Dogs Inside Or Outside

[Crisovar]

To me it is purely an Australian farmyard mentality usually handed down by dog hating yobbo's.

Crap

Edited January 13, 2011 by Crisovar

[betsy]

I love the way DOL gives you the opportunity to see a broad spectrum of experiences and opinions!

BTW, my dog is outside when I am at work, but can be in or out as he pleases when I am home. I think he just prefers to be where I am whether that is inside or out! He is not allowed in the bedrooms as the cat needs a safety zone!

[Gayle.]

Our main living areas and our bedroom all open out to the back section of our property where the dogs are. We are in and out a lot when we're home and we spend heaps of time with the dogs. If my husband is working in the sheds, he'll have 3 helpers lying at his feet. If I'm gardening, I'll have 3 willing accomplices, usually dragging weeds and plant pots all over the place. We bought a place with a good sized flat paddock for doggie games.......frisbee, ball, training and just hanging out. The gate stays shut unless one of us goes to the paddock with them, and they go there at least once a day, more on weekends.

I honestly dont see how the dogs being outside a fair bit of the time has a negative impact on their lives and on their companionship. They have a wonderful life, and I'd go so far as to say they'd have a much less fun existence if the were confined to the house for 6-10 hours each day while we work.

[kelpiekaye]

If someone wont allow a dog inside why bother with the mess and trouble they make? Those owners would rarely see the dog. Buy a fish instead. Dogs need company, live outside, or allow the dog inside.

People from the UK do allow the dog inside and they allow them on transport too. Australians are well behind.

I still think it is personal choice depending on your lifestyle. I am in the fortuate position that we live and work on a farm so my dog gets to be with me almost all day and does a lot of useful work as well, but there is no way that I will be washing her every night so she can come inside.

First off i just want to say how cute is that picture of your dog in the pool

My dog is an inside/outside dog and she sleeps on my bed ;) but when we go out she goes outside, she isnt isnt too fussed though either way.

Today though she is refusing to go out because it is raining outside she doesnt like getting her feet wet

Thanks, We were at the Cattlemans cup and the kids camping beside us were playing with Ruby, when she got hot hot she got in their paddling pool

Ruby also gets to sleep on my bed every now and then, usualy after we have a day off and shes clean. She loves whatever she gets, inside,outside, work, car rides, walks in town. How lucky am I?

[luvsdogs]

It's just the way things were back in the day. My parents had outside dogs as did everyone we knew with dogs. They were allowed inside from time to time, I can remember being in fits of laughter when my dog & cat played in the loungeroom & scattered the mats (was b4 mum got wall to wall carpet) all over the place. When I met my oh he had a dog & when we got married she slept outside, came inside occasionally.

Our next dog also slept outside but as he got older I brought him in in the evenings & went to put him out at bedtime. He would bury his head in the mat so I would relent & let him sleep there.

April my 1st border collie was allowed to sleep inside from the day she came to live with us & I called her an inside dog. Although she was outside most days & whenever we were out. I used to take her to obedience lessons 4 days a week & agility once a week.

Then my son brought home a puppy who slept inside for a couple of months then he bought her a kennel & she slept outside for a few years & really loved her kennel. For the last 5 or so years she also sleeps inside.

Tilba has also slept inside since getting her nearly 3 yrs ago. She will let me know when she wants to either come inside or go out. When we go out both dogs are outside in the backyard.

I also know for a fact that a lot of breeders keep their dogs in outside kennel runs. I've been told by several people, you don't have the dog inside do you?

At my obedience club quite a few people won't let their dogs inside, they give you a definite NO when you ask if the dog is allowed inside while others will only let them inside where there are hard floors to the ones that let them sleep on their beds.

[betsy]

This thread reminded me of when I was a kid. We had a dog, cat and pet sheep on a large block in a small rural town.

The dog and sheep were basically about the same age, and had been brought up together. The cat was a tough old tom cat.

Dog and cat were both allowed inside, but my mum drew the line when the sheep tried to follow the dog in one day! Talk about identity crisis.

[Monah]

our sheep came inside too!!

luvsdogs, I'm not sure if it is a 'back in the day thing'.

it's not for me. I'd never heard of a dog being outside until I was an adult and worked on a few farms. everyone I knew had their dogs indoors, that was in the 60s.

just going for a car ride!!

[Toolz]

hahahah thats funny.. mind you i have seen a miniature horse shifted in the back seat of a station wagon once lmao

[betsy]

our sheep came inside too!!

Monah - love the piccies of the happy sheepie! We loved our sheep too, but boy she packed a mean headbutt.

[Christina]

Very much cultural.

I came to Australia at age 35 & had never heard of outside dogs only until I came to Australia.

Also never heard all the fuss about cats either, danger to wildlife, crap in my garden thing either etc.

Our dogs were in messy or not, slept on the beds with us kids, got a bowl of stew dished up for dinner if that's what it was, watched TV with us in the lounge & were treated as family members.

They were obedient & trained with no particular expertise or advice. It wasn't all around then.

Doubt the weather here is a factor really as summer is a bigger danger with heatwaves, snakes & poisonous spiders.

Safer outside in an english summer.

Just the aussie culture.

Mine would die of shock if left to live outside

[B-Q]

Pretty much everyone I know is surprised we let our dogs inside, or they assume they are little dogs because they are inside. I wouldn't have it any other way.

[jesomil]

IMO, leaving a dog outside all day while you are at work encourages barking, digging and fence jumping.

I think any dog who has its needs neglected will do these behaviours regardless of inside/outside.

Leaving my dogs inside while I was gone all day would be absolutely horrible for them. What would the poor things do all day? Sleep?

I have never had an issue with barking, digging or fence jumping with numerous outdoor dogs.

Don't forget that a dog's preferences are shaped by early life experiences. If he wasn't allowed inside as a pup, he'd be unlikely to be comfortable straight away as an adult. He'd have to be conditioned to relax there.

My Kelpie lived inside from 7 weeks till around nearly one. He is simply an outdoor kinda guy.

I think dogs can also get conditioned to boredom and doing nothing with their owners and get used to it. There would be alot of dogs who live inside, get locked inside by themselves all day, see their owners for a few hours then go to sleep all night. There would be alot of indoor dogs who dont get walked so basically they get used to life of doing nothing.

There is so much more to this than outdoor verses indoor. Neglect happens just as easily with both. I used to go to peoples houses to groom dogs and the amount of matted, flea infested, non walked/trained or stimulated indoor dogs I came across was shocking. These people always had their dogs around but simply never noticed them.

I have a few friends who have indoor dogs that dont do it so well. The feral things rush the front door when you arrive, annoy visitors no end and the house stinks and there is hair everywhere. These dogs from several different families are very rarely walked, never been trained and certainly dont attend any dogs sports. Its far easier to lean down off the couch to pat them than putting down the remote control and getting off their butt to actually do something worthwhile with the dog.

People on this forum with indoor dogs would give their dogs alot more attention than the norm.

Everything depends on the owner not where a dog lives.

[Beth.]

It's all interesting to hear other people opinions!! I was brought up with the whole 'dogs live outside thing' when we had our old working dog - but saying that, I lived on a property and we were always outside!!! So we spent so much time with our old dog. Then my parents got a little dog, and she's always inside but has access to outside. When I was looking at getting a dog, I really thought i'd stick with the 'the dog will be outside' - but yeah, that didn't happen One of my friends has a VERY strict 'no dogs in the house' policy - and always says little remarks about Lottie being in the house.

When Lottie is outside during the day - if i'm there or not - there is no barking, digging, destroying things or trying to escape!!! But that probably has to do with the amount of excerise and mental stimulation she gets when I am home!!

[koalathebear]

Threads like these always end up like the 'do you take your dog on a structured walk every day' kind of thread ... Given that there are really only 3 categories: (1) dog outside; (2) dog inside; (2) dog inside and outside, there are going to be frequent examples of people being diametrically opposed in their views

I think it's all very well to say what one chooses to do personally, but I don't think it's really fair to make a judgement about how other people choose to raise their dogs even though of course this is a public forum and people are entitled to air their views I just don't think that you're likely to change anyone's view on things. For instance, no one here is going to say:

"I keep my dogs inside - now I have seen the light and see that it is the wrong thing to do so I'll keep them outside."

As long as the dog is healthy, loved, cared for and given sufficient intellectual and physical stimulation it doesn't really matter if it's an inside or an outside dog. I know a lot of people who spend more time outdoors rather than inside. I say 'healthy' because that covers the dogs that aren't physically suited to being outside dogs. Keeping your dog inside or outside doesn't mean that you're a good owner, a better owner or a more attentive owner. It's all very much case by case - depends on the dog, depends on the owner, depends on the circumstances. You really can't draw sweeping conclusions about what is good and right for all Dog-dom based on your own personal views and declare that it's True.

My dogs are mostly indoors on weekends - they sleep in doors but when we're out, we prefer to keep them outside rather than in the house - even when it's raining. On a work day, they could be out in the yard for 6-8 hours, a few times when I was dealing with a family medical emergency, Elbie was left alone for much longer than that in the back yard.

They have shelter, they love playing in the yard. Hoover came to us at 3+ months and having been born on a farm, had never been inside a house before, having stayed in a kind of open shed with his litter mates and mother. He loves being inside, hanging around with us but he'd probably be just as happy outside as well - like wuffles has mentioned, we like having him in the house. Elbie prefers being where we are, whether that's indoors or outdoors but again, even when he was an Only Dog, we left him out in the yard a lot and he was fine and very beloved.

I don't think our dogs would want to be shut up in the house if we're not there. They like to run, play and jump - snooze in the sun. They don't nuisance bark and they outgrew the digging ages ago.

Even when we are home, we frequently have them outside - they have a dog door so they wander in and out as they please if the weather is decent. You just have to look at

and you'll see how incredibly happy they are in the yard. At the end of the day, shouldn't we just be happy that (for the most part) the dogs on this forum appear to be happy and healthy and save our disapproval for sickos that torture and neglect their dogs? Edited January 13, 2011 by koalathebear

[shells]

I'd not expect any member here with outside dogs to confront this issue. The fact that you're on a dog forum suggests that you don't view your dog as animated garden furniture. I think a hell of a lot of people do.

I agree.

I grew up with "inside" dogs (mostly Kelpies). My parents are from the UK and keeping dogs inside is the done thing there. Everytime we visited family their dogs were always inside - including my Uncles Rotty that loved to sit on my lap like a lap dog.

I do think there is a big difference between people who keep their dogs outside and do nothing but throw a bowl of food at them once a day (these people do exist - unfortunately I know a few like this) and people who walk, interact, play and spend time with their "outside" dogs.

In saying that outside dogs arent for me and I will admit I always feel sad when it is Canberra winter, bucketing down with rain and freezing and wonder how some of the dogs are coping.

My dogs have a doggy door. I actually dont know what they do when I go to work (I work part-time) but I suspect some of it may be spent snoozing on the couch LOL

[Henrietta]

Now that I think of it, most of the British period dramas I have watched have a dog of some description in them. And from memory, they are often inside the houses/castles/manors etc. Even the hunting and guard dogs. Unless they are out hunting/guarding of course. They often feature beside a great warm fire or following their master/mistress around the house. Companion dogs are of course on ladies laps or very soft-looking cushions. Just something I have picked up on in the past but not thought much of it until this discussion about culture and inside/outside dogs.

[all that glitters]

Mine's an indoor dog and only goes outside if we are home and her dog door is open (and even then she only goes out for a wee!) otherwise when I'm at work she is locked indoors and has the run of the house. She LOVES it indoors and just sleeps the day away on leather couches and on her half a dozen beds :D If someone had a destructive dog it couldn't be in my house there's so many things that are chewable! It's great having a calm non destructive happy indoor dog

[SparkyTansy]

My dogs have always been inside... my parents are english.

When I first met my OH his dog was outside, his rule when we moved in together was spartan outside that is until he realised spartan had been brought up an inside dog and wasn't happy. compromise was outside while at work and now they are inside all the time when home and inside when out most of the time... I guess I won

[bianca.a]

Inside here

[silentchild]

My dog is completely an indoors dog. The first half of her life was spent as an outdoor only dog, cooped up all day long by herself on a small verandah (this was before I got her) and she never got into any trouble or did anything destructive but you could tell she was miserable. Now living with me as an indoor dog she is completely in her element - loves it. She stays indoors when I go to work too and is more than happy to spends days lazing away on her bed. Even when I let her out to play she will go sit by the door to be let back in with a look that says "Stuff that, let me in!" lol! Personally I love lazing in front of the tv while patting her with my foot, she loves it too & we wouldn't have it any other way!