Grrr, animal shelter says keep the dog outside!

Squidbert · Nov 22, 2006

If your house it to small for a certain dog then DON'T GET IT! How can you say that since a house is too small that validates shoving the dog outside? Danes really shouldn't be kept outside.. they aren't built for outdoor living! if you think a place is too small for a Dane don't get one!
Same with the shedding and the lack of training.. if you can't deal with a dog shedding, DON'T GET A DOG THAT'S GONNA SHED EVERYWHERE! Simple as that! Don't get it and then justify banishing it to the outdoors... And if you don't have time to train a dog to NOT pee in your house.. then maybe you shouldn't get a dog..

Now I'm sure your dogs are suited for outdoor living.. I'm not saying that your dogs should NOT be outside.. especially if you spend so much time with them out there like you stated... but the REASONS you gave for keeping dogs outside are just plain silly and unjustified! Those are the reasons that so many dogs are banished to chained living outside.. sad and lonely.. those are the reasons we have so many 'problem dogs'.. owners get the dogs and then decide they don't like the size.. the shedding.. or the smell.. or they're too lazy to train it properly.. so out the dog goes! I'm not trying to offend anyone here.. but in NO way are these reasons good ones for keeping a dog outside.. those are reasons to NEVER own a dog.. reasons to get a goldfish instead!

*end rant*

Rubylove · Nov 22, 2006

Interesting thread - although it seems more like being in a chat-room than on a forum, sometimes.

Misticaleclipse - sorry I didn't mean that you were looking at adopting the dog. I used `you' in my post to mean `the general population'.

shadowfacedanes · Nov 22, 2006

LacyGirl said:

Whoa there. Great danes absolutely should not be outside dogs. They have the coats of a chihuahua, just because they are bigger does not mean they are outdoor equipped. My great dane shivers if it's below 65, I could hardly imagine her being outside during our winters. They are sensitive dogs and prone to psychological distress if not part of the family. I've picked up numerous great danes from shelters that were "outdoor dogs" and they had taken to self multilation from stress and boredome. I've had up to 8 great danes living inside with me at once, and I did not have a huge house. Until you've lived with one indoors, please don't make statements like that. It's just not true, and is a bad thing to lead someone to believe.

Squidbert · Nov 22, 2006

shadowfacedanes said:

Whoa there. Great danes absolutely should not be outside dogs. They have the coats of a chihuahua, just because they are bigger does not mean they are outdoor equipped. My great dane shivers if it's below 65, I could hardly imagine her being outside during our winters. They are sensitive dogs and prone to psychological distress if not part of the family. I've picked up numerous great danes from shelters that were "outdoor dogs" and they had taken to self multilation from stress and boredome. I've had up to 8 great danes living inside with me at once, and I did not have a huge house. Until you've lived with one indoors, please don't make statements like that. It's just not true, and is a bad thing to lead someone to believe.

HERE you come to save the DAY!!!!

:hail: Thank god..

shadowfacedanes · Nov 22, 2006

From my FAQ page:

Isn't a Great Dane too big to be a house dog?

NO!! I cannot stress enough the importance of your dane living inside with you. Great Danes are tremendously sensitive. To relegate them to a life outdoors, away from their family, is nothing short of cruelty in my eyes. Great Danes need to be with their families. Aside from this reason, there are others:

*Not enough fur/fat to protect them from the elements.
Imagine being left outside in the winter with nothing more than a tee shirt on.

*Great Danes often become destructive when bored.
This can lead to behavioral problems such as digging, barking and fence climbing. In some cases, danes will even become self multilating, chewing their paws and body in an attempt to alleviate their boredom and anxiety.

*Great Danes are highly succeptible to bloat.
Monitering your dane and his food intake, water intake and activity level is vital. It's hard to do this when you're inside and the dane is not.

*You are not able to protect your dane from harm
If you leave your dane outside unsupervised, he is subject to many harms. He can be poisoned, injured, escape, etc and you would not know until it is too late.

These are just some of the reasons danes should not be outside dogs. "They are too big for the house" is just not an acceptable excuse. If you aren't prepared to share your home with a dane, please do not get one.

This is how much room my dane takes up:

Or one cushion on the couch unless she is being exceptionally lazy and stretches out.

Squidbert · Nov 22, 2006

EXACTLY! I'd have to say I'd agree with this for any dog.. no matter the breed.. of course some are better suited for outside and some would do better outside in a well enclosed safe place.. I'm not saying to NEVER keep a dog outside by any means.. but the excuse of "It's too big for the house" just doesn't fly with me.. EVER..

Dulce Pit Bull · Nov 22, 2006

ShadowfaceDane:

Danes are actually couch potatos, right? They don't require a lot of room. I don't know about Danes and how much exercise they need, but I do know that even a Mastiff doesn't require massive amounts of exercise. Mastiffs, I believe, require minimal stimulation. (for health reasons)

I know that Danes ARE Mastiffs, though

As long as they are mentally stimulated, and receive moderate amounts of physical exercise, then I believe that is ok. Right?

Danes are apartment dwellers I believe, also.

2BlackDogs · Nov 22, 2006

My dog's previous owners kept him outside because of his size. He's 70 lbs. When I got him we lived in a 2000+ square foot house. We were renting so when we bought a house this year it's just a little smaller (1800 sf.) We keep all the bedroom doors closed but one and he's off limits to the bathrooms as well. So he has access to about half the house. I would never have taken him if I didn't have the room in my house for him. I knew he was an outside dog but I still would not have taken him if I didn't have room indoors for him. He now loves to be inside. He's inside most the day unless he has to potty or some occasional play time. He'd much rather be inside with me. If I'm outside, he'd still rather be inside.

I'm kind of shocked that this dop in the original post, must be an outdoor dog if adopted. I've never heard of a rescue or shelter saying you must keep the dog outside. Every one of them that I have ever talked to states the dog must NOT be outside all the time and that the dog is to be an indoor dog. I have never came across one that doesn't say that. Makes me think too that he has some problems that needs to be addressed. I wonder why they wouldn't work with him before adopting him out though.

shadowfacedanes · Nov 22, 2006

Dulce Pit Bull said:

Yep, you hit the nail on the head.

My danes have always been indoor dogs. Inside, they are laid back and will fight you for the best seat on the couch or race you to the bed. Hannah, being so young, is still energetic, but her "indoor" play vs. her "outdoor" play are two extremely levels. As long as they have an outlet for their energy (all five minutes of it, usually

) they are wonderful house dogs.

Hannah and I live in an apartment. It's not huge, but it works for us. We have neighbors downstairs, and if she was really obnoxious indoors, we surely would've heard from the management by now.

I certainly wouldn't recommend a young puppy dane in an apartment for most people, but I was able to take Hannah to work with me and she was able to get all of the exercise she needed, so it worked out fine. She still needs two brisk walks a day, and a chance to run off lead a couple times a week. She loves to swim also, so during the summer, we exercise her that way. After the new year, we will begin formal agility training as well.

The key, as you said is exercise and mental stimulation, and I feel that is the key for ALL dogs.

Whisper · Nov 22, 2006

It really makes me sad to think about how when people can't handle their dogs they just put them outside. . .I agree with what Squiddy said:

If your house it to small for a certain dog then DON'T GET IT! How can you say that since a house is too small that validates shoving the dog outside? Danes really shouldn't be kept outside.. they aren't built for outdoor living! if you think a place is too small for a Dane don't get one!
Same with the shedding and the lack of training.. if you can't deal with a dog shedding, DON'T GET A DOG THAT'S GONNA SHED EVERYWHERE! Simple as that! Don't get it and then justify banishing it to the outdoors... And if you don't have time to train a dog to NOT pee in your house.. then maybe you shouldn't get a dog..

Now I'm sure your dogs are suited for outdoor living.. I'm not saying that your dogs should NOT be outside.. especially if you spend so much time with them out there like you stated... but the REASONS you gave for keeping dogs outside are just plain silly and unjustified! Those are the reasons that so many dogs are banished to chained living outside.. sad and lonely.. those are the reasons we have so many 'problem dogs'.. owners get the dogs and then decide they don't like the size.. the shedding.. or the smell.. or they're too lazy to train it properly.. so out the dog goes! I'm not trying to offend anyone here.. but in NO way are these reasons good ones for keeping a dog outside.. those are reasons to NEVER own a dog.. reasons to get a goldfish instead!

*end rant*

Lizmo · Nov 22, 2006

I agree with Squiddy too!

Here is what I think.....

Yes dogs need to be outside....but they need to be inside at night and during the day....yes they need to go and play ect outside but they also need to be inside!

Also I think if your dog cannot be an inside dog...most people should not have a dog....you can not watch what it is doing....you cannot see if some thing comes in your yard at night and gets your dog...you do not have the interation with your dogs that you NEED if they are outside all day...the dogs are in the rain ect if they are outside all day...I completly agree with Squiddy!

joce · Nov 22, 2006

He may have grown up on a farm-those who have lived on farms or near them know there are some dogs that attach to the livestock or guarding the barn and not really the people and thats not a bad thing. It stresses them to be away from there element which is the barn. If a dog is made fo rit and likes it I see no probalme with an outside dog.

chinchow · Nov 22, 2006

I agree with Joce.

Regarding this dog, he may very well be stressed INSIDE the home. You do not know the dog's drive, his background, or tendencies that cannot be trained out of him. There is absolutely nothing wrong with housing a dog outside, as long as they are well-taken care of and not just stuck out there for bogus reasons such as the ones addressed in the other posts (size, shedding, barking, etc).

I see plenty of farm dogs happily living outdoors, and many, when indoors, do not particularly like it at all. They can become destructive, because indoors just doesn't have the stimulation that they get outdoors. There's nothing to catch their attention. Stationary toys rarely appease a dog who has lived outside on a farm, unless someone is helping to move it. This ad doesn't seem that outrageous to me, if you fully consider the background of the dog, there's a range of possibilities they prefer a family with a farm and to have the dog be kept outside. Not to mention, that description isn't very long, and could be lacking what nobody has asked the people who are having it up for adoption. They may have reasons they didn't list, that everyone else just thinks are behavioural issues they aren't willing to work with.

Whisper · Nov 22, 2006

I don't see much wrong with a farm dog that is not comfortable coming indoors, as long as they get proper attention and care. What I was saying I have a problem with is when people put their dogs out because of training issues, they can't fix; I wasn't addressing this specific case.

makka619 · Nov 22, 2006

joce said:

I agree.

I am not familiar with the operation for adopting out shelter dogs, but many people seem to suggest they find homes that are best for the dogs. I would not like to assume that because the ad states the dog needs to be an outdoor dog, that he has been neglected, untrained and left outside for convenience and therefore should continue to be. This dog could very well have come from a farm where he had another outdoor companion.

In my experience, there are plenty of happy outdoor dogs. Yes, some dogs need to be kept inside even out at a farm. But, unless you have spent time out at a farm with outdoor dogs then perhaps it is hard to understand that this is the lifestyle the dog prefers.

Lizmo · Nov 22, 2006

joce said:

I agee too but, most people that have outside dogs... the dogs are not treated right!

krisykris · Nov 22, 2006

I think as long as the owner is responsible and has a very secure dog house, fence, ect and shelter from wind, cold, heat, rain it's fine. MOST dog owners that leave their dogs outside have them tied to a tree on a short tie out or something of the like. That is not sufficient or acceptable. I'm talking if you have a full on dog proof outside to keep away any predators and keep the dog 100 percent safe.

~Jessie~ · Nov 22, 2006

Even if you have a secured yard, certain dogs should not/ are not meant to live outside. Many dogs really wouldn't be able to handle living outdoors... for instance, I can't think of one small dog that I could see living outside.

Even here in Florida right now, the temperature is in the low 40's... I couldn't imagine most dogs having to stay outdoors.

Dogs were domestically bred... and shouldn't have to live outside. IMHO, of course.

chinchow · Nov 22, 2006

Dogs were domestically bred, but look at what dogs were bred FOR.
Most were bred to work...and there's not much work to be done inside aside from companionship.

My dogs are very often outside. They are not bred to be indoor dogs, they are working dogs, and have been for thousands of years. Many breeds have coats that are made to tolerate the cold, and to protect them from the heat; even the fluffiest of dogs can stay cool in the heat, such as my Chow Chows.

krisykris · Nov 22, 2006

I don't think it's suitable for every breed of course. I couldn't see my little dogs outside even if they had the best set up. If a dog is happier outside, which might be the case for this dog at the rescue....I think precautions should be taken but that it is okay.

I don't mean that they should be left alone all day either, they still need to feel a part of the family.

Grrr, animal shelter says keep the dog outside!

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