The people I've known that have kept their dogs outside (with a doghouse) never struck me as true "dog people". I wouldn't have called them mean-hearted, it was just that the dog always seemed a sort of accessory or work animal for them, rather than a pet. In my house, pets have always been family members. We wouldn't have dreamed of keeping Grandma out on the porch, so the poodle wasn't kept there either!

However, I just can't fathom not giving a dog some sort of roof over his head--that's cruelty.