Quote Originally Posted by Pam
I have very strong feelings on this but don't want to come off sounding harsh. I hope I can do that. I think most of us look at dogs as family members. We keep all of our family members inside the house and interact. I cannot understand, and never will, how people keep dogs outside. I wouldn't do that to a family member. I don't understand how someone can develop a relationship with a dog that isn't with them inside 24/7. When I see a dog outside all of the time and, worse yet, chained outside, I think the people who own that dog see them as *lawn ornaments.* I do not buy into the argument of having a dog for protection. Believe me, my Ripley (all 14 lbs. of him) can alert me to anything going on outside. After I am alerted it is my responsibility to see if there is a reason for the alarm. I would certainly never have a dog for protection with the idea of having an *attack dog.* I am sorry but I just cannot fathom any reason for ever having an outside dog.
I totally agree with this, Pam. To me, having a dog living outside in the yard is like taking the least favorite of your children and making him/her live outside, while the rest of the family is in the house.

"Well, Billy is messier than his sisters, leaves his dirty underwear in the middle of his bedroom floor, doesn't wipe the toothpaste out of the sink and hates to take a bath. So he has to live in a tent in the backyard. We take good care of him, we make sure he has food and water, and we go outside almost every day to talk to him for a few minutes. In the summer when it's warm we even throw the baseball for him a few times a week! There's nothing wrong with having an outside child! We love him and take care of him, and he's perfectly happy out there in his tent while we are all in the family room, watching a video and eating popcorn."

I had a Siberian husky that liked to spend a lot of time outside, moreso than the other dogs. I don't know if he got hot, or just like his solitary time more. However, I had a dog door, and it was his choice. He came in the house whenever he pleased, and was in quite a bit, just not as much as the other dogs. So, while I do definately agree that some dogs prefer the outdoors much more than others dogs do, I do not believe for a second that there are dogs that would choose to spend every minute of their lives outside, away from their families.