I would like to say that I have three labs and they are outside all the time..they come in very little. My femele would if she didnt shed to much and than my 1 male pees on everything and than i have the pup that comes in every once in a while. My dogs are outside but they have a huge concrete pad and they have runners and also we built this doghouse that each side is 5 ft long on the inside (ON EACH SIDE). Our dogs are very well taken care of and are warm in the winter and cool in the summer as we give them a pool with water and spray them down everyday and they are let out of their pens daily to run and play. Im not trying to be defensive but saying it's abuse leaving animals outside 24/7 is dumb and if you dont have a large breed dog you really have no place to make judgements like that. Our dogs are very well taken care of. My husband sprays their pens out TWICE a day so its clean of dirt, poop, pee, etc. In the winter they each get about a bail of hay EACH in their dog house with a pillow......YEAH I am probably abusing my dogs!!
Yorkies and other small dogs I agree should not be left outside during the winter especially.