Inside or outside house

[rhylmarova]

I am having a bit of an argument with my partner and thought that you, far more experienced, could help me find the answer.

My partner believes that the dog should by outside for some time in the day (more time). I believe, that we have got a pet-companion and thus he should be a part of household. Despite understanding that sometimes it is a good idea if he spends time outside in his kennel (my partner build a lovely dog house for him), I just think it should be built slowly and he should still be a considerable time inside the house. He is only 4.5month old.

I also think, it can get bloody cold outside and worry, that it is not good for him. I know, I tend to still treat him more like a baby than my partner and thus would appreciate to get a bit of input on what you, guys, think.

Thanks

[poohbearsmom]

A dog need not be babied... in fact, quite the opposite.

Dogs are extremely social animals.. probably more so than humans. Yes, they require lots of social interaction, and this is part of responsible dog ownership when we choose to bring them into our lives.

Whether or not your dog spends a lot of time outside is a very personal choice, but there are certain responsibilities that come with either arrangement.

Wherever a dog is kept, without supervision, that area must safely contain the animal, and keep the animal in, and intruders out.

In our situation, our dogs are house dogs. We have multiple dogs, and they have their own room, with crates set up for containment when necessary (the boys take turns loose in the house). Our yard is securely fenced, and our dogs can go out at will most of the time, as we keep the back door open much of the time when we're home. If we are not outside with them, they will only go out to do their business, and come right back in - because the fun is where the people are.

We do spend a lot of time outside with the dogs, playing and training in the yard, but again, the dogs prefer to be where we are.

If a dog is to be kept outside as a rule, the owner should be the type of person who enjoys being outside with the dog when home, otherwise the animal is not getting the social interaction that's necessary for a healthy mind, or likely the exercise necessary for a healthy body.

The same goes for owners of inside dogs - simply having a dog live in the house is not enough - time needs to be put into the dog - it just tends to be easier when the dog is sitting in front of it's master to remind him of this particularly important aspect of dog ownership.

[Kitty]

Why would you get a dog and put it outside ? Rotts are very social animals and want to be with their companion . I have 3 and would never think of putting them outside for any long period of time with out me out there with them . Think about it this way would you like being out there ? with nobody to interact with ? How lonely would that be ? Rotts need interaction with their owners , training , and to be socialized.

[Bruce Lanthier]

My dogs are outside as I write. If the weather cooperates my dogs are outside in their locked, secure pen (28'x48') until I get home. I bring them inside when we get home and they are inside all night. Better that they are outside during the day than inside. A little more mental stimulation, digging, barking at things moving in the woods, chasing birds out of the pen, barking at the neighbors cat, checking out the myriad smells wafting across their noses, etc. Inside the house they would just be sleeping. Even if they are sleeping outside they can choose the sunshine (now that it is cooler they do) or shade.

[rhylmarova]

This is the thing, we just cannot agree on this with my partner. THANKS FOR SUPPORT. I will print it out and force him to read advise from people who know what they're talking about. Otherwise he thinks its only me babying the dog. Which I admit I was inclined to do but am improving every day.

I am home all day long, even though I have to work on our business. The door to the garden is open most of the time so he can go out to do his business. We have build a brick wall all around the garden, probably about 1.70m high or something like that.

I work with him in the morning (walk him, play with him and train him) and than after lunchtime (not necessarily after food but time-wise). In between, I usually close myself to office so that I can work un-disturbed and he gets a bone on special days or frozen carrot (teething time!) or just plays with his toys. Evening is again a join time, this time with my partner.

I just don't feel comfortable and just don't see any reason why I should lock him up outside. He is now nicely trained to stay downstairs if we want to have time for ourselves upstairs in the living room. And at the end of the day, I bought a dog as companion not a machine that will be locked up outside to guard home or something.

Additional question: Seriously, what is dog's ability to handle cold? Out of interest...possibly to stop comparing to a child.

Thanks again!

[marsol]

Well, as Judy has said " we all have to make a living". Sydney stays out side during the day in her pen with her cozy doggie house which she only goes into early, early in the AM or if it is raining. I was terribly worried when I started to leave her alone all day. When I had some time off I spied on her and she pretty much slept all day, peeked through the fence at the neighbors, barked at the birds, sniffed the air, dug a little, pulled up a grass runner or two, rolled her ball around, emptied the Kong. Of course she is rarin to go when I get home, so we play, walk and train strenously when I get home. I really think it gives them a bit of independence to be able to be on their own (in a pen) and not be too dependent and anxious about being with me. During the summer months I take her to PetSmart for doggie day camp with the nice A/C..she loves it.

[marsol]

I meant to add that I take her to Day Camp once a week..we had 108 plus with a humidity factor of 80% plus here at times.

[spidey]

If you have a secure yard (at least a 6' privacy fence, locking gate, etc.), and provide shelter, water and something to do, I see no reason a dog can't be outside during the day as long as the weather is reasonable (I certainly wouldn't have a short-haired dog outdoors for extended hours in extreme cold or extreme heat). I tend to think that most people aren't capable of properly maintaining a dog outdoors permanently, it's all to easy to forget about the dog, and I don't think it's an ideal situation for most dogs, but that's just my opinion (most of the "outdoor dogs" I know are really just neglected animals who get minimal human interaction, so I admit that I am prejudiced about this). That said, I don't see that the dog HAS to spend the day outside either, it really depends on the dog and the situation. But I do caution you to keep in mind that dogs aren't people, and they have different needs and wants than we do - this is a situation which compares well to a common situation with horses: horses do best when they live outside for as much time as possible (in fact, as long as they have adequate shelter from the elements, and water and hay, there's no reason a horse ever needs to come indoors under most circumstances), horses who spend most of their time outdoors have fewer health problems, and fewer psychological/behavioural problems than those who spend most of their time in stalls, but even so we like to tuck them up nice and snug in a stall, because that's what WE would prefer.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but does sound to me as if there's some element of your partner thinking the dog should spend time alone outside to "toughen him up" or something like that, and I think that attitude is a more concerning issue than simply whether or not the dog spends time outside. In the big picture, a dog who's properly raised and properly trained (and that means classes plus daily sessions), and who gets enough exercise, will probably be a happy, well-adjusted dog regardless of whether it spends time outside alone or not. The really important things are socialization, training, exercise and fair, reasonable and consistent treatment, not spending the day outside.

[rhylmarova]

I cannot agree more, Spidey (and everyone else). It's the leaving him outside when I am actually home that does not seem to bring benefit to anyone. He will spend it behind the door crying like hell. And again, I do realize that they tend to whine and after a bit, settle and one cannot give in to what he whines for. But if we put him out for half hour when we go to shop, he will settle almost immediatelly.

So, I am happy to keep him outside for the shorter periods when we are out of house...as he has a shelter there (his own house built by my partner), water and the yard is fully fenced (done a month ago to ensure all are safe). Has few toys in his house as well. But don't see any reason why I should force him/lock him out during the day or night.

I do remember he is a dog but at the same time I do remember why we bought him.

I prefer to go on this site, learn something new and implement it and thus training him into a better dog, good companion and have a bit of fun with it..hopefully always for both of us.

[Judi W]

Quite honestly, I believe that where the dog is going to live is something that should have been decided upon before getting the dog. Do not turn it into a "who is right" thing or you risk the dog being turned into an issue instead of a companion. There is no reason why a dog cannot spend time outside on its own. There is no reason however that a dog should live isolated either. What were your plans for the dog when you decided to get one? How did both of you visualize living with the dog and what activities did you plan on? You need to sit down and work out what your expectations are and come to an agreement that benefits the dog and allows for a peaceful family.

[rhylmarova]

You are absolutely right, Judi. We are not arguing about it but discussing it a lot. My partner and I were clear about having a dog as a companion with my partner appreciating guarding values as well (not the macho type..no need to worry about that). He always believed that dog should be outside in kennel for when we are not home or when we want time for each other, which I had reservations to from start, wrongly perceiving the dog as a child.

Since than an awful lot has changed. I have learned a lot from you, guys, about how to be (and hopefully am making right steps towards it) a responsible owner and am dedicating good time to training my dog, socializing him and spending time with him.

Mainly due to our inexperience with the breed (and we take full responsibility for that), we were a bit overwhealmed(sp?) with the task of bringing up a puppy of this particular breed. It just seems to be a lot harder with the nipping, chewing, whinning etc. Or maybe I just forgot how it was when I had my last dog as puppy (it is 15 years after all). That is what lead my partner to start pushing a bit more towards Lion staying outside. But I feel it to be the simple (not neccessarily right) solution and that is why I disagree.

Putting him outside when we eat is not necessarily better solution than teaching him to be around but not jump on table, whine for food etc.

The main reason why I asked this question is because I recognize that I have a lot to learn in treating dog as a dog and I am working hard on it. Therefore I want to make sure that my thinking is influenced by wellbeing of the dog and not MY OWN NEED to pamper him...do you know what I mean?

Btw, we never discuss the issues or 'argue' in front of the dog..that would undermine authority :-)))

[Judi W]

I do, however my caution is quite serious. If the dog becomes the focus of a battle ground, the answer ends up bad for all. If you "win" and end up ramming the dog down partner's throat, he will become even more disliked.

Too many dogs are used as a battle ground between partners Posting all of our discussions about the need for social contact is not what will convince your living partner. Teaching the dog manners, to go lie down when requested, and being free to put him out to entertain himself for a while will be more convincing than all the posts on any thread.

[BigBark]

This thread is very timely for me. I haven’t posted in a while and have just been doing a lot of reading on the site, but I we had been wondering what to do about our Max for some time. He has just tuned 1 year old, and he is not neutered. We have a large screened in porch that is just outside of our family room, separated by large glass doors. This porch has a doggie door that lets Max out into the backyard. There we have a tall (8ft), wooden, privacy fence. When we got Max as a small puppy, we envisioned him being in the house with us, but as he has gotten bigger, he spends a lot of time in his “room” and outside. We bring him in daily and he is well-behaved while inside the house and likes being in the house with us. We have to small children (5 and 8 year old boys) that he loves to play with. We also spend time with him outside in the backyard. While he loves to be in the house with us, most of the time he is quite content to be outside running and playing or just watching us from the other side of the glass doors. Sometimes he sleeps in his designated spot in the house, and sometimes he like to sleep on the back porch. We finally came to the conclusion that what was best for him was to keep it balanced. As long as he can: (1) get human interaction, (2) play outside by himself sometimes, and (3) still be a well-behaved rottie, we will keep his living arrangements as they are.
I hope this helps you in some way!
BigBark

[rhylmarova]

Big Bark, yes, that is very helpful. That is what I think we are going for. He spends good time with us and but also on his own, while we go and watch TV or read. It is good for all of us...so lets see how it goes. He is still only 4.5months but getting bigger!:-))

[TUindecisive]

I work 9 hours a day, in general. If I had the choice between having my dog spend 9 hours alone in his cage or 9 hours in a safe backyard with proper shelter, I would leave him outside. He's not missing out on any interaction, since I wouldn't be home anyway. He would be able to stretch his legs and run around. I don't have this option, since I live in an apartment. As it is now, Bailey must spend any time I'm not home in his kennel.

If you had the right kind of enclosure (outdoor run, or secure fence, whatever) Why not leave the dog out on decent days? If, however, you're not comfortable with having the dog outside-for whatever reason- maybe he should stay inside. It's a preference.

The line between unreasonable pet ownership, I feel, is when the animal spends all of it's time outside, without being able to spend significant time with the family.