Keeping dog INDOORS vs OUTDOORS ???

[semo]

I was doing some of my research and read that GOOD OWNERS should keep their dogs indoors as dogs are pack animals. I am concerned about what effects it could have on my dog if it lives in a kennel outside instead of indoors.

The way I would have to do things is make a nice sized kennel and the dog wouldnt be able to stay in our house unless it is absolutely freezing then maybe the basement a little bit . Anyway I am worried and dont want my dog to be neglected . Will I be a bad owner if it doesnt live in the house , but the kennel and I take it out at least a couple / few hours a day during the week and then a whole lot more on the weekends ? I live on a non working farm and have lots of land and a 7 acre lake out in the middle of the country for the most part, so when the dog is out of his pen there is a lot of ground we can cover. I intend on working with my dog regularly every evening after work and am almost certain that I can keep the dog excercised very well.

A quick outline of my plan is M-F wake up before work and check water and make sure it has a little bit of food, spend a little bit of time with the dog in the morning, perhaps start getting up much earlier to work it for an hour or so . GO TO WORK, then come home from work and spend at least a couple of hours with it and stuff. Then on the weekends the dog would be out a bunch more throughout the day .

I can see how leaving a dog in a kennel and neglecting it could cause problems, but if i make an honest effort to spend time working with this dog is he gonna turn out a lot worse than a dog that lives in the house ?

Thanks I am concerned.

[pitbulls4lfe]

My dog use to stay inside and would never leave my side. He was everywhere i was and he loved to cuddle with me on the couch. I am now divorced and I have moved back to my parents for a lil while and chopper cant stay inside. He is in a pen and i hate it. He does seem to act a lil different now but i think thats because he cant spend as much time with me. Also at my parents he has another dog to play with which i think he cares more about then being inside. When i let him out i tie him up by the house and if i go inside for a min he tries to get in the house cause he wants that ac. I think if you spend time with your dog like you do he will be fine. I spend every sec i can with my dog and if he cant go with me i dont go anywhere.

[14rock]

Nothing wrong with keeping a dog outside if you care for it properly. Sounds like you've got a great idea, with 7 acres and it sounds like one dog? I would suggest you look into a axle/chain setup. They can be made as long as room you have cheaply, Even a 6' chain would give the dog more than double the area to cover than a 6' kennel! Also, I've found dogs tend to do alot better on a chain than in a kennel, they dont like looking out through the bars and feeling couped up. Not too mention they are almost escape-proof if you construct it properly, where almost all kennels are amazingly easy to escape. You just have to decide what you want-whats best for the dog and your wallet but "looks" cruel to some, or a good-looking kennel that is actually the one thats crueler to your dog!

[semo]

the lake is 7 acres, the property / farm is over 100 acres.

Yes I have no problem getting an axle setup etc, to at least mix things up a bit for the dog.

[Attila]

I am thinking lots of isolation and lack of human interaction. Nice spread though. Allot like mine. I am retired though.

[Defend2DaEnd]

I keep my dogs outside on a chain most of the day and bring them in at night. I have enough dogs to where I have to shuffle who gets what room or cage at night. So two a night get some night time with me. I play with them during the day while they are on their chains with their spring pole. I also do a lil bit of hand walking.

[ABK]

I keep my dogs outside on a chain most of the day and bring them in at night. I have enough dogs to where I have to shuffle who gets what room or cage at night. So two a night get some night time with me. I play with them during the day while they are on their chains with their spring pole. I also do a lil bit of hand walking.Some ppl might disagree w/ me here, but I have raised dogs both indoors & outdoors & I have found my indoor raised dogs were more happy, well adjusted dogs all the way around.

My outside dogs tended to be more barky, destructive & they would freak out if they needed to be brought indoors for anything. They were also harder to housebreak & harder to crate train.

And lest anyone bring it up, my chain dogs were not barky & destructive b/c they were bored, although I do know dogs can bark & becone destructive for that reason. My guys got petted & played with by someone every day & also had mentally stimulating toys such as filled Kongs, knuckle bones & busy balls rotated weekly or daily, depending on the dog.

Plus, if their bad behavious were a result of boredom, my indoor dogs that were chained would have been doing it as well, but they weren't.

I did find however, if I raised them indoors & then moved them outside or if I let them come inside while I was home frequently the incidence of negative behaviours went down to almost zero.

Hope this helps! ;)

[pepper_mommy]

abk, i think that dogs outside do great as far as being adjusted outside, but indoor dogs seem to be more adjusted to human lifestyle. (ie~baby crying is not a cause for alarm, night time is for resting and not burrowing to the neighbors house :) , pots and pans are noisy with a 2 year old around but safe, ect) but i think that indoor dogs also need lots of outside interaction so they know the world enough to not fear it. so i agree with ABK and also added my own 2 cents... :)

[newbieturtlepits]

i keep mine indoors, were i can correct the behavior.. let

them out for hours at a time but they want to be with me

and to deprive them of that even tho they have eachother

is depressing to the dogg , and doggs can be depressed

theres a level of alfa betta cappa that goes on.. to them

you are the alfa, and they long to be near you no matter

what is outside.. at least , give your dog another playmate

seriously, what i feel, is time slips by when people are busy

and the best intentions go down the toilet when life gets to

busy or inconvienient.. the dog will come last when other things

begin to pile up on the *hampster wheel* and time is essential

for human needs.. with mine in the house they can see me and

interact with me even if im just telling them ,, mommy will be

right back.. or im busy , gimmie a minute.. if they were outside

not likely i would be able to give them the reassurance of nearness

to me even for minutes with the way im busy...so inside i can feed

tend to and get them straight before putting them out on very long

tethers to play for hours at a time.. bring in to rest , feed , be with

me , then later out again for few hours if weather is good.. we have

two dog rooms, where alot of my computer work is done and they

spend lots of time with me there.. dont know ,, my opinion only ,.

works for me.....ty for reading

[ABK]

Pepper: You are right. I like to think my guys get the best of both worlds. I raise them indoors & then put them outside at about 6 to 12 mos of age.

After that if they're good in the house I rotate them indoors about every three months. That way they're not terrified out of their minds in the house but also know the lawn mower won't eat them. lol. ;)

Newbie: You have some good points. Outdoor dogs do have a way of being forgotten sometimes, while indoor dogs for most part do not. None of us intend for forget or overlook our pets & anyone who has an outdoor pet always intends to take the best of care of it, but like the old saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

I would not recommend however, getting a companion for a pit bull. Their heritage is one of animal-on-animal combat & it is in their nature to bring down livestock, chase & kill small creatures & fight other dogs. Pit bulls were created by humans for humans & IMO the only companion that is truly suitable for them is a human.

[pepper_mommy]

a playmate may not work if the dog is DA....just food for thought! :) even though with all the baby pics flying around i SERIOUSLY want a playmate for pepper...but thats just code for another cute puppy running around the house!!! :)

[Defend2DaEnd]

My dogs were all raised in the house til age 1. Then I placed them outside partly because I'm busy and there is a lot of kids and people running in and out and being outside gives them mental stimulation rather than sticking them in a crate all day. THe backyard is off limits unless an adult is with a child. My dogs all get indoor time everynight and sometimes when it is rainy during the day.

[asaj]

As long as you spend TIME, with your dog I dont think he/she care if its inside or outside.
My dogs all live inside.I have it easy because I can divide the house in 2, front and back. My mutts in the front, and my pit in the back.
The doors are always opend, so they can go in and out as they like.Nothing I would recomend in any other country, but here people are so afraid of dogs so nobody would even think about trying to get in my house

[semo]

tyvm guys you are most helpful and encouraging.

[semo]

Ok, I found a few images of pit bull styles i like ignoring the colors. This is mostly for body styles, although I will not cut the ears or tail.

I have borrowed these images from members of the forum and other areas, if I offend anyone or am using their dogs image and they do not like it please tell me and I will remove it from this thread.

http://files.photojerk.com/blood/A.jpghttp://files.photojerk.com/blood/B.jpghttp://files.photojerk.com/blood/C.jpghttp://files.photojerk.com/blood/d.jpghttp://files.photojerk.com/blood/e.JPGhttp://files.photojerk.com/blood/f.JPGhttp://files.photojerk.com/blood/e.jpghttp://files.photojerk.com/blood/f.jpg

[semo]

all of the above dogs look great and are sort of the style I want

[maryellen1]

i think the first thing to take into consideration is the time you can devote to a dog that will be outside more then inside.. for proper socialization you must take the dog everywhere, inside/outside, and socialize the dog and train.. any dog can be kept outside, but socialization is the KEY to any dog.. dont socialize and you will have a headline waiting to appear.

while i am not a fan of dogs living outside, i know that sometimes it has to be.. if you have a sturdy kennel/tie out with a weatherproof dog house insulated properly that is ok. you also have to take into consideration wildlife.. for example, ihave ALOT of black bears in my area, and coyotes. i could never have my dogs outside living due to the bears have killed dogs in the past.. so mine are all inside dogs. they prefer inside being with people, and get depressed being outside, but that is all they know..

just make sure whatever you decide, that the dog house is proper, the kenneling is proper, and that the dog gets inside house time as well if possible..

[14rock]

Those are all true-to-standard dogs as far as I can tell. All but the top right hand corner, I believe that is a Lar-sans dog (Amstaff). I know Bulldozers dog, (third pic posted) is descended off that Lar-sans dog posted second.


I think what you are liking about those pics is those dogs are in good shape, and the muscles are really showing. This takes alot of work, and time to get right...you cant buy a pup and expect it to grow to that feeding it pedigree and not working it ;)

[semo]

oh i understand that, I am just talking about genetic potential :)