Originally posted by ramanth
I voted inside/outside. But in some cases, like Glacier's crew, I don't mind that the dogs are outside only. She has dogs that refuse to come inside and they live outside all their life. But she, unlike some dog owners, plays with them, gives them attention and you know they are happy and loved.
I would greatly prefer that all my dogs could come and go from the house as they pleased. The vast majority of them do. I've had up to 16 in the house at once! Some I have to rotate--Goldie hates Preacher and will fight with him even inside, not all the girls can be together, Raven has to be supervised or there will be trouble, Hobo gets into the garbage if he's allowed to roam the house freely. With 21 dogs, it's a constant juggling act to balance their personalities and special quirks! Some of them only like to come in for short periods--Heyoka likes to get a treat, make sure he isn't missing anything fun and go back outside. He's a malamute and he overheats very quickly.

The exceptions, who don't come in, are Delta and Kayleigh.
Kayleigh doesn't mind being inside, but she has a completely out of control prey drive. She would, with great delight, kill all my cats in minutes. She is allowed inside when I can lock all the cats up, safely out of her reach. It's nerve wracking for me though as there is always a possiblity of a door popping open or a cat sneaking out somehow! This summer my husband is going to build Kayleigh a new pen. It will be attached to his shop and have a doggy door for her. He spends a great deal of time out there and his Dad is there every day (he's a carver and uses the shop to work). Kayleigh will be able to come and go from the shop at will. We will both like that!

Delta is afraid of the house. He won't come inside. I did have him in on the weekend, but I had to corner him in the yard and carry him to the house. Not pleasant for either of us. I want to get Delta working as a sled dog next winter. His gait is flawless and I'm sure he'd do well in harness. His brother is a great sled dog! So this summer/fall, Delta is my project dog. Hopefully, by next winter, he will want his house time too!

My dogs are all northern breeds, so cold doesn't bother them. They all have insulated dog houses full of straw if they want to sleep outside. I make a special effort to spend extra time with Kayleigh every day. If I had different breeds, they would need to be inside even more.

I think outdoor only dogs, under certain circumstances are fine, but it takes a special effort from the owner to make sure their needs are met. A dog who is simply left as a yard ornament is not acceptable!