# Dogs: Man's best friend or lawn ornament?



## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/lawnornament.html


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I agree with caring for the animal. However, I also would want a huge doggie outside  Probably an acreage or something, of course, and he would have a heated, insulated doghouse (or use of the garage).  Not as a "he's too big" excuse, just for the fact the acreage is a great place for a large dog, lots of room and he can also have a job, and still be a buddy and protector ;p


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## SnowySurface (Apr 25, 2011)

There was one dog named Missy Grandpa had for 16 years that was more comfortable outside the house than inside the house for a very interesting reason. She was part wolf. 

According to the family legend, my Grandpa’s friend ended up with a litter of half dog-half wolf pups in a state where wolf/dog hybrids aren’t legal. The friend didn’t want the puppies killed, so he passed them on to friends who could either own them legally with the proper registration or in other states with no regulation of hybrid dogs. I don’t know how legal it was for Grandpa to transport a wolf/dog hybrid to NY, but based on the way Missy was cared for, I’m going to guess Grandpa didn’t have to hide her from the feds. 

The wolf in Missy made it easier for her to live outside all year round because of her coat. She would grow a thick coat during fall for the winter, shed the coat during the spring, and have a short hair coat for the summer. Grandpa had to convert part of the yard into an enclosure with a dog house that gave her room to run if she felt like it and shelter. The floor of the run was concrete so it would be easier to clean up poop, not get muddy when it rained, but he did have to occasionally hose it down when it got hot during the summer or chip away ice/shovel snow during the winter. But those two problems would only happen during heat waves/snow storms. I can only think of about 3 nights when she HAD to be brought inside because it was too rough outside even with her full winter coat. She always had access to fresh water and two meals a day. The run was long enough for Missy to run for a few seconds before bumping into the other side but she had access to the backyard when supervised. That is when I would try to play with her and fail. XD Missy was still a loved family pet even if she lived outside. We simply went outside to her. lol 

That’s why pictures of dogs on chains bother me. The only thing Grandpa put around Missy neck was her properly fitted dog collar with tags so she could be identified if she did get out the yard. In the 16 years Missy lived outside, the only health problem she developed was arthritis at 15 years old because he cared for her properly. I will never understand why people will buy a dog, tie it to a stake in the middle of the yard, toss it food when they remember, and call themselves dog owners. It just boggles my mind becauase Grandpa if there is one thing Grandpa taught me before he passed, it was to care for animals properly. There is nothing proper about tying a dog down in one place to be wheather like a rock. : /


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

We have three German shepherds who live mostly inside by choice (they punched a hole through the bottom of the fly wire door so we just leave that open and they get to run in and out of the kitchen). However, they are kept in the kitchen by a baby gate and only allowed out in the rest of the house on 'dog nights in'. 

They do shed a lot and we get a lot more dust because they are inside. However, I just dust and run the vac around once every three days and our house remains cleaner than a lot of houses I have been in where there are no pets. 

I don't like to see dogs kept out in the yard with no human interaction or exposure to the world outside of that yard. But unlike the article, I do think there are exceptions. 

We had an older b.itch who got stressed when kept inside as she was a very dominant dog and liked to be outside seeing what was going on. She had been brought up in the house as a puppy and allowed to stay inside but she just hated it. Even in the days before we had her put to sleep we had to build a pen on the deck for her to be outside as she just hated being cooped up inside. 

The difference was that she was walked regularly, played with daily and had another dog for companionship. 

I do think working dogs that have an actual 'job' don't need to be allowed in the house. You see owners working with their dogs, and you can't tell me that there isn't a bond. None of those dogs ever look unhappy either because they have a job doing what they were bred to do. It is probably a sad fact those dogs get a lot more socialisation and interaction with humans than those 'pet' dogs left tied out on a chain in the yard. 

Our dogs enjoy curling up with us while we watch television on the nights they are allowed out, and we enjoy their companionship. However, I am not going to demonise everyone who keeps their dogs outside. I really wouldn't want a whole kennel of foxhounds in my house running amok. 

I am always of the adage that a good dog is a tired dog. I seriously do not know how people can avoid ever taking their dogs out for walks. No wonder a lot of these dogs are bored and turn to nuisance barking and other destructive behaviour. If we miss a day or two of walks it's like bedlam. I could not stand a dog that under-stimulated and underworked.


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## SnowySurface (Apr 25, 2011)

I finally remembered what outside dogs remind me of. The people who have outside cats. Just like there are some cats that like to be outside there are some dogs that like to be outside. It depends on the breed, where you live, how you set up the yard for the dog, and if you interact with the dog so he or she is socialized.

However, I don't disagree with the article. It is cruel to tie up a dog and leave him or her for dead on your front lawn. It's also cruel to leave a dog in a dirty pen with little to no interaction. I just think it's better to teach someone how to properly care for an outside dog than it is to talk them into taking the dog inside.

But I will admit that's just my opinion and could be naive since my experience with outside dogs is based on Missy. XD


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## Kithy (Nov 21, 2012)

SnowySurface said:


> I finally remembered what outside dogs remind me of. The people who have outside cats. Just like there are some cats that like to be outside there are some dogs that like to be outside. It depends on the breed, where you live, how you set up the yard for the dog, and if you interact with the dog so he or she is socialized.
> 
> However, I don't disagree with the article. It is cruel to tie up a dog and leave him or her for dead on your front lawn. It's also cruel to leave a dog in a dirty pen with little to no interaction. I just think it's better to teach someone how to properly care for an outside dog than it is to talk them into taking the dog inside.
> 
> But I will admit that's just my opinion and could be naive since my experience with outside dogs is based on Missy. XD


Ohhh this so much.

I made sure when picking out my doggie that he was small enough that it was acceptable to keep him primarily in the inside because it's hot in Texas in the summer and I don't wanna go outside. So I got a Pom :3

Around my neighborhood there are a lot of outside cats and dogs that stay only in the back yard. If their owners go out a lot and play with them, it's hard to say anything bad about it. But the ones that keep their dog outside during the hottest time in the summer where I won't even think of walking my dog makes me so mad. And they let their dog bark and bark and bark all night long. It gets so bad my son and my dog hate walking by that house.

I've always thought why get an animal if you don't have time for it. :<


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## SnowySurface (Apr 25, 2011)

Kithy said:


> Ohhh this so much.
> 
> I made sure when picking out my doggie that he was small enough that it was acceptable to keep him primarily in the inside because it's hot in Texas in the summer and I don't wanna go outside. So I got a Pom :3
> 
> ...


I totally agree. 

Missy dog house was right up against the house so a natural shadow would be casted to keep her area cooler. Even with the natural shade, Grandpa would still check on her during the day to make sure she wasn't over heated and that her water bowl was never empty suring the host part of the day. Whenere her water bowl was empty, she would knock it up against the side of the house until someone came out and filled it. :lol: 

I don't think NY summer can be compared to TX summer in terms of heat and Missy was still monitored constantly. It bugs me to no end when someone puts a dog outside so it's easier to ignore. :evil:


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