Comments on: Why do people in the pet/dog section always expect for owners to let their dogs live in their house?

By: Dd Old Account is Suspended

Dd *Old Account is Suspended* — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:23:59 +0000

It depends on the dog. Some dogs are happiest inside, others prefer to be out. You should put your dog where it functions best. The people that whine about outside dogs are incredibly close minded. As long as the dog is receiving the attention and shelter it needs there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't be able to keep him outside. Not all dogs have that strong pack instinct that requires them to be near you 24/7. Some dogs are very independent and prefer to be out playing on their own.
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By: Jeññi Fíóηηabhaír ┈┈

Jeññi Fíóηηabhaír ┈┈ — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:05:59 +0000

Nothing wrong with it. Mine stays outside except during bad weather. He is allowed into the kitchen at times when i let him in and into my bedroom but no other room in the house. He spent most of Christmas say inside – due to the bad weather and he was not happy about that at all..
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By: Iggy's Cabbage Patch Gang

Iggy's Cabbage Patch Gang — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:25:59 +0000

People get dgos and leave them outside, some dogs would not do well in a home, and prefer to be outside, but even those dogs need better shelter in the winter months.

I have 4 dogs and all my dogs are inside dogs, yes they are, they are very well house traiend, and have the option of being inside/outside, as they have a huge dogie door and go out when they want to. but sleep inside every night.

I have a Min Schnauzer
2 Akita’s
1 Newfoundland, all inside dogs and huge they are, except for my Schnauzer.

All my dogs sleep in my bed, I have huge oversize kingsize bed, they all have their own spot on the bed, and yep, I have my little portion LOL

I love my dogs and I give them every comfort of a good home….they love being indoors with me…they go where I go…

People love their dogs and are a major part of our lives.

There is nothing wrong with an inside dog, even the giant breeds love indoors.

I do not expect everyone to let their dogs live inside, it is their choice, their right to allow the dog to sleep outside, but has been my experience, you get the dog, bring it home, and toss in the yard, sure they feed and water the dog, but the dogs do not get all the interaction they should…

My opinion, if you have the space,let the dog live inside and give it the choice of a dogie door to go in and out…..

They are our babies, our kids……and dog people are the best people in the world and we show it by the way we take care of our dogs…

Merry Christmas
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By: Love is a German Shepherd Dog

Love is a German Shepherd Dog — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:44:59 +0000

Well… most owners are too stupid to give their dogs enough attention when the diges are INSIDE laying next to them! Let alone give them enough attention if they are outside. Out of sight, out of mind, and many of these dogs live lives with very little human interaction. You go outside in the morning to feed them. 5 minutes. Then you might take them for a walk. 15-30 minutes. Then you might go play ball for a little bit. Another 15-30 minutes. You go outside later to feed them. 5 minutes. So that’s what, only an hour or hour and a half where the poor thing gets ANY interaction?

Be REALISTIC, this is the case for most people. Heck, most don’t even walk the poor thing. Granted, I may not spend more then a couple hours a day actually interacting with my dog. But he’s next to me on the couch, he’s in the office with me, I may rub him with my foot here or there. He’s with me at almost all times, not outside alone.
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By: King Les The Lofty

King Les The Lofty — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:25:59 +0000

DO the people here?
If so, maybe even the "thickest" of them is a cut above the folks in your neighbourhood.

Certainly a pup should be with its humans while its humans are awake (and as humans spend so much time inside, that means that the pups should spend a lot of time inside). That way:
(1) The HUMANS learn something about canine timing & body language – or have lots of messes to clean up and furniture to repair/replace.
(2) The PUP learns to interpret the strange arm-wavings and sounds that humans make, and begin interpreting their human’s routine & wishes. As an example, I haven’t trained any of my last 3 or more generations of GSDs to lie down – they automatically lie down when I sit, get up when I stand, because that’s what they saw their elders do.

Toilet training is dead simple with a 7-9 weeks old pup (the proper age to get a pup – you have only until it is 12-13 weeks old to convince a pup that the world is a safe, interesting place and that you are the centre of everything good in the universe) – regardless of breed, it is small enough to CARRY to the designated toilet place. I expect paper-training or toilet-training completed the first afternoon an owner has a pup – it is the inattentive OWNER who is the biggest handicap to toilet training. And within a week the pup can reliably follow to the toilet place. Many are trained by 6 months old to ring a special bell to announce that they want to go out to the toilet. My 3rd & 4th GSDs were trained to go toilet on command, but that isn’t actually necessary, just handy if you do a lot of travelling with your dogs, as competitors do.

The worst kinds of owners are those whose dogs have to be collected by the SPCA or a rescue group.
Second worst kind of owners are those who leave their dog chained up all day & night (it’s actually illegal, in my country) – doesn’t matter whether it is on a short chain or a running line, the dog is not able to be part of a pack, and has nothing to exercise its mind apart from barking at anything that moves (hoping to get a reaction one way or the other). Such owners are almost certain to NOT be in a training club class (forget pet shop play groups) when their pup turns 18-22 weeks old; as a result those owners never learn to be effective trainers, and their pooch doesn’t learn to pay attention regardless of what other dogs & people are doing.

As I am an occasional breeder, I have 4 roofed security runs facing the kitchen (so we & the dogs can see each other). Each GSD spends part of its day or night out in its pen – but it also spends part of its day with me. How much time each one gets inside with me depends on who it is enemies or friends with, and its age – my 15 year old NEEDS to be in the house every night.

One of the prime functions of a pet dog is as an expert fur therapist (it’s even official – look for PAT-dogs = Pets As Therapy, dogs that visit hospices and old folks homes) – but a dog that’s always tied up outside has little opportunity to provide its therapy, and probably even less incentive to do so.

If your statement is correct, I would expect your neighbourhood to be VERY short of well-behaved dogs – and possibly short of well-behaved children too!
Les P, owner of GSD_Friendly: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/GSD_Friendly
"In GSDs" as of 1967
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By: letterstoheather

letterstoheather — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:12:59 +0000

The reason i don’t think it’s the greatest idea to keep a dog tied up to a dog house 24/7 is because dogs are social creatures. Being left alone all the time with nothing to do and no one to socialize with can make a dog a bit whacky. And i don’t know about you, but if i were left tied outside all the time with nothing but my water and dog house, i’d go mad.

Dogs need a "pack" — this can be a dog and his humans, or a dog and his dog companions.
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By: tmw2362

tmw2362 — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:43:59 +0000

of course all dogs need to go out to do their business and to get exercise and fresh air. i have 4 big dogs and 1 med size dog. they are all indoors. they do go out as needed but to have them outside all the time? No Way. not only is it cruel for them to be left outside but there’s also the fact of wild animals. i cant imagine being left alone all the time. as i said i have 5 dogs, one night i let them out do to their business before bedtime, i went and opened the door to let them in and i shut and locked the door and was doing a few things before i laid down and i heard my golden retriever barking and whining. i realized i had left him out. and i have to say i cried like a baby thinking about what could have happened to him had he not made me notice he wasn’t inside. but then again i live way out in the country. they not only are indoors but have their beds In My Room, not that they really use them– they usually end up on my bed and that’s ok too. what is the point in having a dog if its outside all the time?? to me— that would be just another chore— not a pet.
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By: Jeanie

Jeanie — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:18:59 +0000

I have house dogs and I have outside dogs.I live in the south and it doesn't get that bad cold as it does up north.My chihuahua only goes out to use the bathroom all year round,my Boston Terriers stay outside all day long unless its really cold,raining,or really hot,and comes in at night.My german shepherd/wolf stays outside all year round unless we are having severe weather like tornados,tropical storms,ice storms,or gets bad cold then he comes inside till its over,he prefers to be outside.My great pyrenese stays outside all year round unless weather issues like with the shepherd,but I take him to the groomers at the beginning of the summer and shave him down some so he doesn't get to hot,because he doesn't really like being inside.Tiny dogs need to be inside,certain breeds need to be inside like bulldogs and some large breeds.It really depends on the owner.My dogs are somewhat like kids to me,but their not my children.
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By: BlueBird70

BlueBird70 — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:48:59 +0000

I don't have a dog but if I did I certainly wouldn't leave it outside all the time like a lawn ornament. A dog house is a shelter for a dog to sleep in on a nice day or to get in out of the rain. Even a dog the size of a Great Dane or Saint Bernard should be able to be inside where it doesn't have to be tied up all the time and can play and be petted. Of course dogs need to go outside that's where they go potty and go for walks on a leash with their owners or to get some fresh air and run if they are in a fenced in area. Not to be left outside day and night in a dog house.
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By: xangelface90x

xangelface90x — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:34:59 +0000

I had an outside dog. She was part of the family. Her being outside forced us to spend more time outside. She was never allowed inside and she didn't go crazy. She was very healthy and loved us very much. We had shelter for her and she always had water and food. We lived in Thailand so it was never cold. Even in the rain she had a place to snuggle with a blankie under our patio. She was also a great guard dog. Or neighbors got stolen from, but no one messed with our house. She had a scary bark, but never bit. i also had an indoor little dog. A lil miniature pincer. She was adorable, but not a good guard dog and someone stole from us while we were on vacation and she was home.
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