Keeping Pets Outdoors

Am I the only one who thinks this is cruel? I mean it's one thing if it's a Doberman meant for the sake of yard protection....but if it's a Golden Retriever, then come on now. Last summer I was walking around my neighborhood and saw a dog couped up in a yard. I don't know what kind of breed it was, but it was medium sized and when I passed by their tall fence it ran over to me and stuck his nose through the crack wanting to be petted. Every time I passed by that house walking or driving, I would see it hold up in the yard looking bored and abandoned. That shit made me mad.

is that not normal for a dog?

When I lived at home with my parents and had a dog, he mostly stayed in the backyard while I was at work; even when my folks were there. By contrast, my girlfriends dog never goes outside, except for when she wants him to use the bathroom–I don't know if it's a coincidence, but he's very spoiled and overly dependent on being around her. He sleeps in her room, she constantly takes him for rides in the car, he jumps up on furniture, etc., etc. When she tries to shut him out, he'll go to scratching on the door to get in. I'd be afraid to have a baby with her; I know she'd have it sleeping in between us. I think you have to force your pets to be somewhat independent, else when you leave they won't behave, and having them stay outdoors for the occasional long stretch does that.

Chris, does she try to shut him out of the room so he doesn't surprise you with his cold nose?

As to Marc's question, I don't think it's terrible to keep a dog outside if he has the run of a decent size yard and he can't get out Not in extreme temps though. On the other hand, unless you live on a farm or something, I think cats belong indoors.

Edit: I realize I wasn't clear that I didn't mean a dog should be kept outside 24 hours. That would never occur to me. I was thinking along the lines of if no one was home during the day as 2xy mentioned. Yes it would be nice if two dogs could keep each other company but not everyone can afford two. Maybe a doggie door so the pup can go outside to the "bathroom".

We have a dog who is primarily an inside dog but he spends a lot of time outside, and he's older so he has to go out a lot more than he used to...when the weather's extreme we try to just take him out long enough to do his stuff but in nicer weather he likes being out for long periods of time and just lay in the sun and sleep and sniff everything.

alan smithee wrote:Chris, does she try to shut him out of the room so he doesn't surprise you with his cold nose?

As to Marc's question, I don't think it's terrible to keep a dog outside if he has the run of a decent size yard and he can't get out Not in extreme temps though. On the other hand, unless you live on a farm or something, I think cats belong indoors.

That's a tame way of putting it. lol
If he were allowed to be in the same room with us, he might to jump on me when I jump on her.

Dogs are pack animals, and if they are kept by humans then humans become their pack. I think it's somewhat cruel to leave a dog alone for long periods of time, no matter it it's outside or inside. If the dog's owners are gone most of the day, the dog should have a doggy companion.

(Chris, our ancestors didn't stick their babies on the other side of the cave when they slept. I believe it's biologically appropriate and healthier for infants to sleep with people.)

2xy wrote:Dogs are pack animals, and if they are kept by humans then humans become their pack. I think it's somewhat cruel to leave a dog alone for long periods of time, no matter it it's outside or inside. If the dog's owners are gone most of the day, the dog should have a doggy companion.

(Chris, our ancestors didn't stick their babies on the other side of the cave when they slept. I believe it's biologically appropriate and healthier for infants to sleep with people.)

Our dog goes outside when people are eating because she's food obsessed, but she lives inside the house. We also believe in the family bed, although the dog doesn't share that with us. I don't like dogs to be on the furniture, since I've had kids.

Marc™ wrote:Am I the only one who thinks this is cruel? I mean it's one thing if it's a Doberman meant for the sake of yard protection....but if it's a Golden Retriever, then come on now. Last summer I was walking around my neighborhood and saw a dog couped up in a yard. I don't know what kind of breed it was, but it was medium sized and when I passed by their tall fence it ran over to me and stuck his nose through the crack wanting to be petted. Every time I passed by that house walking or driving, I would see it hold up in the yard looking bored and abandoned. That shit made me mad.

It's scientifically proven that indoor pets live longer, healthier lives than outdoor pets. If you have a cat or a dog and you let them stay outside for long periods of time, they will inevitably have a shorter lifespan for a variety of reasons. There is no point to owning a dog if you are just going to leave it outside all the time. Most people don't own a dog for "protection". Most people own one because they want to have a pet. And that being the case, keeping it outside IS cruel. Even police and military working dogs aren't kept outside!

Chris wrote:

alan smithee wrote:Chris, does she try to shut him out of the room so he doesn't surprise you with his cold nose?

As to Marc's question, I don't think it's terrible to keep a dog outside if he has the run of a decent size yard and he can't get out Not in extreme temps though. On the other hand, unless you live on a farm or something, I think cats belong indoors.

That's a tame way of putting it. lol
If he were allowed to be in the same room with us, he might to jump on me when I jump on her.

Not into doggie style? (You knew it was coming.)

I'm the same way with not liking dogs always kept outside and what I hate especially is seeing non ferocious dogs on chains. Makes me wonder why they even bothered having a pet in the first place if all they're gonna do is have it locked out.

Loves pets too much to keep them locked outdoors. Had a dog when i was a kid and my mom had to force me to let him have his playtime out in the back. Plus keeping them out and unattended makes it easier for them to get out the yard. My dog got away, it broke my heart.

Swear to God, I had a neighbor who keep their dog, Princess, on a chain in the backyard for years.. Since I've been living there, I don't think I've ever seen that dog off of the chain. And ironically enough, she lived for a long time.

I think there are certain situations where a dog can stay in a safe backyard for longer stretches, but it should never be his primary place to be. If I had a fenced yard safe for my dog to not run off, he would be much happier to hang out there on nice days. We have a zip line for him, so he is out often enough.

What I can not stand is those dog owners who get a dog and leave him out all the time, and only interact with him to feed and water him. That is cruel and awful.