Is it feasible to keep a dog outside in backyard?

[Anonymous]

It’s beyond cruel. Dogs are pack animals. They need to be with their family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter really likes dogs. She pets and talks to every dog she meets.
She has being asking for a dog for quite a long time.
But I am sensitive to animal smell and hair.
Is it possible to keep a dog in backyard outside?

Jesus. No. Dogs are pack animals and social. It's incredibly cruel to keep one outside full time or even the majority of the time. Furthermore, it decreases life expectancy AND most likely will be a barking nuisance for your neighbors.


Are you allergic or just sensitive (meaning you don't like dogs and are looking for some excuse)? I'd suggest not getting a dog, honestly. Your question, alone, suggests you are not in a place to care for one adequately.

[Anonymous]

No. Let the dog live inside and your nasty self can live in the backyard.

[Anonymous]

OP, consider checking out a non-shedding dog. There are many options, including small ones. But the really don't shed and don't smell doggy at all.

There is one currently sleeping at my feet and I didn't know she was even there.

--someone who has had all kinds of dogs and is amazed at how not-doggy smelling this one is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, consider checking out a non-shedding dog. There are many options, including small ones. But the really don't shed and don't smell doggy at all.

There is one currently sleeping at my feet and I didn't know she was even there.

--someone who has had all kinds of dogs and is amazed at how not-doggy smelling this one is.

Let’s please not encourage OP to get a dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you phoning in from the 50s??

No, don't keep a living creature that bonds with humans outside all the time.

And this applies to guard dogs, too. That's like stating it's okay to keep slaves because they're, you know, the designated worker bees. No. Abuse is abuse. Keeping a dog chained outside or away from contact with other animals or people is very detrimental to their mental and emotional well being.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you phoning in from the 50s??

No, don't keep a living creature that bonds with humans outside all the time.

And this applies to guard dogs, too. That's like stating it's okay to keep slaves because they're, you know, the designated worker bees. No. Abuse is abuse. Keeping a dog chained outside or away from contact with other animals or people is very detrimental to their mental and emotional well being.

It is also illegal in many places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, consider checking out a non-shedding dog. There are many options, including small ones. But the really don't shed and don't smell doggy at all.

There is one currently sleeping at my feet and I didn't know she was even there.

--someone who has had all kinds of dogs and is amazed at how not-doggy smelling this one is.

Let’s please not encourage OP to get a dog.

+1. OP doesn’t want a dog. So her daughter doesn’t get one. The end.

[Anonymous]

Well, at my parents' farm dogs lived outside--that is, the big dogs lived outside (three of them) and were fine (northern Minnesota) and adapted easily to the winter and summer. But they were free to go wherever they were comfortable on a 640 acre farm with outbuildings and woods and a river. They also had each other to socialize with (and yes, bonded with humans as well). A dog that is able to acclimate to outside life needs to be pretty much an inside dog or an outside dog. (My mom also had a dachshund who got to live inside). And dog sled teams live outside. And I know people who have hunting dogs that live outside and have kennels.

But a family pet in town who is the only dog, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, at my parents' farm dogs lived outside--that is, the big dogs lived outside (three of them) and were fine (northern Minnesota) and adapted easily to the winter and summer. But they were free to go wherever they were comfortable on a 640 acre farm with outbuildings and woods and a river. They also had each other to socialize with (and yes, bonded with humans as well). A dog that is able to acclimate to outside life needs to be pretty much an inside dog or an outside dog. (My mom also had a dachshund who got to live inside). And dog sled teams live outside. And I know people who have hunting dogs that live outside and have kennels.

But a family pet in town who is the only dog, no.

Yep, apples and oranges. No dog should be by itself in a tiny backyard with no stimulation or interaction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter really likes dogs. She pets and talks to every dog she meets.
She has being asking for a dog for quite a long time.
But I am sensitive to animal smell and hair.
Is it possible to keep a dog in backyard outside?

Depends on the climate of where you live and the breed of the dog. But if you're planning to keep it outdoors, it's best not to get one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, at my parents' farm dogs lived outside--that is, the big dogs lived outside (three of them) and were fine (northern Minnesota) and adapted easily to the winter and summer. But they were free to go wherever they were comfortable on a 640 acre farm with outbuildings and woods and a river. They also had each other to socialize with (and yes, bonded with humans as well). A dog that is able to acclimate to outside life needs to be pretty much an inside dog or an outside dog. (My mom also had a dachshund who got to live inside). And dog sled teams live outside. And I know people who have hunting dogs that live outside and have kennels.

But a family pet in town who is the only dog, no.

The difference in all these is that the dogs are otherwise “working”, have ample exercise and stimulation, Properly socialized and trained into that work, and still part of a pack (other dogs). They usually come from/ are bred from other working dogs, giving them the characteristics to live happily with minimal human interaction.

all of the working dogs I know get HOURS of time with their “people”; it’s a big time investment to develop a herding, hunting or sled dog, even if that dog isn’t curled up at your feet. It’s totally different than getting a lap dog and leaving them in the backyard until someone is ready to feed and water them, or give them a pat.

[Anonymous]

NO.
Pets are sentient creatures and dogs are pack animals.
Get a stuffed toy dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, at my parents' farm dogs lived outside--that is, the big dogs lived outside (three of them) and were fine (northern Minnesota) and adapted easily to the winter and summer. But they were free to go wherever they were comfortable on a 640 acre farm with outbuildings and woods and a river. They also had each other to socialize with (and yes, bonded with humans as well). A dog that is able to acclimate to outside life needs to be pretty much an inside dog or an outside dog. (My mom also had a dachshund who got to live inside). And dog sled teams live outside. And I know people who have hunting dogs that live outside and have kennels.

But a family pet in town who is the only dog, no.

The difference in all these is that the dogs are otherwise “working”, have ample exercise and stimulation, Properly socialized and trained into that work, and still part of a pack (other dogs). They usually come from/ are bred from other working dogs, giving them the characteristics to live happily with minimal human interaction.

all of the working dogs I know get HOURS of time with their “people”; it’s a big time investment to develop a herding, hunting or sled dog, even if that dog isn’t curled up at your feet. It’s totally different than getting a lap dog and leaving them in the backyard until someone is ready to feed and water them, or give them a pat.

I also know people that leave their dogs outside during the day as an alternative to leaving them inside by themselves, but that requires a particular temperment of dog, a particular type of climate, and the recognition that you need to have social time with them as well when you are home. My dog would probably prefer to stay outside on nice days, because he really enjoys making sure that the squirrels don't get too comfortable in the back yard, and that's often what he does on weekend days. But then he would want to come in for play time, dinner, and snoozing in front of the TV/washing machine. I agree OP does not sound well suited to dog ownership, but I disagree that all dogs need to be either "inside dogs" or "outside working dogs." (My own dog growing up in the suburbs, before there were leash laws, would sit outside in the yard, wander over to meet up with dog friends the next house over, come back for a nap under the bushes, etc., during the day. That's just what dogs did in the 70s. It's also what kids did.)
In general, people who say "I don't like dogs but my kids want one -- is there a way I can get one and have no interaction with it?" should not get dogs, and should figure out a way to say no to their kids without feeling guilty about it.

[Anonymous]

You may want to help her start a neighborhood dog walking business or see if one of the neighbors would let her spend time with their dog. Or, if she is old enough, volunteer at an animal shelter.

Sure if you lived on a farm having an outdoor dog would make sense, but not in a suburban neighborhood. They usually end up barking non stop when your child is in school, and just aren't active enough.