I have one dog who is strictly outdoors. Kayleigh comes in very rarely. She hates being inside. Generally, she comes in, gets a treat and waits at the door to go back outside. There are a number of reasons why Kayleigh is an outside dog. First she's a malamute-wolf hybrid. She has an astonishing coat and she overheats in minutes in the house. Second, she has an out of control prey drive. I have to lock up all my cats for Kayleigh to come inside. Third, she is dog aggressive and none of the other dogs can be inside while she is. I refuse to make Preacher spend any more time outside than he has to. His health won't take it. Kayleigh is young and extremely healthy.

Had I known what I know now about Kayleigh, I probably wouldn't have adopted her and she would be dead. Had the shelter known what I know about Kayleigh she would have been declared unadoptable and put down. That would have been a tragedy.

That said, I adore Kayleigh. She's a wonderful dog in many ways. I make a special effort to spend time with her. If I'm going for a long hike in the middle of nowhere, Kayleigh is always the dog who comes with me. I make a point of giving her extra attention since she doesn't get house time. If my hubby is working in his shop, he often takes Kayleigh in there with him. We are working on a way to build her an enclosure attached to the shop so she can come and go out of there at will & still keep the other dogs safe.

As for the Northern breed thing, if I'm outside in the winter and my hands get cold, I go stick them on Kayleigh's belly! She melts snow even at -40C! My dogs are happier and much more active at -20C than they are at 20C. Most of mine do come in at night, but sometimes they absolutely refuse to! I've rarely seen them use a doghouse. I waste alot of money buying straw for their houses that they kick out into the snow! I know mushers who have survived a night in the bush by having their dogs sleep on top of them in the sled basket. They give off an amazing amount of heat!

Generally, I think dogs should be part of the family. But I know lots of sled dogs who have never seen the inside of building who get more interaction with their owners than some inside dogs. It's just as easy to ignore a dog inside as it is to ignore one outside. I know inside dogs who spend long hours in their crates, even when someone is home.