# Is Your Golden Inside or Outside Dog?



## Joe (Apr 9, 2005)

Is Your Golden Inside or Outside Dog?


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## MoesMom (Jun 11, 2005)

My golden, Moses (Moe) is a house dog. We got him when he was 4 weeks old. I said I would never have a big house dog, well....... I now have a 72lb lap dog. Its wonderful.


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## mojosmum (May 20, 2005)

Whoa! How come you got him so young???


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Wait a minute... Zero "outside all the time dogs"??? What ever happened to those posters who keep outside dogs all the time and believe its a good thing??? ...remember? from this thread http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/showthread.php?t=236
Stand up and be counted.


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## Meggies Mum (Apr 28, 2005)

Thanks monomer, due to the fact that I do not spend every waking moment on the computer I missed this poll, thanks for drawing my attention to it.

Proudly standing, not afraid to be counted.

edited to add that in the post monomer reffered to 3 members stated that they had outside dogs, two of those members have been off line since june, the third was myself.


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## Goldndust (Jul 30, 2005)

monomer said:


> What ever happened to those posters who keep outside dogs all the time and believe its a good thing??? ...remember? from this thread http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/showthread.php?t=236
> Stand up and be counted.


A good thing???? I've yet to ever see a dog put out in a fence, or put on a chain to live out its days ever to be called a good thing JMHO

My Golden is an inside dog when I am inside, and it is an outside dog when I am outside with him.  I do have a fenced area, and he is allowed outside if he so chooses but he is not an outside dog whatsoever. He'd rather be with me and not miss out on all the socialization that comes and goes on the inside as well as the outside if I leave and we go socializing somemore, or just out for fun or working him.


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## Meggies Mum (Apr 28, 2005)

Goldndust said:


> A good thing???? I've yet to ever see a dog put out in a fence, or put on a chain to live out its days ever to be called a good thing JMHO
> 
> My Golden is an inside dog when I am inside, and it is an outside dog when I am outside with him.  I do have a fenced area, and he is allowed outside if he so chooses but he is not an outside dog whatsoever. He'd rather be with me and not miss out on all the socialization that comes and goes on the inside as well as the outside if I leave and we go socializing somemore, or just out for fun or working him.


Goldndust, my family spends most time OUTSIDE with Meg, would it be better that she be an inside dog and miss out on our interaction? Meg is allowed in our computer room with me, but mostly we are outside. Don't judge when you know not the circumstances.


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## Goldndust (Jul 30, 2005)

Well, to be honest with you I didn't know as I did judge anyone, and I never mentioned a single name. What I did do was answer a question given by Monomer 

Now, if you would like me to list all the reasons for not doing it I could, but I will go one better! Take a walk around neighborhoods and you will see what becomes of dogs on tie downs and left in fencing to live out there days. If that isn't enough, check out the Rescues that take in these goldens when there owners can't handle them anymore do too problems associated with being put out in fencing and left, and not to mention all the anxieties that many of them come with. Oh, and I won't even go into the stolen goldens that have been taken from fences while not watched or tended to, nor the poisoning that has been done or the teasing by people that walk by and see them.

If you truely want the truth, it is out there Meggies Mum I place judgement on no one, I do try my best to help educate the public though since I have a deep love for the Golden Retriever breed.


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## Meggies Mum (Apr 28, 2005)

Goldndust said:


> Well, to be honest with you I didn't know as I did judge anyone, and I never mentioned a single name. What I did do was answer a question given by Monomer


Sorry, I had other people read that statement and they too thought it was judgemental, since the question was directed to posters from that thread. But if that was not your intention I apologise for any offence caused to you by me.



Goldndust said:


> Now, if you would like me to list all the reasons for not doing it I could, but I will go one better! Take a walk around neighborhoods and you will see what becomes of dogs on tie downs and left in fencing to live out there days. If that isn't enough, check out the Rescues that take in these goldens when there owners can't handle them anymore do too problems associated with being put out in fencing and left, and not to mention all the anxieties that many of them come with. Oh, and I won't even go into the stolen goldens that have been taken from fences while not watched or tended to, nor the poisoning that has been done or the teasing by people that walk by and see them.


:doh: This is not due to the fact that they are outside dogs, it is due to irresponsibility of the owners and other members of that community.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Meggies Mum said:


> ...edited to add that in the post monomer reffered to 3 members stated that they had outside dogs, two of those members have been off line since june, the third was myself.


Meggies Mum... in addition to those 3, there were 2 others in 2 different threads from about the same time period... so a total of 5 forum posters who kept outside (pretty much all the time) Golden Retrievers. Then as I was 'cruising' the polls, I noticed no one claimed an 'outside only dog'. I had figured that maybe some had since 'bailed' from this forum but all five? I was really hoping that maybe one or two had experienced a change of heart. That was the real intention of my earlier post... to see if anyone had 'come on over' to the other side... oh well, guess not.


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## Bogart'sMom (Sep 16, 2005)

My Dani girl liked to just lay in the shade after her morning walk and chill a while in the yard the door was open and she could come inside if she wanted to. My ZsaZsa girl I got when she was 2 years old and she was an outside dog only for a long time and it's a punishment for her to be outside in the yard with the patio door open. She will stand at the door until you let her back inside. Even if I'm working in the yard outside she wants to be in the house. She goes pee and poop in under a min just so she doesn't have to stay outside very long. She loves her walks and gets a daily walk sometimes 2 but she is the ultimate housedog. 
Bogart likes to be outside right now and get into trouble. He loves to rip out the grass and dig when he has the chance. Well, I don't give him the chance. He is outside when I'm also so I can watch him. Otherwise my yard soon would look like a battlefield. 
Dani as a puppy loved to dig in the yard and prune down the bushes to nothing so one learns to keep an eye on the little stinker.
Bogart'sMom


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## ruby752 (Jul 29, 2005)

My Mandy really is a house golden unless we are outdoors with her. She isn't a real lover of the high temps and humidity that we have here in Iowa but she loves a shaded spot. If her buddy (a yellow lab) next door is out she loves to run with him. She is just 6 months old and is still growing.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

When ours are inside and go to door, we let them, when outside and come to door, we let them. They are in and out as they please (more in than out.) Have a 6 foot wood privacy fence, 2 huge sycamores and live oaks for shade and entertainment (they love to try to catch squirrels). But they are inside at night, always. Buck, the old man, has his own room in the front of the house to keep an eye on things. However, I think he would only wake up if someone tried to steal his full size bed. Room use to belong to older son. The girls sleep in our room, KayCee always in bed, Honey sometimes in bed, sometimes in bathroom. Thank goodness for kingsize bed.


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## Allie and the Gang =) (Apr 21, 2005)

Ours are in and out ALL day long! They choose where they want to be, but we usually have 4-5 in at a time! LOL!


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## Buffy & Abby's Mom (Nov 27, 2005)

Buffy is primarily an inside dog. We have a fenced backyard and live in a very small town. So when the weather is good, no rain, over 50 degrees, we leave her outside when we're at work. We have a patio so she can be in the shade and also a pad for her to lay on. We also put a lock on the fence so that no one can let her out or take her. She loves people so much, she's liable to go off with anyone. She loves to chase the birds and squirrels and keep an eye on the people walking down the sidewalks. I think it keeps her from being so bored when we're not there.


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## Timber's Mom (Dec 10, 2005)

Timber and Coco are in when we're in and out when we're out. We do have a large dog run with an insulated dog house and a cool den that my husband made for them so they stay in that if we are both at work and its not too cold or miserable. When they're outside they run and play and investigate and when they're inside, they're couch potatos!!


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## goldencity (May 26, 2005)

When the weather allows my 3 have the door open so they can be in or out as they want. I work from home so i'm here most of the time. Each dog likes diff. things ....Penny follows me round and hates me to be out of sight, Millie likes to lie by the gate so she can keep an eye on the village and Daisey likes to play out side with Millie, followed by a sleep in her basket.

Reading the other posts and thinking back to when this topic was discussed before, people got quite upset when they felt they were being critisised for keeping outside dogs. 
Personally I dont think WHERE your dog is kept is as important as HOW it is kept. An outside dog that sees its people lots and get interaction, exercise and love, is better than an inside dog who is shut in on its own for hours and hours [poss. in a small crate] while its owner is out at work ect.
Like wise, an outside dog, chained in the yard or in a small boring run/kennel who hardly ever has any interaction with its owners, is going to be worse off than an inside dog which is well cared for. 

You know how you keep your dog- in or out- if you can say that it gets love, companionship, exercise, training ect ect ten that is what matters.


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## Chloe's Mum (Jan 1, 2006)

Chloe is a very pampered 'indoor' girl with her own sofa!


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## orfjara (May 22, 2005)

My dogs live inside with me but as I have 4 acres of fenced land the have plenty of space for outdoor exercise. Our weather in the North of Scotland is not conducive to dogs living outdoors.


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## Lexie's Mom (Dec 14, 2005)

Lexie is in the house. She has always been in. She thinks she is one of the kids. I have 2 large dogs in the house. Lexie is the boss and the oldest. Hooch (my rottweiler) is bigger than her but knows she is the boss. They both are in unless we are outside. Now, if we are swimming in the pool. She is definately in the pool. Loves the water and can't keep her out!!! How many more days until summer again? I miss it. i've had enough cold weather!


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## Gail (Jan 7, 2006)

Texas is in the house too, he can't stand staying outside, starts to cry in the garden... He prefers staying on our sofa watching TV (that's real...)


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

*Maggies First snow*

Maggie is a indoor dog mostly, but has a dog door to go out whenever she once, since the yard is fenced.
Maggie went running out the dog door and to her suprise, it was snowing....she stop quickly (looking at the slide marks from her feet) and the look on her face... we had to laugh... once the shock was over she loved it and stayed outside for hours


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## lola'smommy (Dec 19, 2005)

:uhoh: Okay, um I think I will keep on moving here and put in our thang at Lola's house. We do the doggy door thing and I love it. I can't imagine it being any other way. If she wants to go out she is free to. And she doesn't have to wait on me to let her out. Now as a puppy, though, I have to look out the window as she goes outside to make sure she doesn't dig up a tree or chew down the deck!:crossfing


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## cathi (Dec 16, 2005)

This is only my opinion] -so for what it is worth - I feel that if a person is going to get a dog they should ask themselves why they are getting a dog?
You don't just buy a dog or get one for free if you have no intention of making it (him/her) a part of your immediate family. I would never tie my kids to a tree or fence them in and leave them there for any length of time. They have feelings just as we (humans) do and they love you unconditionally - so if a person does not respectfully accept their pet, they do not necessarily earn that unconditional love.


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## lola'smommy (Dec 19, 2005)

:appl: Well put. My feelings exactly.


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## VeronicaLovesHerGoldens (May 27, 2005)

My goldens follow me from room to room and always want to be with me so both of them are indoor dogs although they love to play fetch stick/tennis ball outside (weather permitting). I have a 95 pound "lap dog". A dog trainer once commented on how friendly goldens were but that they were very "needy". I find that describes my guys to a T.


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## Brittany (Jul 24, 2006)

I've got 3 Goldens, all are outside dogs. We live in the country, and the dogs love it. They hunt in the woods all the time and don't like being cooped up inside. We have one that is terrified of storms, though, so we let her in when it storms. The other two are happy and cozy in their doghouse. 

Brittany


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## Denali and Gretzky's Mom (Jun 26, 2006)

Denali and Gretzky stay inside most of the time. When we are outside, they are outside and they are rarely outside without us. If I step in the house while they are in the yard, they both come to stand at the door almost immediately! They love to be where the family is! 

BTW, it is the same situation with our cat! Go figure.


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## Samwise (May 15, 2006)

Samwise and Ruby are inside with us all the time. I can't imagine getting a dog and then leaving it outside - that's just not the way we want to live with our dogs and I want them to bond with us as well as each other. Plus, I would be forever worried about what they were up to if I couldn't see them; they're very mischievious! They get plenty of playtime outside but only when we're out there, too.

Christi


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## ty823 (Feb 7, 2006)

It looks like this is a pretty old thread, but I thought I would put my 2 cents in.
I think some of you hear the phrase 'outside dog' and picture a dog chained to a tree and laying in the dirt. Lucy spends most of her time outside, so I guess I would call her an outside dog. She stays out in her dog run while we're at work, and she is pretty much with me wherever I am when I'm home, which is usually out in the yard, garden, or garage until it gets dark. And even then, I sometimes have to bribe her with treats to come in for the night. 
She spends her 'loose time' outside chasing birds, playing with her kong, dragging tree branches around the yard, and easily entertaining herself. When she is inside, all she does is sleep unless we engage in play with her. That leads me to believe she would much rather spend her time outside then inside, but the scale tips slightly in favor of wherever we are at the time


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## goldenstaples (Apr 3, 2006)

On a normal day Phoebe and I get up and go for a 4 mile walk(we also go in a wooded area where she loves to run and practice recall)then I put her in her run for a few hours, which has shade , a dog house and lots of toys with a lock on the door.When I let her out of the car she runs into the run herself I say see ya in a little bit and she is happy! Then I come home at lunch bring her in the house and she stays there.My husband comes home a few hours later and she is with us the remainder of time. She is a house dog but does stay in the run a few hours a day, I am really happy that she is so secure, I think it makes her more versatile. The first Golden I had would not stay by himself outside so I started her young and she loves it, it is so much better than being in the house all day, gives her variety too!


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

Lucky should be outside much more then he is. He isn't seeming unhappy but he needs more fresh air, squirrel watching time.  He isn't as healthy as my outside dogs were.

I've got one 5 ft area that needs to be fenced, and then he would have a securely fenced backyard to allow more cat chasing time.

Maybe this weekend.........


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## greg bell (May 24, 2005)

goldenstaples said:


> On a normal day Phoebe and I get up and go for a 4 mile walk(we also go in a wooded area where she loves to run and practice recall)then I put her in her run for a few hours, which has shade , a dog house and lots of toys with a lock on the door.When I let her out of the car she runs into the run herself I say see ya in a little bit and she is happy! Then I come home at lunch bring her in the house and she stays there.My husband comes home a few hours later and she is with us the remainder of time. She is a house dog but does stay in the run a few hours a day, I am really happy that she is so secure, I think it makes her more versatile. The first Golden I had would not stay by himself outside so I started her young and she loves it, it is so much better than being in the house all day, gives her variety too!


totally agree with this. a good outside run is a great place for a dog. I do much the same. and, like you, Dixie trots willingly to her kennel. It is not like she is being punished. she loves being able to bark at the yard bunnys, squirrels, meter man, and whatever else happens by..


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

ty823 said:


> ...I think some of you hear the phrase 'outside dog' and picture a dog chained to a tree and laying in the dirt...


No, I believe the perception is more along the lines of 'out of sight, out of mind' ...as in, dogs who are outside all the time are more likely to be dogs who interact less with their owners... sort of stands to reason doesn't it? unless the owners are outside more often than inside whenever they are home, which is not the usual case for most people.


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## greg bell (May 24, 2005)

monomer is right..that is the biggest danger with keeping your dog outside.. but i think most of the folks here spend lots of time with their dog..


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## ty823 (Feb 7, 2006)

Yeah, I don't think anyone would join a Golden Retriever Forum that didn't spend as much time as they could with their dog. 
If I was in a job where I could stay home, or even make it home for my lunch breaks, things would be much different I'm sure, but in our situation, leaving Lucy outside in the dog run during the day is absolutely the best thing for her.....
Although, I am a little suspicious of our neighbor lately. Yesterday I found a french fry next to the fence, and last week I found part of a hot dog bun. I might have to have a little talk with him because I think Lucy is getting some snacks during the day that she isn't supposed to :no:


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

ty823 said:


> Although, I am a little suspicious of our neighbor lately. Yesterday I found a french fry next to the fence, and last week I found part of a hot dog bun. I might have to have a little talk with him because I think Lucy is getting some snacks during the day that she isn't supposed to :no:


That is a concern. Before I somewhat barricaded an opening in my fence, I had to leave Lucky on a tieout for fresh air. He wasn't out more then 45 min. But I foundout my neighbor had been throwing chicken bones to him, so I had a talk about that. She meant well...but people need to not do things like that.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

ty823 said:


> ...If I was in a job where I could stay home, or even make it home for my lunch breaks, things would be much different I'm sure, but in our situation, leaving Lucy outside in the dog run during the day is absolutely the best thing for her...


Leaving the dog outside while everyone's at work is a very 'normal' thing to do (provided you have a backyard, of course). We do this with Sidney, except that between me (a University prof... read that as LOTS of time off) and my wife's weird schedules (part-timer @JCPenney) there's almost always some one at home.
The troubling situation is where all the people are home and the dog is STILL left outside.


ty823 said:


> ... Yesterday I found a french fry next to the fence, and last week I found part of a hot dog bun. I might have to have a little talk with him because I think Lucy is getting some snacks during the day that she isn't supposed to :no:


I realize the problem there... but I still find it very funny and sweet... maybe its the way you wrote it. Our neighbors love Sidney too but sometimes we have to instruct these non-dog owners-types how to properly show love and interact with a friendly dog... (especially my brother-in-law who loves to have Sidney jump up onto his chest and so is always encouraging Sid... and Sidney's over 80-lbs of solid dog... meanwhile I have to fear that maybe Sidney will also then jump on our 101-year old neighbor, who dearly loves Sid and vice versa... I mean, one spirited jump from Sidney would probably kill this 78-lbs guy or at the least break a lot of brittle old bone).


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

monomer said:


> The troubling situation is where all the people are home and the dog is STILL left outside.


Yep.....big difference between a dog who's outside a lot and a dog who's forgotten outside.


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## tintallie (May 31, 2006)

Will is always inside with us unless he's being taken outside to play. Down the street, there's a family with a golden retriever that spends all its time outside being neglected. This golden barks at whatever passes by


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## tintallie (May 31, 2006)

Will is always inside with us unless he's being taken outside to play. Down the street, there's a family with a golden retriever that spends all its time outside being neglected. This golden barks at whatever passes by


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

I would NEVER keep a dog outside. I keep a spotless and beautiful home with four dogs inside. Granted, only one is a Golden, and he is messier than the three Greyhound type dogs combined, but it's still not a difficult task.


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## Katiesmommy (Sep 10, 2006)

Inside dog...unless she needs to go out for walks, potty, play...etc.


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