inside outside?

[cutelilgoldens]

Where do you keep your dog? if you keep your dog inside and aswell as outside post here

[sandybch]

I firmly believe goldens belong inside with their people. They are such people dogs. That is, of course, unless their people happen to be outside too!
I have a neighbor whose dog barks incessantly because he is always left outside. Everytime I would go outside the dog would start barking at me and my dog. My golden Max basically just ignored the other dog and never barked back.
I kept hearing strange noises over there and my curiosity got the best of me the other day. I looked over the privacy fence to see what kind of dog this was and to my horror I discovered he was a beautiful golden retriever. The noise was a recycling bin that he drags around on the concrete patio. He has no toys and has totally destroyed their screened in porch.
I can't even get mad at him now when I hear him bark. I feel so badly for him being outside alone every day and all night. Very rarely do I hear anyone over there spending time with him. I wish I could just kidnap him and bring him home where he's not alone anymore but of course I can't do this.
There isn't anything I can do to help him is there? I thought of maybe trying to talk to the owner but I don't think it will help. They have had very loud parties in the past, and once I asked them to turn down the volume and they just ignored me then.

[angenbear]

I can't even get mad at him now when I hear him bark. I feel so badly for him being outside alone every day and all night. Very rarely do I hear anyone over there spending time with him. I wish I could just kidnap him and bring him home where he's not alone anymore but of course I can't do this.
There isn't anything I can do to help him is there? I thought of maybe trying to talk to the owner but I don't think it will help. They have had very loud parties in the past, and once I asked them to turn down the volume and they just ignored me then.

Perhaps you can subtly open their back gate, and open yours and lure the golden with food. and then sneak him inside, and never let him out so the neighbors won't see it and you'll do fine. That is a shame to see a dog that's being neglected. Perhaps call animal control and have it invesitigated to at least see if he's got shelter against the cold weather and food and water. If they have loud parties and they ignore you, I would report it to the police, I'm sure after awhile, they have to grow up and stop with the loud noises!

[Jenmomto2]

I agree with angenbear! I would probably call animal control so they can come and check that he has ample shelter from the cold, and food and water.
That is so sad! Why do poeple do that. Having a dog is a privilage. :(

Jenny cheerleade

[AmyDW]

I Molly outside during the day while at work- I have a very large fenced in yard. When I'm home she is in with us. She likes to be outside when it is cold. Go figure!!??!!

[AmyDW]

I just read what I wrote. Sometimes my typing gets ahead of my brain. I meant when I am home....

[spindog]

I have never understood the concept of having a pet & keeping them strictly outside. :confused:
Spin loves to be outside when we are with him ... of course. He also loves to lounge on the couch when we are lounging, snuggle in bed, & help out in the kitchen! He is a true family member & that is the way it should be ...... right? doggiex1

[isa5876]

I voted outside but I guess it would be more outside/inside dog. When we are away, he rather be outside. He gets to play with the neighbors dog and get spoiled by all our neighbors. :) The kids are usually outside during the day when they are home. Night time he comes in with us. If we are at home he picks where he wants to be. He still has plenty of puppy energy and he is always coming and going. Thank Goodness for doggy doors.

[CaGolden]

My dog is the same way. Sometimes his outside/inside at the same time :) He will have his head outside so he can look but the rest of him is inside.

[ilovemydixie]

If it is a beautiful (not so hot) day and I'm at school or work, Dixie is in her large kennel. She doesn't mind being in there at all! Her fav. thing to do in her kennel is swim in her water tub and make red mud puddles! I don't see any reason why I should keep her locked up in the laundry room (her night room) all day. If it's raining, she stays in w/ frequent visits outside. She has NEVER spent one night outside. That would probably be scary for her. doggiex1

[CaynCher]

Both of mine are inside dogs never outside unattended. They love air-conditioning & soft beds. They are taken for long walks/runs on a 50/100 ft. lead. They also swim (attended) most every day during the summer. dog9

[sandybch]

I had posted previously on this thread about my neighbor who leaves there golden outside. I have taken no action. It is impossible for me to get a good look at what's going on over there without looking over the fence again and we just got caught by the owner when we tried to look, he was there and saw us. I just found out today by peeking thru the cracks of the privacy fence that the dog is chained to their chain link fence in the corner where our yard and their yard meet up. I could stick my hand thru and unchain it if I wanted. I tried to make friends with the dog thru the crack but it's not working, I slipped him a dog biscuit but I guess he is just seeing me as someone intruding on his space.
I know there is no doghouse there and as far as water I suppose he probably drinks from the pool. When I saw him this morning the dog was all wet. He could possibly drown if his chain is long enough to reach the pool.
I am torn between going over there right now and asking the guy if he really wants this dog. If not I would be happy to take it off his hand. My other option is to call Animal Control first thing tomorrow morning.
What would you do? Please I feel I have to do something. I don't know when they started chaining him, perhaps after he destroyed the screen porch, but at least the porch gave him shelter. We are in Florida and it will be getting hot very soon.

[Duke's Mom]

Duke is where we are. We are self employed and he is either here with me in the office or with his dad at the job. The only time he is left alone is when we are at church or at a church function or out of town. Many times on those occassions he is with us also.

He actually prefers waiting in the truck or his car (an old Topaz that really is his) I think than being alone in the house. On nice days he prefers sunning himself for an hour or so but he has his baby pool he swims in during that time. He does have a dog run that he'll stay in sometimes when we don't have him with us. He likes that, also, but I'd have to say he's more of an indoor dog.

Aren't they all???? :D

[OwnedbymyGolden]

Sandybch, I would definitely call animal control.I live in Florida, not far from Tampa, and know how hot it can be.This Golden deserves better, any dog does.It is very hard to get into this situation with a neighbor, but I would do it.

I fostered a Golden after hurricane Charlie last year.She had been left tied to a porch all summer and even through the hurricane.Luckily for her, she has a great new forever home where she is treated as a member of the family.

As for where Izzy lives....she allows me to share her home with her...LOL.She is inside while I'm at work and with me as much as she can be when I'm not working.There were several dogs stolen in my area last year, so I am not comfortable with her being outside when I'm not there.Plus, we have a snake problem as they tore out the orange groves across the street to turn them into housing developments...yuck.

[Chillers]

Any news on your neighbor's Golden?

Wandering around threads and found this one, just curious...

Hope things are going okay,

Chillers and her boy Tucker :doggface

[jdaneal]

As a kid I my parents always had the big dogs as "outside only" dogs. My husbands family was like that too. However now that I am grown and have my own I let them in. What is funny though is my cocker mix wants to be outside all the time and will whine by the door to go out into our big backyard and Sam the GR wants to be inside with me all the time unless I am outside. He hardly even wants to take a potty break or go lay in the sun. When our families visit they roll their eyes but I don't care it is not their house or their dogs.

About the neighbor dog. Don't give up. That is how I got Sam he was tied up all the time by a neighbor and I kept bugging them about him until they gave him to me... :D

[sunflowergirl]

Bosco is strictly and indoor kid!He has to be near me or someone,even if its the cat!He would be so upset if left outside and I have always had indoor dogs.I was fed up with the hair with a dog I had years ago and put him outside,bought a nice dogloo and bedding.I kept bring him in at night and after a few days it was pointless and I decided that I couldn't do it!I just vacuumed and dusted more often.Sometimes people won't visit because they know Bosco is in the house and they don't want to be bothered by him!I say,to bad!then don't visit!It's different if my 80year old gran comes over.Bosco gets so excited i have to put him in his crate for a few minutes but then he settles down.He is used to being around infants and children though.I feel that dogs are happier inside and more a part of the family.They also learn and remember the house rules better!Bosco learned to ring bells that are tied to the front door when he needs to go potty but sometimes he rings them just so he can go outside and play!I know people who have outdoor dogs,with a nice set up and that works well for them.

[Bartt]

goldens are indoor dogs :dogbark My dog sleeps in my room :angel1 and during the day he can choose his place all around the house :ddog Anywhere we go he goes with us :485 We have a crate , but when we are at home I never close the door , and he stayes alone very rear jump2

[ZandersStory]

That story on the neglected Golden is so sad.. Whatever happened there? Hopefully everything turned out positive for the poor dog. :(

I voted indoors. Zander doesn't mind going outside for a few minutes to do his business or go for a walk, etc.. But, he's strictly a people-dog and loves being inside as part of the family. The way I see it.. Canines are pack animals-- They're very social and depend on their "pack" for survival and companionship. Also, the weather here is far too hot and humid to allow dogs to live comfortably outdoors.

That's just my opinion, though. :) :reddogx

-Brittany

[Boondox]

This is a hot button issue with me! Goldens are incredibly social creatures. In fact, the ONLY form of punishment we use is the dreaded time out. The offender goes outside while the good dogs remain inside and are cuddled. Five minutes of that and the most incorrigible offender is ready to kiss and make up.

Well, except for Harley, who is content to harvest sheep poop in the meadow till we miss him! :rolleyes:

[Jeanette]

Hunter is strictly inside. We don't have a fenced in yard so when Hunter's outside we're outside. He just started playing catch w/ a football and frisbee. He's getting pretty good at it. I would love to fence in the backyard, I know it's expensive. There are days when Hunter wants to stay out longer than we do. I'm glad the weather is still nice on the East Coast. I doubt he'll want be outside too long when winter comes!!

[Buffy's Mom]

so she stays outside when the weather is nice. That way she can keep all of the squirrels and birds in line! We have a lock on our fence gate so that no one can steal her. She's so friendly that I'm sure she'd go with just anyone. :reddogx

[diamondb]

Wow, seeing the poll results and then reading the comments makes me feel guilty about my expectations with Maple. I grew up on a farm and our dogs (mostly Labs) were all outside dogs and I never considered bringing them inside. I know Goldens are social and Maple loves to play with us, but I'm not sure I have the ability to commit to training her. I'll admit, I feel guilty leaving her out at night, particularly when it is nasty weather out. She has shelter and a large area to run around in, but I know she can see into the house and more importantly us in the house.

Hmmm...sounds like I've almost decided to let her come inside. So if I consider this, how difficult is it going to be to crate train her. Both my wife and I work full time, with some pretty long hour schedules. Our kids are 3 and 1, so potty training them is also a chore. I know each dog is unique, but in general am I going to be battling with crate training a dog at the same time I'm fighting the potty battle with the kids?

[Melanie]

During the day when we are at work Teddy is outside. The weather is lovely here most of the time and we have a big yard and shelter for him. Once we are home, Teddy can go inside or outside whatever he wishes. However, we find that when we are home in the day he will go wherever we are!!! He sleeps inside at night because of the toads (and because I want him too!!!).

p-s - our yard has a secure fence, but not locked, but like Buffy's Mom said Teddy would probably go with anyone too - eek!!

[goldiegirl]

When I am home, Manni is inside. When I go to work, she goes to the park and plays all day, then they drop her off inside the house. I have the fenced yard, but manni would rather come inside when I do.

[Gryffyndor]

I think you are making an excellent decision in allowing your dog to come inside. Since she already stays outside during the day, and you both work full time, leaving her outside during the day seems reasonable - I only wish I had an insulated outdoor dog run :) As far as crate training - it will take some dedication on your part, but I guarantee she will thank you for it with big sloppy kisses. An important thing is to try to make it an enjoyable experience - never use the crate for punishment. Begin by giving her treats in the kennel, but not closing the door. Allow her to come and go (obviously not at night, but perhaps on the weekend when she can be supervised). Then gradually work your way up to one and two hours stints. You will get a feeling right away on how she will handle it. Don't worry if she cries or whines a bit - I don't know how old she is, but if she is past the puppy stage then she likely does not need to go bathroom as often. You may choose to ignore the whining - or to make a loud noise (such as a bang on the crate), but be sure she doesn't see you doing this. She must associate the noise with whining, not with you. I don't have kids, but I would guess crate training a dog is much easier than potty training a child - dogs tend to not go bathroom in an area they sleep in. Good luck - I know that you can do this and your dog will be much happier for it. After seeing the big smiles and wags each morning you release her from the crate, you will thank yourself as well. Just make sure the kids aren't too near when you let her out of the crate; she will be very excited and likely want to run circles around you :)

[Gryffyndor]

I forgot one thing. If you have a wire kennel as I do, placing a sheet or large towel over it makes it feel more homey for the dog, like a den.

And when I mentioned that she may whine, well she likely will whine - don't worry because you are not hurting her. She will stop eventually.

[Buffy's Mom]

Diamondb: How old is Maple? We recently adopted Abby who is 10 1/2 months and she was an outside dog. We want her to be primarily inside like Buffy - out only when the weather is nice and always in at night. But anyway, Abby has not had an accident in the house at all and we've had her almost 3 weeks now. She knew she was to go outside to potty. I bet if Maple is old enough you won't have any problem with her either without going through the whole crate thing. I don't think you'll regret having Maple in with you. All goldens love being with their families 24/7!

P.S. I just now read that you have a long work schedule so maybe you do need to leave her out during the day. I'm fortunate to work close to home so I'm able to come home at lunch and let them out. So the longest they are cooped up is 5 hours.

[diamondb]

Maple's 15 weeks old, so she's still a puppy. My wife and I talked it over and we've decided that Maple is going to be an outside dog with indoor privileges. We live on a half acre lot and for the most part Maple has run of a respectable portion of that during the day. We figured that she'd get confused regarding the house training and crate training if for 8 - 12 hours a day she was free to act as she pleases. She's got shelter out in her pen and we've also got a crate near the house on the sheltered porch if the weather gets extremely bad (though her pen is relatively sheltered anyway). I'm gradually getting her comfortable with the crate so in the future we can use it if necessary.

While I know she probably would prefer spending as much time as possible with us I just can't see myself doing it with my kids. I feel less guilty, since she does have a lot of room to play (I may go get one of her brothers for a playmate) and I try to giver her some personal time each morning and night at feeding time. I'm sure that play time will increase as the weather improves (winters in Idaho aren't conducive to outdoor play).

[Jo Ellen]

Ummmm....you try to give her personal time each morning and night when you feed her ? I'm not sure I understand what try means. Is your golden getting enough love and attention from you and your family?

I'm very concerned. :o

[doreen]

Sounds like she is not getting to spend much time with the family. She is still very young and needs that time with you. I would not get another puppy if you can not spend enough time with her now.

havent you got snow there this time of year ? If you have i would not keep her outside . It would be really cold for such a young puppy.

Why cant the puppy spend time with the children ?

[diamondb]

Ummmm....you try to give her personal time each morning and night when you feed her ? I'm not sure I understand what try means. Is your golden getting enough love and attention from you and your family?

I'm very concerned. :o

Try: I have to be to work by 7am, my wife has to be to work by 8am. We have a 3 year old and a 1 year old who we have to get ready to take to day care, which my wife does on the way to work. I make an effort to give Maple 20 - 30 minutes of attention each morning, but sometimes that doesn't exactly work out. I work 8 1/2 - 9 hours a day and my wife works 12 hour shifts. Before I pick the kids up from daycare I try to give Maple some more personal time, 30 - 60 minutes, but again sometimes that doesn't exactly work out.

Is she getting enough love and attention? Probably not, but I'm doing the best I can.

Havent you got snow there this time of year ? If you have i would not keep her outside . It would be really cold for such a young puppy.

Why cant the puppy spend time with the children ?

In a normal weather year, yeah we'd have snow but it's been raining for the past 2 weeks. As for cold, she and her siblings have been outside dogs from the day they were born. Thier living conditions were identical to what she has now, so I'm not overly concerned about that.

The puppy spends time with the kids, though she's a bit overzealous with my 1 year old. Usually, if the kids aren't getting ready to go to daycare or something else (i.e. naptime) I let them play with Maple.

[Jo Ellen]

Does she have any siblings with her now or is she outside by herself?

[doreen]

Sorry to say but she must be so lonely I feel really sad for her.

Your work and house seems so busy it does not seem the right time to get a puppy. The children are very young and would take up alot of time. & when you get home all you would want to do is rest.

Where is the puppy has been on his own all day and looking for someone to show her affection love & play.

Id hate to think of the poor little puppy lonely.

[CaynCher]

It sounds as if your schedule does not mesh with raising a pup as they need time & attention to become wonderful companions. I truly feel sorry/sad for your Golden or any other dog that must live in the situation you describe. I gave both of my dogs an extra hug. They don't realize how lucky they truly are.

:dogbark :reddogx

[Jo Ellen]

I know it's hard when you're trying to do the best you can and you're just not cutting it. I've been there. It sucks.

Golden retrievers, especially golden retrievers, need to be with their families.

What are you going to do :confused:

[doreen]

[QUOTE=diamondb]her. I feel guilty leaving her out at night, particularly when it is nasty weather out. She has shelter and a large area to run around in, but I know she can see into the house and more importantly us in the house.



Oh i could never leave my pet outside if the weather was bad !! & you say she can see inside the house. She is only a puppy. She must feel so sad being out there looking in at the family in the warm :eek: My heart would never let me do that.

This little puppy deserves a better life. Im sure if you love this puppy you will change things for her. if not i feel she would be better off with some one that truly does love her and with a family that can give her there time.

[Jo Ellen]

I'm 2nding that. Either bring her in or let her go to someone who can. That's what she wants, diamondb. :doggface

[Humarock]

:eek:
That is HOW I got my baby, Chance....he was in a cage, in the garage, not walked, 23.5/7.....in the freezing cold, with the GARAGE DOOR OPEN....ARGH.....
I know they can be full of mischief, I had a Golden mix prior, but she was an angel and LOVED to be home alone, this one has YET to have his day alone, but this week when my son is back at school will be his 1st test, I work from home thank goodness, but do go out here and there, so I will test him, LOL....talk to me next Monday and see what the damage is....All I know is my good pocketbooks and shoes are in the walk-in closet....LOL.....
INSIDE< INSIDE< INSIDE...... banana :dogbark :029

[SuGaR]

Both my goldies are 'inside' dogs coz there's really no 'outside' for us :laugh2

Actually, more accurate to say they will be where we are. At least for Sugar it's true. We are still trying to house-break Paris so she doesn't get as much freedom as Sugar.

[Lilly]

Gosh diamondb, I cant honestly think why you got a puppy with your schedule, I know people DO manage a puppy with full time work, but I understand it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to make it work so that you end up with well balanced, happy adult dog. I personally would never get a puppy if I was out of the house for 8+ hours a day...I dont believe that getting a dog is a god given right, as much as I have always wanted a dog while working long hours, I made the decision to put off my selfish need for a dog UNTIL I had the type of schedule that could work with a puppy. I dont mean to sound harsh and I know some people do make it work (often arranging other people to come and spend some time with their puppy),I volunteer at a rescue and see SO many cases of people leaving a puppy to its own devices all day and then wondering why they have a destructive, bored adolescent dog on their hands...well by that point, it is on the rescues hands.
Please please think through Maples life and whether you can REALLY offer her everything she needs, she is a baby, and from the information you have given (and this is all I can work off) she is by no means recieving the time, companionship and love that she NEEDS and DESERVES. If you cant be bothered to put in the work to house train her then REALLY can you dedicate the dedication to all the areas if her training...or where you not planning on doing any training? It makes me so sad to think of this poor pup, looking in at the people she craves sat inside...yes Cayncher , I too will give my beautiful girl an extra hug as she lays asleep on my feet.

[Athena]

We've always kept "inside dogs." Yeah, you have to clean more but that's OK. In my experiences, Goldens love to be with their families and have better temperaments when are treated as such. Athena plays in the fenced backyard and we go on daily walks but she is an inside dog, even sleeps in our bedroom.
diamondb: We do the best we can and I thank you for recognizing your little Maple needs as much attention as a baby. My suggestion, try incorporating her more into the family; yes, puppies can be rough with babies but this could be a great time to teach her and your children how to play together properly. Socialization is key here, for both the puppy and your kids...think of all the positive experiences and lessons your kids will learn, helping raise Maple. I know some days are just too darn short but there's always time for love. :doggface

[doreen]

Lilly. very well said :029 :029 :029

[sammydog]

When we are home our boys are always with us. If we are inside, they are inside and vice versa. During the day when we are at work they have a small dog run that they call home. If the weather is fowl they stay inside the house while we are at work. I come home for lunch every day to play with them. I am pretty sure they just sleep all day. I also believe Goldens belong with their people. Our boys do not even like to be outside if we are not there, and I know this is not true of all breeds.

[carolshafer]

Bella comes and goes because we have a doggie door and a seven foot privacy fence. doggiex1

[Dogrunner]

Bella comes and goes because we have a doggie door and a seven foot privacy fence. doggiex1


Way to go!!!! I have a dog door from the kitchen to the screened porch and one from the porch to the large fenced back yard. Best of both worlds! I have very seldom come home (or stopped by) and found the dogs outside (I think they watch tv and surf the web while I'm gone) but they do run out and bark at the squirrels, chase lizards and do all those other outside dog activities. And they don't have to "hold it in" until I get home--the bathroom is always out there and available ;) A real blessing if I get held up somewhere or want to stop at the store before coming home!

[jeri]

I cannot imagine, having been chewed to a pulp by my golden baby, having her around babies. It would scare me. As for inside or out, our goldens love both. Nola is quite the tracker so I have to keep an eye on her at all times but Barney won't go beyond the yard. Of course, with 10 acres it is easy to stay in the yard.

[Eupher]

Belle has a 6x12 kennel with a doghouse, but she does NOT like to be outdoors when it's warm - and anything warmer than 65 degrees is warm to her.

For a couple of weeks, we'd keep her out in her kennel while we were at work. We had/have a neighbor kid come over and walk her mid-morning and then I'd come home for lunch at about 1 p.m.

When the weather was poor/rainy, we'd keep her inside in her crate.

She's never had any accidents in her crate, but she'd constantly drink water while outdoors and then pee up toward the kennel door. I could take her out for a walk and inside 10 minutes, she's peeing in the kennel.

I'm pretty sure she was voting on the kennel with her bladder, so we keep her indoors in her crate now. But that's easy since the temps are brutally hot now - and we're not going to force her to stay outdoors when it's that hot.

[Dragon Roll]

Shen is completely an indoor dog. Right now, at 3 months, he lives in the kitchen where he has his crate and bin of toys.

A small portion of our front yard is fenced. We call it the courtyard, but, it is really not that fancy. It's about 17 x 24 and we have a small zen garden, a comfy wooden bench, a makeshift low table (mostly for the kids) and an assortment of perennials amongst the grass. Needless, to say Shen loves the courtyard. He has already shown his love by digging up parts of my flower bed and kicking up rocks and mulch! That's okay. We still manage to keep him under control.

Anyway, when we take him out to poo, pee or play the courtyard is the extent of his outdoor experience. I manage to keep it clean of poop by constantly picking it up and hosing the area down. We are planning on making a "play area" for him in the backyard coming off of a door in the back of the house - sorta like a doggy park. It's not to keep him in, but, an area to play (and poop/pee) in. We have big plans for it :-) trees, mondo grass, dirt for him to dig up, etc.

I'm planning on organizing playdates with the puppies we met at puppy kindergarten. This will be a safe area for them to play without the grownups yelling at them!!

And, as far as the heat, well, we live in Virginia Beach so it's reeeeeally hot here! When it hits 100, Shen poops/pees and then heads straight for the door to go inside. We happily oblige :-)