# Inside, Outside, or Both



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Due to the another thread that bounced back and forth on the issue of dogs living outside versus inside, it got me thinking. I would like to know where people keep their dogs. I know people can feel strong about this, so I'm just asking what you do with your own pets.


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## PatchonGSD (Jun 27, 2012)

My dogs always have been and will always be inside dogs. When keeping a dog for companionship, I dont see the point in keeping an "outside" dog-unless you live outside too.


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## bellamia (Feb 7, 2010)

PatchonGSD said:


> My dogs always have been and will always be inside dogs. When keeping a dog for companionship, I dont see the point in keeping an "outside" dog-unless you live outside too.


 :thumbup::thumbup:


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Mine live inside but if I had more space I'd definitely build them an indoor/outdoor enclosure for during the day. They are all free in the house but the house is really small and I do limit them from going upstairs (my husband is messy so there are shoes, baseball glove, etc stuff that is tempting to chew in his mancave). I've seen some really nice setups where the garage is converted to a nice dog area with access to an outdoor run and I'd love to do something like that so my dogs could relieve themselves if they have to. 

While I'm home my dogs are usually inside with me unless the weather is nice. Sometimes they prefer to be outside. In the summer when it's beastly hot and humid they usually stay out so they can be in the shade and use their pools. It's 90 degrees INside my house in the summer.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

My dogs want to be where I am(or DH is)....they prefer to be outside but I don't always want to be out! They spend a good portion of the day outside and are in at night....I don't crate them unless necessary/they are very good unsupervised in or out.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I live in the country. I have a huge fenced in backyard with a large oak tree shading most of the yard. I have a large covered back porch as well. I also have a large dog run within the same fenced area as well as a large kennel. All housed within the same fenced in (with electric wire - keeps the horses out and the dogs in) back yard. 

I have four dogs. At any given time some of my dogs are in the house and some are in the yard. One might be in the run or maybe in the kennel. If I am not home, anybody in the house is in a kennel. 

When I'm home 70% of the time I am outside. When I'm inside the dogs want to come in. All of my dogs chose where they want to be at night with one exception, and he is still too young to make that decision. He is kenneled in the house at night.


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## SukiGirl (Aug 31, 2012)

We live in South Florida, where not only is the weather brutal about 7-8 months out of the year...but the critters down here are bad news. Between the biting and stinging bugs and snakes and poisonous toads - we'd be asking for a lot of trouble leaving her outside unsupervised. IMO it is cruel to leave your pup outside for extended periods of time especially if it is really hot or cold. Why would you not want your pup inside with you anyway? I don't get it.


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## TrickyShepherd (Aug 15, 2011)

My dogs are all indoors. Always have been.

However, if I had the land, the proper set up and lived somewhere where it was cooler.... I would probably keep my dogs outdoors while I was at work or gone for a few hours on end. I feel like that is best since they can potty, run and play and enjoy being a dog. For now though, my dogs are crate trained. They are in there at night and while we are at work.


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

My babies live inside, they share their house with me.


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## LARHAGE (Jul 24, 2006)

I have horse property so am fortunate I have space to have kennels and stalls available for my dogs, who absolutely LOVE to be outside, there are lots of critters for them to hunt and different places for them to lay in either type of weather, my small dogs are kept in kennels/stalls while I work, but my German Shepherd Maddie has the run of the property, I get home late and in the dark and like that she is there every night at my gate when I get home, she LOVES to be outside and actually gets restless and pacey in the house, she wants to be outside, and since I spend a lot of time out with the horses anyway, she gets enough time with me to keep her happy, plus she runs the trails with me on weekends with my horse, she is happy with her life, my terriers have to sleep in the house, as I don't trust them not to get into trouble, but they LOVE being in the barn killing rodents!


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## PatchonGSD (Jun 27, 2012)

I think there is a difference between "living outside" and "spending time outside."


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## SueDoNimm (Jul 3, 2012)

Inside. They are uncrated during the day while we're at work and at night and have free roam of the house. They spend short amounts of time outside in the fenced backyard alone, usually no more than a few minutes, but sometimes I'll put them outside if I'm trying to clean or something like that. Then we spend lots of time outside playing, training, and walking.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

LARHAGE said:


> my German Shepherd Maddie has the run of the property, I get home late and in the dark and like that she is there every night at my gate when I get home, she LOVES to be outside and actually gets restless and pacey in the house, she wants to be outside,


Hondo is the same way. He wants to be with me. But at night when I go to bed, he wants to go back outside. If I leave him in the house, he'll wake me up to let me know he wants to go outside. When I'm home during the day, he'll stay in the house. He is a good boy, he has earned the right to make the choice.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

My dogs "live" inside. When we're gone they have an indoor/outdoor place to stay - a chain link pen in the garage with a dog door to a secure dog run inside our fenced yard. Most people here have what in other parts of the country are called a "privacy fence", but to us it's just a wood fence. Unless you're out in the country, nobody has wood fences that you can see through, and even chain link fences are not common in the suburbs.


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## katdog5911 (Sep 24, 2011)

Both dogs live inside but get to spend a lot of time outside. My old newfie/lab always wants to be outside during the day. Although I know his first choice is in the car. If I leave my car door open he will jump in and sit in it parked in the garage or driveway! Stella, my GSD, goes in and out all day. She wants me to stay out with her when she goes out but that just can't happen all the time!


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## Candace (Sep 13, 2012)

My dogs are outdoor always have been, they come in for visits and occasionally spend the night inside. We spend a lot of time with them when we're home. So there definetly not stuck in the yard. In winter and once they reach a senior age they spend nights inside. I can only imagine how much vacuuming those who have dogs inside have to do!!


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## SewSleepy (Sep 4, 2012)

Seven's an inside dog. She will rarely go outside without one of us. I'm outside with her now and she's laying by the door waiting to go in. 




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## gaia_bear (May 24, 2012)

Inside. She's rarely outside without me, people in my area have been stealing dogs out of yards and selling them online so I keep an eye on here not that she'd willing go with a stranger but I like to keep a close eye on her.


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## Gharrissc (May 19, 2012)

My dogs are indoors,but get plenty of time outside as well when the weather is nice. If they aren't outside on the property they are gone with us somewhere.I don't have anything against dogs living outside as long as they are not just left in the backyard and not given any quality time.

I have a neighbor who has 9 dogs who are always barking. She seems to take care of them as far as feeding goes,but the yard is where they stay. She says she doesn't like to go back there because the dogs are too hyper and jump all over her and her husband. These are not small dogs at all,they are each over a 100 pounds.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Mine are inside. Granted I don't live in a house, but I don't see them staying outside without me there. If they are on the tie out and I run in for a second, I come back to all of them at the patio window looking for me. All three of them are my shadows. I do see them spending lots of time outside if the weather permits. They will always sleep indoors at night.


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## BMWHillbilly (Oct 18, 2012)

My vote is for both. Mine choose in or out during the day via doggie door but at night they are inside. I have a huge fenced backyard but have a separate 6' fencing that encloses the carport and an area of yard for potty times during the day while at work.


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## ozzymama (Jan 17, 2005)

Mine live inside, given the choice I think Oz would prefer to live outside, he spends as much time out there as possible, even when it's raining and yucky, I bring him in and he's ringing his bell to go out.


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## wildwolf60 (Apr 13, 2001)

All of our dogs have always been inside dogs...without question. They always want to be with us, and while they like to be outside for a while, they are always happy to come in. If we're outside, they will stay as long as we do, but if we're in the house, that's where they want to be.
We've lived in the city, but were lucky enough to have had a fenced in yard all around, so could leave them out for a while if we needed to, but had one male who discovered that one window was the bedroom window, and would make leaps past it staring in at the room! Hilarious! We called him the 'flying dog', lol.
At any rate, we enjoy our furry family, and they take part in nearly everything we do, and that's how we like it...


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## JanaeUlva (Feb 5, 2011)

My yard is fenced in and includes the deck, big oaks, two dog kennels left open and a covered table on the deck where the cats and Minka love to hangout. There is a doggy-door that allows Minka to go in and out of the house all day at will. Minka loves to be outside. She usually comes in at night but frequently I have to close the doggy door to keep her IN the house. She loves laying outside smelling and watching life go by; she is a busy little girl all the time unless she is sleeping. She has been known to stand halfway in and halfway out of the doggy door in order to let her cat friends into the house . . . they are not housebroke so it doesn't thrill me when she does that. Because the doggy door connects the house to her yard, I wonder if Minka feels she is still close to us even when outside.


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## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

My dogs will always be inside dogs!


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## Mooch (May 23, 2012)

Mine live mostly outside, I have a huge fenced yard that surrounds the whole house - it has trees, several sheds and they always have a kiddy wading pool full of water in summer. 
When I'm home the doors are open and they can come inside when they want.
They also have an outside kennel that they sleep in at night. They are so used to being outside that they will ask to go outside when they had enough "inside time".
I feed them inside then just have to call "bed time" and they race outside into the kennel and on their beds 

I don't know if I could cope with both of them inside, they are so active and I would have to crate them while I'm at work. 
Also DH is allergic to them so that rules having them inside all the time out totally 

How many of you with inside dogs have them crated while at work??


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## Rosa (Sep 18, 2010)

My dogs chose where they want to be, if they want to be outside they go out if they want to be inside they come in. Sleep inside every night. 

Outside they have their own little house (built of stone) with their beds and that in it, I have a large fenced back yard with 2 trees for shading they can also go into the garage if they wish (usually prefer this to their own house) because you can see out onto the road and they like to watch the people passing by.

It's only when it gets cold that they like to come inside during the day really which they are allowed to do.

So I guess mine is both!


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

My dogs live inside. I am very fortunate to have a big fenced in yard, set way off the road and weather permiting they can spend the days outside. Now we have a portable doggie door and they can go in and out as they please. They mostly want to stay inside anyway.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Mooch said:


> How many of you with inside dogs have them crated while at work??


I have three dogs and none of them are crated when I am at work, go out, or when visitors come over.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

Mooch said:


> How many of you with inside dogs have them crated while at work??


My house is small, I always used a crate at night till about 6 months. For daytime I puppy proofed my kitchen and always confined the pup to the kitchen untill trust worthy. I just never felt right about leaving my dog in a crate for 8-9 hours.


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## Capone22 (Sep 16, 2012)

Inside dogs here. Eventually I will probably put a dog door in for when I am home. Most of the day I leave the slider open So they can go out if they want. They both sleep inside their crates at night. 


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## rangersdad (Sep 20, 2012)

*Inside, Outside,or both*

Inside for me! When my wife and I married (30 years ago), her dad had always had hunting dogs outside and they'd never had inside pets. I, on the other hand, had always had inside pets! It took a little while (and a great first dog) to change her mind, but all our pets have been inside. Unfortunately, the dander/hair from Ranger is a real problem for her allergies, but she puts up with it for my sake and takes lots of allergy pills when necessary.


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## readaboutdogs (Jul 8, 2001)

Mine are indoor dogs, we did have a spitz/mix long time ago that hated being left inside! When really cold or bad weather we'd bring him in but if you left him alone he'd rip down curtains, etc! Once I left him in garage because of weather and he "peeled" the bottom of door back to get outside, teeth holes in the metal. He just really liked being outside!


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## mebully21 (Nov 18, 2011)

mine have always been inside dogs. if i was outside in the yard when i had my house they were out with me, but never alone outside . between the bears ,coyotes and people stealing dogs i never left mine unattended outside. if i am in they want to be in, if i am out then they are out with me.since i dont have a fenced in yard anymore i have tie outs now for where i live so they can be out with me when i am out on the patio


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

I put both but they are mostly inside. They have a dog door to go outside when they want.


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## julie87 (Aug 19, 2012)

Arexa is inside most of the time, if I have to leave for more than 2 hours she goes outside, (when she gets bored she starts to do things she is not suppose to) also at night my dog prefers to be outside because it is much cooler there, I can't get her to sleep inside, she has 2 dog houses there one big one, and one small one, she sleeps in the small one  she loves to guard her property and chase the cats away, I have to drag her in the house on a rainy day for a night  my dog is happy thats all I care about, I don't feel bad when she is outside, she loves it. I don't believe in just outdoor dog though... its kinda cruel to leave them all lonely...there is just no point in having a dog then unless she is guarding sheep or other animals....


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## Theo241 (Dec 10, 2011)

Mine are all inside dogs. Before I got my female (I got her when she was 1), she was an outdoor dog. She still loves being outside, but I'm sure I'd come home to a dug up yard if I left her out while I was at work. My male on the other hand has been a indoor dog since he was 7 weeks old, and definitely prefers being indoors, except for when it snows, then he'd stay outside if he could until he got cold.


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

Inside dogs, but she spends alot of time outside. Someone at home, usually my brother's sitter, will put out my dog at around 12-3, and she'll stay outside until around 4 when my sister comes home. At home, she's confined to spare washroom when I'm not home, so the outside is more room to stretch and relieve herself.

She sleeps on my bed at night, and definitely gets tons of human attention.


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## lennoxbradley88 (Apr 23, 2012)

Well Schatzi stays outside during the day while I'm at work. I am sure she has more fun digging my yard rather than chewing my couch. :wild:  However during the night she comes inside lays down and sleeps in there. I pretty much give her the freedom to pick where she wants to sleep.


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## ohdev (Mar 26, 2012)

Both of mine are inside dogs right now, but if I didn't live in the city, and had a properly contained yard or run, they would be both inside and outside. I'm gone for long periods of time for both work and school, so being about to leave them outside while I was gone instead of crated inside would be preferable. It's one of the main qualifications my boyfriend and I will be looking at in the near future when we're looking at homes.


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

I'm a nervous Nellie, so my dogs do not spend any time outside unsupervised. Our property while large, is not fenced so they could easily decide to chase a cat or fox or deer into the next county. They are only outside if we are outside with them. We do have a small fenced in play area, but they won't really play in there together unless we are there to help facilitate the play (throw the ball or whatever).

My husband works from home, so they are not crated when they are inside the house.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Mine have always been inside, however, if I'm out they are out, and they often times are out by themselves with me in the house. I do have a huge fenced yard

When I work, they are inside, the male aussie is always crated, the two girls (aussie and gsd) have free roam of the house.


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## Argus (Nov 4, 2012)

We have runs outside which they are in at times when it is nice but when we are home they are inside with us and sleep inside. They are never loose outside unless we are with them.


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

Mine lives inside with me, partially for safety reasons. He can jump the fence so I don't leave him out side unsupervised. I also have a large out door kennel for occasional use but he does not live in there. He is part of the family so he stays inside where we are.


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## PuppyKono (Jun 30, 2012)

I keep Kono inside because I dont trust the old fence in my yard.


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## Phantom (May 9, 2013)

Both I guess, She is in during the night and maybe half of a normal day, but if she is allowed she wants the be outside(Unless it is really really hot or really pouring down rain).


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