Am I the only one that owns "outside" dogs anymore?!?

Question

A few moments ago, I asked the question, "At what temperature should you start bringing your dogs in at night?" ...and I recieved several rude remarks. People went on ram pages about how I should treat my dog like "part of the family", and let her live in the house.
I have a female American Pit Bull Terrier, and she loves to run and play outside. I would compare keeping her inside to placing her in a jail cell. Does anyone understand what I'm talking about?!
Don't get me wrong, I understand some breeds of dog may need to come in for specific reasons, but give me a break.

Answer 1

It seems like this has touched a nerve. I haven't owned many dogs, but grew up in the country and never had a dog inside. Call me crazy but dogs are meant to be outside with nature, running around, getting into things.
If they were in the house they would be getting into all kinds of mess. breaking things. Next thing you know people will tell you not to have things in your house that can break. I bet most of those that have critized you probably live in California, hate people and eat granola all day trying to figure out to make themselves look better than they are oh yes and they probably have those little yappie lap dogs that people in that part of the country buy as accessories. I am from Georgia too and while it get's cold it's not that cold. Blankets and maybe a heated pad of some kind would be just fine.

Answer 2

Instead of testing people before getting a dog, they should test people before they have a baby. I love animals and hate animal cruelty (I do have a sense of humor though...that dishwasher thing is pretty funny!), but I value human life and welfare over animal life and welfare, no matter what. That is a very awful thing to have happened to that little boy. I hate to say this, but some girls who "accidentally" get pregnant don't really want the baby, and they don't take very good care of them. I believe that if a baby is unwanted, it should be given up for adoption, but some mothers keep them just because of the status or self image. There are some pretty bad people out there having kids. If there was a way to prevent people having kids until they passed some sort of test, I would be all for it. In this case, the owner really shouldn't have left his dogs with a baby unattended, but leaving a baby alone like that is neglect. I have a 2 month old son, and the only time I leave him alone is in his crib, and I always have the monitor on so I can hear him and know he's okay. How those dogs tore the diaper off and did all that without her hearing is beyond me...unless they were having sex and were ignoring the baby's cries.

Answer 3

I own an American Pit Bull Terrier as well. I completely understand that she loves to run and play...mine does to of course. I exercise her everyday(we walk a mile together) and she runs and plays in our back yard. However she NEVER is outside alone. I'm not sure where you are from but my reasoning for this is because in my area pit bulls are stolen on a regular basis and God only knows what happens to them after that...you and I both know it isn't a good thing.

The only negative thing I see w/ keeping a dog outside is that it's easy to forget about them and then they end up not having the proper socialization skills which is critical with a pit bull. However, that's just me and I don't know your situation and how much time you are able to spend w/ your dog! I'm glad that she isn't on a chain, that to me is AWFUL!

And to answer your question from before, I'd start bringing her in when it would be uncomfortable for you to stay outside for hours at a time. Pits don't have a thick coat so they defiantly need to go inside when it gets colder!

Good luck w/ everything, I hope it goes well. Clearly you are a good pet owner considering that you posted a concerning question about her.

Answer 4

My parents have an outside dog and want my dog to stay outside when we come as well, my dad just thinks they belong outside. I have read that dogs are pack animals, if they are the only one outside, they are banished from the "pack" (your family) They have shorter lives, you can't deny that. A family I babysat had their dog mainly outside during the day and the dog loved to run back and forth. I came back and saw him later and he was huge with muscles, but they let him come inside at night. I think it was a nice balance with a working family. I am at home most of the time with my kids so my dog stays inside with me. I can't leave my breed outside alone for a long time, German Shepherds get bad if they are kept from the family (from many places that I have read) Dogs do love to run, but even though you might not want to admit it, they also love to be a part of the family, you can have both.

Edit: I guess it depends on what your goals for your dogs are. I have high expectations for my German Shepherd and I can't achieve those goals if she was an "outside" dog. I also want her in the house in case someone ever broke in, she would be more help inside than outside just barking.

Answer 5

We have two small dogs that are inside and also a 12 week old puppy. We also have two hunting dogs that ARE outside. I don't really see anything wrong with leaving your dogs outside, except for when it gets too cold outside! I don't know why everyone chewed you out though. It's apparent that you care about your dog because you asked when she should be brought in. Why would you ask if you didn't think it mattered?
But to answer your other question, I would bring her in even BEFORE it starts snowing. It can still get pretty chilly out there!

Answer 6

You are going to get opinions (sometimes rude) that vary so greatly on this forum :) I have 5 dogs - 3 inside, 2 outside. All are outside during the day. I go through more bales of hay and bags of shavings than you can imagine. One person said that as long as your pets are set up to live outside then it is acceptable. I agree however, for example, I would not put a small dog with little hair out in the winter - you have that common sense though :) There are common sense issues and it is a shame that some people will accuse others of abuse and neglect without first knowing details - This is an adult forum isn't it? There is such a thing as tact isn't there? Pets need more than the essentials if they are going to live outside. Food and water (water changed constantly), proper shelter from heat and cold. It somewhat depends on the breed (and where you live) that you are putting outside to determine when it is time to come in during the winter months. In the summer, it is not fit for a dog to be outside in climates where the heat index can get into the 100's plus. Other measures will have to be taken in order for your pet to be comfortable. I live in Memphis - soooooo hot in the summer - I purchased a doggies heater/air conditioner - For us who are neurotic about our pets, we can do such things to keep them comfortable and safe:) They need lots of interaction with you and bones and toys to keep them occupied while you are not home:) I place straw in the areas where they like to lounge (in the winter and rainy seasons) so that they can enjoy the outdoors and still stay dry and warm. My outside dogs (German Shepherd and Lab) seem to prefer to be out. They do come in from time to time but run back to the door waiting to go out after a small amount of time. I guess the bottom line is that your pet needs more than food, water and shelter if they are outside. They need a lot of attention/playtime/continued socialization. Don't take things so personal on here. Maybe the people who are being rude have had or seen some bad experiences and therefor have a strong opinion. They just need to learn how to be tactful with folks who have an honest question :) Just my opinion :)

Answer 7

No you are not. My dogs are outside when I'm home. I work full-time. So they don't have an opportunity to run outside most of the day time. When I'm home, I let them run. Dogs need exercises no matter what breed they are. It's not fair for the dogs that don't have chances to run. No matter inside or outside dogs, they are part of the family. It's just different method to raise dogs. No one has any rights to judge the others. Generally, when the temperature is 50 or under would be too cold for them to stay outside.

Answer 8

It doesn't have to be a black or white situation.

Your question may have been a red flag to some people with thought of a fine coated dog being outside on cold nights. Remember that dogs are pack animals and have each others body heat for warmth in the wild, and few fine haired canids are found in cold climates, wolves and such have thick double layered coats.

Domestic dogs cannot be compared to the wild dog species that evolved to have the right coat and factors for the particular environment that they evolved in.

Humans have bred many physical and behavioural traits into domestic dogs, so a lot of consideration needs to be given to their housing and social needs.

Answer 9

I've said it before and I'll say it again...why have a dog if you can't enjoy their company.
I have an APBT and a Staffy.They are both inside dogs.
For the reason that another responder stated..they have thin coats and would not do well outside although they both love to play in the snow(short periods).They are never alone outside,also mentioned by someone,they could be stolen by someone who didn't know they are spayed or poisoned by someone who hates the breed.
But mostly they stay inside because I am a self-centered, selfish person who would miss their company.

Answer 10

I have an APBT he loves to run and jump and play, so I do understand the rambunctiousness of the apbt. My apbt is also an inside dog. he makes trips to "potty" and that is it. During the summer we spend more time outside playing but not in the cold. I honestly have no idea when you should bring your dog in. I am guessing it would depend on where you live I know that in upstate ny it gets mighty cold.