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I have a question for ya'll who feel certain dog owners, for whatever reason, should not own dogs. Suppose all of those dog owners rise up and realize you're right: they shouldn't own dogs. And then they all take their dogs to the nearest shelter. Will that make you guys happy?
IMO, as long as the dog is getting feed, housed, some attention, and sees a vet when needed, what's the problem? Perfect dog owners are in the eyes of the beholder. Some people view their dogs as animals, others as little furry children. As long as there is no abuse or outright cruelty going on, I say leave it alone. Unless you the shelters to get even more crowded with unwanted dogs.
Last edited by lemonegg; 08-05-2010 at 08:36 AM..
Reason: spelling
Sorry, maybe I am a tad 'new age' or out there in my methods, but dogs are social animals and thus need social contact with their pack--their pack is their human family. Why get a dog if you are going to leave it out in the backyard all day? An eight week old puppy is really a baby. Not a human baby, but not old enough to be left alone to its own devices for hours at a time. They need training and socialization. Leaving a puppy alone outside tells me that not a whole lot of training and socialization is going on with concern to the puppy. Ask yourself, if you went to a rescue to get a puppy, and you wrote down that you would be leaving the puppy outdoors and maybe checking on it every three or four hours--do you think they would adopt to the likes of you? I don't think so. I, for one wouldn't adopt to you.
My dogs are inside dogs, are trained and socialized, and get love and attention all day--not just when I happen to step outside to make sure they not dead in the backyard yet. If cleanliness is your concern, pick up your broom, vacuum and mop and get to work more often. My house is clean, it takes a little more effort, but my dogs are worth it.
As I stated everyone has their own way and I dont judge others because they dont do things the way I do.
I can not be with my dogs 24/7. I work. I know resuces that wont adopt to people that work. I dont care, there are plenty of animals out there that need a home. All of my dogs and cats were abandoned, throw aways or rescues.
My dogs are outside dogs. I live on a farm and my dogs like being outside. When I get home I am outside with them. They come in the house from time to time, lay around on the couch, in the kitchen when Im cooking and sometimes they sleep in the bed with me. There is no need for them to be couped up in the house all day. No need to assume Im lazy or a slob or a bad person because I choose to let my animals be in their natural habitat.
Why get a dog if Im not going to leave them in a crate couped up in the house all day while Im at work? I guess I could have left one puppy on the side of the road, and let the guy go ahead and shoot Tahlulla, and called animal control to come get the one abandoned at the house I bought, and let Emerson die from paristies and starvation. Oh the horror of letting them run around outside, swim in the pond, chase the chickens, and lay around in the barn and under the shade trees while Im at work.
1.Dogs are social creatures, leaving them separated from the owner/family for periods of time, is just wrong.
2.While still a puppy, most dogs (if not all) love to play and if not supervised closely will get in trouble (eat what they shouldn't, go where they shouldn't, get hurt easily, etc.) they are still exploring everything and arevery curious little puppies;
3.Some people should not have dogs - or any pets - for two reasons, either they don't know (and make no effort to learn) or they don't want to give them the attention they need.
Just curious, are you with your dogs 24/7? Do you work or leave the house for any period of time? I would find that very difficult. I dont know anyone that spends every minute with their dogs. People even let their children go out and play and have some alone time.
Just curious, are you with your dogs 24/7? Do you work or leave the house for any period of time? I would find that very difficult. I dont know anyone that spends every minute with their dogs. People even let their children go out and play and have some alone time.
Sounds like Miriam was trying to say for long periods of time.
My dog is a barker and that's his nature. Trained but still barks and I take him to my parents house while I go to to work so he can go run outside, be a companion for my parents as they are retired and have a 9 week old puppy of their own that needs to learn the socialization of dogs. My dog spends about no more than 4 hours by himself.
Sounds like you have the space to let your dog roam outdoors while you're at work. I live in a suburban setting and I have a quarter acre (a bit bigger than the average suburban yard) but I know my dog would be out there, barking, annoying people and trying to escape! Growing up, we had dogs and they were always outdoor dogs, never let in the house and I didn't want to do when I got a dog of my own.
Just curious, are you with your dogs 24/7? Do you work or leave the house for any period of time? I would find that very difficult. I dont know anyone that spends every minute with their dogs. People even let their children go out and play and have some alone time.
Yes, once they were old enough to know better than to chew on a electrical cord or eat the furniture or anything that might hurt them, my dogs spend the days and nights in the house, often unsupervised.
But when they were little tykes, they were either crated or in a safe, penned in area in the house that had nothing else in it (besides a bowl of water) and never went 3 or 4 hours (at the most) without someone checking on them.
They can spend all the time they want in the back yard as long as I am home and can peer out the window from time to time to check on them. They run, swim, chase rabbits, and play mysterious dog games. They usually prefer to be inside the house with us, though.
When we leave town, we either take them with us or hire someone to stay in our home with them.
I dont think is is fair to say that people dont socialize their dogs or are worrying about their house cleaning skills because they work and keep their dogs in a fenced-in-yard. My dogs are very socialized. I play, walk and take them for dog play dates in the evening or on week-ends. My dogs do come in when I am home and as I said earlier they wouldnt get any human contact inside either because no one is home. If you think that everyone that works or has a busy schedule shouldnt own a dog then there would be a lot of dogs at the shelter and they wouldnt get hardly any human contact. I think there is a big difference in putting your dog outside 24/7 and giving them no human contact then putting your dog in a safe, comfortable fenced-in yard where they can roam and play and you give them plenty of human contact when you are home.
As I stated everyone has their own way and I dont judge others because they dont do things the way I do.
I can not be with my dogs 24/7. I work. I know resuces that wont adopt to people that work. I dont care, there are plenty of animals out there that need a home. All of my dogs and cats were abandoned, throw aways or rescues.
My dogs are outside dogs. I live on a farm and my dogs like being outside. When I get home I am outside with them. They come in the house from time to time, lay around on the couch, in the kitchen when Im cooking and sometimes they sleep in the bed with me. There is no need for them to be couped up in the house all day. No need to assume Im lazy or a slob or a bad person because I choose to let my animals be in their natural habitat.
Why get a dog if Im not going to leave them in a crate couped up in the house all day while Im at work? I guess I could have left one puppy on the side of the road, and let the guy go ahead and shoot Tahlulla, and called animal control to come get the one abandoned at the house I bought, and let Emerson die from paristies and starvation. Oh the horror of letting them run around outside, swim in the pond, chase the chickens, and lay around in the barn and under the shade trees while Im at work.
Everyone does have their own way, most people do not live on farms. My dogs don't stay in a crate all day. In fact, I have never used a crate with either of my dogs--but they are not a bad tool. They are potty trained and got that way via close supervision and the use of a baby gate when they were younger(which we no longer use).They get a walk in the morning, and usually a swim at the lake in the afternoon. On weekends we head down to the beach. They have a good life. I am not from here, but with the heat we have here, close to the Mexican border, you do not leave your dogs outside. DO NOT. Now it may be different there, but ACS(Animal Care services) will come around and cite you/pick up your animal if they are out in temps of 104 all day long. And I don't blame them. It sounds like your set up is ideal for you--it would most certainly not be here.
Last edited by mayalevi; 08-05-2010 at 08:59 AM..
Reason: clarity
I dont think is is fair to say that people dont socialize their dogs or are worrying about their house cleaning skills because they work and keep their dogs in a fenced-in-yard. My dogs are very socialized. I play, walk and take them for dog play dates in the evening or on week-ends. My dogs do come in when I am home and as I said earlier they wouldnt get any human contact inside either because no one is home. If you think that everyone that works or has a busy schedule shouldnt own a dog then there would be a lot of dogs at the shelter and they wouldnt get hardly any human contact. I think there is a big difference in putting your dog outside 24/7 and giving them no human contact then putting your dog in a safe, comfortable fenced-in yard where they can roam and play and you give them plenty of human contact when you are home.
Exactly. Just because your dogs spend most of their time outside dosent mean they are tied to a tree and ignored. My dogs meet me in the driveway when I get home. I play with them a minute before I even go inside, then Im back out with them. We take walks in the woods and they follow me and "help" me do chores. When I sit to rest, I have four dogs and a couple cats an sometimes a turkey at my feet.
When Im inside, Im busy cooking, cleaning or sewing so its the same deal. I realize situations and breeds and individual dogs are different and require different handling.
I try not to judge those that dress their dogs in human clothes, paint their toenails, put bows in their hair, and push them around in strollers.
One obviously does not have to be with the dogs all the time, but leaving a dog out for an extended period of time, unsupervised, especially if it is a young dog, imo is wrong.
Some people just have dogs to leave them outside in the yard all day long!
Most dogs would want to stay near their owner, anyway. Mine like to play outside (perfectly fine by me as long as I can keep an eye on them), of course, but they stay with me/follow me all the time, however they may go wherever they want to.
The problem here in SA, while a wonderful city, is that you do see people sometimes leaving their dogs outside all day long--never to come in, throw them water and some food, and that's it. A couple of dogs died this summer because of the heat. This city makes the list of the hottest cities, temperature wise, in the U.S.--right up there with Phoenix. The dogs will get out of the yard(there is a huge stray problem here too, because of it), get pregnant, and next thing you know you see people selling puppies on the side of the road/in the parking lot at Walmart.
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