"Outdoor" Dogs...Is there such a thing?
 

No offense to anyone, but I personally would not keep a dog outside. I feel that a dog is part of the family and that s/he should be close to his/her people. With that being said, ;) I have heard that there may be dogs who possibly prefer to be outside most of the day b/c of their thick coat. Anyone know what types of dogs belong in this category? Is the soft coated wheaten terrier one of them?

I ask b/c a neighbor of mine has the cutest SCWT, and she keeps him outside CONSTANTLY! :( :( :( Everytime I go to take Baby out, he's out there with his little nose peaking under the fence. He looks so lonely out there, and sometimes he barks at us to get our attention. I know he's very friendly b/c one time he "ran away" and came to my door! When I opened the door he ran in and wanted to play with Baby! LOL I brought him back, of course, but now I know why he "ran away." :rolleyes: I'd really like to go over there and say, "You keep your dog outside a lot. You sure you want him? If not, I'll take him!"

So, if you have any info as to whether SCWTs prefer to be outside, maybe...just maybe, I will feel better about him being out. Thanks!

Oh Nicole...they are cute...steal him & if ya keep him inside...your neighbor's will never know. I'm kidding...but they are cute.

The one outdoor dog that comes to my mind...was an Alaskan Malamute. Dakota did like being outside when it was cold....summer months she wanted inside...too hot outside. LOL.

Personally I don't think ANY breed should be stuck outside without human companionship. It's not dogs want to just be inside...what they want is to be with people.

I don't think any dogs should be left outside, deprived of human companionship. However, my 3 australian shepherds love playing outside during the day. They are outside whenever there is no one home inside, and they seem to love playing loudly and rough-housing, and napping in the sun, all of which they can't do inside. But I'm in California, and I never leave them out when its too cold or too hot, or if its raining, so it might be a somewhat different situation.

As a child our German Shepherd hated being inside. When it would get too hot or cold we would let him in and he would bark until he was let out. The Austrailian Shepherd they have no likes coming in but only when its really cold. He loves being outdoors where he is free to run and play. :)

I dont believe dogs should be kept out side all the time however on a thread once someone told me alaskan malamutes dont want to be inside because their coats are heavy and hot

I also dont think any dog should be outside all the time, its so lonely out there! Im also surrounded by neighbors that have "outside" dogs and it breaks my heart for those dogs.

Dakota's fur was so thick...you couldn't see or feel her skin..if you stuck your fingers in it. She was allowed inside though...and miserable in the Virginia heat and humity in the summer.

My brother's lab loves to stay outside...you have to literally bring her inside...even if it's raining.

I have 2 OUTSIDE dogs, and that's what they strictly are..outside dogs..Every day, we get them fresh water, let them out of the dog run and play with them, throw the ball, and love on them...then every night, they get fed at 5:00 with cut up chicken in their food..those 2 dogs have a beautiful dog shelter my hubby built, and a dog run, and a fenced in back yard (an acre) that every night they get to run loose in for 1/2 hour or more..those 2 outside dogs get more attention and love, than most inside dogs I've seen get...so, YES, there can be strictly outside dogs..

My hubby found a German Sheppard one time, We ended up keeping him after many attempts to find his owner, Any way, he did not like the inside at all, He would pace & pant like crazy, maybe because he was not use to being inside? huby built him a great big nice kennel outside, We never new his age, he was our best friend for 5 yrs:) R.I.P Skippy..You were a great Buddy:)

theres a HUGE difference with a dog WANTING to be out & being PUT outside to live
i see nothing wrong with a dog with shelter love & food if the dog WANTS to be out there
but a dog being put out there is wrong
ME personally would NEVER have a dog outside

I think there is a big difference on how "outside" dogs are treated..Like I said, ours get plenty of love and attention, they know when it's time to be let out to play(at 3:00, they're right over at the gate), and when we're done with the playing, we say time to get in your pen, and both of them go running in there..I know they get a lot of one on one time with us(probably more so than my inside dogs), and they're both very healthy dogs..Hubby was even wanting to heat their dog shelter, but, it's already got insulation in it, and a roof, and plenty of straw, so I told him no on that one..He was wanting to put air in there also, but, we have a big tree out there for them to lay under and we always give them plenty of fresh water on hot days...Now there is a difference of the way my 2 have it compared to ones that are tied up or put in a small area and never get any human affection at all...that, we don't believe in at all! But, I don't think (even though my shepherd isn't mean), that it would be a very pretty sight, if she came in, and accidentally stepped on my yorkie puppy, as she can get a little rough while playing, and the way she plays with the golden retriever biting at her neck, could kill one of the inside dogs..

While I would never have an outside dog, I don't think there's anything wrong with it as long as they have proper shelter and attention.

My ex-friend Paige had a Dalmation, Penny, and she lived outside. It really pissed me off. She had a dog house...a crappy dog house...and usually she was hooked up to it. They only let her inside when it rained and then she had to stay in the laundry room. I loved her...when I was at Paige's house I would go outside and play with her and she adored the attention...because she never got any from any of them. The day they took her to put her down, her dad was walking out the door and he said "Say bye to Penny, Paige," and Paige didn't even turn around she just went "Bye Penny" and in the meantime I was crying. That is the kind of situation where I think the dog would just be better off living with someone else. But I've seen outside dogs who have mini houses in their yard lol, and I don't have a problem with that.

I agree, my dogs are family. However when we were first married, we had and raised Great Danes. They slept inside and were inside when we were home, but because of their size, when we were gone they had to be outside, we provided a huge handmade dog house elevated and padded, but the rest of the time they were in with us.

The dog shelter my hubby made for our outside dogs, is nicer than the insides of some homes I've seen

Why in the world would anyone want to Have a Outside Dog???
 

Why in the world would anyone want to Have a Outside Dog???

Sorry I think Even if they had there very own house they need to be inside with Humans too. That is why they are call companion animals.

Just my Opinion :cool:

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This is the first time I have owned an "inside" dog! My Malamute wouldn't come in the house. It was way too hot for him even if it was -18F outside! We would go out and play with him on a regular basis and he LOVED sitting by the door and "gaurding" the house. That was his job and he took it very seriously. There are some dogs that are loners, just like there are people who are loners. Not all dogs like to constantly be around people or kept in a kennel in a house. They would much rather be outside running around than kept in a kennel all day while their owner was at work. Some people think they are doing the dogs a favour by keeping them in the house but that isn't necessarily true for ALL dogs. Everything depends on the dogs and their personality. JMHO:)

So is it okay to leave your dog cooped up in a kennel all day?:confused:
This kinda of comment is uncalled for and rude:thumbdown

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Like I said, there are some people that NO, they shouldn't own any dog(even inside ones), but, my outside dogs are just as loved as much as the inside ones, and actually get more human one on one time, than the inside ones...and yes, that was a VERY rude comment she made!

Where I am originally from (Rush Center, Kansas--western Kansas) it is very rare to find an "inside" dog. Most people have large dogs...labs, blue heelers, australian shephards, golden retrievers, etc. I myself think that if the dog is big enough that it's tail can knock things off the coffee table or look over the dining room table, it doesn't need to be in the house. Don't get me wrong, I would never put a dog outside and then forget they're there, not giving them any attention. All outside dogs that I personally know are very well taken care of. I have never seen a dog that hasn't enjoyed being outside, being able to run and spend time along side the owner thats working outside. That said, I agree, outside dogs should not spend their time penned up or chained to something. If they are kept outside, they need shelter and lots of loving attention!

:thumbup: I agree with you....and many dogs were not bred to be companion animals, although that is what we use them for. I think many times we view things emotionally, instead of looking at the reality of what the DOG enjoys, not us. I have two pugs, and if you've ever read anything about pugs you know that everything says they are inside only dogs. Mine would go crazy if they were inside all the time. They LOVE being outside....so we have a secure, generous-sized pen with a warm doghouse, a sheltered area, lots of toys, etc. I am careful that they don't get too hot or cold. This summer we will make our whole yard secure so they can have the yard. They are inside in inclement weather, and evening and night. I would love them to be inside all the time. But that's my preference, not theirs.

There are a lot of people in my area who keep their outside dogs chained. I hate this. But there is a big difference in keeping a dog chained up outside, and having an outside dog. I have seen a lot (and grown up with) of dogs, particularly bigger dogs, that are happier inside than out.

I guess the question has to be asked "what is the point of having dogs if they only live outside?".

My brother has Bernese Mountain Dogs and my sister has Great Pyrenees of which both breeds love living outside in the cold but each family has the dogs come in at night or whenever they want to, to be part of the family. Both my sister and my brother have many acres so during the day the dogs just hang around outside. My father raised labs for hunting and those dogs were also a very large part of our family. All of these dogs have/had jobs to do whether hunting or guarding the family or property but being part of the family and our activities was just as important to us and the dogs.

I think it is very sad when I see animals that lead such a solitary life, outside all the time.

Until I had my Yorkies well that and a Maltese when I was a Kid I had never owned any Small dogs. We had Golden Retrievers and all big dogs like that. They all were inside dogs.. they did go out but they could come in when ever they wanted..
the next door neighbor had 21 siberian Huskies they all were indoor/outdoor. Yes all 21 I helped take care of them they were show dogs.. her house was Spotless too.

That's really nice..as I said mine are strictly outside, and probably treated a lot better than a lot of inside dogs...

I would NEVER have an outside dog. My pit bull is very rarely happy outside unless I'm out there with her. She's never out for more than 5 mins unless I"m with anyway.

THere is too much that could happen to her outside! I would worry myself sick worrying about her safety outside.

Even though Laney is a "big dog", she is inside except when she goes out to potty or I have her out walking or playing. When I am not at home, she is safely confined to my room, keeping the bed warm! :D

This will be my last post to this thread. What is the difference between an outside dog that has the run of a yard and a nice doghouse and an inside dog that is kept in a little kennel or 7 or 8 hours a day? Which dog do you think is "happier"??? Both get played with at night for the same amount of time then the "inside" dog is returned to the kennel for the night. Makes a person wonder............:rolleyes:

The outside dog is exposed to the elements
It can be stolen, shot, poisoned, attacked by a wild animal, escape, etc


Slade is kenneled in an XL crate (though rarely for 7 hrs) , so by your logic perhaps I should just leave him in the backyard where he would be "happier"?:rolleyes:

I couldnt agree more!!! :thumbup: