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Originally Posted by Britster  I hope nobody takes offense to this... but I really think six months strictly indoors is much too long. I understand being over-protective but they're DOGS. I've never heard of a dog not going outside for six months, no matter how small they are. My vet told me it was fine to take him outside even after he had only had his two sets of shots (he got three sets total + Rabies). I strictly potty-trained him outside from the get-go as I didn't want him to learn peeing/pooping in the house is OK only to have re-train and do it all over again teaching him to go outside. I never took him into a Petsmart or a dog park or anywhere like that until he had all of his shots... but Jackson LOVES it outside. He's 8 months old now and I couldn't imagine keeping him indoors from December-April.  I feel you miss a great deal of socialization and learning experiences during that 6 months when they're isolated from the world. That's not fair to them. Even newborn babies only have to stay out of public places for a few weeks. During those 6 months, Jackson experienced and loved snow, grass, water, running around in the backyard chasing balls, exercise, walking properly on a leash, meeting new people & seeing new things. Has he EVER been around another dog? He probably won't know how to act around other dogs. How many other people besides you has he seen? I don't know - I just feel it's unfair to the dog. |
I really think it depends on the situation, where a person lives, and how the owner wants to train their dog.
However, in an urban setting, where streets may not be as pristine as other parts of the country, it is understandable for an owner to be a little more cautious with a 2.5 lb yorkie under 6 months old. This is also assuming that there are no other dogs in the household.
I'm all about giving dogs the chance to be just that, dogs. But at the same time I think it's perfectly normal for first time owners to be a little more cognizant of the surroundings of their dogs. In those 6 months, the puppy can still be exposed to other dogs in a controlled environment. Some owners may not want their <6 month old yorkie running around in a dirty dog park covered with feces and woodchips.
Just my opinion. *ARF*