Originally posted by Glacier

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.
I agree. I think it depends greatly on the owner's lifestyle. My dad's boxer, Joe, is outside only. But my dad and the family are outside all the time. When I go to visit my dad, 99.9% of the time he's outside. He's got a big tent awning thingy with outdoor heaters, so even in the cold, we're hanging out there. Joe has a nice bed in the garage and a heater, so he's set up nice for the night. I don't think that Joe is mistreated in any way or that he's missing out on anything.

Alot of ranchers love their dogs and spend tons of time with them. At the end of the day, the rancher comes in and goes to bed and the dog stays outside. I suppose the reasoning is because farm dogs are always dirty...I don't know.

But, on the same line, my friend Kim's American Bulldog, Jimmy is neglected in my opinion. He's outside only and she's not much of an outdoor person. She doesn't even have a chair or anything in her backyard, so obviously she doesn't spend much time back there. She walks him daily, but that's not enough interaction in my opinion.