No dog is meant to "live" outside. The fact that they enjoy being outside (like kids do) or have fur is not an indication that they are equipped to live outside or are meant to do so. Most dogs have a fur coat that is equivalent to the protection of long underwear in the winter. It won't keep them from freezing or even keep them warmer than that long underwear would keep you warm. Some dogs like Dobermans, Grayhounds, and other thincoated breeds do not even have that level of protection.

It's ridiculous to say that dogs lived outside for thousands of years. There are no modern dogs equivalent to wild ancient wolves which were five times as big. It's like saying Mastodons did certain things, so why can't elephants too.

Finally, it's simply illegal to have your dog live outside.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. We have an acre fenced lot and a screened in porch. Fairfax. It is dog heaven. These are two big dogs (85 & 75 lbs) and they greatly prefer to be outside.

I enjoy their companionship and I also enjoy their protection. They are well loved. Obviously they come in on extremely hot or cold days.

But I still don't want a smelly or dog hairy house.

I bet they loved this last winter. Why have a dog? Fairfax is still a suburb.

my german shepherd sleeps outside whenever I let her. She comes in, licks us, hangs out for a while, then wants to go back to work. I'm 100% sure that is what makes her happy. she hates being inside too long.

my lab always wants to be with us. she hates to be outside, even with the other dog.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dog stays on a run during the day in our fenced yard. Can't imagine having him stuck in the house for 8 hours. He comes in when we are home or is outside playing with the kids. What I think is wrong is the people that crate their medium & larger dogs for 8 hours. Would you rather be stuck in a crate or chasing squirrels & hanging out on the deck.

You understand that in an increasing number of jurisdictions, it is illegal to chain your dog up outside like that. And the options aren't just sticking your dog in a crate all day or chaining your dog up outside in the cold and heat. You could, you know, let the dog stay in the house.

Our house is small our yard is big. The dog has more room to move around than if he were inside. When it gets hot, he goes under the elevated deck (which is 20 degrees cooler we checked) & hangs out in a baby pool. The run is about 70 yards long with a chain that allows him to move at least 35 feet out. We have two cats, if the dog stayed inside they would need to be seperated which means even less room for everyone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dog stays on a run during the day in our fenced yard. Can't imagine having him stuck in the house for 8 hours. He comes in when we are home or is outside playing with the kids. What I think is wrong is the people that crate their medium & larger dogs for 8 hours. Would you rather be stuck in a crate or chasing squirrels & hanging out on the deck.

You understand that in an increasing number of jurisdictions, it is illegal to chain your dog up outside like that. And the options aren't just sticking your dog in a crate all day or chaining your dog up outside in the cold and heat. You could, you know, let the dog stay in the house.

In addition, HOAs may impose their own rules on this. Make sure to check.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't it make a difference what breed of dog it is, and what function it serves for the family?

I think there is a difference between leaving a companion pug outside and leaving a sporting German shepherd outside.

I have a German Shepherd and no way would I leave him outside. Yes, he is super excited whenever I say "let's go outside!" or when I come home from work and he knows he is going to get to go out. But when I say "let's go inside!" he is definitely excited about that too. I am also positive that he loves hanging out with me on the couch and watching tv or chewing a bone on the floor, sleeping on his dog mattress, and curling up on my bed with me at night when my boyfriend is away. He is most happy around me and if I put him outside he would sit at the door and patiently wait to be let in.

We domesticated dogs over hundreds of years and they are no longer wolves. We brought them into our homes. If you don't want to do that, don't get a goddamned dog.

I'm actually not a supporter of leaving dogs outside, but I'm still sick of statements like this. We domesticated dogs to do a wide variety of things. And very often, many of those domesticated dogs were left outside with a dog house and water or kept in a kennel outback.

It really is only recently that the cultural shift has taken place whereby people don't leave dogs outside for significant portions of the day. And frankly, in many parts of the world, dogs are still left outside.

"No longer wolves" doesn't mean that many breeds aren't equipped to live in the outdoors, especially when provided adequate shelter, water, attention and exercise.

Again, I would never leave a dog chained up outside. And I've always allowed my dogs to come inside with me. But your statement is still ridiculous.

We "domesticated" cats, too. But they are capable of living their entire lives outside. There are dangers and risks, sure. But it would be ridiculous to assume that they HAVE to live inside. Domesticated animals are still animals, some with features that actually allow them to deal with outdoor environments.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dog stays on a run during the day in our fenced yard. Can't imagine having him stuck in the house for 8 hours. He comes in when we are home or is outside playing with the kids. What I think is wrong is the people that crate their medium & larger dogs for 8 hours. Would you rather be stuck in a crate or chasing squirrels & hanging out on the deck.

You understand that in an increasing number of jurisdictions, it is illegal to chain your dog up outside like that. And the options aren't just sticking your dog in a crate all day or chaining your dog up outside in the cold and heat. You could, you know, let the dog stay in the house.

Different poster here -- can someone speak on crating?

I don't have a dog now, but have been thinking about getting one. Growing up, my parents never crated their (fairly large) dogs while we were at work and school. The dogs didn't pee or poo in the house, and they weren't chewers. They were let out into the fenced yard as they needed or wanted to when someone was home, and were walked daily.

Is it now considered unsafe to NOT crate a dog when its home alone? Assuming the dog is housebroken and doesn't chew?

Our dog has the run of the house when we are at work and does fine. No chewing, no accidents, nothing.

It is cruel and inhumane to crate a dog all day, every day while you are away. All humane societies and animal behaviorists agree on this. There are links on other threads in this forum on the topic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dog stays on a run during the day in our fenced yard. Can't imagine having him stuck in the house for 8 hours. He comes in when we are home or is outside playing with the kids. What I think is wrong is the people that crate their medium & larger dogs for 8 hours. Would you rather be stuck in a crate or chasing squirrels & hanging out on the deck.

You understand that in an increasing number of jurisdictions, it is illegal to chain your dog up outside like that. And the options aren't just sticking your dog in a crate all day or chaining your dog up outside in the cold and heat. You could, you know, let the dog stay in the house.

Different poster here -- can someone speak on crating?

I don't have a dog now, but have been thinking about getting one. Growing up, my parents never crated their (fairly large) dogs while we were at work and school. The dogs didn't pee or poo in the house, and they weren't chewers. They were let out into the fenced yard as they needed or wanted to when someone was home, and were walked daily.

Is it now considered unsafe to NOT crate a dog when its home alone? Assuming the dog is housebroken and doesn't chew?

It all depends on the dog (breed, size, personality). People generally crate puppies and/or adult dogs that are new to the house. This is done for housebreaking or a refresher housebreaking course. Then you gradually give the dog more space until you know the dog (does it chew? is it the kind of dog who eats everything? does the dog get separation anxiety and potentially become a danger to him or herself when left alone?). Once you have trained the dog and know it's unique issues/personalities, then you make a decision as to whether to crate, leave confined to one area of the house, give the run of the house, et cetera.

If your dog is especially clever, it's a good idea to baby-proof cabinets I speak from experience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope those of you agreeing with OP are also trolls.

No, not trolls.

Just people who understand the nature of dogs.

You do not understand the nature of dogs, you understand the nature of wolves. We bred the wildness out of dogs to the point where they depend on us for almost everything including shelter and companionship. If the dog is outside all the time chances are it is not getting that to the degree that it should. I have neighbors who have outside dogs and one of them didn't make it through the cold winter. I called the police and and animal shelter more times than I can count but they people didn't give a crap. One cold morning the dog did not come out of it's wood box. Later that night I saw the people dragging it's body to the garage. Some people are just sick. Why get a dog if you aren't going to enjoy it's company.

Well, only a dumbass is going to leave an animal outside during sub zero temps like we had this winter.

Dogs are outside animals. They are happier outside. It is more natural for them to be outside than it is to be cooped up inside all day long in a small area for hours on end.

I don't buy this. I've had dogs all my life and I promise you they are extremely happy with their 2 walks a day and then curling up on the couch with us at night. They would whine and cry if we tried to put them outside at night. Dogs are pack animals, their humans are their pack. It is more natural for a pack animal to curl up with it's pack at night. Domesticated dogs are in no way a solitary animal. At the very least, if you do force you dog to be outside all the time please have more than one so it is not alone. Also, you did not answer my question. Why get a dog if you are not going to enjoy it's company?

NP here. I generally don't support leaving dogs outside (especially without a dog door or some option to come in) and I certainly don't support neglecting dogs.

But having had dogs all of your life still doesn't qualify you to make a statement that all dogs are happier in X situation. A LOT depends on breed and individual personality. I have a husky who LOVES to be outside. She whines and cries if she can't go out. And she gets two very long walks a day. When it isn't raining, she prefers to sleep outside. How do I know this? No, I can't read her mind. But we have a dog door. She comes in and spends a little time with us and then heads out. And yes, even in the cold. She has a very thick coat. The only time she sleeps inside (by her choice -- again, she has a dog door) is when it is raining.

I think a lot depends on the breed and the personality of the individual dog. I speak from experience because not only have I had dogs all of my life, I have had very different breeds/personalities, and so I know enough to know that overarching statements about "what dogs like" don't apply in so many situations. The same is true with cats.

That said, I have another dog who prefers to sleep inside all night. But he does not like to "curl up" with his "pack" when it comes to bed time. He likes his space (does not like to be crowded). If I let him sleep on the bed, he'd probably expect me to sleep somewhere else. So he sleeps on the couch.

Is it now considered unsafe to NOT crate a dog when its home alone? Assuming the dog is housebroken and doesn't chew?

No, in fact most dog trainers/vets don't recommend crating a dog all day unless you have behavioral or housebreaking problems.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. We have an acre fenced lot and a screened in porch. Fairfax. It is dog heaven. These are two big dogs (85 & 75 lbs) and they greatly prefer to be outside.

I enjoy their companionship and I also enjoy their protection. They are well loved. Obviously they come in on extremely hot or cold days.

But I still don't want a smelly or dog hairy house.

Op, what you are doing is fine unless you live near the artic or something. These people are weird. It is fine for dogs to stay outside. They lived outside for thousands of years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dog stays on a run during the day in our fenced yard. Can't imagine having him stuck in the house for 8 hours. He comes in when we are home or is outside playing with the kids. What I think is wrong is the people that crate their medium & larger dogs for 8 hours. Would you rather be stuck in a crate or chasing squirrels & hanging out on the deck.

You understand that in an increasing number of jurisdictions, it is illegal to chain your dog up outside like that. And the options aren't just sticking your dog in a crate all day or chaining your dog up outside in the cold and heat. You could, you know, let the dog stay in the house.

Different poster here -- can someone speak on crating?

I don't have a dog now, but have been thinking about getting one. Growing up, my parents never crated their (fairly large) dogs while we were at work and school. The dogs didn't pee or poo in the house, and they weren't chewers. They were let out into the fenced yard as they needed or wanted to when someone was home, and were walked daily.

Is it now considered unsafe to NOT crate a dog when its home alone? Assuming the dog is housebroken and doesn't chew?

Anonymous wrote:My dog stays on a run during the day in our fenced yard. Can't imagine having him stuck in the house for 8 hours. He comes in when we are home or is outside playing with the kids. What I think is wrong is the people that crate their medium & larger dogs for 8 hours. Would you rather be stuck in a crate or chasing squirrels & hanging out on the deck.

You understand that in an increasing number of jurisdictions, it is illegal to chain your dog up outside like that. And the options aren't just sticking your dog in a crate all day or chaining your dog up outside in the cold and heat. You could, you know, let the dog stay in the house.

My dog stays on a run during the day in our fenced yard. Can't imagine having him stuck in the house for 8 hours. He comes in when we are home or is outside playing with the kids. What I think is wrong is the people that crate their medium & larger dogs for 8 hours. Would you rather be stuck in a crate or chasing squirrels & hanging out on the deck.

In our family home in the French countryside, the household dogs are brought inside for the night. They spend the day outside.

The hunting pack of beagles has a special kennel with its own large yard. They stay there except during set times when they are let out, several times a day.

You should offer your dogs warmth, comfort and contact with you or other dogs during the night, otherwise they will become stressed. Nighttime is when the pack snuggles together. If you can do that on a porch, go ahead, but I doubt it.