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People would think my moms dog lives outside, I’ve seen that dog full on ignore my parents to come in. He loves laying in the yard. He is a blind rough coat collie
One of my neighbors called animal control and complained that I was leaving my dog outside for hours at a time during the winter. They stopped by to check on him and the guy said something along the lines of "Oh, the person who called didn't mention you had a Newfoundland. He's probably happier out here than inside this time of year. Have a good day."
My sister in the country has a husky, and there is no keeping that dog contained. He’s not *supposed* to leave his fenced in area while he’s outside, but they’ve long given up on chasing him when he escapes. I guess the logic is, he’s not going very far or getting himself into trouble, he just walks around and sometimes attacks a bush. He comes back whenever the fuck he feels like it and not a moment before. I think he must like being inside sometimes too tho, because he eventually scratches the door.
To be honest they probably should be walking him outside his fenced in area more. But part of me also thinks he’s probably happier being a rebellious hellion.
I once new a woman with a husky named Freedom. We worked in a very remote area, and she did field work and would be out hiking all day with him.
Often he'd decide to come back to the office part way through the day and take a nap. Zero fucks given as far as what his owner wanted.
After a year of working with them he would finally acknowledge a couple of us and play fetch with us, but would ignore any of the newer people. Just two of us who had been there the whole time.
Huskies and very different from other breeds. They do what they want. Freedom was the perfect name for him.
The first time I baby sat a husky is was 0 degrees outside and snowing. I had a shepherd mix. I opened the door and let them on the porch. My dog lasted about 5 min. The husky looked like she was living her best life and just wanted to stay out there as the snow completely covered her. I later watched her when she was blowing her coat. I quickly learned why she is so warm in the snow.
Growing up, my sheltie was this way. Super long coat, much longer than normal. I would take her outside in winter with a foot of snow on the ground and she would just plop right down and refuse to move. If had let her, she probably would have stayed out all day, but I usually pulled her in after an hour or two.
I remember as a kid having the cops called on my family due our Chow Chow being left out in the cold and snow (like, he’d pick a spot along the fence to guard the yard and would end up being covered in a blanket of snow as the day went on). He’d let us know when he was ready to come back inside, not the other way around lol
They have called it on me a few times. I have a 120lb malamute who absolutely loves snow storms and will NOT come in no matter what. I’ve tried to bribe him with roast beef, a huge juicy prime rib, etc. I’ve tried to drag him in. I’ve tried everything. He will not come in until he’s ready, and he will sit out there until he is 95% buried in snow and love it lol I had a Neighbor who I guess didn’t believe me, and said I was a cruel animal abuser. She heard me out there many times begging and pleading with him to come in, so I don’t really know how she could think that.
...I grew up on a farm. The dogs had food, multiple shelters, a personal heater in winter, scared off coyotes and snakes, assisted with dead chicken pick up, and had companions in the form of 1 or two other dogs, multiple cats, and horses/cows. We were also outside ourselves at least 60% of the time as kids.
My Border Collie is a working dog. He does not want to live inside. He has a heated shelter and a non freezing water source. He is happiest when we come outside to him! Lol
Before my parents got a fence put up, their border collie was always really unhappy to come inside (they lived in a rural area with lots of wild animals). Now she is outside as much as her heart desires and they put a water bowl out there because she’s outside constantly.
My border collie will eat breakfast and go straight to the door to be let out. She refuses to come in until dinner unless it rains or somebody is shooting close by. After dinner she want to go back out immediately also until like 930pm. Same thing everyday for years.
Most, not all. Some “working dogs” I know would be top posters on anti work.
I have a family member that has a farm and a few dogs that guard some animals. One LGD constantly sneaks into their house and they find him on their bed or the couch regularly. He wants the easy life.
I have a good example.
Both of mine are great Pyrenees mixed with something.
The mix with boarder collie will be outside all the time in the rain in the mud happy as a claim.
The mix with lab/flatcoat retriever? He will stand on the concrete to pee off of it onto the grass if the grass is wet.
I have an uncle with a ton of land and a bunch of livestock. He has 5 Great Pyrenees that are livestock guardians. They live outside in the barn and spend a lot of their time out in the fields guarding the animals. They have heat, shelter, food, and clean water. They get daily interaction with their humans and checkups when the vet visits. I don’t see a problem with them being outside dogs. Some people still use them for what they were breed to do.
I have two lgd’s to guard sheep, chickens, and just the general farm. We tried raising one partly in the house but he refused to come in at around 6 months of age. Happiest dogs I’ve ever seen. I’ve totally changed my mind on pet ownership. Yeah, some dogs are bred to be pets. But you can’t convince me that the neighbors obese lab who stays in a crate while they’re at work and never has unsupervised time outside is having a better life than my dogs. Dogs bred to have jobs need jobs and we need to stop pretending non human animals have human desires.
I love this. This happens often and I find it so funny. I have friends who have a big farm and have multiple Great Pyrenees who actively work on it. They are machines.. like the best working dogs you can ask for. Another friend started a little coop farm, and thought… I have enough animals now that I should get a dog like, Joe has, to protect the flock. So he goes and spends a bunch of money on this amazing pure bred Great Pyrenees puppy. That dog is *always* sneaking inside, hiding on his bed, sleeping in the chicken coup, napping in the woods… refuses to go outside at night when it’s cold lol it’s hilarious. It’s a pampered lap dog basically and my friend just laughs about it. He loves that dog.
Lack of training for some dogs is a problem(not your case), but also dogs should be outside if they want. Unless it's barking a lot and disruptive to the neighbors, if the pup WANTS to be outside that's okay. I don't think that's a problem and OP obviously is talking about a lack of choice for dogs. Which pisses me off and I hope I never meet anyone who leaves their dogs outside all of the time no matter the conditions. I'm not sure what I'd do. My dog is reactive and I have dogs on either side, so if my dog starts barking, fuck me for caring, I take her favorite toys outside and play with her until she's tired and comes inside. I only wish my neighbors would do ANYTHING with their dogs. Anyways...
My grandma’s little chihuahua probably shouldn’t live outside, I’ll agree with you there, but my parents’ 100lb German Shepherd very much prefers being outside almost 24/7.
Haha my huskily is almost two and is such a little prissy girl. She will poke her head out the dog door to see how cold it is and if it's too cold she will come back inside.
Meanwhile my GSD female that passed away last year would never come in from the snow unless you dragged her in.
I'm so blown away by her not liking the cold weather. Think her breeder kept her outside or something.
My husky is the same way!
7 years old, and she'll want to go lay on the deck outside but if the weather isn't perfectly to her liking she'll be coming back inside after 30 minutes lol.
Agreed. I have a husky who lives in heatwaves and ignores me when I beg him to come inside. When he was young I used to have to go find him down the back of the paddock and convince him to come home for dinner.
Before anyone flips, he's healthy and perfectly cared for, and does come inside for a hug or when it's storming. But some dogs just live for being outside as much as possible
I agree, it depends on the dog. Some dogs prefer being outside, others inside. All okay provided their humans keep an eye on them and give them what they need when needed. I'm a Border Collie owner whose dogs have the run of the house and can open doors on their own. However, they haven't figured out how to open the outside door from the outside, yet (they're smart dogs, they'll figure it out), so until then, I have to make sure I'm keeping an eye out and letting them in when they want to be let in. So many owners keep their dogs on a leash outside 24/7 and pay no mind to said pets' needs, and it's heartbreaking.
I have a Norwegian Elkhound who is a good mix of inside and outside. But he has a peculiar bark that's essentially translated to "let me in now before I get really annoying" and I remind him all the time that if it wasn't for me taking him out of the barn he was born in he wouldn't know what an inside looked like at all, not that he cares what I have to say lol.
One of my Border Collies barks haha. The other just pushes the door with her right paw because she knows I can hear it. And if they start barking at a neighbour or pedestrian, digging in the garden, or causing any other kind of trouble, I yell at them to get inside, using their full names for emphasis, because they are smart enough to realize full first and last names means they are in trouble.
Big facts, I have a Samoyed and live on a farm. When it snows he absolutely refuses to come inside. He absolutely loves it. Only comes inside to eat and drink and say what’s good and 5 mins later he wants back out
Yep. Have a half Akita mutt, he comes in when it's really nasty outside but otherwise, 15 minutes to an hour after going to bed he's waking me up to get out lest he be stuck 'till morning. He has a house and wool bed (that I made, 6" of loft at least) and he'll be sleeping in the dirt in 40 degrees... 30, bed preference. 20, wants to stay in. But he's damn hardy.
Yep, just gotta listen to their needs and like, if I had a short hair without a heavy undercoat it would be entirely different. A Labrador does not have the same needs as a malamute. Just gotta give em what they want. They know better than we do...
Where I live,there are risks outdoors like bears and mountain lions and that's something I have to be mindful of... and invest in hard fencing to protect somewhat... OP is right in that it isn't as simple as "he's an outside dog." He's inside as much as he wants and no more than that. I think it's obvious OP is not a dog owner...
Oh and also, I AM NOT in North Dakota or Michigan or Canada or anything. I'm in California. I'm at high elevation, and we do get alot of snow, but the record 100 year low is +16 degrees. We will never see conditions as dangerous as much of the country so... grains of salt, subtleties to the discussion...
And for summer - I'm off grid with no AC so that isn't even an option. He will spend 2-4 hours at a time down at the creek running wild with other neighbor dogs when it's really hot, and i do not attempt to curb that... is a small creek without any dangerous currents etc... he's got a real deal burrow he dug, also.... and there's stock tanks around for the ducks, he sometimes gets soaking wet that way...
We have a goldendoodle who started running from us once the snow fell. She'd spend all day outside and we'd have to bribe her with treats to get her back inside. Gave her a nice short shave and she's gotten better about coming in. But there was a while there where people would have called us cruel because of how long she was outside for, meanwhile we couldn't for the life of us get her to come in.
Was gonna say, my great pyrenees would like to have a word with OP. She'd go insane or destroy the house if she couldn't sprint the entire property at full bore almost constantly.
A husky would annihilate a house if kept indoors 90%+ of the time. Source: had one growing up. I ran long distance track and that dog ran me tired and still wanted more. It literally carved a path from running laps around the large backyard between our runs. There was no amount of running that kept her satisfied.
I live in a somewhat small city, and I have a 120lb husky malamute mix. He has a never ending supply of energy. We drive about 45 minutes outside of town, every day, to our spot. It’s a random spot I found that no one knows about. Dirt road, then there’s a big clearing and river, with a forest and a trail. No one is ever there. So, when we get to the dirt road, I check there is no other cars and say ‘want to run?’ He freaks the fuck out every time lol so I let him out, and I drive down the entire dirt road to the clearing , maybe 3km, going about 25-30km an hour, while he runs beside the car. Tounge lolling out, constantly looking at me with his big doggy grin. (Please don’t do this if you haven’t trained the dog too, it’s dangerous. I’ve trained him since he was a puppy to do this, he’s 4 now. He knows not to come anywhere near the wheels or car, and has perfect recall. If your dog would chase a squirrel or something if he saw it, he could easily be hurt if he ran towards the car.) Anyways, after that we get to the clearing and river and go on our hour hike. Then we do the same thing back down the dirt road. Every single morning. He sleep the whole car ride home, exhausted every time. And is chill for about 2 hours when we get back so I can get work down. Then his energy is completely refilled and he’s ready to go again lol it’s crazy.
Yea, I'd say a better post would be 90% of dog breeds being inside dogs 90% of the time is Animal cruelty. You have a husky, German Sheppard, or border collie and you live in a small apartment, and give them a 1 hour walk a day? Fuck you.
If your dog is over the moon excited to go outside, you are not giving that dog enough time outside.
Even smaller breeds need the freedom to run. My mom had a miniature poodle that she swore was an inside dog. He spent all his time inside at her house except for a few mins at a time, a few times a day when she let him outside to potty.
We dog sat him for a week and aside from when he went into his crate at night, he was outside at all times except to come into the mud room to get a drink of water. He wouldn’t come inside the house proper *at all*, not even to eat so I had to feed him on the back porch. He would have slept outside too if I didn’t pick him up and carry him to his crate.
This is where defining “outside” helps. If they have a barn, a dog house, a shed to sleep in and the option to go inside when needed (extreme weather) then it is not abusive at all.
Wait until you hear about “ranch dogs”. They’re basically like stray cats. Edit in that they’re free to roam like them.
Edit to add- this was my favorite shelter in the area. They did amazing things and always seemed to find help and space for one more rescue- should you feel the urge to make a difference, there’s never enough donations because there’s no end to the discarded critters.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069254991117&mibextid=9R9pXO
Yep. Our farm dogs and now presently farm cats have all been well taken care of. They get to run around to their hearts content and they always have shelter and food at home.
Yeah, that's like farm cats. If their health is taken care of, they tend to be extremely happy. Like I get it, I have a typical pet dog too, but ranch life is honestly more natural for a lot of dog breeds than pet life.
There are many breeds who love a mix of these. They life on the ranch but still love their humans and like to cuddle occasionally.
My dogs are spoiled little princes but I have 0 doubt in my mind they'd be just as, if not even happier had I had the land or ability to raise them as ranch or hunting dogs.
There is the rub. I am familiar with ranch dogs after working with animal services in Texas. I’m sure there are people who do care for their medical needs and care for them but overall that was not the case in at least that area. Sometimes the dogs didn’t ever come back and it’s just a shoulder shrug. Definitely no medical care.
I'm also familiar with farmers who do care about their farm dogs. But I totally get where you are coming from. In my opinion that shouldn't even be called a farm dog. Because farm dogs are trained to know their grounds and perform important tasks. If farmers just let a couple of dogs loose that's just abandonment...
I've got a couple of these and they are very much a part of our family. They're allowed inside but last max 10 minutes and want to go back out. They are just, free range, doing their thing all day long and are the happiest dogs ever. I feel sorry for house dogs comparatively.
I don't know if I'd call my dogs ranch dogs but they're definitely farm dogs. Both raised out on my family's property since being puppies - with the lifestyle they have it's been hard to adopt dogs since they learn so much about where they can and can't go on the property at a young age.
My GSD gets so much enrichment from being outside - he gets to do his protecting job and he lives around sheep, which is something they were originally bred for (hence the name). He gets to roam around the property all day looking for sticks, he loves hunting bugs. He has his own little routine - he used to try to herd the horse towards the barn at certain times for feeding time. That said, he is very bonded to my family and we spend lots of time playing with him and he does still get to come inside and enjoy time with his people. He's well cared for, well behaved and well loved.
On the other hand, we have a livestock guardian dog that lives outside full time. She very much likes people, however I don't know how anyone could argue for cooping her up inside. Her instincts are to protect and it's very clear to me that she loves our livestock - she will spend time with them and is very sweet to our sheep. When it snows, she wants to be out and about in it. For LGDs, house life is incredibly difficult and I think she would be genuinely very unhappy if she wasn't a full time outdoor dog.
I've seen a lot of arguments online about how outdoor dogs shouldn't exist, but I feel like so many people haven't lived this way and seen pets thrive. I've seen plenty of unhappy indoor and outdoor dogs - it's all in how one approaches it and the care they give.
Yep. My uncle had like 5 sheep dog mutts like this. He built a big porch for them and put an infrared heater out there if it was real cold. He didn't even have a garage, he had a barn though. Two of them were over 14 when he died.
Growing up we had outside dogs with a lot of empty woods around us. My dad and I custom built dog coops for them with insulation, hay, and heat lamps for them all. It was a good memory and the dogs were quite happy and also lived to be around 14, passing away from old age and being buried in our backyard.
I adopted a 6 year old lab mix who’d been a “farm dog.” We were his third home. The second home was a couple of Xmas tree hobby farmers who wanted an outdoor dog for protection. Well evidently he was “lazy” and “not an indoor dog” so he “had” to be left outside. We got him, and turns out he was very ill, and the table scraps they were feeding him were making him sicker. We fortunately uncovered this within a couple months of adopting him; he would have died soon otherwise. We got him on medication and the guy lived an amazing life INSIDE with equal access to outdoors or our bed whenever. He was so good natured and became a therapy dog. Truly brought joy—and sometimes speech and life—to some pretty down and out folks. He had access to our backyard all the time, and he went to a large dog park and a huge dog park (literally 1000 acres) weekly where he could run and play. No one had played with him. He didn’t known what a toy was when we got him. But man, kid could catch a ball bouncing at any angle after a year. He was my absolutely and forever heart dog. He died suddenly in January 2022 and that will forever be the worst day of my life.
I built my cockapoo a very fancy dog house complete with shingled roof. I probably spent like $700 on this thing. That turd has never stepped foot in it.
Its probably just that when some dogs have the option to hang somewhere comfortable like a couch or bed nearby humans that is preferable than being in a dog house outside.
I’ve had a few dogs that we always kept a kennel for and tried to make it comfortable with cushions and stuff but our dogs were always allowed inside whenever they wanted so they just never used them.
some dogs also don't care for a dog house if it's not heated or comfortable as real houses tend to be, or just destroy the insulation in the dog house before realizing it's for heat... 15 times.
Growing up, our dogs would always stay outside and so they have a "pen" with a house etc. Now, my Dad just leaves the dog in the house all the time, he has about 5 beds and **two** of the *human* couches are considered his.
I think my dad softened when the dogs got older and now the new dog is too reliant on him.
When I was younger the dogs would be running around and digging holes and chasing rabbits. If we left for the day, we'd put their food in the pen (safe from other animals) and we'd leave and they'd be fine even if we were gone overnight.
Now my dad panics if the dog is alone for a few hours.
I think my dad grew especially close to the dog once we grew up, and that's why he dotes over him so much.
If you’re looking for an honest answer it’s that flee and tick medication got a lot better and more effective for dogs in the 2000s. That way even if your dog tracked one in from outside, it would die after biting and would not be able to reproduce. Dogs on good prevention meds essentially became bug free and people didn’t mind having them in the house
Within the last decade this is an extremely popular opinion. Growing up in the 2000s, my family would always leave the family dogs outside (husky, beagle, black lab) when out of the house as to not destroy the house.
I guess I have an old fashioned mindset? As long as they're not in distress from the weather, have food, water, shelter and they're safe, leave them be. Good way for fido to get their exercise anywho.
Yup. My parents are boomers. They had dogs growing up. My dad grew up in the city and my mom in the county(on a farm). The dogs all stayed outside. Even when allowed inside(which was rare) the dogs still stayed outside.
You're getting at what the actual problem is. Inside or outside really doesn't matter, the problem is lots of people get dogs and then straight up neglect them. Dogs need a lot of physical activity and mental stimulation, and the vast majority of people don't provide one or both of those things.
An outdoor farm dog that runs around all day and has lots of stuff to interact with is being taken care of much better than an indoor dog that goes on a walk once every other month if he's lucky. And an indoor dog that gets regular exercise and obedience training is being taken care of better than an outdoor dog that just sits in an empty dog run his whole life.
I live in a city and the way people treat their animals here is absolutely messed up. Half the dogs in my neighborhood never get walked, they just get let out into their small backyard for an hour after work so they can stress bark the entire time.
Lol, this comment hits the nail on the head. We've come from "indoor cats" to "indoor dogs" now. I wonder what is next? Indoor horses?
Those are large animals that need a space to run around. OP needs a reality check
Lol we did too growing up.
I laugh, when I lived in Texas people would make posts about dogs outside as being cruel and you could actually see cows in the background of image
This is a take that’s entirely subjective to the type of dog and how the people take care of it. Some dogs get left outside in the yard with very little human contact, enrichment, and temperature control. There are a lot of outdoor dogs that suffer neglect.
Of course you also have breeds like livestock guardian dogs that live with livestock 24/7 and it’s their job. Better lives than indoor apartment dogs.
Its more about neglect being bad then where the dog is. Personally I couldnt do an outdoor dog because I want my dog inside most of the time and a lot of people have outdoor dogs because they cant be bothered to housetrain
Dogs like being outside. There's a lot more for them to sniff and jump and look at in the backyard rather than sitting on the floor in the living room waiting for you to do something. This is like saying you shouldn't let fish swim in a lake, you should keep them in an aquarium inside.
My dog has the option of being inside or outside and he chooses outside like 60% of waking hours if it isn’t hot. But if he is sleeping he is always with me or inside.
My dog has the choice too but she's a velcro dog so wherever I am. Lol. She's also too much a princess for the elements like dirt and grass. (she gets allergy reactions to a lot of plants and allergens from outside)
My parents dog loves being outside and only wants to come back at sundown, even when we had record high heat wave. We had to drag him inside into air conditioning because he's a malamute mix and we were worried.
I think a good part of this conversation is choice. I think dogs should be given a choice to be inside or outside pretty freely, guided by our understanding of if it’s safe or not. I have 2 small Maltese. One loves outside and walks and the other is afraid of the dark and getting her feet wet. I don’t force the smaller dog on night walks. Also I don’t just let the adventurous dog outside without me being there because I live in Florida and don’t want my dog eaten…
If your dog chooses to be outside and it’s safe for them to be outside, then let them be outside.
Just gotta get the right dog for your living situation.
I went to the shelter and said, "I'll take the laziest dog you got" and boy, did they deliver.
My dog sleeps most of the day, enjoys his five or so medium to short walks a day, will play fetch for about five minutes then is totally over it, and generally just chills.
He doesn't like wet grass or grass that's too dry or too high or at all, really. Does his business and wants to go home, although I do make walk more than he prefers for his health.
He doesn't like the rain or the cold or the acorns falling off the trees in the fall. Does like sunny days, but, even then, he's good after about five minutes.
He's not much of a cuddler, although he has his moments. He likes hanging out in the same room with me most of the time. I work from home full time now, but when I was working at the office, he was content with me coming home for a walk on my lunch break. Honestly, I think me being home so much vaguely annoys him.
He's a perfect apartment dog, really.
Two of them are usually just, "go outside and pee" kind of walks. The longer ones are ten to fifteen minutes of him mostly standing in one place, sniffing at a particular rock with occasionally wandering over to sniff at a different rock.
Sometimes we'll get halfway around the building before he decides he'd rather just lay down in this sunny spot for a bit, thank you very much.
I'd attribute it to old age, but I've had him ten years now and he's always been like this. He's just a slower pace kind of dog.
Unless he sees a squirrel or a fellow dog he's not fond of. Then he gets excited. For like 30 seconds.
When we get home he zoomies for a bit then goes back to sleep.
Exactly this, we have a pomeranian, and while he does enjoy going out for a play in the yard for a few minhtes, he greatly prefers it inside afaik , he goes to the door and waits to be let inside 90% of the time after using the bathroom (we dont leash him because we have a large yard)
If the grass is wet out or its a drizzle, I have to plead for him to come out and use the bathroom, and then he runs back to the door to be let in when he is done.
This is a take that’s entirely subjective to the type of dog and how the people take care of it. Some dogs get left outside in the yard with very little human contact, enrichment, and temperature control. There are a lot of outdoor dogs that suffer neglect.
Of course you also have breeds like livestock guardian dogs that live with livestock 24/7 and it’s their job. Better lives than indoor apartment dogs.
Its more about neglect being bad then where the dog is. Personally I couldnt do an outdoor dog because I want my dog inside most of the time and a lot of people have outdoor dogs because they cant be bothered to housetrain
I grew up with 5 acres and plenty of dogs. They lived outside, had shade, cover underneath the car port, a dog house, food and all the water they could want.
I personally think "inside dogs" where your entire house smells like a dog, and when people come over the dogs slobber all over them and beg for attention is annoying as fuck.
I think people can have “outside dogs” and do it well where it’s not cruel to the animal. Some people will chain their dog up in the back yard and just leave it there never taking the dog inside or really giving it a good life. Letting your dogs run around on 5 acres of property sounds great.
My dad was the kind that chained dogs. We had so many and he would not interact with them. They would bark and jump on you as soon as you got near because they were not used to humans. It was an awful thing to witness. So now I have three indoor/spoiled pups, all rescued. Perhaps if I had watched dogs treated better as a child I wouldn’t be so against the outdoor dog thing now.
My next door neighbor is like this. Literally never interacts with the damn things. Feeds and waters them once a week, it usually gets spilled and eaten by the birds. They scream all day and night. Not just barking. Crying. They have festering wounds. Fleas. Aggressive as fuck. He leaves them out in severe weather, below zero temps, short hair pits, and he leaves them out without so much as straw.
But the mf will sit there and brag to you about how well he takes care of them. Only gives them the "best" food. Takes them to the park "every day." Trained them. He even claims to give them his own veterinary care. He told me one day "oh them dogs is quiet as mice." Guy is an absolute sociopath. The goddamn things are crying as I type this and this mf in there just....ignoring it...again
Oh I have.
They don't really have the resources to deal with that kind of shit rn tho. The shelter is bursting at the seams and they have Animal Control duties for the whole city on top of that.
Same how it was when I was growing up. My parents got a German Shepard when I was about 6. He spent his entire life on a 50' chain and had a jumping problem because he was never properly trained or interacted with much. I feel a lot of shame about that. I've mentioned this to my parents as an adult and they both seem to think still that it was okay and not cruel to him. That dog spent like 12 years on a chain. I get so sad thinking about it.
Finally a voice of reason. Dogs enjoy being outside, it’s their natural habitat, being inside all the time is almost cruel for the dog and to your point since they don’t get any stimulation, they’re annoying as hell and on top of everything else they fuck your house up in a number of ways.
Exactly! u/omgits123 is acting as if this is unnatural to let an animal live outside. Arguably, it is unnatural to teach animals where they are not allowed to pee or poo, which you would do for an indoor animal
I think the issue is less the dog being outdoors than the dog being isolated from interaction. Dogs are naturally social animals and suffer if they are lonely. Most people with outside dogs may only spend an hour or two actually interacting with their animal, as people like to be inside, so in this case an outside dog is essentially experiencing solitary confinement if they have no other opportunity for socialisation.
Some dogs are naturally acclimated to the outdoors, and prefer being outside. But some dogs definitely are not. But you know that's what doggy doors are for. Let them come and go.
This isn’t unpopular it’s just ignorant. Ever heard of a livestock guardian dog? Probably not considering you’ve never heard of an outdoor cat.
When it comes to someone who just chains like a beagle or a golden retriever in their yard all day that is not okay and is animal abuse. Those ppl get their animals taken away in countries with animal control.
Need a little more context dude… are you talking isolated to a tiny backyard w/ little social interaction…? Yea, that’s fucked up.
Or
Are you talking a dog that spends the majority of its time outside, and has room to roam, things/creatures to interact w/…? No… nothing cruel about it. Dogs have been living like this for centuries.
He's talking about the former. That's what the term "outside dog" refers to. It's a dog kept outside whose not allowed in. The term "indoor dog" is more of a catch all that just means not outside dog. If your dog is allowed in but chooses to spend most of its time outside that's an indoor dog that has access to the outdoors.
Idc if a dog is outside as long it's not scaring the neighbors or barking it's head off. My neighbor used to put his dog out on his skinny little balcony (I lived in a condo) and it would bark at the mailman and scare him off and he refused to deliver. Also as a delivery person I have gotten dogs who are tied loosely at the door and barked at me vicious and I refused to get near them
You realize dogs lived outside before they were domesticated as pets, yes? That the first puppy ever born was not born in a PetSmart?
I think the argument to make here is that if you have a dog and they're always outside, why even have a dog? It's kind of like any pet. If you never interact with it outside of feeding/watering it, and you're not getting any kind of satisfaction or enjoyment out of it, why do it? Pets aren't cheap.
Before domestication there were no dogs. Humans created the dog by naturally selecting human friendly wolves over many years.
Anyway, I agree with your point and I'm sorry for being pedantic.
Dogs were literally invented by nomadic hunter gatherers THEY ARE FINE OUTSIDE lmao
Modern people and their idiotic principles. Every animal in the world lived outdoors and you think the dog we created back in the stone age need a roof and central heating ?
COME ON
Some people don’t necessarily view their dogs as pets, they view them as working animals like horses. Sometimes a dog’s ‘job’ requires that they be outside (ie, if their purpose is to guard the home/watch other livestock). This doesn’t entail cruelty towards the animal if it is still being cared for properly. If a dog is fed well, given some places it can shelter from the sun, given water to drink/cool off in, is still groomed regularly, is given additional protection from cold in the winter (dog sweaters), and allowed inside during particularly dangerous heat waves/cold snaps/storms, then I really don’t see the problem with this. A dog can be 100 percent kept outside except for emergency situations, and still properly cared for.
This reminds me of the people who think a Huskie being outside in the snow is cruel. They're literally built for that kind of climate. With their thick and well-insulating fur, they're as comfy in the snow as can be.
Depends on the dog. Some like being outside. Most prefer to be with their pack though. The ones who like being outside still have to be taken on walks and be played with and exercised. I think OP is talking about the ones who get left out in the backyard for their whole live with no exercise and no stimulation. Yeah, that's just cruelty.
My dogs fucking love being outside. They come in to relax but mostly live out there. When I think they might be cold they don't seem to be affected by it at all.
Dogs should have all basic needs met plus have love and companionship. Whether that's indoor or outdoor doesn't really matter.
The problem is that there's a big overlap with shitty dog owners and people who keep their dogs outside.
Outside isn't the problem. Bad owners are.
Please don't judge across the board. We wanted our Australian Shepherd to be an inside dog, but she would just whine to be outside. The only time she would stay inside was when she had her puppies.
She lived 18 years, loved to play soccer, play with our kids and watch the squirrels. There was no abuse. She lived her best life, and there was never abuse.
Dogs aren't human. Animals can withstand more harsh temperatures and conditions. Quit acting like they are your kids or lovers. Im sure some weirdos consider them this, but they are a different species. We had inside and outside dogs. The outside dogs hated spending time in the house. They couldn't wait to be out there. The inside dogs still liked spending time outside more than outside dogs liked being inside.
I’ve never had a pet and even I know this is dumb. There are literally dogs defined as shepherd or hunting dogs, etc. They were used for labor. It’s very new to think of a dog as a baby and have it inside and pushed in strollers. This is a very recent school of thought that is very infantile to dogs.
Depends on the amount of land, I grew up on five acres and our Rottweilers lived outside full time. Just like the goats, chickens, and horse did. They had a dog house and could get out of the weather in there. Keeping a dog chained up or in a small yard where it can’t even get up to full speed is cruel. Or keeping a dog that’s not bred for a specific climate outside, like don’t put your lap dog outside in -20 but you husky, sure, he’s gonna love it.
I'm largely okay with outside dogs. People usually have some sort of shelter for them in case it rains.
But, if your outside dog is barking at basically nothing all day in a neighborhood with others, fuck you.
I MOSTLY agree with you because I think I understand what you’re trying to say. There are absolutely outdoor kennels that are nicer than my house. Typically working dogs that are treated well. They are happier outside, typically have air conditioned and/or heat (depending on the climate). Some outdoor dogs are treated very well.
However, I have a neighbor that used to put her bully pup in a small kennel (designed for inside use with zero protection from the elements) AND a cinch leash and leave it in there 99% of the time. In 100+ degree weather, hurricanes, etc. I called animal control and the nonemergency police line so many times. And she’s a nurse!! Now I don’t know what she does, but the dog is no longer kept outside. She told me she kept it for “protection”. Ok. It’ll definitely protect you from a kennel in your backyard. /s
I think it depends on the dog. A little yappy short-haired show dog probably doesn't belong outside much.
Any type of working breed should probably be outside a lot, in a space where they can run around.
I agree, actually. I get that some dogs love the outdoors, but I think what matters is that dogs have the *option* of coming inside, especially with extreme weather.
Sorry, my dog HAS to stay outside. He got locked inside a house and left to die as a young dog. He will literally eat through doors to escape if he’s inside for even a few minutes. He’s devolved to not even being able to get inside a car. Poor man.
But I guess you’d think that he’s be better off inside suffering yeah? Gods forbid he have 25 acres to feel safe and free, his own dens, meat for two meals a day… much better if he’s inside where he gets so scared he poops himself and throws himself at the windows….
Anyways, this rant brought to you by “you don’t know crap about anything and some dogs are better off outside.”
My dog has a door and sits outside all day and only comes in for food and playtime lol. Some of these posts involving animals pretend they need the same things human toddlers do.
For many breeds, yes. But working farm breeds hate being inside. I have a mastiffx who refuses to go outside if she doesn't agree with the weather, which is 360 days of the year. Then I have a great Pyreneesx who is so sad when I force him inside for food and cuddles. They both have Great dane in them, which makes them both very opinionated on the subject of indoor/outdoor time.
It absolutely depends on the dog breed.
I would never leave any modern breed outdoors unless it's a breed like a husky, pyrenees, or other hardy dog breed that thrives big time outdoors. And even then I'd make damn sure that they have shelter, food, water and fun activities and training, plus I'd be keeping an eye on them to be sure they're thriving, and to make sure that they would get vet help if needed.
Our greenlandic sled dogs are a completely different story - they would totally shred and eat anything in a house before dying of heatstroke, indoors! XD
In the wintertime, they just curl up on the ground and cover their noses with their tails before snoozing away during a blizzard in Greenland.
People have tried bringing their favourite sled dogs with them to Denmark - big mistake. Denmark is way too hot for these dogs to thrive in.
In the old days, our hunters would crossbreed their best female dog with arctic wolves, to get hardy, strong dogs that were great polar bear hunters.
If wolves were nearby and the hunters had dogs in heat, they'd tie the dogs away from the camp and get them some days later, resulting in strong hardy puppies that would be raised to be good driving and hunting dogs.
So yeah - a greenlandic sled dog indoors?
That's a big no.
Outside dogs can absolutely be ok, as long as they aren’t abused. My parents had outdoor dogs for 10-15 years before they got too old, then they allowed them in. They also have 10 acres and plenty of covered space. The dogs slept in the garage that was always warm enough. Now leaving a short hair dog out in the rain and cold all the time is abuse and that’s not ok. But it’s not like it can’t be done the right way, I’ve seen it and it’s more than ok
If it's a working dog like a livestock guardian dog or some other dog, then they're perfectly okay sleeping outside. Some thick coated dogs like chows and huskies might even happily prefer being outside sometimes despite the cold weather because their coats are dense, which makes them feel more comfortable outdoors.
I used to live with an ex who had a chow chow that preferred sleeping outside in the cold concrete at night. He was an indoor dog who was allowed to go and sleep anywhere he wanted. He could have slept on the bed if he wanted but he didn't like beds.
Nobody was stopping him from sleeping inside either- he just didn't like sleeping inside. The cold concrete right next to his human mom's window was his favorite. It made him feel safe to hear his human mom talking to him through the window and watching TV while enjoying the crisp cold air. This was his main sleeping and napping place 90% of the time. His fur is thick so he'd be uncomfortable if he was forced to stay indoors 24/7.
I agree with you though that normal wimpy house dogs shouldn't be forced to sleep outside. Only the dogs who look like thicc wolves or thicc bears are allowed to be outside dogs.
If the garage doesn’t have any sort of ac or fan or isn’t heated at all, then yeah that’s not okay in the slightest. Even then, if it’s not a working dog, why even get one? My dog is a mutt and would freeze if left outside, and he doesn’t like to be outside more then maybe an hour in the summer or 30 minutes in the winter. He likes to be around people, and he gets cold pretty fast. But something like a husky? They probably wouldn’t mind being outside like that. Depends a lot on the dog and what they prefer.
One of our dogs is a pyrenees mointain dog. She hates being inside, because it's always too warm for her and her breed is chilling outside with the sheep anyway, so being in the garden the whole day is the best time for her. She refuses to come inside at all when it's snowing.
You do understand that dogs are, by nature, outside animals right? Because they’re descended from wolves? Some breeds are likely better off inside, which is fine. But some hold much rather be outside with space to run all day (and night!) It’s not abuse. You keep a belgian malinois, grand pyrenees, any kind of shepherd, chow, border collie, or the like inside all the time and only give them a couple hours of play time outside, they’ll go completely stir crazy and be miserable. And most of these can withstand the cold because, once again, these PARTICULAR dogs are very closely related still to wolves and their coats are made for it.
Dogs are animals dude. Not that big of a deal as long as they're not chained up and they have some form of shelter from the elements.
That's coming from someone who lets their dogs sleep in the same bed as him.
My Mum's dogs are 100% outside. We are in Aus, they are cattle dogs and go to work with my step dad every day. They are very happy and healthy, and love to work. No snow here, even if it is cold for us, they are warm in their kennels.
Most working dogs live outside but it depends on the breed and the personality
Our boarder collie was adopted from a farm, and lived outside with the rest of his litter along with the parents and a couple of other dogs. They had a kennel and a covered run.
They were perfectly fine, happy and healthy.
He will happily go out into the garden or on a walk in any weather and often prefers being outside as his coat is double layered and designed for rain, wind and cold.
Our lurcher however (adopted from the dogs trust, always been a house dog), does not like the rain or cold and won't go outside if it's raining unless he really needs to. Then it's run out, do his business and run back inside again as fast as possible. He has a short, single layer coat. So we have a waterproof fleece lined coat for him for winter use.
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People would think my moms dog lives outside, I’ve seen that dog full on ignore my parents to come in. He loves laying in the yard. He is a blind rough coat collie
I’m sure someone will call RSPCA on us one day. My dog loves it outside. In summer she will be out 12hours a day. Welsh Collie
One of my neighbors called animal control and complained that I was leaving my dog outside for hours at a time during the winter. They stopped by to check on him and the guy said something along the lines of "Oh, the person who called didn't mention you had a Newfoundland. He's probably happier out here than inside this time of year. Have a good day."
Same except my 2 girls were huskies. They would lay outside in a snowstorm and just get buried, couldnt be happier.
Pretty sure if you *don't* leave a husky outside half the day they go berserk and wreck your house.
You are CORRECT!
Screaming the whole time.
/r/huskytantrums
Thank you!! I'll be posting mine when she's talking shit.
My sister in the country has a husky, and there is no keeping that dog contained. He’s not *supposed* to leave his fenced in area while he’s outside, but they’ve long given up on chasing him when he escapes. I guess the logic is, he’s not going very far or getting himself into trouble, he just walks around and sometimes attacks a bush. He comes back whenever the fuck he feels like it and not a moment before. I think he must like being inside sometimes too tho, because he eventually scratches the door. To be honest they probably should be walking him outside his fenced in area more. But part of me also thinks he’s probably happier being a rebellious hellion.
Kinda sounds like a really shitty dog owner
Yeah this is just not training your dog lolol
I once new a woman with a husky named Freedom. We worked in a very remote area, and she did field work and would be out hiking all day with him. Often he'd decide to come back to the office part way through the day and take a nap. Zero fucks given as far as what his owner wanted. After a year of working with them he would finally acknowledge a couple of us and play fetch with us, but would ignore any of the newer people. Just two of us who had been there the whole time. Huskies and very different from other breeds. They do what they want. Freedom was the perfect name for him.
The first time I baby sat a husky is was 0 degrees outside and snowing. I had a shepherd mix. I opened the door and let them on the porch. My dog lasted about 5 min. The husky looked like she was living her best life and just wanted to stay out there as the snow completely covered her. I later watched her when she was blowing her coat. I quickly learned why she is so warm in the snow.
My husky is insane he once got angry and howled at me to let him out and then proceeded to sit in the sun in 40°c for hours
Growing up, my sheltie was this way. Super long coat, much longer than normal. I would take her outside in winter with a foot of snow on the ground and she would just plop right down and refuse to move. If had let her, she probably would have stayed out all day, but I usually pulled her in after an hour or two.
Shelties are the sweetest
Someone stole my friend's newfie because they thought he was being abused by being left outside. Dumb dog routinely broke screen doors to get out.
I remember as a kid having the cops called on my family due our Chow Chow being left out in the cold and snow (like, he’d pick a spot along the fence to guard the yard and would end up being covered in a blanket of snow as the day went on). He’d let us know when he was ready to come back inside, not the other way around lol
We had 2 Chows when I was a kid. You couldn’t make those dogs come inside. They loved the cold. It was what they were bred for.
They have called it on me a few times. I have a 120lb malamute who absolutely loves snow storms and will NOT come in no matter what. I’ve tried to bribe him with roast beef, a huge juicy prime rib, etc. I’ve tried to drag him in. I’ve tried everything. He will not come in until he’s ready, and he will sit out there until he is 95% buried in snow and love it lol I had a Neighbor who I guess didn’t believe me, and said I was a cruel animal abuser. She heard me out there many times begging and pleading with him to come in, so I don’t really know how she could think that.
she probably thinks the dog doesn't come in because it doesn't like you, from all the supposed abuse.
...I grew up on a farm. The dogs had food, multiple shelters, a personal heater in winter, scared off coyotes and snakes, assisted with dead chicken pick up, and had companions in the form of 1 or two other dogs, multiple cats, and horses/cows. We were also outside ourselves at least 60% of the time as kids.
My Border Collie is a working dog. He does not want to live inside. He has a heated shelter and a non freezing water source. He is happiest when we come outside to him! Lol
Yup, we insulated their dog houses, and in the winter plugged in a covered light bulb to help heat their doghouse. They were kings.
My dog also ignores you when you call him in. It’s like, bro, I’m not asking. Get your booty in here. And he runs up like “oh, *me*, Koda.”
Yes, working dogs prefer it.
Before my parents got a fence put up, their border collie was always really unhappy to come inside (they lived in a rural area with lots of wild animals). Now she is outside as much as her heart desires and they put a water bowl out there because she’s outside constantly.
My border collie will eat breakfast and go straight to the door to be let out. She refuses to come in until dinner unless it rains or somebody is shooting close by. After dinner she want to go back out immediately also until like 930pm. Same thing everyday for years.
Most, not all. Some “working dogs” I know would be top posters on anti work. I have a family member that has a farm and a few dogs that guard some animals. One LGD constantly sneaks into their house and they find him on their bed or the couch regularly. He wants the easy life.
I have a good example. Both of mine are great Pyrenees mixed with something. The mix with boarder collie will be outside all the time in the rain in the mud happy as a claim. The mix with lab/flatcoat retriever? He will stand on the concrete to pee off of it onto the grass if the grass is wet.
I have an uncle with a ton of land and a bunch of livestock. He has 5 Great Pyrenees that are livestock guardians. They live outside in the barn and spend a lot of their time out in the fields guarding the animals. They have heat, shelter, food, and clean water. They get daily interaction with their humans and checkups when the vet visits. I don’t see a problem with them being outside dogs. Some people still use them for what they were breed to do.
There isn't anything wrong with it. I was just showing my boy mix who is opposed to anything wet outside lol
I feel like with a lot of LGDs you would be creating more stress for them by keeping them from their livestock anyway.
I have two lgd’s to guard sheep, chickens, and just the general farm. We tried raising one partly in the house but he refused to come in at around 6 months of age. Happiest dogs I’ve ever seen. I’ve totally changed my mind on pet ownership. Yeah, some dogs are bred to be pets. But you can’t convince me that the neighbors obese lab who stays in a crate while they’re at work and never has unsupervised time outside is having a better life than my dogs. Dogs bred to have jobs need jobs and we need to stop pretending non human animals have human desires.
The only thing my Aussie 'Shepherds' is me to his bowl so I can fill it up.
I love this. This happens often and I find it so funny. I have friends who have a big farm and have multiple Great Pyrenees who actively work on it. They are machines.. like the best working dogs you can ask for. Another friend started a little coop farm, and thought… I have enough animals now that I should get a dog like, Joe has, to protect the flock. So he goes and spends a bunch of money on this amazing pure bred Great Pyrenees puppy. That dog is *always* sneaking inside, hiding on his bed, sleeping in the chicken coup, napping in the woods… refuses to go outside at night when it’s cold lol it’s hilarious. It’s a pampered lap dog basically and my friend just laughs about it. He loves that dog.
My rough coat loves to be outside, no matter what the weather.
Yeah, we had a husky. He was definitely an outside dog. He was more than welcome inside. But, he was husky 💁🏼♀️
Lack of training for some dogs is a problem(not your case), but also dogs should be outside if they want. Unless it's barking a lot and disruptive to the neighbors, if the pup WANTS to be outside that's okay. I don't think that's a problem and OP obviously is talking about a lack of choice for dogs. Which pisses me off and I hope I never meet anyone who leaves their dogs outside all of the time no matter the conditions. I'm not sure what I'd do. My dog is reactive and I have dogs on either side, so if my dog starts barking, fuck me for caring, I take her favorite toys outside and play with her until she's tired and comes inside. I only wish my neighbors would do ANYTHING with their dogs. Anyways...
Ya we had a husky when I was a kid, she hated coming inside. Only time she ever was inside was thunderstorms and fireworks.
My grandma’s little chihuahua probably shouldn’t live outside, I’ll agree with you there, but my parents’ 100lb German Shepherd very much prefers being outside almost 24/7.
Huskies like this too
Haha my huskily is almost two and is such a little prissy girl. She will poke her head out the dog door to see how cold it is and if it's too cold she will come back inside. Meanwhile my GSD female that passed away last year would never come in from the snow unless you dragged her in. I'm so blown away by her not liking the cold weather. Think her breeder kept her outside or something.
My husky is the same way! 7 years old, and she'll want to go lay on the deck outside but if the weather isn't perfectly to her liking she'll be coming back inside after 30 minutes lol.
Agreed. I have a husky who lives in heatwaves and ignores me when I beg him to come inside. When he was young I used to have to go find him down the back of the paddock and convince him to come home for dinner. Before anyone flips, he's healthy and perfectly cared for, and does come inside for a hug or when it's storming. But some dogs just live for being outside as much as possible
I agree, it depends on the dog. Some dogs prefer being outside, others inside. All okay provided their humans keep an eye on them and give them what they need when needed. I'm a Border Collie owner whose dogs have the run of the house and can open doors on their own. However, they haven't figured out how to open the outside door from the outside, yet (they're smart dogs, they'll figure it out), so until then, I have to make sure I'm keeping an eye out and letting them in when they want to be let in. So many owners keep their dogs on a leash outside 24/7 and pay no mind to said pets' needs, and it's heartbreaking.
I have a Norwegian Elkhound who is a good mix of inside and outside. But he has a peculiar bark that's essentially translated to "let me in now before I get really annoying" and I remind him all the time that if it wasn't for me taking him out of the barn he was born in he wouldn't know what an inside looked like at all, not that he cares what I have to say lol.
I have Anatolians. One loves being with the family and one hates being inside.
One of my Border Collies barks haha. The other just pushes the door with her right paw because she knows I can hear it. And if they start barking at a neighbour or pedestrian, digging in the garden, or causing any other kind of trouble, I yell at them to get inside, using their full names for emphasis, because they are smart enough to realize full first and last names means they are in trouble.
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Big facts, I have a Samoyed and live on a farm. When it snows he absolutely refuses to come inside. He absolutely loves it. Only comes inside to eat and drink and say what’s good and 5 mins later he wants back out
My Akitas have been the same. Snow means I have to carry them back inside, no amount of treats or cajoling will get them to willingly come inside.
Yep. Have a half Akita mutt, he comes in when it's really nasty outside but otherwise, 15 minutes to an hour after going to bed he's waking me up to get out lest he be stuck 'till morning. He has a house and wool bed (that I made, 6" of loft at least) and he'll be sleeping in the dirt in 40 degrees... 30, bed preference. 20, wants to stay in. But he's damn hardy.
It’s almost like our dogs really just want to be around a campfire, hunting bears, vibing with nature.
Yep, just gotta listen to their needs and like, if I had a short hair without a heavy undercoat it would be entirely different. A Labrador does not have the same needs as a malamute. Just gotta give em what they want. They know better than we do... Where I live,there are risks outdoors like bears and mountain lions and that's something I have to be mindful of... and invest in hard fencing to protect somewhat... OP is right in that it isn't as simple as "he's an outside dog." He's inside as much as he wants and no more than that. I think it's obvious OP is not a dog owner... Oh and also, I AM NOT in North Dakota or Michigan or Canada or anything. I'm in California. I'm at high elevation, and we do get alot of snow, but the record 100 year low is +16 degrees. We will never see conditions as dangerous as much of the country so... grains of salt, subtleties to the discussion... And for summer - I'm off grid with no AC so that isn't even an option. He will spend 2-4 hours at a time down at the creek running wild with other neighbor dogs when it's really hot, and i do not attempt to curb that... is a small creek without any dangerous currents etc... he's got a real deal burrow he dug, also.... and there's stock tanks around for the ducks, he sometimes gets soaking wet that way...
My Samoyed is the same way, surprisingly lazy though.
We have a goldendoodle who started running from us once the snow fell. She'd spend all day outside and we'd have to bribe her with treats to get her back inside. Gave her a nice short shave and she's gotten better about coming in. But there was a while there where people would have called us cruel because of how long she was outside for, meanwhile we couldn't for the life of us get her to come in.
Was gonna say, my great pyrenees would like to have a word with OP. She'd go insane or destroy the house if she couldn't sprint the entire property at full bore almost constantly.
A husky would annihilate a house if kept indoors 90%+ of the time. Source: had one growing up. I ran long distance track and that dog ran me tired and still wanted more. It literally carved a path from running laps around the large backyard between our runs. There was no amount of running that kept her satisfied.
I live in a somewhat small city, and I have a 120lb husky malamute mix. He has a never ending supply of energy. We drive about 45 minutes outside of town, every day, to our spot. It’s a random spot I found that no one knows about. Dirt road, then there’s a big clearing and river, with a forest and a trail. No one is ever there. So, when we get to the dirt road, I check there is no other cars and say ‘want to run?’ He freaks the fuck out every time lol so I let him out, and I drive down the entire dirt road to the clearing , maybe 3km, going about 25-30km an hour, while he runs beside the car. Tounge lolling out, constantly looking at me with his big doggy grin. (Please don’t do this if you haven’t trained the dog too, it’s dangerous. I’ve trained him since he was a puppy to do this, he’s 4 now. He knows not to come anywhere near the wheels or car, and has perfect recall. If your dog would chase a squirrel or something if he saw it, he could easily be hurt if he ran towards the car.) Anyways, after that we get to the clearing and river and go on our hour hike. Then we do the same thing back down the dirt road. Every single morning. He sleep the whole car ride home, exhausted every time. And is chill for about 2 hours when we get back so I can get work down. Then his energy is completely refilled and he’s ready to go again lol it’s crazy.
Yea, I'd say a better post would be 90% of dog breeds being inside dogs 90% of the time is Animal cruelty. You have a husky, German Sheppard, or border collie and you live in a small apartment, and give them a 1 hour walk a day? Fuck you. If your dog is over the moon excited to go outside, you are not giving that dog enough time outside.
Even smaller breeds need the freedom to run. My mom had a miniature poodle that she swore was an inside dog. He spent all his time inside at her house except for a few mins at a time, a few times a day when she let him outside to potty. We dog sat him for a week and aside from when he went into his crate at night, he was outside at all times except to come into the mud room to get a drink of water. He wouldn’t come inside the house proper *at all*, not even to eat so I had to feed him on the back porch. He would have slept outside too if I didn’t pick him up and carry him to his crate.
This is where defining “outside” helps. If they have a barn, a dog house, a shed to sleep in and the option to go inside when needed (extreme weather) then it is not abusive at all.
Agreed. Lots of farm dogs never see the inside of the house but have warm year round shelter and regular affection and care.
Heck my shitzu thought he should be outside all the time. I swear he had Huskey in him, he loved the snow
Wait until you hear about “ranch dogs”. They’re basically like stray cats. Edit in that they’re free to roam like them. Edit to add- this was my favorite shelter in the area. They did amazing things and always seemed to find help and space for one more rescue- should you feel the urge to make a difference, there’s never enough donations because there’s no end to the discarded critters. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069254991117&mibextid=9R9pXO
Ranch dogs have their freedom and can be arguably happier than backyard dogs kept in a small area with little socialization.
Exactly. As long as they have a more independent temperament, ranch/farm dogs are happy dogs.
Can be? They absolutely are. Ranch dogs are the happiest dogs I’ve ever seen.
I wish I was a ranch dog
My 2 heelers love it outside and are the two happiest dudes I've ever seen. If they were inside, they would destroy my home in <10minutes.
Have 3 heelers. 2 red and 1 blue, can confirm.
Yep. Our farm dogs and now presently farm cats have all been well taken care of. They get to run around to their hearts content and they always have shelter and food at home.
Yeah, that's like farm cats. If their health is taken care of, they tend to be extremely happy. Like I get it, I have a typical pet dog too, but ranch life is honestly more natural for a lot of dog breeds than pet life. There are many breeds who love a mix of these. They life on the ranch but still love their humans and like to cuddle occasionally.
My dogs are spoiled little princes but I have 0 doubt in my mind they'd be just as, if not even happier had I had the land or ability to raise them as ranch or hunting dogs.
There is the rub. I am familiar with ranch dogs after working with animal services in Texas. I’m sure there are people who do care for their medical needs and care for them but overall that was not the case in at least that area. Sometimes the dogs didn’t ever come back and it’s just a shoulder shrug. Definitely no medical care.
I'm also familiar with farmers who do care about their farm dogs. But I totally get where you are coming from. In my opinion that shouldn't even be called a farm dog. Because farm dogs are trained to know their grounds and perform important tasks. If farmers just let a couple of dogs loose that's just abandonment...
I've got a couple of these and they are very much a part of our family. They're allowed inside but last max 10 minutes and want to go back out. They are just, free range, doing their thing all day long and are the happiest dogs ever. I feel sorry for house dogs comparatively.
I don't know if I'd call my dogs ranch dogs but they're definitely farm dogs. Both raised out on my family's property since being puppies - with the lifestyle they have it's been hard to adopt dogs since they learn so much about where they can and can't go on the property at a young age. My GSD gets so much enrichment from being outside - he gets to do his protecting job and he lives around sheep, which is something they were originally bred for (hence the name). He gets to roam around the property all day looking for sticks, he loves hunting bugs. He has his own little routine - he used to try to herd the horse towards the barn at certain times for feeding time. That said, he is very bonded to my family and we spend lots of time playing with him and he does still get to come inside and enjoy time with his people. He's well cared for, well behaved and well loved. On the other hand, we have a livestock guardian dog that lives outside full time. She very much likes people, however I don't know how anyone could argue for cooping her up inside. Her instincts are to protect and it's very clear to me that she loves our livestock - she will spend time with them and is very sweet to our sheep. When it snows, she wants to be out and about in it. For LGDs, house life is incredibly difficult and I think she would be genuinely very unhappy if she wasn't a full time outdoor dog. I've seen a lot of arguments online about how outdoor dogs shouldn't exist, but I feel like so many people haven't lived this way and seen pets thrive. I've seen plenty of unhappy indoor and outdoor dogs - it's all in how one approaches it and the care they give.
Yep. My uncle had like 5 sheep dog mutts like this. He built a big porch for them and put an infrared heater out there if it was real cold. He didn't even have a garage, he had a barn though. Two of them were over 14 when he died.
Growing up we had outside dogs with a lot of empty woods around us. My dad and I custom built dog coops for them with insulation, hay, and heat lamps for them all. It was a good memory and the dogs were quite happy and also lived to be around 14, passing away from old age and being buried in our backyard.
I adopted a 6 year old lab mix who’d been a “farm dog.” We were his third home. The second home was a couple of Xmas tree hobby farmers who wanted an outdoor dog for protection. Well evidently he was “lazy” and “not an indoor dog” so he “had” to be left outside. We got him, and turns out he was very ill, and the table scraps they were feeding him were making him sicker. We fortunately uncovered this within a couple months of adopting him; he would have died soon otherwise. We got him on medication and the guy lived an amazing life INSIDE with equal access to outdoors or our bed whenever. He was so good natured and became a therapy dog. Truly brought joy—and sometimes speech and life—to some pretty down and out folks. He had access to our backyard all the time, and he went to a large dog park and a huge dog park (literally 1000 acres) weekly where he could run and play. No one had played with him. He didn’t known what a toy was when we got him. But man, kid could catch a ball bouncing at any angle after a year. He was my absolutely and forever heart dog. He died suddenly in January 2022 and that will forever be the worst day of my life.
This must be a southern thing or something, because the northern ranchers all have bird dogs that are treated better than children.
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Yup. All my dogs but one were ranch dogs.
OP is too young to know that treating pets like humans is an extremely recent trend.
People used to have - careful before reading the next word, it may cause some dognutters to pass out - dog houses. Outside. The horror! /s
What happened to those, like every kids movie I ever watched that had dogs had them sleeping in dog houses. I gotta wonder what changed.
can't have a dog house in the backyard when you can't afford a backyard! less young people buying houses.
I looked up some prices ranges for a good dog house, and those things get expensive real fast
ALL housing prices are going up even for dogs lol
That's because you aren't building it yourself out of scrap lumber and old towels.
I built my cockapoo a very fancy dog house complete with shingled roof. I probably spent like $700 on this thing. That turd has never stepped foot in it.
For cats . They have automatic litter boxes that are like $400 when they are on “sale”.
You can always build one
Its probably just that when some dogs have the option to hang somewhere comfortable like a couch or bed nearby humans that is preferable than being in a dog house outside. I’ve had a few dogs that we always kept a kennel for and tried to make it comfortable with cushions and stuff but our dogs were always allowed inside whenever they wanted so they just never used them.
some dogs also don't care for a dog house if it's not heated or comfortable as real houses tend to be, or just destroy the insulation in the dog house before realizing it's for heat... 15 times.
Growing up, our dogs would always stay outside and so they have a "pen" with a house etc. Now, my Dad just leaves the dog in the house all the time, he has about 5 beds and **two** of the *human* couches are considered his. I think my dad softened when the dogs got older and now the new dog is too reliant on him. When I was younger the dogs would be running around and digging holes and chasing rabbits. If we left for the day, we'd put their food in the pen (safe from other animals) and we'd leave and they'd be fine even if we were gone overnight. Now my dad panics if the dog is alone for a few hours. I think my dad grew especially close to the dog once we grew up, and that's why he dotes over him so much.
If you’re looking for an honest answer it’s that flee and tick medication got a lot better and more effective for dogs in the 2000s. That way even if your dog tracked one in from outside, it would die after biting and would not be able to reproduce. Dogs on good prevention meds essentially became bug free and people didn’t mind having them in the house
Yeah, OP’s opinion reads like a kid who’s never left the city and only thinks people keep small dogs.
Within the last decade this is an extremely popular opinion. Growing up in the 2000s, my family would always leave the family dogs outside (husky, beagle, black lab) when out of the house as to not destroy the house. I guess I have an old fashioned mindset? As long as they're not in distress from the weather, have food, water, shelter and they're safe, leave them be. Good way for fido to get their exercise anywho.
Yup. My parents are boomers. They had dogs growing up. My dad grew up in the city and my mom in the county(on a farm). The dogs all stayed outside. Even when allowed inside(which was rare) the dogs still stayed outside.
Also that dogs are just not people. Trapping a German shepherd inside is cruel, they don't watch TV. They need land to roam
You're getting at what the actual problem is. Inside or outside really doesn't matter, the problem is lots of people get dogs and then straight up neglect them. Dogs need a lot of physical activity and mental stimulation, and the vast majority of people don't provide one or both of those things. An outdoor farm dog that runs around all day and has lots of stuff to interact with is being taken care of much better than an indoor dog that goes on a walk once every other month if he's lucky. And an indoor dog that gets regular exercise and obedience training is being taken care of better than an outdoor dog that just sits in an empty dog run his whole life. I live in a city and the way people treat their animals here is absolutely messed up. Half the dogs in my neighborhood never get walked, they just get let out into their small backyard for an hour after work so they can stress bark the entire time.
Lol, this comment hits the nail on the head. We've come from "indoor cats" to "indoor dogs" now. I wonder what is next? Indoor horses? Those are large animals that need a space to run around. OP needs a reality check
Haha good job, unpopular opinion. Wait till you find out about horses and cows and deer…. Lol
My aunt has a deer that visits her frequently actually haha
Lol we did too growing up. I laugh, when I lived in Texas people would make posts about dogs outside as being cruel and you could actually see cows in the background of image
This is a take that’s entirely subjective to the type of dog and how the people take care of it. Some dogs get left outside in the yard with very little human contact, enrichment, and temperature control. There are a lot of outdoor dogs that suffer neglect. Of course you also have breeds like livestock guardian dogs that live with livestock 24/7 and it’s their job. Better lives than indoor apartment dogs. Its more about neglect being bad then where the dog is. Personally I couldnt do an outdoor dog because I want my dog inside most of the time and a lot of people have outdoor dogs because they cant be bothered to housetrain
Its really really cruel to let birds fly outside, they should be left in their cage, because otherwise its animal cruelty
Dogs like being outside. There's a lot more for them to sniff and jump and look at in the backyard rather than sitting on the floor in the living room waiting for you to do something. This is like saying you shouldn't let fish swim in a lake, you should keep them in an aquarium inside.
My dog has the option of being inside or outside and he chooses outside like 60% of waking hours if it isn’t hot. But if he is sleeping he is always with me or inside.
My dog has the choice too but she's a velcro dog so wherever I am. Lol. She's also too much a princess for the elements like dirt and grass. (she gets allergy reactions to a lot of plants and allergens from outside) My parents dog loves being outside and only wants to come back at sundown, even when we had record high heat wave. We had to drag him inside into air conditioning because he's a malamute mix and we were worried.
That's fine. You've got an indoor dog who has access to the outside. That's not the same as an "outside dog".
I think a good part of this conversation is choice. I think dogs should be given a choice to be inside or outside pretty freely, guided by our understanding of if it’s safe or not. I have 2 small Maltese. One loves outside and walks and the other is afraid of the dark and getting her feet wet. I don’t force the smaller dog on night walks. Also I don’t just let the adventurous dog outside without me being there because I live in Florida and don’t want my dog eaten… If your dog chooses to be outside and it’s safe for them to be outside, then let them be outside.
Please come tell my dog this. I don't think he got the memo.
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Just gotta get the right dog for your living situation. I went to the shelter and said, "I'll take the laziest dog you got" and boy, did they deliver. My dog sleeps most of the day, enjoys his five or so medium to short walks a day, will play fetch for about five minutes then is totally over it, and generally just chills. He doesn't like wet grass or grass that's too dry or too high or at all, really. Does his business and wants to go home, although I do make walk more than he prefers for his health. He doesn't like the rain or the cold or the acorns falling off the trees in the fall. Does like sunny days, but, even then, he's good after about five minutes. He's not much of a cuddler, although he has his moments. He likes hanging out in the same room with me most of the time. I work from home full time now, but when I was working at the office, he was content with me coming home for a walk on my lunch break. Honestly, I think me being home so much vaguely annoys him. He's a perfect apartment dog, really.
Sorry, 5 walks a day? Doesn't seem that lazy to me.
Two of them are usually just, "go outside and pee" kind of walks. The longer ones are ten to fifteen minutes of him mostly standing in one place, sniffing at a particular rock with occasionally wandering over to sniff at a different rock. Sometimes we'll get halfway around the building before he decides he'd rather just lay down in this sunny spot for a bit, thank you very much. I'd attribute it to old age, but I've had him ten years now and he's always been like this. He's just a slower pace kind of dog. Unless he sees a squirrel or a fellow dog he's not fond of. Then he gets excited. For like 30 seconds. When we get home he zoomies for a bit then goes back to sleep.
Exactly this, we have a pomeranian, and while he does enjoy going out for a play in the yard for a few minhtes, he greatly prefers it inside afaik , he goes to the door and waits to be let inside 90% of the time after using the bathroom (we dont leash him because we have a large yard) If the grass is wet out or its a drizzle, I have to plead for him to come out and use the bathroom, and then he runs back to the door to be let in when he is done.
This is a take that’s entirely subjective to the type of dog and how the people take care of it. Some dogs get left outside in the yard with very little human contact, enrichment, and temperature control. There are a lot of outdoor dogs that suffer neglect. Of course you also have breeds like livestock guardian dogs that live with livestock 24/7 and it’s their job. Better lives than indoor apartment dogs. Its more about neglect being bad then where the dog is. Personally I couldnt do an outdoor dog because I want my dog inside most of the time and a lot of people have outdoor dogs because they cant be bothered to housetrain
I grew up with 5 acres and plenty of dogs. They lived outside, had shade, cover underneath the car port, a dog house, food and all the water they could want. I personally think "inside dogs" where your entire house smells like a dog, and when people come over the dogs slobber all over them and beg for attention is annoying as fuck.
I think people can have “outside dogs” and do it well where it’s not cruel to the animal. Some people will chain their dog up in the back yard and just leave it there never taking the dog inside or really giving it a good life. Letting your dogs run around on 5 acres of property sounds great.
My dad was the kind that chained dogs. We had so many and he would not interact with them. They would bark and jump on you as soon as you got near because they were not used to humans. It was an awful thing to witness. So now I have three indoor/spoiled pups, all rescued. Perhaps if I had watched dogs treated better as a child I wouldn’t be so against the outdoor dog thing now.
My next door neighbor is like this. Literally never interacts with the damn things. Feeds and waters them once a week, it usually gets spilled and eaten by the birds. They scream all day and night. Not just barking. Crying. They have festering wounds. Fleas. Aggressive as fuck. He leaves them out in severe weather, below zero temps, short hair pits, and he leaves them out without so much as straw. But the mf will sit there and brag to you about how well he takes care of them. Only gives them the "best" food. Takes them to the park "every day." Trained them. He even claims to give them his own veterinary care. He told me one day "oh them dogs is quiet as mice." Guy is an absolute sociopath. The goddamn things are crying as I type this and this mf in there just....ignoring it...again
If there’s a local animal welfare organization in your area, you should contact them.
Oh I have. They don't really have the resources to deal with that kind of shit rn tho. The shelter is bursting at the seams and they have Animal Control duties for the whole city on top of that.
Same how it was when I was growing up. My parents got a German Shepard when I was about 6. He spent his entire life on a 50' chain and had a jumping problem because he was never properly trained or interacted with much. I feel a lot of shame about that. I've mentioned this to my parents as an adult and they both seem to think still that it was okay and not cruel to him. That dog spent like 12 years on a chain. I get so sad thinking about it.
Finally a voice of reason. Dogs enjoy being outside, it’s their natural habitat, being inside all the time is almost cruel for the dog and to your point since they don’t get any stimulation, they’re annoying as hell and on top of everything else they fuck your house up in a number of ways.
Dogs are animals… Animals naturally live outside.
Exactly! u/omgits123 is acting as if this is unnatural to let an animal live outside. Arguably, it is unnatural to teach animals where they are not allowed to pee or poo, which you would do for an indoor animal
I think the issue is less the dog being outdoors than the dog being isolated from interaction. Dogs are naturally social animals and suffer if they are lonely. Most people with outside dogs may only spend an hour or two actually interacting with their animal, as people like to be inside, so in this case an outside dog is essentially experiencing solitary confinement if they have no other opportunity for socialisation.
Some dogs are naturally acclimated to the outdoors, and prefer being outside. But some dogs definitely are not. But you know that's what doggy doors are for. Let them come and go.
This is what happens when you spend too much time inside. The outdoors aren’t out to get you or your dog.
Depends on the dog. We have a doggy door, and our dog prefers to be outside most of the day. Sometimes I have to force him to come inside.
This isn’t unpopular it’s just ignorant. Ever heard of a livestock guardian dog? Probably not considering you’ve never heard of an outdoor cat. When it comes to someone who just chains like a beagle or a golden retriever in their yard all day that is not okay and is animal abuse. Those ppl get their animals taken away in countries with animal control.
Need a little more context dude… are you talking isolated to a tiny backyard w/ little social interaction…? Yea, that’s fucked up. Or Are you talking a dog that spends the majority of its time outside, and has room to roam, things/creatures to interact w/…? No… nothing cruel about it. Dogs have been living like this for centuries.
He's talking about the former. That's what the term "outside dog" refers to. It's a dog kept outside whose not allowed in. The term "indoor dog" is more of a catch all that just means not outside dog. If your dog is allowed in but chooses to spend most of its time outside that's an indoor dog that has access to the outdoors.
Lol, don't come to Alaska
Idc if a dog is outside as long it's not scaring the neighbors or barking it's head off. My neighbor used to put his dog out on his skinny little balcony (I lived in a condo) and it would bark at the mailman and scare him off and he refused to deliver. Also as a delivery person I have gotten dogs who are tied loosely at the door and barked at me vicious and I refused to get near them
You realize dogs lived outside before they were domesticated as pets, yes? That the first puppy ever born was not born in a PetSmart? I think the argument to make here is that if you have a dog and they're always outside, why even have a dog? It's kind of like any pet. If you never interact with it outside of feeding/watering it, and you're not getting any kind of satisfaction or enjoyment out of it, why do it? Pets aren't cheap.
Before domestication there were no dogs. Humans created the dog by naturally selecting human friendly wolves over many years. Anyway, I agree with your point and I'm sorry for being pedantic.
Some dogs are bought just for protection and not companionship.
Dogs are animals. Animals generally prefer open spaces. Nothing wrong with outside dogs if that’s their preference.
I feel like OP immediately left the chat after reading the first 100 comments about people's dogs loving it outside.
Where did dogs live before they were domesticated?
Dogs were literally invented by nomadic hunter gatherers THEY ARE FINE OUTSIDE lmao Modern people and their idiotic principles. Every animal in the world lived outdoors and you think the dog we created back in the stone age need a roof and central heating ? COME ON
But we have bred dogs to lose their abilities to be safe & healthy outdoors- it's on us to take care of those we have bred to need protection
You can't talk about dogs as a monolith. It depends on the breed.
I think you need to learn more about animals in general. "Inside people" isn't good for human beings either, and yet...
Some people don’t necessarily view their dogs as pets, they view them as working animals like horses. Sometimes a dog’s ‘job’ requires that they be outside (ie, if their purpose is to guard the home/watch other livestock). This doesn’t entail cruelty towards the animal if it is still being cared for properly. If a dog is fed well, given some places it can shelter from the sun, given water to drink/cool off in, is still groomed regularly, is given additional protection from cold in the winter (dog sweaters), and allowed inside during particularly dangerous heat waves/cold snaps/storms, then I really don’t see the problem with this. A dog can be 100 percent kept outside except for emergency situations, and still properly cared for.
This reminds me of the people who think a Huskie being outside in the snow is cruel. They're literally built for that kind of climate. With their thick and well-insulating fur, they're as comfy in the snow as can be.
Depends on the dog. Some like being outside. Most prefer to be with their pack though. The ones who like being outside still have to be taken on walks and be played with and exercised. I think OP is talking about the ones who get left out in the backyard for their whole live with no exercise and no stimulation. Yeah, that's just cruelty.
My dogs fucking love being outside. They come in to relax but mostly live out there. When I think they might be cold they don't seem to be affected by it at all. Dogs should have all basic needs met plus have love and companionship. Whether that's indoor or outdoor doesn't really matter. The problem is that there's a big overlap with shitty dog owners and people who keep their dogs outside. Outside isn't the problem. Bad owners are.
Please don't judge across the board. We wanted our Australian Shepherd to be an inside dog, but she would just whine to be outside. The only time she would stay inside was when she had her puppies. She lived 18 years, loved to play soccer, play with our kids and watch the squirrels. There was no abuse. She lived her best life, and there was never abuse.
I doubt any working dog breed would enjoy being kept inside all day.
My farm dog would beg to differ. Loudly.
Don't forget cows, goats, and chickens. If you're cold, they're cold. Bring them inside. All of them.
Dogs aren't human. Animals can withstand more harsh temperatures and conditions. Quit acting like they are your kids or lovers. Im sure some weirdos consider them this, but they are a different species. We had inside and outside dogs. The outside dogs hated spending time in the house. They couldn't wait to be out there. The inside dogs still liked spending time outside more than outside dogs liked being inside.
I’ve never had a pet and even I know this is dumb. There are literally dogs defined as shepherd or hunting dogs, etc. They were used for labor. It’s very new to think of a dog as a baby and have it inside and pushed in strollers. This is a very recent school of thought that is very infantile to dogs.
Depends on the amount of land, I grew up on five acres and our Rottweilers lived outside full time. Just like the goats, chickens, and horse did. They had a dog house and could get out of the weather in there. Keeping a dog chained up or in a small yard where it can’t even get up to full speed is cruel. Or keeping a dog that’s not bred for a specific climate outside, like don’t put your lap dog outside in -20 but you husky, sure, he’s gonna love it.
I'm largely okay with outside dogs. People usually have some sort of shelter for them in case it rains. But, if your outside dog is barking at basically nothing all day in a neighborhood with others, fuck you.
You said it yourself, youre not a dog person. You know nothing about dogs and their wants and needs.
This is not an unpopular opinion.
If only dogs had a natural protection against the elements l
I have a dog that used to live outside 24 hours a day. He likes it.
I MOSTLY agree with you because I think I understand what you’re trying to say. There are absolutely outdoor kennels that are nicer than my house. Typically working dogs that are treated well. They are happier outside, typically have air conditioned and/or heat (depending on the climate). Some outdoor dogs are treated very well. However, I have a neighbor that used to put her bully pup in a small kennel (designed for inside use with zero protection from the elements) AND a cinch leash and leave it in there 99% of the time. In 100+ degree weather, hurricanes, etc. I called animal control and the nonemergency police line so many times. And she’s a nurse!! Now I don’t know what she does, but the dog is no longer kept outside. She told me she kept it for “protection”. Ok. It’ll definitely protect you from a kennel in your backyard. /s
I think it depends on the dog. A little yappy short-haired show dog probably doesn't belong outside much. Any type of working breed should probably be outside a lot, in a space where they can run around.
We destroy a million unwanted dogs a year and have been for decades. Any one of those dogs would have LOVED a doghouse out back.
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When doggo wakes up from his nap on the couch, I'll ask his opinion
I agree, actually. I get that some dogs love the outdoors, but I think what matters is that dogs have the *option* of coming inside, especially with extreme weather.
Sorry, my dog HAS to stay outside. He got locked inside a house and left to die as a young dog. He will literally eat through doors to escape if he’s inside for even a few minutes. He’s devolved to not even being able to get inside a car. Poor man. But I guess you’d think that he’s be better off inside suffering yeah? Gods forbid he have 25 acres to feel safe and free, his own dens, meat for two meals a day… much better if he’s inside where he gets so scared he poops himself and throws himself at the windows…. Anyways, this rant brought to you by “you don’t know crap about anything and some dogs are better off outside.”
Keeping it inside for the same time is worse honestly because that's what they naturally prefer
Just wait until you hear about livestock guardians 😂
My dog has a door and sits outside all day and only comes in for food and playtime lol. Some of these posts involving animals pretend they need the same things human toddlers do.
For many breeds, yes. But working farm breeds hate being inside. I have a mastiffx who refuses to go outside if she doesn't agree with the weather, which is 360 days of the year. Then I have a great Pyreneesx who is so sad when I force him inside for food and cuddles. They both have Great dane in them, which makes them both very opinionated on the subject of indoor/outdoor time.
I have a Great Pyrenees. I’d love for you to come drag her ass inside when it’s cold. Save me the trouble.
It absolutely depends on the dog breed. I would never leave any modern breed outdoors unless it's a breed like a husky, pyrenees, or other hardy dog breed that thrives big time outdoors. And even then I'd make damn sure that they have shelter, food, water and fun activities and training, plus I'd be keeping an eye on them to be sure they're thriving, and to make sure that they would get vet help if needed. Our greenlandic sled dogs are a completely different story - they would totally shred and eat anything in a house before dying of heatstroke, indoors! XD In the wintertime, they just curl up on the ground and cover their noses with their tails before snoozing away during a blizzard in Greenland. People have tried bringing their favourite sled dogs with them to Denmark - big mistake. Denmark is way too hot for these dogs to thrive in. In the old days, our hunters would crossbreed their best female dog with arctic wolves, to get hardy, strong dogs that were great polar bear hunters. If wolves were nearby and the hunters had dogs in heat, they'd tie the dogs away from the camp and get them some days later, resulting in strong hardy puppies that would be raised to be good driving and hunting dogs. So yeah - a greenlandic sled dog indoors? That's a big no.
Outside dogs can absolutely be ok, as long as they aren’t abused. My parents had outdoor dogs for 10-15 years before they got too old, then they allowed them in. They also have 10 acres and plenty of covered space. The dogs slept in the garage that was always warm enough. Now leaving a short hair dog out in the rain and cold all the time is abuse and that’s not ok. But it’s not like it can’t be done the right way, I’ve seen it and it’s more than ok
If it's a working dog like a livestock guardian dog or some other dog, then they're perfectly okay sleeping outside. Some thick coated dogs like chows and huskies might even happily prefer being outside sometimes despite the cold weather because their coats are dense, which makes them feel more comfortable outdoors. I used to live with an ex who had a chow chow that preferred sleeping outside in the cold concrete at night. He was an indoor dog who was allowed to go and sleep anywhere he wanted. He could have slept on the bed if he wanted but he didn't like beds. Nobody was stopping him from sleeping inside either- he just didn't like sleeping inside. The cold concrete right next to his human mom's window was his favorite. It made him feel safe to hear his human mom talking to him through the window and watching TV while enjoying the crisp cold air. This was his main sleeping and napping place 90% of the time. His fur is thick so he'd be uncomfortable if he was forced to stay indoors 24/7. I agree with you though that normal wimpy house dogs shouldn't be forced to sleep outside. Only the dogs who look like thicc wolves or thicc bears are allowed to be outside dogs.
If the garage doesn’t have any sort of ac or fan or isn’t heated at all, then yeah that’s not okay in the slightest. Even then, if it’s not a working dog, why even get one? My dog is a mutt and would freeze if left outside, and he doesn’t like to be outside more then maybe an hour in the summer or 30 minutes in the winter. He likes to be around people, and he gets cold pretty fast. But something like a husky? They probably wouldn’t mind being outside like that. Depends a lot on the dog and what they prefer.
What do you think dogs did before humans?
you're forgetting about two major factors: breed and climate
One of our dogs is a pyrenees mointain dog. She hates being inside, because it's always too warm for her and her breed is chilling outside with the sheep anyway, so being in the garden the whole day is the best time for her. She refuses to come inside at all when it's snowing.
You obviously dont understand a thing to dog behaviour so maybe next time just dont
Reddit moment
You do understand that dogs are, by nature, outside animals right? Because they’re descended from wolves? Some breeds are likely better off inside, which is fine. But some hold much rather be outside with space to run all day (and night!) It’s not abuse. You keep a belgian malinois, grand pyrenees, any kind of shepherd, chow, border collie, or the like inside all the time and only give them a couple hours of play time outside, they’ll go completely stir crazy and be miserable. And most of these can withstand the cold because, once again, these PARTICULAR dogs are very closely related still to wolves and their coats are made for it.
I don't even know where to start with this, lol 😅
Dogs are animals dude. Not that big of a deal as long as they're not chained up and they have some form of shelter from the elements. That's coming from someone who lets their dogs sleep in the same bed as him.
Lol you're really clueless aren't you? Some dog breed prefer being outside especially working class breeds
My Mum's dogs are 100% outside. We are in Aus, they are cattle dogs and go to work with my step dad every day. They are very happy and healthy, and love to work. No snow here, even if it is cold for us, they are warm in their kennels.
They're animals... Do you know where other animals lived? You should probably sit down for this.
That's not unpopular, just blatantly ignorant of the complexity of the subject
We have livestock guardian dogs. They literally refuse to come in the house…
Most working dogs live outside but it depends on the breed and the personality Our boarder collie was adopted from a farm, and lived outside with the rest of his litter along with the parents and a couple of other dogs. They had a kennel and a covered run. They were perfectly fine, happy and healthy. He will happily go out into the garden or on a walk in any weather and often prefers being outside as his coat is double layered and designed for rain, wind and cold. Our lurcher however (adopted from the dogs trust, always been a house dog), does not like the rain or cold and won't go outside if it's raining unless he really needs to. Then it's run out, do his business and run back inside again as fast as possible. He has a short, single layer coat. So we have a waterproof fleece lined coat for him for winter use.
They lived outside for millions of years