keeping dogs outside

[Birdie'sMom]

To keep from getting another thread off topic, I'd like to ask everyone what their opinions are on keeping dogs outside all day long. My reasons for not doing it are - I don't want my dog to get stolen or poisoned on purpose or by accident. I don't want her to be off of my property without me (even if I think that she is completely secure, because fences get left opened!). I don't want her to get bad habits that I will not be there to correct - such as digging and barking! Please contribute as I'd like to hear your reasons for or against it. Thanks!

[Bucky's Mom]

My dog belongs inside because that is where I am. I didn't acquire Bucky to be a yard ornament - I got him for his companionship - he does that job by being with me. When I am not home he is secure in his crate inside where I know he will be safe - if I wanted an "outside" animal" I would get barnyard critters :)

[Carina43]

My dogs are inside when I'm home - or out in the "dog compound" playing or messing around doing their dog things. Mostly they are inside with us when we're home (I often work out of my home, so they're inside a lot.)

I DO leave mine outside sometimes if we're gone for a while, depending on weather - too hot or too cold, they'd rather be in anyhow! But s/o and I built a 6' chain link fence around a very large area, and buried the bottom foot or so (not that any of them try to dig out.) And the gates are chained and locked in addition to being latched. They have trees, water and an enclosed run if it rains - but they are rarely out there for long, because of s/o & my schedules, someone is very often home.

We are kind of rural and this is a very safe area, crime-wise. maybe if I lived somewhere else I would be more concerned - our neighbors are home all day and we pretty much keep an eye on tjhings for each other.

[Sharon Marples]

Well, I'll put my flame suit on for this reply! :D

Why not leave your dog outside when you are not home???? Who ever heard of fresh air, seeing the birds flying around, seeing the squirrels playing in the trees? Don't your dogs deserve any of that?

I can understand that if you are a "stay at home" person and don't have to work, then you have more freedom to allow the dog out during the day for potty brakes, walks, playtime, etc. But if you are like the majority of us who have to work, I can't see making your dog stay in a crate all day inside while you are at work unless you are living in an area where you feel you can't leave your dog outside due to vandalism, theft, poisening, etc.

What about the portable kennel panels you can buy at most all home improvement stores? If you are worried about someone opening your gates and letting the dog out, get one of these that you can put the dog into and put a padlock on the gate to prevent theft, etc. The dog can still enjoy the great outdoors but be contained and safe.

I am a firm believer that dogs need to be out in the fresh air, need to "see" what else is in this world other than the inside of a house. They need to be DOGS! This involves having a certain part of their day spent outdoors. I also feel this makes for a "healthier" dog, I feel that by having to adjust to different climates and temperatures, it strengthens their immune systems and makes them stronger.

Again, just my opinion, I could state several other reasons for allowing my dogs to be outdoors, but this is enough for now! ;)

Sharon Marples

[moondog]

Luna is an inside dog, too. I'm not sure she'd mind being a yard ornament :D when I'm gone, but I do think if she was, she'd be a very animated yard ornament! If I hadn't been there to see what kind of mischief she'd get into, I think she would be a digger and who knows what other games she would have invented!

As it is, I kept her in the house from the start because I was very concerned about her being stolen or injured while I was not here. She has turned out to be a perfect lady in the house (no crate), she is protected while I'm gone and there's no chance she can be hurt or teased or let out of the yard, because she's not in it without her bodyguard (me!). :)

She does her share of birdwatching and squirrel chasing, too. Plenty of fresh air before I leave and after I come home! She's darn happy.

[spidey]

You've given us your reasons for NOT doing it, Birdie's Mom, but you haven't given us your reasons FOR doing it. Care to elaborate? Are you looking at having yours LIVE outside (i.e. all the time), or just be outside when you're not home? The two are pretty radically different things, IMO.

IMO, dogs shouldn't be outside unsupervised in most places, the risk of them being stolen, or messed with (some people find taunting confined dogs amusing, others have been known to poison dogs), or escaping and wreaking havoc, or otherwise getting into trouble, is too great. But I'm sure if you live somewhere isolated it could be safe (only in appropriate weather, and only with water and shelter available, of course). I do think that dogs belong in the house with people, if they're pets. And I don't approve of dogs living outside all the time unless they're appropriately coated and/or sheltered for the weather, and have a companion, they're pack animals, being kept alone all the time tends to make them loopy. And I have to say that my personal opinion is that I just don't understand why someone would have a pet dog if it's going to live outside (but I understand that some people do, so it's just my opinion), especially a human-oriented breed which really bonds to its owners like a Rottie, I've known Huskies who lived outside in Canada quite happily, but they're a different kind of dog than a Rottie (this isn't directed at you specifically, Birdie's Mom, this is just a general comment :) ).

[Carolina]

Well, I think as Sharon does, if you are not home why not let the dogs out in the yard? It also depends on the weather of course.

For example, in here we don't get as cold as some of you guys, we never have snow, and we never get below zero celsius (32 fahrenheit) but in summer it really get hot, almost 45 celsius (no idea how many farenheit). So in winter if the dogs want to be inside they are, the same in summer. But when I'm home they are usually inside next to my legs :D

Another thing, here in Mexico the home architecture is different from the one used in US. In here almost all houses have fenced backyard (if they have backyard) and we do not build with wood, and rarely use chain link for fencing other than parks or factories and such. We mainly build using what we call "blocks" or sometimes in bricks. So it is practically a wall (cement, concrete and block) at least 6 feet tall and usually you can only access the backyard from the house, no other door in there.

So in my case I don't see a problem with having my dogs free in the backyard when I'm not home, they jump, run, play or simply sleep under the sun, but can have access to the house or their outside kennel whenever they please :)

I think that the outside/inside dilema greatly depends on where you live and how you live. You have to find a balance, extremes are the ones that are bad in every situation. JMHO :D

Carolina :)

[Carina43]

I agree with spidey & most other people on this forum - why have a dog if it's left outside most of the time? I don't get that.

But I'm with Sharon on letting my dogs frolic around outside while I'm not there - they chase squirrels, play in their pool, play tug of war with logs, tires and toys, shred blankies I've put in the enclosed run , dig little sleeping pits to nap in. They have a great time, and often want to be outside playing even when I'm home - they're dogs - not yard ornaments at all, but nor are they living room ornaments.

As much as I love my dogs and they certainly follow me about the house - they have a really rich, fun life away from me too, when they're outside being Destructo-Rotts with their toys and with each other! I don't want to deprive them of that. They have a treed area the size of a regular city lot to play in outside.

I'm going to snug that flame-retardant suit a bit tighter - I would NOT even consider owning a dog if it was to be crated consecutively 6-9 hours a day on a regular basis. I know that runs counter to the group-think here, (and I already know the responses I'll get). I started having multiple dogs at a time when I was no longer able to take a dog regularly to work with me - they spent the day outside when I worked. I felt badly just leaving poor Bosco by himeslf all day, he got bored. No destruction, no barking (I alerted my neighbors, some of whom were personal friends to let me know if they barked) and if they learned any bad behaviours by being outside all day I don't know what they were, unless they were playing poker & getting into the vodka in my absence. :D

Obviously I wouldn't leave dogs unattended outside if I lived in an iffy neighborhood, did not have secure fencing & shelter, etc. But I've gone to quite a bit of effort and expense to make sure they are very secure, safe and sheltered outside.

[Bruce Lanthier]

When I am not home, one of my dogs, Buster, has to be in a secure spot (crate). When I am home he can come out. I recently built a pen, 28x48x6, so that he can be outside, weather permitting, when I am not there. Both Buster and Betti spend time outside even when someone is home. The dogs like to be around the family and the family likes to be around the dogs but it isn't, and doesn't have to be, a constant. When they are around the family they have to move pretty often (they have a knack for laying, sitting in the way), unless it is night time and everyone is watching tv, computing, or involved in less active pursuits. Sometimes it is better for the dogs and the family that they go outside and have some time and space that they can "rule". I watch out the windows and they do play, chew sticks, dig a little (what's wrong with a dog digging?), watch other animals and what little activity happens on my street. When the weather is better Buster will be outside while I'm gone. He can be outside enjoying the day or he can be locked into his crate. I think he won't mind being outside as opposed to being in his crate ;) .

[Birdie'sMom]

Originally posted by spidey
You've given us your reasons for NOT doing it, Birdie's Mom, but you haven't given us your reasons FOR doing it. Care to elaborate? Are you looking at having yours LIVE outside (i.e. all the time), or just be outside when you're not home? The two are pretty radically different things, IMO.

Birdie is an inside dog, unless I am there to supervise. I am not looking for advice on this topic, just interested in other people's ways of thinking about it. I agree with you on this one. I only gave my reason's for not doing it cause I don't have any for doing it - just wanted to hear other people's reason's for doing it. :)

[moondog]

Heehee, well I guess I need to clarify! :) Luna loves to dig, loves to bury her bones, dig them back up and enjoy. She can do this to her heart's content, in the spots I have dedicated to her for it. She can make as big a mess as she wants there and it's fine by me, but she's not allowed to use the garden beds, which I'm sure she would have if she had been left to her own resources to pick the spot. :)

[ILoveRotts]

I think it depends on where you live.

My dogs stay inside when we are not at home. But I live in the suburbs of Chicago - nice neighborhood but.....

With the crazies in the world, I keep my dogs inside for my dogs protection!!!!!!!!!

I don't want anyone to poison them or steal them or harrass them in anyway. I also would not want the local policeman to shoot my dog because for some reason they need to go through my yard (I do not live in a place where that happens but I don't want to take a chance).

Maybe I am paranoid but I think a lot of bite incidents happen because kids are harrassing the dog.

Now if I lived in my dream home - a large ranch in Sedona, Arizona -- then I would let them outside - weather permitted of course.

[LasVegasRN]

I also do not understand the point of having a dog for a pet if it's going to be left outside.

Apollo is a true inside dog. He doesn't like being outside for a great amount of time, even if we are outside with him! I believe in his old age he has his set ways - the house is truly his home. He has free run of the house when I'm not there and when I get home to let him out, he does his doggie "business" and comes right back to the door.

When he was a puppy, I did not crate him when I wasn't at home, he was sectioned to the kitchen and had a doggie door going out of the kitchen. When I got home, I'd take away the baby gate separating the kitchen from the rest of the house. As he got older, I could trust him without having to keep him gated in the kitchen.

I can't do the same with the new puppy because the new house doesn't have the same layout and I'll need to use a crate. But the crate is going to disappear when I feel I can trust the new female.

[Birdie'sMom]

Originally posted by Bruce Lanthier
(what's wrong with a dog digging.

I don't think that there's anything wrong with digging if you don't mind it. I don't want Birdie to dig in my back yard, so that's why I don't let her dig. But if you want yours to dig, than I see no problem with it!:)
I'm not condemning anybody here. I see valid points on both sides. But I don't think that there is anything wrong with crating a dog that can't be trusted alone!:)

[Carolina]

Originally posted by Birdie'sMom
But I don't think that there is anything wrong with crating a dog that can't be trusted alone!:)

Me neither. When Iby was a pup and I was not at home to supervise I crated her. Now is another story, she is grown, trained and knows what is allowed and what not.

I also will never leave a puppy unsupervised in the backyard. There are alot of things that he/she can eat, chew, destroy or get stuck into.

Carolina :)