# Backyard Dogs



## Mei (Mar 30, 2018)

This kind of thing really bugs me. This is a neighbor's GSD and the poor guy is outside ALL the time. Today he's got a cone, maybe got neutered, and I feel even worse for him. 









A lot of people in my neighborhood leave their dogs outside. I'll be walking Mei and I know every house where a dog is going to be barking at us through the fence. Without fail they're there on every walk. I'm sure they're not barking at us to be mean, but they're crying for us to rescue them. 

Thoughts on leaving dog in the fenced backyard all day long?? I personally dont agree with an outside dog, except if they're free to roam like on a farm or acres of land. 

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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

Some dogs prefer being outside.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Try to let it go as long as he is not being abused or neglected. Others are stuck in a crate all day long inside and you just don't see it.


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## Mei (Mar 30, 2018)

Ya, very true. I'll try not to let it bug me so much. I should ask the owners if he can play with Mei. Last summer was just so hot and half the state was on fire. He was outside through all of it.

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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

It’s sad to me, too, but the dog looks healthy in spite of the cone.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

Check your state animal laws. He does need to have shelter and water outside. Mine love being outside and would be happiest if I stayed outside with them all day long! I don't leave mine outside when I am not home to supervise, though. I'd be concerned about other people causing mischief and hurting my dogs.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

They are dogs. Not children and not furbabies. Personally I prefer my dogs inside unless supervised however clean water, food, shelter and appropriate care and do what you will. I know loads of happy and healthy dogs who live outside and have never been in a house.
I don't think it's safe to leave a dog unattended outside with a cone. I would be nervous about that. 
But my little idiot sits in a crate all day so what do I know.


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## HollandNicholson (May 6, 2019)

My neighbors have their dogs out all day they are brought in at night When I moved in he told me that I have seen him walk the dogs and they are cared for. Yeah I would worry leaving mine out if I wasn’t there


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

Mei said:


> This kind of thing really bugs me. This is a neighbor's GSD and the poor guy is outside ALL the time. Today he's got a cone, maybe got neutered, and I feel even worse for him.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I see it a lot here too. Just like you, I know which houses have dogs and which ones have a fenced in yard. At least that dog in your picture gets to be outside. Some dogs don't see the light of day for more than 10 - 20 mins a day to do their business. It's worse being stuck in the house. It's like a prison....23.5 hours in the "cage" and 30 minutes outside...every day, week, month, and year. I've talked to quite a few of my neighbors who have dogs. It's sad, really. I never see them walk their dogs. They don't take them hiking or anywhere except to the vet. There's no training. Anyway, yeah, it's a common sight.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

They are animals. Animals that are not domesticated, live outside 24/7. I think it is healthy for dogs to spend a LOT of time outside. I think it is easier on dogs in areas where temperatures get COLD, or HOT, for them to be outside all the time, with proper shade/shelter. Because I think it is harder on a dog to go from 70 to 20 degrees than it is for a dog to grow the proper coat and spend most of their time in the temperatures that they will be in. I think it is harder for a dog to go from 70 to 95 to, rather than being in the 95 and using shade and water to keep them comfortable. 

I'd rather see a dog outside with free access to somewhere to potty, and water, and somewhere to get out of the rain, somewhere to go if it is cold and snowing, then to know those folks have a dog, but it must be inside for extended periods, probably crated. 

What I do not like is how alone that dog looks. He obviously wants to go inside because that is where his people are. Dogs are not solitary creatures. Two dogs together is kind of ideal. 

I do not like the idea of a dog with free run of a farm. A dog is domestic. But it still has instincts and drive, intelligence, etc. A dog that has acreage to roam over can be just as bored as a dog in a fenced yard. But the dog with acreage has so many more opportunities to get into mischief. Or to get out and run over by a car, shot or trapped by hunters, killed at neighboring farms. 

It is a very human thing to think that a dog should be free to roam, have more space, and all that. Because we put human attributes on dogs. A dog knows what he has experienced. A dog that has lived inside with the run of the house, may find it hard to be thrust out into a yard, especially if he is an only. A dog raised in the yard knows nothing other than staying outside when the family goes inside. He does not feel slighted. That is his life, and he is fine with it. But a dog given no boundaries IS like children without boundaries -- unhappy. Dogs with full reign over a farm is very likely to dig out, attack chickens, dig holes, run amok, chase neighbors or worry neighboring farm animals. A dog that has clear boundaries and a good routine, can be just find whether they ever go inside our not.


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## McGloomy (Mar 13, 2018)

I grew up in a country where dogs are mostly left outside. But not for the better. There are loads of them who is either crated all day OUTSIDE or just outside and being neglected roaming around in the backyard.

I do agree that some dogs absolutely can be outside dogs. But I despise the fact that some dogs long to be inside with their people and they're just not able to or allowed to be.

That being said... As long as there's food and water and that the dog is being appreciated, can't complain. But truly, I prefer dogs to be always near their people as much as they can. It's what's natural for them.


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## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

The GS was created to be an outside dog! I’ve never seen sheep in houses?....my only concern would be that the dog receives enough human engagement every day with stimulating activities.....but the breed was created physiologywise to be outdoor dogs not indoor floor mats, though many people think otherwise.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Years ago when I put a dog door in, I was amazed at how much time my dogs chose to be outside. I’m pretty sure that Russ slept out in the yard a lot. Yes, I know, it’s not the same as being locked outside (or inside for that matter). I frequently toss my dogs outside, close the dog door, and tell them “go be dogs”. They’re dogs, not toddlers, and I don’t need to stand over them every minute.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Mine love being outside, just lying down or sniffing around. They also love being inside. They are happy either way.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

The photo is sad as he had surgery and should be kept in a nice clean space and kept quiet. My dogs enjoy being outside to but I would not leave them out alone all day and go to work if they were not secured safely. Even though german shepherds enjoy outside they enjoy nothing more then being with their people. If kept outside 24 hours a day 7 days a week in a medium sized back yard is not much of a life but I’m sure they enjoy living it as they adjust. Not to say these people are doing this I have no idea.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Maybe he hasn't had surgery but the collar prevents him from chewing or so. Time to meet your neighbor?


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Wolfe, that is a good idea. Meet them to get to know another GSD owner. I wouldn’t mention being outside until I knew them well and understood their situation. Although if the dog isn’t barking, it’s really not the OP’s business. My neighbor has a GSD who must be alone all the time, he barks constantly. I thought they brought in a second dog last year but I only hear one.


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## crittersitter (Mar 31, 2011)

I don't like to see dogs live outside all the time with little interaction. That said my GSD's (with the exception of the oldster that likes to be inside and is most of the time) prefer to be outside a lot during the day. I am home so I am here to let them in if they want to be in or the weather is bad but generally they'd rather be outdoors. For example, it's very windy today (but mild temps) so I brought the youngsters (1 & 3) in but they weren't happy. As soon as I let them out they settled down. But they do have a large covered front porch and two doggie houses on the covered porch if they want to "den". But they are all in after dark and all night long every night. They also have plenty of time out of the fenced yard and covered porch on our acreage in the country, off leash, but under our supervision.


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## Mei (Mar 30, 2018)

Liked all the responses. I should have been more clear. It's mainly just this one neighbor's GSD. I can tell he doesn't like being out for so long. Like right now he's scratching on the door. He always sits up there barking at the door. I'm sure he enjoys it for a little bit but not all day. Pretty sure every time I go outside there he is. I should take Mei over to play! They haven't played in a while. All he wants to do is hump her and she does not like it. I dont think Mei likes him lol. 

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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Jenny720 said:


> The photo is sad as he had surgery and should be kept in a nice clean space and kept quiet. My dogs enjoy being outside to but I would not leave them out alone all day and go to work if they were not secured safely. Even though german shepherds enjoy outside they enjoy nothing more then being with their people. If kept outside 24 hours a day 7 days a week in a medium sized back yard is not much of a life but I’m sure they enjoy living it as they adjust. Not to say these people are doing this I have no idea.


Once upon a time, Ninja got stupid and broke out of a crate I had put her in temporarily while I moved my alpha bitch, Jenna, and her her puppies to the other kennel. So she was in the crate for 5 minutes or less. She broke out and charged Jenna and Jenna took her right down to the ground, and there was a vet bill, and stitches, and a cone. 

Now with the cone on, she could not get into her dog house. She could not manage the doggy door. She had had this surgery, and I could have left her outside in one of the kennels that have a dog shelter, that she could have gotten under with her cone. But I felt bad for her, and I couldn't crate her, and I couldn't give her one of the kennels with the doggy door because she couldn't navigate it. And so the only thing left was to let her in my room and let her sleep with me. 

MY GOD!!! Sleeping with Ninja and her cone was like sleeping with two six year olds and a toboggan. There is no longer any doubt that I snore. Because every time I got to some REM sleep, there she was licking my face with her lampshade in my eyeball. She was an outdoor dog, but was fine in the house and clean enough to share my bed. 

Right now I am down to 12 regulars, where I have had as many as 22 regulars. Maybe more. Maybe litters with them. At that time, most of them were kept in single kennel areas. 

Right now, I have Cujo2, Hepsi, and Kaiah in one of the house kennels, a doggy door to the kennel I put up between the house and the first two big kennels, and the gate to the larger of the two kennel areas opne as well. They have two dog shelters, three dog houses, and a huge swimming pool -- that thing has to be 18 inches high and a four or five foot diameter. It takes FOREVER to fill. 

Karma and Uzzi are in the puppy pen, which is in the house with a doggy door to the a 10x20 foot kennel. when I had more dogs, I had that cut down and kept Joy in 10 x 6-8 foot of it, and the bitch with pups in the other half, where they could get inside as well. But Karma and Uzzi have the whole of it. 


Ramona and Kojak have the 14x 23' kennel with a couple of dog shelters. I had cut that in two, but having these two together gives both of them more room to run. 

Bear and Tinny have the kennel that runs along the front and side of my house. They also have a pool identical to Kaiah's pool. Tinny LOVES the pool. I have an area for wood chips, that Bear likes to lie in. Dog houses, but no shelter. I will have to put the sunscreen over them within the next month or so. 


And then I have three 10x 15 kennels, each with a wood shelter that are big enough to hold three dog houses, but most have just the one dog house. These too used to be cut in two to hold two dogs each. But now Heidi, Joy, and Odie have their own kennels, and the full one. I have near field and far field again, and a kennel on the other side of the front of my house, about 25'x15' that I have a big picnic table in, and filled with woodchips, and tunnels when I have babies. I can put them in the front or in the house 


Outside, they can potty and watch the world go by, bark at the Amish buggies, :rolleyes2::blush: But the thing is, they can roll and play with each other, and they do not have to be stuffed in a box. It is far easier to keep a kennel free of dangerous materials than the run of the house. They get the benefit of the sun and elements. They do get to be dogs. And normally, for the most part, they are clean enough to come in and enjoy the inside too.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

@selzer I don’t like a stuffed in a boxed that’s when you also have a super keyed up dog even if the dog is dead calm I would imagine. I had mentioned a secured area that would mean a kennel. Dogs can easily get into trouble if loose all day in the yard unsupervised and bored. If I had multiple dogs I myself would get a kennel out in the yard. My dogs were not left loose in the house until they were trusted. Now with the weather so beautiful I just leaving the sliding door open and they are out all day come in and out when I’m home. This prevents jumping at my glass door pleading for me to come out. They have gotten into trouble back there in the wilderness a few times with me home they play hard-hole above nail from sliding on something sharp, Luna chewed a stick and was wedged in the roof of her mouth, a couple of scraped pads, bee stings, scratch from a visiting ground hog etc. There are feral cats that live in the woods a few like to lie in the front yard or in the street of the private road visible to the dogs. I have to make sure Luna does not goes all nutty barking at them and causing a great disturbance. There are often days they do depend on each other for exercise I can never run them like they run each other. I do get enjoyment that they get use of their yard. It why I sacrifice it to the shepherds. The sadness of rainy days-


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

My malamute was the only dog I've had that genuinely preferred to be outside (alone). He followed my daughter outside one night as she carried out the trash bag. She returned inside and didn't notice that he had stayed out. He was old, maybe 13 or so at the time and slept indoors. Next morning I could not find him anywhere inside and went outside to look for him in a bit of a panic. We had a lot of snow already and had gotten another 6-8" of snow that night. I came to a snow covered mound and figured it was him, I thought he had passed as it was bitter cold as well, but the mound moved and he shook off the snow and reveled that he was fine and had been cleaning out cans of clam chowder. My daughter did not want to remove the snow to lift the lid off of the garbage bin and just set the bag on top to which gave him easy access. 

We gauge things like comfort based on our own perceptions and often forget that most dogs are well equipped to handle Mother Nature.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Well by some of these responses my dog has a horrible life, lol. She gets locked in a crate when I cannot attend her and is seldom outside alone. She is never off leash and generally is close enough to touch me be it on the bed, the couch or the floor. 
Most often when eating her dish is in my lap or between my feet and sometimes I turn the TV off without asking!


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Yes most dogs I think shepherds prefer the cold. Winterfell pups but they adapt. In the full throws of summer it is important to have a shady place for the dogs to cool off. I often see Max run under some trees to cool off. They can not do that if there is no place to get away from the strong blaring sun after running around. There was adjusting when we got our chihuahua.
One time I thought I let him unknowingly out in the coldest of winters forgetting about him as I was looking all for him through out the house- doubting myself. Knowing he could probably not stand those temps very long getting really worried as he was no wear to be found. He was hiding under neath a pile of blankets behind the corner chair not making a sound.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Mei said:


> Liked all the responses. I should have been more clear. It's mainly just this one neighbor's GSD. I can tell he doesn't like being out for so long. Like right now he's scratching on the door. He always sits up there barking at the door. I'm sure he enjoys it for a little bit but not all day. Pretty sure every time I go outside there he is. I should take Mei over to play! They haven't played in a while. All he wants to do is hump her and she does not like it. I dont think Mei likes him lol.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


If you know the dog and they get along even a little, take yours to play when theirs is out of the cone. You can keep them busy enough with activities that he won’t have time to pester her. Get them running together.


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## dojoson41 (Oct 14, 2018)

*back yard dog*

Being one of those who has land/farm I would not allow mydog to run free it is never safe. People even with their kids WILL come onto your property even though you have a no enter and beware of signs just to look at your horses/goats;yep, woke up- heard voices,looked out the window and there was like a small bus load of kids with parents at my farm trying to pet the goats. you will have problems with wild animals including bears/coyotes. Dogs will not stay on the property and will roam so now you have hit by ATV/Trucks etc-yes I lost a pet that way yearsback when it went after an animal and got sidetracked-very few humans see their surrounding when driving but most don’t pay attention, are speeding and have tunnel vision when driving(I mean come on they hit slow moving turtles). My GSD prefers to be outside almost all day even in the rain and *can come in on its own if he wanted* but he is still supervised. If I can’t check up on him or brush cutting he goes into the large kennel in the front. When I am not home he like the cat, goes into their large cage by the door as requested by my fire dept. There is not enough water nor any fire hydrants out here in these woods/land to fight a house fire, by time the fire deptpartment get out there and get the hose down to the fire pond it will be too late and they will not go in looking for an animal but they will grab the caged/dog if he is right by the door. I tell them to go strait for the pets first and foremost. Houses can be replaced, lives-human or animal cannot. If the dog is the only pet then he/she will most likely be clingy to its owner. Some people still have dogs/cats for the sole purpose they were bred for-protection/ rodent control and not lap pets, so as long as they are cared for, have protection from the weather when needed I find nothing wrong with that. Like others have said, go over there and make some new friends.


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## GSDchoice (Jul 26, 2016)

We have a pet door and I have seen that my dog's choice is, whether inside or outside, he prefers to be within sight of me. 
It's all about the 24/7 surveillance...

As a kid, our Great Dane stayed outside in our fenced yard with doghouse when we were gone. Most neighbors did that with their dogs too. She hung out with Sarge, the St. Bernard next door (they interacted through the fence and could often be seen lying together, one on each side of the fence!). To be honest, I think that a fenced yard is more comfortable to a dog than staying in a crate indoors...if I were a dog, I'd pick fenced yard + doghouse over crate any day! You are able to go potty whenever you need to...and do some zoomies or chase squirrels if you get the urge...

_I wanted to add that in this day and age, just as it's no longer OK to let your kids bike over to the grocery by themselves, it's no longer OK to leave your dog in the yard and let people stick their hands over the fence...we have all become super-careful, for better or worse..._


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

GSDchoice said:


> _I wanted to add that in this day and age, just as it's no longer OK to let your kids bike over to the grocery by themselves, it's no longer OK to leave your dog in the yard and let people stick their hands over the fence...we have all become super-careful, for better or worse..._


I've learned a few things about our local animal control board by listening to the county's podcast. It comes out every two weeks. I've discovered that for the most part they are firm but fair. I've also learned a bit about their thought process when deciding cases. I've discovered how much fees are and for what and a few laws I missed the last time I read them. Mostly I've learned that an ounce of prevention is much less costly than that pound of cure!


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