Living outside in a kennel

[Noureldin]

I am planning to get a dog in about a week or so and my two favorite dogs are 1. rottweiler 2. GSD which breed is better at living out side. and what is better for a family of 4 with 2 kids and me and my wife.

[Sargeant_C]

Neither is better living outside, dogs need to be with their owners. So buy a dogwood tree if you want a dog outside...
If left outside they will form their own pack and soon have no respect for mankind.

[Judi W]

Other than living in an outside kennel, why kind of career do you have planned for this dog. What will be its purpose.

[Karyn]

Working dogs i.e police dogs live outside to acclimate to temperatures. Is this what you are going to do with the dog?

[Noureldin]

the dog wont be left alone at all in the day when i leave for work the kids will be back from school.

[HerculesMomma]

As Judi W asked, what is it you plan on doing with either one of these dogs? They are both dogs from the working breed and will not do well without having a "purpose" within the family other than simply being a family pet.

[LavenderRott]

Perssonally, I don't think either breed should be kept outside. A nice crate, in the house, would serve the same purpose as an outdoor kennel without any of the inherint dangers of being outside all day.

Either breed makes a fine family pet if it is acquired from a responsible breeder that breeds for soundness of mind and body and is trained and socialized. Since both breeds are working dogs - this is serious work for a good 2 - 3 years. I believe you can find a sticky about what a responsible breeder is in the breeding forum.

[rottcrazed]

You are planning on getting a dog in a week or two and you haven't chosen a breed yet? Are you going to go to a puppy shopping centre to pick it out like a piece of furniture?

Most of us who have purchased our dogs from reputable breeders spend months finding a breeder we like and then wait months longer to get a puppy out of the litter we want.

To say you are just going to go buy one in a week or so means to me you are looking to go to a pet store or find the first ad in the newspaper and buy a puppy.

You take a big risk when rushing into a purchase of a puppy, especially when looking to purchase a puppy out of two breeds highly stigmatized, with many health issues and with a possibility of temperament issues if you purchase from the wrong parents/breeder.

I would suggest that you perhaps do a little more research into the breeds; make sure they are the right fit. Take a good hard look at why you want a dog at all if it is going to live outside by itself, and then start looking for a breeder should you choose at that point to get a dog.

Just my thoughts ...

Kristi

[2rotties2luv]

Originally Posted by Noureldin

the dog wont be left alone at all in the day when i leave for work the kids will be back from school.

Are you thinking of letting your children supervise the dog when you go to work? If so, this is a very bad plan. Children should never, under ANY circumstances, be left alone with a dog. This is how tragic dog bites and attacks can happen. An adult should be supervising the dog at all times when children are around. Unless your children are older teens or young adults, they should not be left alone with the dog.

[mook1620]

Originally Posted by 2rotties2luv

Are you thinking of letting your children supervise the dog when you go to work? If so, this is a very bad plan. Children should never, under ANY circumstances, be left alone with a dog. This is how tragic dog bites and attacks can happen. An adult should be supervising the dog at all times when children are around. Unless your children are older teens or young adults, they should not be left alone with the dog.

This is completely true.

Think to yourself, you have no idea what kind of dog you want, or why you want it. You SHOULD NOT under any circumstances, decide you want a dog, and then run out and pick the first one you see. ESPECIALLY since you have no idea what sort of habitat and socialization ANY dog needs. You'll pick a big, dominant, intelligent dog, chain it up outside, and expect your children to be it's caregiver??? If you are giving so little thought and research (1 week?) to what type of dog you want, obviously you have no time to research what that dog will need exactly, nor health or temperament issues. You'll most likely end up with a puppy mill dog from a pet store, or a byb from the newspaper. You'll have no idea the stuff your new puppy is made of, and stick it out in the yard left up to his own device's. A year from now you'll be asking what you did wrong that caused you dog to bite your own child, or a delivery man. It'll be harder to place the dog in rescue because of the bite history. If it hasn't happened by then, soon after you'll be dealing with HD, or eye disease, because it was so poorly bred. Paying for the dog bite, hoping you don't get sued, facing breaking your family's heart because their pet might have to "go away". A newscaster get's ahold of the story and exploits it, adding to the "bad rap" both breeds deal with, and causing more trouble for the responsible owners that:

1) Research before they buy.
2) Buy from a COE breeder.
3) Keep their dog indoors where it belongs
4) Socialize, train, and stimulate their dogs
5) Know not to leave the dog in the care of children.

Now, I'm not saying this is you, and I might be a newer member of this board, and don't have the insight that our respected senior members do, but this is what I've seen happen time and time again with stories that parallel yours. One week is DEFINATELY not enough time. Please keep reading, keep learning, and keep thinking about what you want.

Figure out WHY you want a dog, then figure out WHAT kind of dog fits your lifestyle. Realize WHERE this dog should live, and then make a good decision about WHO you should purchase from. That's WHEN it will be the right time for you.

Good Luck with whatever you do,

Jen

[Noureldin]

first of all the purpose of the dog is guarding, second my oldest child is 16 i think thats old enough to supervise a dog i have found 2 good breeders in my area one for rottweilers and one for german shepherds. and i have visited the pups 3 times with my family. we love them. in reply to some post before how can a dog form its own pack out side will it form a pack with the tree or the fence.

any more comments welcome. i owned a german shepherd before and it lived out side with no problems and it was extremley loyal and obediant. i was just wondering if rottweilers are the same.

[Bruce Lanthier]

I, for one, think that the GSD would be much better suited for your purposes. A Rottweiler would not perform well under the circumstances you have outlined whereas a GSD would be perfect.

[RottiMomCT]

Get a GSD - we have enough trouble with rotties being labeled as horrid dogs and don't need a 'guard dog' of a rottie adding to the pucblic perception of the breed.

Personally, I wonder why you feel ANY dog will protect you - or is it simply for a visual?? Remember - an intruder can (and almost always WILL) kill or injure an OUTSIDE dog to get to the INTERIOR of the home.

Now, a dog living IN the home will be more of a deterrent, since the intruder will basically be trapped with the dog. but then again, the dog can also get killed or injured IN the house.

Get an alarm system to keep your home & family safe..not a dog. YOU are responsible for keeping the dog safe - not the other way around...unless, of course, you are willing to invest the time and money making sure the dog is well trained and stable...and that's not gonna happen overnight....maye in a few YEARS, but not overnight or within a few months.

ALL of my neighbors have dogs...ALL of them, and we had a break in a few months ago - guess whose house was robbed?? Yup, you guessed it - the folks whose dog lived OUTSIDE. Even the police told them that one of the reasons their house was probably targeted was BECAUSE the dog was outside and tied up. They even said that a loose dog in the yard can easily be poisoned or simply let loose...open the gate, out goes the dog, close gate behind you - dog is now loose!!

[VANCOUVERISLANDROT]

Originally Posted by Noureldin

first of all the purpose of the dog is guarding, second my oldest child is 16 i think thats old enough to supervise a dog i have found 2 good breeders in my area one for rottweilers and one for german shepherds. and i have visited the pups 3 times with my family. we love them. in reply to some post before how can a dog form its own pack out side will it form a pack with the tree or the fence.

any more comments welcome. i owned a german shepherd before and it lived out side with no problems and it was extremley loyal and obediant. i was just wondering if rottweilers are the same.

You must have some pretty valuable backyard items then?! What's the dog going to guard in the yard...the veggie garden? A guard dog needs to be INSIDE your home, guarding your HOME. I have a friend with a Rotti-X and she used to leave her in the backyard all day. Burglars broke into her home and her dog went so crazy trying to get into the house at them she was seriously injured (tried to break through glass etc). Her dog is now ALWAYS in the home when no one is supervising her.

I also grew up with a GS and they are very loyal. I have found our Rotti is even more so though, he's glued to my hip constantly and very protective of me (not in a vicious way). Dogs don't enjoy being outside all day by themselves regardless of how "obidient" your old dog was. They want to be WITH their pack (family) not bored out of their skull outside all day. And if you plan on using the dog for "guarding"...afraid not much guarding is going to get done in your yard. Burglars LOVE hitting houses with owners dumb enough to leave their guard dogs OUTSIDE...WHAT A SCORE.

Do your new dog a favour (whether you get a GS or a Rotti), let him live indoors with you. No one's saying you shouldn't let him in the yard when supervised but he really should be living INSIDE.

Julie

[alexav]

Why "outside"? Why not welcome the dog to live with your family?
Would you adopt a human child and keep it outside or isolate it from the rest of the family?

Sorry, but I think solitary confinement is best left to prison inmates, not a dog.

A Rottie confined in such a way that is not a real working dog, belonging to an experienced handler, will NOT make a good pet.