For anyone whose Dog(s) sleeps in the back Garden...

Irish-Lass

Are you in the house during the day - myself and my husband both work full-time so the dogs are out the back during the day - one day they have a dog walker so that breaks up one day and then another day they are in a Doggy Day Care so its really only 3 days that they have no company - so I feel when we get home from work that they deserve some quality time with us - most dogs are social and like interaction and company whether it just be lounging around with you or playing etc.

Also is your dog going to be a barker - it might be worth thinking of your neighbours - alot of neighbours have fallen out over dogs barking through the night especially if the local cats decided to run the back wall.

I think if your dog is happy sleeping in the house and you are happy with same why change it. I have to say I do feel sorry for dogs that are outside when its so cold out

boomerang

http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_BackyardDogs.php

lightening

Good link Boomerang, but I think the OP was asking about letting her dog sleep out the back garden. I don't think she was intent on locking the dog in a back yard for the rest of its life!

boomerang

Yep, sorry lightening, was just making some comments in light of the general discussion on indoor/outdoor dogs; my post wasn't aimed at the OP specifically.

Discodog

It is so strange to read a subject like this. In the UK, Scandanavia, Germany etc you would never see a post like this. It's actually quite difficult to buy a dog kennel in the UK. They were used about 30 years ago !.

Obviously the Irish see things differently as born out by the fact that they kill 17,000 dogs a year. My neighbours still can't believe that my dogs sleep in the kitchen. If you don't want a dog to share you life - please don't get one.

lightening

Discodog wrote: »

Obviously the Irish see things differently as born out by the fact that they kill 17,000 dogs a year

There is a difference between letting your dog sleep outside and having it killed in fairness, how these kennel manufacturers and suppliers stay in business is beyond me.

http://www.uk-kennels.co.uk/dogkennels.htm

http://www.reeveskennels.co.uk/

http://www.garden-marketplace.co.uk/dog-kennel-rabbit-hutches.html

http://www.petpadsonline.co.uk/index.php?page=qualitydogkennels

http://www.aquatics-online.co.uk/catalogue/dog-kennels.asp

http://www.plastickennelsandcatteries.co.uk/

http://www.uniquekennels.co.uk/

http://www.chappiesdogkennelconstruction.co.uk/services.htm

http://www.dogservices.co.uk/detail.php?ID=642

http://www.timberbuilddogkennels.co.uk/

http://www.petpadsonline.co.uk/index.php?page=pitchedroofdogkennels

Discodog

Well as you clearly have a bit of time on your hands why not email all of them & see how many kennels they sell in the UK. A friend of mine has four "dog shops" in the UK & hasn't sold a kennel in years !

Of course there is a difference & I am sure that many Irish dog owners love their dogs. But it appears that dogs being kept outside is an Irish thing - my neighbours dog sleeps in an old car !.

Why do people want their dog outside ?. One of my neighbours insists that a dog makes the house smell.

lightening

I mailed them all, each of them sell 17,000 kennels a year.

DublinWriter

I could never let our dog sleep outdoors - would you put your kids outdoors too?

Discodog

Wow well done Lightening !. If you need 2 kennels my local shop here in the wonderful West has 2 that have been in stock for months.

I will resist the temptation to say that maybe that's why 17000 are killed. That's about 6 every working hour seven days a week.

But please answer why you want your dog outside ?

lightening

Discodog wrote: »

Wow well done Lightening !.

Thanks.

Discodog wrote: »

If you need 2 kennels my local shop here in the wonderful West has 2 that have been in stock for months.

They mustn't be selling well.

Discodog wrote: »

I will resist the temptation to say that maybe that's why 17000 are killed. That's about 6 every working hour seven days a week.

You didn't resist it. Did you?

Discodog wrote: »

But please answer why you want your dog outside ?

He is inside when it's cold. He gets very restless and prefers it outside, but it makes us feel better when he is inside when it's cold.

lightening

DublinWriter wrote: »

I could never let our dog sleep outdoors - would you put your kids outdoors too?

Would you let your kids walk in the park with no shoes in the winter? Don't tell me you let your dogs walk with no shoes?

Rory123

I think that the people who's dogs sleep outside are not confident that their dog is trained to be inside for 9 or 10 hours. They feed the dog too much food, too late at night and they don't want to deal with the poo or wee.

My dog is very old now so he is in all night, and all day if the weather is bad. I give him the choice to go out every hour. He tells me when he wants to come back in. He took no training and has never messed up in the house.

If people took a little bit of time to make sure their dog was properly trained and made a spot for the dog to sleep (the utility room in my dog's case), then there is no reason why the animal shouldn't have the shelter in the house.

...Although I don't exactly think people should be hanged for sleeping their dogs outside?

cos!!

Some dogs just prefer the outside!!simple as!!my brother has two dogs, a jack russell and a border collie, both the same age. The little jack russell is such a little house dog and loves to be inside but the collie is much happier out the back messing around! it depends completly on the dog!and is no way cruel letting them be outside if they prefer it that way??by the way i have a house dog at the moment, but our last dog slept out the back

Rory123

cos!! wrote: »

Some dogs just prefer the outside!!simple as!!my brother has two dogs, a jack russell and a border collie, both the same age. The little jack russell is such a little house dog and loves to be inside but the collie is much happier out the back messing around! it depends completly on the dog!and is no way cruel letting them be outside if they prefer it that way??by the way i have a house dog at the moment, but our last dog slept out the back

Yeah true, but I don't mean during the day. I think all dogs should be outside during the day (and humans for that matter ), but at night I'd rather see a dog in a bed inside the back door than outside, sometimes locked in a small kennel.

cos!!

yeah i suppose!i know where your coming from!all dogs need to get out for a while everyday!burn off some energy, sniff round, jus be a dog....but dey also need solid human attension!i dont agree that a dog should be left out the back day a night with no attention!but i dont see much of a problem with some owners letting their dog sleep outside once there is proper shelter and that they are getting attention and socializing during the day?

Irish-Lass

We are lucky that we have 3 dogs so they have each other for company during the day but it has to be lonely for a dog that is on its own all day then to spend its night all alone as well - you will find that alot of ppl get rid of dogs because they destroy the back garden rather then thinking that the dog might be bored.

Beaucoupfish

My dog sleeps in a lovely kennel outside and comes inside for a treat every evening. I let him sleep inside if it's very cold. Very often he asks to leave the house because he has his dog things to do outside. I live in the country-side and he's a country dog so he is used to being outside and he's very happy. He knows all the kids in the area too which gives me a break sometimes je je!

mikom

Christ, if dogs could read this thread I'm sure they would be laughing at us.


First dog:
I was happier then and I had nothin'. We used to live in this tiny old house with great big holes in the roof.

Second dog:
House! You were lucky to live in a house! We used to live in one room, all twenty-six of us, no furniture, 'alf the floor was missing, and we were all 'uddled together in one corner for fear of falling.

Third dog:
Eh, you were lucky to have a room! We used to have to live in t' corridor!

Fourth dog:
Oh, we used to dream of livin' in a corridor! Would ha' been a palace to us. We used to live in an old water tank on a rubbish tip. We got woke up every morning by having a load of rotting fish dumped all over us! House? Huh.

First dog:
Well, when I say 'house' it was only a hole in the ground covered by a sheet of tarpaulin, but it was a house to us.

Second dog:
We were evicted from our 'ole in the ground; we 'ad to go and live in a lake.

Third dog:
You were lucky to have a lake! There were a hundred and fifty of us living in t' shoebox in t' middle o' road.

Fourth dog:
Cardboard box?

Third dog:
Aye.

Fourth dog:
You were lucky. We lived for three months in a paper bag in a septic tank. We used to have to get up at six in the morning, clean the paper bag, eat a crust of stale bread, go to work down t' mill, fourteen hours a day, week-in week-out, for sixpence a week, and when we got home our Dad would thrash us to sleep wi' his belt.

First dog:
Luxury. We used to have to get out of the lake at six o'clock in the morning, clean the lake, eat a handful of 'ot gravel, work twenty hour day at mill for tuppence a month, come home, and Dad would thrash us to sleep with a broken bottle, if we were lucky!

Third dog:
Well, of course, we had it tough. We used to 'ave to get up out of shoebox at twelve o'clock at night and lick road clean wit' tongue. We had two bits of cold gravel, worked twenty-four hours a day at mill for sixpence every four years, and when we got home our Dad would slice us in two wit' bread knife.

Second dog:
Right. I had to get up in the morning at ten o'clock at night half an hour before I went to bed, drink a cup of sulphuric acid, work twenty-nine hours a day down mill, and pay mill owner for permission to come to work, and when we got home, our Dad and our mother would kill us and dance about on our graves singing Hallelujah.

Third dog:
And you try and tell the young pups of today that ..... they won't believe you.

All dogs:
They won't!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Discodog wrote: »

It is so strange to read a subject like this. In the UK, Scandanavia, Germany etc you would never see a post like this. It's actually quite difficult to buy a dog kennel in the UK. They were used about 30 years ago !.

Obviously the Irish see things differently as born out by the fact that they kill 17,000 dogs a year. My neighbours still can't believe that my dogs sleep in the kitchen. If you don't want a dog to share you life - please don't get one.

I have never bought a kennel from a shop in my life. I source them from Garden Shed providers etc. and I think many shops have old stock for that reason. On one hand you say it is difficult to buy a kennel in the UK and elsewhere you cite a shop with 2 in stock for years. Not hard to buy one there surely!
Yes we put down 17,000 (some say less but however we'll go with it) in Ireland. The UK put down 126,000 last year (almost 3000 greyhounds alone) so what is your point? I don't have up to date figures for Germany but I do know their per Capita dog ownership is very much lower than Britain or Ireland. Scandanavia is too broad a term for me to pull my stats together as I don't know if you mean just Norway, Sweden, and Denmark or if you are including Finland and others.

Discodog

Vada Sparse Simulation wrote: »

I have never bought a kennel from a shop in my life. I source them from Garden Shed providers etc. and I think many shops have old stock for that reason. On one hand you say it is difficult to buy a kennel in the UK and elsewhere you cite a shop with 2 in stock for years. Not hard to buy one there surely!
Yes we put down 17,000 (some say less but however we'll go with it) in Ireland. The UK put down 126,000 last year (almost 3000 greyhounds alone) so what is your point? I don't have up to date figures for Germany but I do know their per Capita dog ownership is very much lower than Britain or Ireland. Scandanavia is too broad a term for me to pull my stats together as I don't know if you mean just Norway, Sweden, and Denmark or if you are including Finland and others.

Some say less !. Who ?. This figure is for recorded PTS's. The ISPCA estimate the real figure as closer to 25,000. As for 126,000 UK dogs the acual audited figure from the Dogs Trust is 6,710 !. I have no idea where you got your rediculous figure from but a simple google will find the latest stats on the BBC etc. In the UK 6,710 is considered appalling whereas in Ireland 17,000 is just accepted. Now bear in mind that the UK has 10 times the population & you can see that Ireland is in a killing class of it's own.

UK 1 dog killed per 7500 people
IRELAND 1 dog killed per 294 people


Many Irish rescues send dogs to Europe. I recently met a German family who had adopted two Irish dogs & paid a fortune.

Now please research your figures for Europe. If you got 126,000 for the UK god knows what you will come up with for Europe. The greyhound figure has been affected by the guy in Yorkshire who was exposed in the press & procecuted for shooting Irish greyhounds. As a greyhound owner I am certain that 5000 plus are destroyed here.

As this post is hidden in a different thread I may repost as their are plenty of people here who have accurate figures re greyhounds in Ireland. But whenever I walk mine people comment that "you never see a greyhound" as in a pet. I wonder why ?.

BTW I am Irish & ashamed !

sorella

Does not make Ireland's record any "better".

It is a disgrace.

Vada Sparse Simulation wrote: »

I have never bought a kennel from a shop in my life. I source them from Garden Shed providers etc. and I think many shops have old stock for that reason. On one hand you say it is difficult to buy a kennel in the UK and elsewhere you cite a shop with 2 in stock for years. Not hard to buy one there surely!
Yes we put down 17,000 (some say less but however we'll go with it) in Ireland. The UK put down 126,000 last year (almost 3000 greyhounds alone) so what is your point? I don't have up to date figures for Germany but I do know their per Capita dog ownership is very much lower than Britain or Ireland. Scandanavia is too broad a term for me to pull my stats together as I don't know if you mean just Norway, Sweden, and Denmark or if you are including Finland and others.

Ulanzi

We never intended that our dog would sleep outside. We bought a kennel simply so he would have somewhere sheltered outside if he was in the garden. About a week ago, he took to sleeping out there. Entirely his choice. It just happened one evening when I let him out as usual before bedtime. He went into the kennel and wouldn't come out. That's happened every night since. I've been standing at the door every night making sure he's definitely not coming in. I tried bringing him inside but he was having none of it. He's an indoor dog in every other way. I can only go on the knowledge that he's happy and settled out there. It's not set in stone. If he decides he wants to sleep in the kitchen again, I'm happy for him to do so.

Sigma Force

Going way back to OP..

At the moment it is not the right time of year to start a dog getting used to being outside at night, it's far too cold.

If you live in an area where you would be worried about the dog being stolen due to the type of breed then definetly don't keep the dog outside at night.

Is there a particular reason why the dog is going outside? If there is a minor problem eg toilet training then it can be solved.

Small sheds work better than kennels and are easier to keep warm.

You need to introduce the dog gradually to the elements and the weather won't be suitable for this until around May. Having dogs outdoors should be a last resort, we have ours outside as a last resort..collie hates being in and will break through windows to get out, other dog we intended to bring back in but she keeps the other one company (she was put out due to dangerous building work going on in the house due to house fire).
I would prefer them to be both indoors, having dogs outdoors is a nuisance esp. in bad weather you have to go out no matter what and it takes a lot more time and commitment because you can't just leave them there you need to spend extra time with them.

I notice noone seems to flinch when rabbits and guineapigs are put outside even when they are put outside at the wrong time of the year. Guinea pigs are much more delicate than your average dog. No one gets on their high horse about that ..except a select few.

To OP what breed is your dog? Certain breeds simply cannot be outside like delicate breeds and toy breeds these kinds of dogs are strictly house dogs.

jim o doom

Any dog I've ever owned has been an outside dog - used to live in the middle of nowhere for a long time with an acre of land (plus farmland and neighbors houses) for the doggies to wander about, happily barking away..

Dogs are happy both outside and inside - but they need to be out to get a run and have fun, don't they? exercise being an important part of being health (I try do even do some myself! *gasp*)..

Plus even though it's not the warmest time of year, it's not THAT cold (barring the chilliness of last night) and with a good quality insulated warm kennel - and the fact that the dog is an alaskan malamute - I'm sure he would be fine outside

but I would say to base what you decide to do on the dogs reaction - give him a trial of staying outside and if he reacts quite badly to it, you know it might not work and let him back in!

lightening

Disco, I can see where you are coming from and why you are ashamed. But you are on here preaching to people who care about their dogs and some whom rehome dogs or do voluntary work with unwanted dogs.

Are you doing something about this problem that vexes you? Or, are you some sort of keyboard warrior?

If this really bothers you you should use up the time you spend on your pc ranting and spitting out figures looking after dogs or protesting somewhere. Hard work in a shelter will rid you of a lot of your anger.

dolly13

Discodog wrote: »

Well as you clearly have a bit of time on your hands why not email all of them & see how many kennels they sell in the UK. A friend of mine has four "dog shops" in the UK & hasn't sold a kennel in years !

Of course there is a difference & I am sure that many Irish dog owners love their dogs. But it appears that dogs being kept outside is an Irish thing - my neighbours dog sleeps in an old car !.

Why do people want their dog outside ?. One of my neighbours insists that a dog makes the house smell.

Discodog... by "dog shop" I assume you mean small / medium sized pet shops kennels would be hard to find in local pet shops in Ireland too!

Your comment that dogs being kept outside is an Irish thing is both untrue and to be honest totally racist..

I'd say its a country think myself most dogs in built up city areas are going to be house dogs and in the country on farms etc there are going to be a higher number of dogs living outdoors that sleep outside or in barns .. this happens on farms in England aswell Disco dog it doesnt just happen in Ireland its actually a world wide thing!

And, if your neighbours dog sleeps in an old car maybe you should report it and in the mean time perhaps you should stop and have a think before you go around throwing out such a blanket statement I have 3 dogs and I'm Irish none of my dogs sleep outside, I know lots of Irish people who have dogs and I don't know anyone who has a dog that sleeps outside - your comment is bang out of order!

Whispered

My word this really kicked off didn't it Very interesting read.

OP your breed of dog would physically cope with being outdoors very well I would imagine. However, I don't know how he would cope emotionally. And before the "a dog is a dog" brigade jump on the word "emotionally", it is a fact that dogs feel fear and loneliness. It will depend on the dog how well it will cope. So OP if your dog is well adjusted enough to accept sleeping outside and you provide sufficient shelter then there is no reason not to do it. So long as you ease him into it. Personally I don't see a point in it. (That is not an attack on someone who allows their dog sleep outdoors, just my opinion.)

I don't see the link between PTS rates and animals who sleep outside (but who are otherwise well looked after) but while one or two people may think it amusing to joke about 17,000 kennels etc some people might find it in poor taste. I certainly did.

dolly13

Discodog wrote: »

Some say less !. Who ?. This figure is for recorded PTS's. The ISPCA estimate the real figure as closer to 25,000. As for 126,000 UK dogs the acual audited figure from the Dogs Trust is 6,710 !. I have no idea where you got your rediculous figure from but a simple google will find the latest stats on the BBC etc. In the UK 6,710 is considered appalling whereas in Ireland 17,000 is just accepted. Now bear in mind that the UK has 10 times the population & you can see that Ireland is in a killing class of it's own.

UK 1 dog killed per 7500 people
IRELAND 1 dog killed per 294 people


Many Irish rescues send dogs to Europe. I recently met a German family who had adopted two Irish dogs & paid a fortune.

Now please research your figures for Europe. If you got 126,000 for the UK god knows what you will come up with for Europe. The greyhound figure has been affected by the guy in Yorkshire who was exposed in the press & procecuted for shooting Irish greyhounds. As a greyhound owner I am certain that 5000 plus are destroyed here.

As this post is hidden in a different thread I may repost as their are plenty of people here who have accurate figures re greyhounds in Ireland. But whenever I walk mine people comment that "you never see a greyhound" as in a pet. I wonder why ?.

BTW I am Irish & ashamed !

Where and why were you led to believe that it was accepted that the 17,000 figure was accepted who do you think accepts it? I don't and I don't know anybody that does.. Also your rant here at people to get their figures straight maybe you should do the same if you goolgle this you will get lots of different stats for both the UK and Ireland

And what is your issue with sending dogs to europe.. on one hand your trying to say that Irish people accept the 17,000 figure and then you are critisicising rescues for sending dogs abroad in an effort to reduce this figure

And again, back to your critiscism of peoples figures do tell where did you get your 5000 plus figure a year.. again a bit blatant.. The treatment of greyhounds in this country is dreadful but this is largely down to the actions of individuals , not all obviously involved in the racing industry. and " you never see a greyhound as a pet" Where do you look? I live in Dublin and I regularly see people out walking their greyhounds as pets.. Granted there aren't huge amounts of it but come on disco dog their not rare..

And "Ireland is in a killing class of it's own" Come on!

Little A

This thread is ridiculous....some dogs sleep inside & some outside for a variety of reasons. However, many of those who let their dogs sleep inside are being down right rude to those who have dogs that sleep outside. One way is not necessarialy better or worse than the other.

My dog slept inside for about the first 2 months after I got her at about 5mths old. She had access to a shed during the day if I was out, but I decided to get a kennel as I thought it would be more snug. Within about a week she was refusing to coming in after I left her out to do her business last thing at night. Within a few minutes she would be curled up in her kennel looking at me as if I was mad. She's nearly always up & about by the time we get up for school/work. She's free to come & go (downstairs) as much as she wants.

Up until recently the vast majority of dogs would have slept outside. Some of the conparisons to children are also ridiculous - my kids are my kids & my dog is my dog....she's happy out digging in the garden, sniffing butts, going for walks & rolling in whatever, chomping on a nice bone - maybe I should insist on my kids doing al these things also:p.

Different strokes for different folks.....once the dog is happy & heathly