Sounds like a typical country farm dog to me. I don't at all think he's neglected and certainly not abused. It may not be what we'd choose for our dogs and I'm not saying it isn't risky but different people see different things as risky.
This. It's not that I'D choose, or how I'd raise a dog, but I wouldn't call it abuse. I think it's neglect to a point, but just another way of raising dogs I guess.
My step-dad and moms cockapoo basically lived like this. We have 3 acres and behind us is 90 acres of farmland. She NEVER wanted to come inside so we'd often leave her outside. *I* never liked it, I'd try my hardest to get her in, but she'd go run under the deck and it was impossible to get her. However, she got ran over when she was almost 5 years old. She chased cars... it was inevitable, I was devastated but I almost knew it was going to happen one day. So... to me, that's the risk you take when owning a dog and raising it like that. However she was a happy dog, loved all of us, slept in my moms bed every night, loved playing with Jackson, was brought to the vet at least yearly. I would've chosen different for her, but at that point, she was already so set on her ways.