In or Out - Cruel to leave a dog outdoors? Opinions Are Appreciated!

[Picky Chicky]

My goodness you all have very passionate opinions and I asked for each and every one of them - so thank you for your thoughts!!

Just in case I gave anyone the wrong impression, please know that we never intend to adopt/purchase our new companion and just toss it outside on a chain.

IF we did get a dog meant for 100% outdoors, that dog would be very much a part of the family, and very well taken care of. To me, it's just part and parcel of owning a dog.

Someone mentioned the dog(s) barking at all hours of the night. That wouldn't be much of a worry (other than our own) just because while even though we live in a small neighborhood, our neighbors have hunting dogs that bark continously. I'm not certain they'd hear our dog(s) over their own. We're also spread out by several acres of woods between one another. So that would probably help. If we lived closer to our neighbors and they didn't own yappy dogs, we probably wouldn't consider an outdoor dog though. Good thinking though!

I agree with most on their worries of "out of sight, out of mind" - it was a real question I had to ask myself. And again, I'm the one in the family who wants my dogs inside, while DH wants them outside.

For the passionate, please know that we will not go lightly into making this decision. We will not be getting another dog until we both agree on what what is best for us, and the future dog. I hope that made sense.

But thank you all again for the passionate responses! There were a couple times I thought I might need to go into hiding before the torches and throngs of menacing villagers came knocking at my door.

P.S. I don't think a Poodle is quite the breed we're looking for.

German Shepherds, Labs, Goldens Retrievers, Collies... these are our favorites.

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

Sure we have created the breeds we have now but they still have the ability to live outdoors. It is not cruel to have a dog live outside all the time because they can most definatly do it. Just ask the millions of dog owners who keep dogs outside.

Dogs that are abandoned will form packs and they will resort back to wild behavior as well.

I have 3 dogs that range from pure bred to mutt and they all live outside fine during heat and winter months. Never have I seen any of them in distress over the weather or environment. In the dead of winter my dogs will play in the creeks and run squirrels/rabbits like they do in the summer months. This goes for the countless amounts of dogs that I personally know that live a happy life outside. From tiny little yorkies to big ol pit bulls.

I was just basing my opinion on my own personal experience with dogs

And that is that it is not cruel to have your dog live outside, they can do it just fine...and happily too.

 

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
Golden Retrievers would probably not be a good choice. They are EXTREMELY people oriented...seem very depressed to not be with their person. While they DO handle cold quite well, they don't do well in heat due to the undercoat. Mine can't stand it outside very long (even when I'm out there) on really hot days. They are quite susceptable to heat stroke. Labs are pretty similar. But I'm in southern Indiana...you may live in a colder climate... I'm not familiar with how the other breeds you mentioned are.

 

[Picky Chicky]

I thank the brains who came up with the Furminator and clippers!

 

[Cara]

Clipping a dog will not necessarily make it more heat tolerant. In many cases the coat actually helps insulate the dog against hot or cold temperatures. It is the fat deposits in Labradors, Golden Retrievers etc that keep them especially warm (originally in freezing cold water).

ETA With 'outside' dogs it's particularly important to consider where the breed originated. If a dog is going to live inside with AC or heating, there's a lot more leeway in terms of which breeds can tolerate the local climate. A Chinese Crested isn't going to survive outside in Alaska; a Newfoundland would not do well in New Mexico.

 

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
Just got both of mine "shaved" this summer...not to cool them off ( because they still have the undercoat and the outer coat, it's just a LOT shorter) but to help with hair management (mine love it when I take them to the lake or to the creek, and they can get pretty dirty).
But you mentioning the clippers made me think. If your husband just doesn't like all the hair in the house, get a very short haired breed. Or pay 4 times a year to have someone "shave" a longer haired breed so that he doesn't have that argument. Hair tumbleweeds have gone down TONS this summer since we've had them shaved.

 

[HLAC]

My lab is an outdoor dog. She has a fenced area of the yard and access to a portion of the garage via a doggy door. In the summer there's a fan going for her in the garage and a heat lamp in colder days of winter. She also has access to two dog houses outside.

Her only indoor time was when she was a puppy and then it was mostly in a crate.

I'm incredibly allergic to dogs and I keep her outside out of my necessity.

She's an incredibly happy dog. Doesn't bark unless there's someone or something in the yard and since I work from home I can still interact with her during the day.

Would she be happier if she could be with me 24/7? Probably. But then I'd be happier if I had a million dollars in the bank... but I don't and I'm still happy with what I have. She seems happy with what she has.

 

[CMV]

Quote:
I agree with Equus50.

Me, too.

 

[Beekissed]

Would she be happier if she could be with me 24/7? Probably. But then I'd be happier if I had a million dollars in the bank... but I don't and I'm still happy with what I have. She seems happy with what she has.

Exactly! If our dog's extreme happiness was our first and only concern, we would never go to work and we would be outside playing with them at all times. We would be killing fresh meat for them when they had the urge to hunt live prey and we would be taking them for drives most of the time we weren't engaging in other activities like playing and hunting. My dog LOVES going for drives!

As most folks have to prioritize their lives and the time spent trying to please those we love, it's not real feasible to expect that our dogs will be happy ALL the time. Heck, I'm not happy ALL the time!

My dogs seem extremely content in their environment outdoors but they never, repeat NEVER seem to get enough attention....no matter if when they are inside with us all day or I am outside petting them for hours on end. No matter if we went swimming all day together or they have helped me clean and dress a deer. I don't care if these dogs were surgically sown to my hip, they would still require constant petting and affection. Some men are like that....

BUT, is my dog's every happiness and fulfillment my primary reason for living? Nope.

One post asked why people who keep dogs outside even want one? For the same reason YOU want one.

For companionship, to protect the premises, to protect the livestock.....and because some dogs won't have a home if they don't have a home outside. My Pyr was abandoned on a farm by her owners, chained with a 5 ft. chain to a muddy doghouse with no bedding. The neighbors were trying to keep her fed and watered.

Now? A good warm bed, a heated water bucket, a lounging shed full of hay, complete with mattress in the corner and an acre of ground to run and play on. Not to mention people who love them and praise them, care for their health needs, keep them safe and give them a purpose on this Earth. She also has a companion dog....her pack mate to snuggle with when it gets colder, to play with, to communicate with....we humans just THINK we can understand dog language. It's very complicated and interesting to watch...but I could not duplicate most of it if I studied it for years.

A dog will usually adapt to their environment, be it cold or hot, long hair or short. Actually, my short hair, non-double coated dog loves cold weather way more than my Pyr mix!

If we allow them to be outdoors as the seasons change, their fur and skin sensitivity adapts with it. Of course an inside dog shivers when they go out in the cold....they have not developed the proper coat for winter wear because dog coats adapt to temps. They came from a nice, warm house out into bitter, blowing cold....of course, they run back to the house for shelter! Who wouldn't with a light summer weight jacket?

The same way us mountain folks are wearing shorts in 40-50 degree weather and southerners are freezing at 60. We are all built to adapt somewhat to climate, but animals way more than humans. When I bring my dogs in on a winter's night they eventually have to find a cooler room to be in...they cannot tolerate the warmth of a wood stove.

As for barking dogs all night? Owners fault. Nothing else but owner negligence and poor communication with their dogs. My PYR will try to do this on the rare occasion. I let her for about 5-10 minutes, then I walk outdoors and let her know it's okay...I hear your alarm...now go SHUT UP! The younger dog has learned this so well that he only barks with a real emergency~like an actual big animal or human, and not just the smell of one~ and stops immediately when the pack leader has acknowledged his alarm.

I agree that a dog should have a companion....but this does not necessarily mean a human has to be paying them attention at all times. We don't even get to pay attention to our children THAT much!

 

[claud]

Quote:
I think redhen said what I was thinking.

I don't think it's a matter of a dog being ABLE to survive outside - many of them can. I think the social nature of a dog make's him/her want/need to live with the pack and it's unfair to isolate them.
I had a dog that was outside only because DH wanted it that way and our dog had a medical problem that went unoticed because he was outside until it was almost too late. Our dog is now an inside dog and I will NEVER have an outside dog again for as long as I live. I would rather have no dog at all.

It's fine to restrict a dog's access to parts of the house - my dog is mainly in my kitchen because he drools - alot - not good for carpet.

I do see the exception with a working outside dog such as a - farmdog/ranchdog(where it's human pack is mostly outside all year round) or livestock guardian(in the case the dog is bonded to the herd/flock).