Inside vs outside dog - Page 11

Hans, there are some issues that can be set up in dogs that
are with the owner constantly.   I need to be able to teach my
dogs to be comfortably separated from me for various (short)
periods.  When you have multiple dogs, do you really have all of
your dogs all with you, all the time, at the same time ?   What about
when one is ill;  or in season;  or is a new dog with some bad habit
that upsets others, and needs to be worked on ?  There are some
journeys I take where it would be unfair to the dog to sit in the car,
because it is too hot, for instance,  so he is not with me all day every
day, even now I am 'retired' / unemployed.  I have found over the years
that it is easier to get a good solid out-of-sight  Ob. Stay with dogs that
are not reliant on having my company all the time.  Dozens of reasons,
and I have not even touched on individual dogs with "separation anxiety"  !

Hundmutter,
pedantic?

Someone was just telling me how happy and full of life her dogs are and how excited they get over going herding and training for Schutzhund.
I said to her that's when they shine.

They should spend more time doing something than laying around getting fat.
Letting one out for a couple of hours a day is not enough physical or mental stimulation for a GSD.

As I said to Blitzen concerning a personal companion dog, if your giving the dog that much of your time and sharing your life to that extent then where you live makes no difference.
It's as harmful to humans as it is dogs to never get out the house which I think is obvious if you look around a bit.

If you have to keep a dog confined all day every day save for a short walk or throwing a ball for twenty minutes, then get another breed more suited to that kind of fish bowl lifestyle.
My dogs have always lived primarily outside without a fence, chain, or kennel, what makes it work is training and my constant involvement in their lives.

My mom kept one of our GSDs in an apartment and then in a house for a couple of years after a change in our family's life styles and the dog went to hell in that time.
I finally took her to live with me once I settled down and the change in her was like night and day, it took months to get her back to what she was though and some of it never came back.

I not bashing anyone for how they live, I just wouldn't recommend a GSD to someone who hasn't got the ability to give it what it needs.
Too many times I've seen the dog suffer and lose out, too many issues, and dogs given up on due to issues.

I've had dogs that could not be left loose, on their own, they were always a liability, even dangerous.
I've seen more than enough dogs with (issues) that didn't need to be.
I've seen shadows of dogs, beat down with flat dull eyes like a wild animal kept in a zoo, makes me sick.

In the end, it's not where you keep your dog but who you are and how you address your dogs needs.
Some people have no business with a goldfish, much less a dog of any breed.

As a rule outside will always be better than inside in my opinion, that's not going to change, I've used kennels, I've used a chain, I've left them in the house also.
But they all spent more time loose than contained, and were as much a part of my life as the air I breath.......(Blitzen).....:)












 

Very true, Hundmutter.  I am training my dog for her AKC CDX, out of sight 3 minute long sits, 5 minute long downs. It's been a challenge, I am not her first owner, her 8th in 3 1/2 years, she gets very anxious when she can't see me. She doesn't suffer from separation anxiety, but she is very concerned when I am out of sight. I haven't trialed her yet because I am concerned that she will break on the sit or the down.

 @ Moons

Separation anxiety is something best worked on when they are pups, same with many aspects of training, training them when they don't know they're being trained, positive training.
Patient, consistent, and positive.
Then when you get into structured training it's not something new for them.
I had trouble too with a long down without my presence, it took a lot of time and effort and patience.

 

Thing is, everyone always goes back to "Get 'em while
they are young"  ie  stuff is 'best worked on when they
are pups',  but many of us don't have that luxury.  Like
Blitzen says, when you aren't the first owner, there are
a whole range of things you might have to work through.

It is also true, much as I agree with Moons about not
recommending the GSD breed to 'unsuited' people,
there are situations in which our circumstances change
or we may not have a big enough property, and so
those who do want to keep their dogs exercised and
occupied STILL have problems with where & how to
keep them, at times.  

Whish is best for a dog------



outside---- owner lives on large farm. pup is raised to guard livestock and remains outside. dog has a job. owner being a farmer is outside with dog long hours as most farmers are. dog has good relationship with farmer as farmer has a good understanding of building a relationship with their dog. dog has job- farmer has job. both are happy.

outside- dog has a good constructed kennel with good housing, shade, etc..... owner has dog with them most of the time. dog mostly only uses kennel at nights and occasionally on days. dog has job(sport, scent work, ppd, sar, psd, service, etc), worked most every day  and is with handler most every day.

inside- dog is inside- has job- get worked every day.




which is best????????????

notice a trend??????????????

dog has good housing, food, care, grooming etc.........

dog has job, dog has good relationship with handler.......

dog is well taken care of....................

all the essentials!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

end of story!!!!

The negative story falls on those whom do not give their dog a job, do not adequately care for there dog, do not exercise them enough. and or do not understand their dog. My personal opinion is if you do not use your dog for work you should not own a working dog!!!!  i use my dogs for many tasks outside of sports but sports test there training. So if you have no task for a dog then why own it, if its a working dog!!!!! Or maybe i should rephrase. If you do not have a task in mind for a dog that is a working dog why own it????

This includes everyone that has a dog and its owner owns it with out using it for its primary task designated by its breed characteristics.
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two moons--- that was your best post on this thread. loved it.

Blitzen
Going off the subject a bit. You will have to double the time you put your dog on a down to 10 minutes if you do IPO work. and not only out of sight, we walk across the field to the other side and chat to a guy over there whist the dog is lying in a down on the far side of the field. Sometimes they are down for over 15 minutes it makes no difference to the dog it is what you train them to do when you are ready you walk back to them and tell the dog to sit at foot then you play with the dog, its as simple as that, but 5 minutes is not long enough for IPO work
Steve1

Sam, in all your examples the dog is very well-off, and properly
cared for, no argument.

I certainly agree that anyone who keeps any dog but does not
give it something to do, enough exercise, adequate care, or
simply does not understand dogs, has no business keeping
it / them.  [ My concern is with all those thousands of dogs, not
just GSDs, where this is true but they are lumbered with it
anyway ! ]


But ... what about when the dog is past 'retirement age' for example,
should that dog be left outside when it can no longer do a day's work
(say it is 10 or 11 years old) ?

What if the dog's owner has to downsize their accommodation due to
economic circumstances and no longer has a yard for the dog to run
in, when not working ?

What if ill-health strikes dog or owner - or both - and 'work' becomes
out of the question ?

There are a range of scenarios where, if you insist on the 'ideal' all the
time, you get to a point where you need to ask: " Does that dog STAY
with that owner, in those altered circumstances ?  Or does it have to
be relocated ?"

IMO, any dog I have had that I have always done my best by and bonded
with, stays with me, no matter what the reduced circumstances are, we
'manage' as best we can.  They would be taken from me just because I
could not provide the 'ideal' life for them, over my dead body...