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Babies on the Brain
ruthymusney
member
I have a weird pet question for you northerners
ruthymusney
member
How do you feel about having a puppy/dog outside full time?
I ask because SP was asking about pet advice, and a year or so I got a puppy and I looked up some information online about how to make them comfotable outside (full size dog) and it seemed like a lot of people who lived in colder states were angry with people who had their dogs outside. Is this common?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: I have a weird pet question for you northerners
I wouldn't like to have my dog outside full-time, no. He's comfortable sleeping on the couch right now. He's a large dog, but I wouldn't enjoy him as much if he never came inside. He wouldn't feel like a member of the family as much.
People get really pissed about this issue because some think it's animal cruelty to have an "outside dog".
I know people who do. My grandfather, infact. But I hardly hold him as any sort of role model on how to treat animals.
What's the point of having a pet if they can't live inside. Furthermore, our winters get way too cold for that to happen and honestly, some days in the summer get too hot.
I would never do it.
In extreme cold, I would take the dog inside, but in general I don't have a problem with an outside dog. I actually wouldn't have a pet in my house for many reasons, but my allergies is the top one. In Ireland, dogs generally do not live in the house.
This, especially in areas of ridiculous heat or cold.
Which is a bullshitt arguement. Where did dogs live 1,000 years ago? Where did they live 250 years ago? They are animals and are capable of living outdoors.
Before anyone gets all up in arms, I am not saying a chiuaua should be kept outside in Maine in December or a mastif should be kept outside in Miami in August. All I am saying, is that with proper shelter and the right climate, dogs are perfectly able to stay outside and it isn't cruelty.
While this wouldn't be my personal preference, I totally agree.
Just to clarify, I no longer have the puppy. She was too much work for me with a walking toddler, and way too hyper. I found her a good home.
It gets hot in Texas but it is VERY common to have outside pets. At least where I'm from. We always had them growing up, so I guess it's strange to me that some communities/people feel it is animal cruelty. They weren't starved and got so much attenetion it was unreal. I won't get another unless I have a large area for them to run and have time for them/the kids are old enough to play with them everyday.
Now I also know a lot of people with inside dogs too (I have a small one). I don't think there's a problem either way as long as they are well cared for.
2 years, 2 surgeries, 2 clomid fails, 2 IUIs, 1 loss, IVF #1 - 10/25/10 = BFP!, DS is now 3.5yrs!
TTC #2 - 6/12 surgery #3, FET #1 & 1.2 = BFN, 12/2012 FET #2 = BFP! DD is 1.5 yrs!
Surprise! 12/16/14 BFP, loss #2 12/31/14
I can't wait for the "im getting a divorce" post in 5 years or so because your husbands were fed up with your disgusting chair asses from playing on the knot all day and getting fired 4-5 times for not doing any work. you guys are all winners!! ~ Laur929
This go for us people too. Lol My DH lives in heat or cold for 14 days at a time and he's alive and well. A little sunburned maybe.
We're all just spoiled.
This, what's the point?
ETA: The only situation that I really think would be okay is on a farm where they have a barn or another type of shelter that they can get into if it's too cold.
I live in Wisconsin, and I wouldn't do it where I live now in the city. It can get extremely cold in the winter.
But, I grew up on a farm here and we did have an outside dog, along with plenty of barn cats. They had more than adequate shelter in the barn.
LOL, I can't keep my husky's inside during the winter. They beg to be outside!
I agree with wee. However, my dogs are inside/outside. Obviously, it is too hot in TX for husky's to live full time outside so they are inside most of the summer. However, when it starts cooling down they LOVE it outside. They spend the majority of their time out there and sometimes to refuse to come in. We do live on an acre of land, so I don't know if that makes a difference, they can run and play.
I get what you're saying. Particularly dogs like beagles or spaniels that are typically kept as hunting dogs or something. A lot of times the best way to keep them properly trained is to treat them like they are working for you not necessarily like they are your lap dog. But, again, it would have to go back to the quaility of the shelter.
I get what you're saying. Particularly dogs like beagles or spaniels that are typically kept as hunting dogs or something. A lot of times the best way to keep them properly trained is to treat them like they are working for you not necessarily like they are your lap dog. But, again, it would have to go back to the quaility of the shelter.
I get what you're saying. Particularly dogs like beagles or spaniels that are typically kept as hunting dogs or something. A lot of times the best way to keep them properly trained is to treat them like they are working for you not necessarily like they are your lap dog. But, again, it would have to go back to the quaility of the shelter.
Yeah but they still have the option of shelter and they are an appropriate type of dog to be outside. Same thing with farm dogs. As long as they have somewhere they can be out of the weather, it's ok. I was thinking of dogs that only have a backyard or a non-insulated/heated doghouse.
For me, the point of having a dog is to keep it as a pet/member of the family. So they are inside dogs. But my dogs also go to daycare during the day or when we're at work so they get exercise and stimulation. So I would never do it, and I think it's horrible to get a pet to keep it outside, but that's me - *I* couldn't do that.
I agree that some people would do a poor job of keeping an outdoor only animal, and some people would do an awesome job of it. y issue is that dogs are social creatures who truly rely on pack formation. So inside or outside, if the animal is isolated or alone for the majority of the time, I think it's cruel. Dogs didn't live in the wild by themselves, they had well formed socially structured packs. So I have a bigger problem with isolating animals than I do with where they live.
I'm giggling because my beagle who think she's a princess HATES the cold.
This. We have an aussie shepherd, which is a herding dog and requires lots of energy and is happy with a "job." But she also is extremely social and I think it would be cruel to force her to be alone all the time.
Growing up we had a dog who lived outside, he had a heated kennel, good shelter, and when it got really cold we'd put him in the heated garage or inside. He hated being inside. He liked the action he got outside. BTW he was a big thick mut with a coat that would make an eskimo jealous in the winter.
In the right way, I see nothing wrong with it.
2012
My Hungarian Vizsla - You know, Hungary? That country in northern Europe? That gets snow? And Vizslas being bird hunting dogs?
Yeah. The Vizsla requires sweatshirts, jackets, and when it's really freaking cold a goddamned snowsuit. He could not survive outdoors. I had to make him fleece pants!
(It was 25 degrees that morning)
What is wrong with a dog living outside? It may not be your preference, but there is nothing wrong with it if they have adequate shelter.
It's just my opinion, dogs are not yard ornaments. If you want a dog as a pet, I don't understand why you would want them to just be outside. While dogs once were outdoor only, they have been bred in recent years in ways that do not always allow for the dogs to maintain good health outdoors. Most notably, dogs in America. Dogs who are bred as farm dogs or sheep dogs, I do think can handle living outdoors. Dogs that are bred as sled dogs are also capable of being outdoors. Dogs that are bred as companions do not always do well outdoors anymore, even with shelter.
Coming from the rescue world, I've just seen so much abuse coming from owners who keep their dogs outdoors. So many of them are chained up, and many are still growing and their chain/collar grows into their neck. These people obviously have no business being owners, but leaving dogs outside, in many cases (not in all) can result to neglect.
Also, who wants a dog barking all the time? You put a dog outside, they're going to bark. So if you're in a neighborhood of any kind, I think it's disrespectful to have your dog outside 24/7. Outside for pottying and playing? Fine. If barking happens it's not really a problem. But for a dog to be out 100% of the time, I just feel like it's going to really irritate surrounding people.
These are just my opinions and of course can be taken with a grain of salt.
This is not a valid argument. Dogs are not people. You do not eat your food and drink your water off of the floor, and you do not lick your vag to clean it.
psssh, speak for yourself!
I tend to think that people who get dogs to keep them outside they aren't getting them as a pet. Of course that's not always true, but that's my thought.
My beagle (who is an inside dog) rarely barks. He barks maybe 3 times a year. He's a freak and he has spoiled us with the no barking.
We have two rescue dogs and neither will tolerate being crated during the day while we work, even with a neighbor girl letting them out at lunchtime. One can handle being in the basement, but the other gets destructive and uses the floor to toilet.
She gets put outside during the day year round, but she has a dogloo with a heating pad in the winter months and plenty of shade and a cool water fountain in the summer. We also live in a neighborhood that understands dogs as home protection as well as pets, so barking is actually appreciated by our neighbors who are home during the day--the dogs are usually the first to notice something is wrong. And when we're home, they're inside with us.