Attention: ANIMAL/Dog Lovers. QUESTION: (Clayton: houses, living, pit bulls)

[july011995]

Tired of New Jersey for all of the OBVIOUS reasons (too many to list), my husband and I bought a home in Clayton in February and simply love it here. Since we have dogs (instead of kids) the only think that BREAKS or hearts that we are not at all used to seeing and that we can't UNDERSTAND is...WHY do so many people in Norh Carolina keep their dogs OUTSIDE, in a doghouse all day? I mean we just don't get it. Dogs belong IN the home and as part of the family, enjoying toys, treats and plenty of love and HUGS. Does it mean these people do not love their pets? Don't believe in socializing them? Please explain this to us because it simply kills us to see so many animals and dogs left to live their lives on chains, outdoors in all weather, with bugs on their food and in their water.

Thanks,

FORMER Yankees...proud to here ya'll!

[mm34b]

I don't know about Clayton, but in my area of the state we have many medium to large hunting dogs as opposed to house pets. They belong outdoors unless you want your home trashed. They're bred for treeing raccoons and black bears.

[AutumnxBreeze]

Good question; i'm actually moving to North Carolina with 3 dogs; i'm hoping there's a lot of dog lovers down there! It's sad seeing dogs kept outside, they really are apart of the family.

[TedH71]

If you have over 15 plus dogs, you can't really expect to keep them all indoors. If you're a hog dog hunter, you will have to have more than 15 dogs because some dogs will die or get injured in the line of duty and you'll need replacements waiting in the wings. Same thing with bear dogs.

[J_Lurk]

Honestly, I hardly even know what to say, except that you are making some very broad assumptions. Your post reads like you don't think dogs should ever go outside, but if you are a dog lover you can't possibly mean that.

The fact that a dog is outside does not mean it is there full time. However, most people have jobs, and I don't know about your dog but my dog does NOT want to stay in the house by herself for 9+ hours. She vastly prefers to be outside during the day. At night she stays inside with the family. We don't have a dog house right now because she has access to our screened porch, but in the past we have had a dog house because she needs somewhere to go if it rains during the day. She also needs a lot of exercise, and while she gets a daily run, she likes to run around the yard as well.

I don't personally know anyone who chains a dog these days, and that's a whole different issue. But leaving a dog in a fenced yard during the day when no one is home? I'd say that's the kindest thing to do.

[july011995]

I was not talking aboutthe people who keep their dogs outside with food, water & shelter UNTIL they come home from work. I am talking about the fools who LEAVE their dogs out ALL DAY LONG, chained. In a doghouse ALL THE TIME. People who do NOT bringthem in at night, or in teh extreme heat and/or cold. Why do THOSE peopel even have pets other then to use them for protection so they will bark if someone walks by. That is disgraceful. To not even love your animals and to leave them to a lonely life, alone outside.

[J_Lurk]

The chaining sounds very upsetting to see. I've honestly never seen a dog chained 24/7, and I'm an NC native, so I would not say it is common in NC. However, I don't there is a good explanation for it. I think you are correct that they think the dog is for protection only. There are some good resources on the web if you want to put your energy into improving the situation for those dogs. Here is a link with suggestions on how to get anti-chaining laws in your community: Unchain Your Dog.org | How To Pass Dog Chaining or Tethering Laws/Ordinances
You could also contact your local animal control and see if the dogs you are seeing are in violation of any local laws.

[Victor 13]

I don't think this is just a North Carolina frustration. Folks in Omaha are just as bad. I am alawys asking my wife that very question,"why do these people have dogs outdoors ?

Our forever dogs have always been indoor family pets. We just lost one a couple of days ago who would have turned 20 years old this October.

Dogs are loyal and loving creatures and their so-called "dogkeepers" have no business keeping dogs penned up or chained up in the heat of the Summer or the freezing bitter cold. Our dogs (and cat) have the convenience of a doggie door and can elect to go outdoors or stay inside.

If I were a dog, I would want some of those human comforts as well.

[SunnyKayak]

not all dogs are raise in a manner to be house dogs some serve other purposes as guarding or hunting.
Some people do not want damage that a dog can do to their home or want that smell in their home or are allergic to indoor dogs.
Some dog owners do not want fleas or ticks inside their home that dogs have tendency to catch.
Not all dog owners who have outdoor dogs treat their pets cruel
Many of today's dog houses are shingled against the rain, insulated or have flap doors .
Some areas do not allow fencing and a chain is a must or makes the yard look yucky with a chain link fence.

[TedH71]

Technically a chain is better than a fenced kennel because the dog will exercise more and have more freedom plus have more area to roam around in compared to a fenced kennel where they will most likely be more bored and exercise LESS or attempt to dig out all the time. Pups should not be chained up until a year old or so. Some breeds require chains such as pit bulls or huskies because they're so strong when they get loose, they will get into trouble. Some breeds who work hogs and cattle for a living are quite dangerous to strangers and prone to fighting/mischief if left alone and not supervised...for example: catahoulas, black mouth curs, blue lacys, and mountain curs (all of them are CUR dog breeds..bred to hunt and herd at the same time). Trust me, you do not want to encounter any of the above cur breeds alone. They WILL bite you in order to protect their terriority and they tend get dog aggressive when they get older. I have had all of the above breeds for hog hunting and I've had them fight far more than my catch dogs which were either pit bulls or american bulldogs. They tended to be rather hard to housebreak (you can housebreak them but have to be really viligate the first few years) and high energy. Lots of breeders do not keep those breeds inside for their first year. After the first year, they tend to be more mature and ok with being indoors (except for the blue lacy...they house break very early and are easy to keep indoors due to their sensetive natures) if that is what the owners want them to be but realistically if you have 10 or plus dogs, you're not going to be able to have them in the house all the time. Keeping dogs indoors is a very recent invention....same thing with eating dog food. I do not feed my hunting dogs dog food. I actually feed them raw meat along with organ meat and bones for most healthy meals for the species. They actually prefer being outside and being physically active chasing and herding wild critters/cattle compared to lounging around indoors which does drive them nuts on some days unless you have kids who keep them busy.