare occasions. It's just how we prefer it and makes it easier to correct her behavior vs finding something chewed up or that she messed in the house. Right now our yard isn't fenced and while we live in a rural area surrounded by a meadow, we have wild animals around and I refuse to even let her off leash, which is either her 16ft retractable or 20ft training lead.

 

[llombardo]

They're dogs. If I can do manual labor every day in the burning summer sun and not die, I don't think a dog who can go lay in the shade and pant has much to bitch about. I can't help but think of most of the world's population of dogs, the thousands being skinned alive and tortured, stuffed into crates like packed meat alive and tossed around, strays being shoved into trash compacters and killed by humans, other dogs, illness, dying in shelters across the US, shoved in gas chambers and having their hearts stabbed and pumped with poison.. I can't feel bad for a dog who gets to live a good life, just because he doesn't sleep in bed with his owner.

See this is what doesn't make sense to me. Having a dog is our choice. Yes we might have to work for a living, but a dog is meant to be a companion. Its sad that so many dogs don't get to live this life. They might just be animals, but they give people so much more. It doesn't have anything to do with an animal sleeping in its bed with a its owner, it has to do with being kind and understanding that a dog might be an animal, its living and breathing. My dogs would never do well outside, they would much rather be inside and sadly most of the outside dogs I have known wanted nothing more then to be inside and were very vocal about it.

 

[MichaelE]

If I lived outside that's where my dog would want to be. But, I live in a house with a roof not a lean-to under the stars.

My dog wants to be where I am regardless of where that is.

If you don't live outside and keep your dog outside what's the point of even having a dog?

 

[GSDolch]

The only issue I really have about "outside" dogs is when they become lawn ornaments.

Whats the point of even having a dog if it stays outside all the time and you only see it to feed it? Even "guard" dogs who are used for a purpose get more people time than that usually.

 

[Jordan1017]

I agree, animal or not, they really enrich our lives. My 2y/o has SPD and he may possibly be on the spectrum for high functioning autism. He does not speak, I mean his words are that of a baby babbling. He has a therapist come weekly to our home to work with him, and she was thrilled at what a huge leap in progress he has made since we've gotten our girl. His sensory seeking is less stressed and he has calmed as many of his needs are being made with the extra interaction with our puppy.
We would have no business in owning our girl if we intended to treat her as an object vs a valued member of our family.

 

[katro]

Like others, my dog likes to be around me and thus, doesn't prefer to be outside alone. When I let him out to eliminate and don't also go outside, he's back at the door when he's done waiting to come back inside. If I were sure he'd enjoy himself outside alonw I'd be okay with letting him stay out there for extended periods if time (except in extreme heat or cold) but I'd still make him sleep inside at night. It would prevent him from possibly getting skunked and because when we go to bed, it's both cats and my husband and I and we're his pack and he should be with his pack.

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[NormanF]

Mine is indoors. I don't have a fenced yard to keep a GSD but my dog is housebroken and can live tolerably in a small apartment. She gets plenty of fresh air, potty breaks and exercise on walks, which she looks forward to every day. I feel a dog should be part of the family, not banished to the yard or be tethered on a chain in a kennel. If you can't include your GSD in your home and daily activities, do yourself a favor and don't get one! Dogs weren't meant to live alone, they're happiest with their human pack.

 

[Linck]

Mine is both indoor and outdoor when we are at work. Seeing from the camera, he plays solely outside and only go inside to take a nap. But when we are home, he wants to be nowhere except where he can see us. Its funny that sometimes when my husband in the office and i'm in the kitchen he would lay down somewhere that he can see both of us at the same time lol Mine is a puppy though so maybe this is just a puppy thing.

 

[Cheyanna]

Indoor dog

Fiona is an indoor dog. She has a balcony that she can go lay on to be outside, but no yard. If she had a yard, she might be an outside dog. However, I would have to put a couch outside, because that is where she likes to be.

I think that dogs are adaptable. If I got a house and had a yard and wanted to leave Fiona outside for awhile, I don't think she would mind. But like CarrieSue I live in Southern California, if someone stole Fiona I would be very upset. So I probably would not leave her outside, if I was not home.

 

[Lilie]

I live in the country - so I don't have worries about people sticking their hands over the fence. My neighbor's are close enough that they could hear the dogs barking.

I have four dogs. One spends his days in an outdoor kennel. He is a grumpy old man.

Two dogs have free roam of our back yard. Yes, I have a few holes dug in the yard. But luckily, they are only in one area. I do have a hot wire on top of my chain link fence to keep the horses out and the dogs in.

My Mini Doxie is crated in the house. She can't be trusted alone in the house (seperation pottier...) and my Lacy thinks she's his own personal squeaky toy.

I guess my point is that it all depends on dog and what I feel is best for them.

 

[JackandMattie]

Hmmm...If I left my dogs outside alone, they wouldn't know every time I was headed to the bathroom to go pee, and they couldn't follow me there and shove their noses through the door I forgot to close completely. I think they would be overwhelmingly distressed in that situation