How do you feel about outside only pets?

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Originally posted by petslover
I have a question. If the dog is happy outside would you really keep it inside where its not happy? Thats what I don't understand.

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Again, it would depend on the situation. If the dog had always been outside before, it might just need a chance to get used to being inside, and I would definitely try to work with the dog to get it to be comfortable indoors. However, if no matter how much and how hard we worked on it the dog was still miserable inside, I would concede and let it be outside, but do anything and everything I could to make sure it was safe and comfortable. If it came down to the dog having a 24/7 miserable quality of life because it was trapped indoors, that would override the risks in setting up an outdoor living place for it. In that case, in my mind it would be preferable that there be a small risk of something happening outside than the dog living a miserable life inside.

When I was growing up and Mom worked and I went to school, the collies had to stay outside during the day while we were gone. That was the rule. We built a long kennel run with doghouse etc within the already fenced yard so that no one could bother them without climbing 2 fences.

Things are not always black and white, yes or no, bad or good. You can't just make blank statements like "you're a bad owner if you use crates" or "you're a bad owner if you leave your dogs outside" and have them be accurate in every single case. I believe that very strongly.

My dogs are inside dogs. Always have been, always will be. I do however believe that they should be able to go outside whenever they want, so they have a doggie door to come and go as they please. Bailey loves to lay in the sun for hours at a time, and I could never deprive her of that. :)

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Originally posted by cyber-sibes
It depends on the situation - What about the poor house dog thats crated all day waiting for its owner? I think "alone" is tough on the dog, whether it's inside or out. I hate hearing people say their dog is "crate-trained" - how would you like to be confined for hours at a time where you can't stretch or walk around or go to the bathroom?

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Heidi is crate trained. I crate trained her for potty reasons, and because it is a lot safer for her (and for my house :o), because when she was a puppy she could have chewed on things that weren't good for her, etc. Also, she feels secure and happy in her crate. How do I know? I sometimes have a very hard time getting her to come out of her crate! Sometimes I have to drag her out of her crate, and then she will go right back in. :rolleyes: And she isn't in there ALL day....I am home with her practically all day, as I am homeschooled and she is out of her crate most of the time. :) Sometimes Heidi needs some "alone" time because she is ALWAYS being petted and cuddled when she is out of her crate. She has a x-large crate so she has room to turn, stretch, etc. She loves her crate, though, and even if she could be trusted in the house (which she can't be, not yet anyway) I don't think I would take it away from her because she likes its alot. :)

I know Shadow was orginanly an outdoor dog, only because my dad got her when the rest of the family was in BC, and he was not sure my mom wanted a dog in the house, shadow however went to work with my dad every day, he had built her a dog house etc.. when we cam back my mom said shadow would be an inside dog, however she slept chained to the backdoor(just inside the door) only later did she start to become a completly fully indoor dog, BUT she STILL loves to be outside, she does not make a racket, if someone opens to the gate to let her out she wanders next door, then comes back to the yard. at her new home she spends a lot of time outside still, but they also have an 8 foot privacy fence. an indident we had at one point though was some kid tried to shoot shadow with a bow an arrow this was at out old house, she was a fully inside dog at the time, things can happen outside dog or not. my friends old dog sparky was an outside only dog, they insisted that sparky liked being outside... uhh yeah, and thats why he tried to come in the house any chance he could get, and they had to force him to go back outside again :rolleyes: shadow is an inside dog there but she askes to go out, and they have to force her to come IN. none of my current dogs lik ebeing outside for long periods, actually they hate it lol Happy is not a happy camper when she is indoors, but she only likes being outside if I am with her, if I am not with her she will go out, potty and come right back in. Misty likes being outside for the sole purpose of barking lol we dont allow that the rule is you bark you come in, like it or not. on the topic of crate training, well all my dogs are crate trained and even perky who absolutly hated crates has started going in them, half the time you cant get that dog out of a crate anymore. Happy is the only one who is not crated while we are away, but she goes in her crate anyway, doors open the whole time. we dont have a problem getting the dogs crated we have a problem getting the dogs to go in the RIGHT crates lol I say crate happy and misty run into the same kennel, or misty runs into blairs kennel, or perky runs into Ripleys kennel then Ripley tried to go into his kennel... lol we have acually locked 2 dogs in the smae crate by mistake before, Misty will goe in Ripleys crate(even though its half her size lol) and Ripley happens to be curled up in the same crate in front of misty so you just close the dorr not realizing misty in there lol then you come home to see 2 sets of eyes in the same crate lol