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I am just wondering, How many people think it is ok to leave a dog outside whether you are home or not?
Of course with shelter and water. Why is this better or not better than keeping them crated all day inside?
We don't leave ours outside for the following reasons/fears:
The bigger one is dumb, one time he got stuck in a tomato cage, what else might he get into and we wouldn't know.
The might dig under the fence.
They might have collars get caught on something.
Someone might think its funny to open our gate and let them out.
They also could be taken(they're mutts, but for pure breeds I would worry more) or someone might mess with them.
It could thunder storm here(Houston) and the little one would freak out.
They might bark/howl all day and bother the neighbors.
We don't crate, they stay in a gated off dining room. They don't chew on the table or anything, and we leave their beds/toys etc in there. They do fine.
I know people who only have outside dogs, but ours are inside dogs so we would never leave them out, not in a neighborhood setting anyway.
Back home my parents only have outside dogs, but we live on 100 acres with a huge fenced yard. I worry most about people messing with ours, but my parents don't have that problem. Also the fence is much higher(6ft) and the country dog is much smarter then our dumb one.
My dogs can go outside via a pet door that goes to a small fenced patio that has a solid fence so they can not see what is beyond the fence and I know they tend to only go out if they need to pee or poop as they love being inside where they are comfortable. And all the dogs I have owned have wanted to be right in the same room with me as dogs are social animals so they would have been very unhappy to have been kept outside away from me.
Leaving dogs outside all day puts them at risk of being stolen as yes people do steal dogs from backyards. Or even poisoned. They also tend to bark more so annoy neighbors more.
I also think people sometimes use back yards because they are too lazy to teach a dog manners so dump it in the yard where it sees people when it gets fed and maybe a few times a day The dogs I have known like that became so ill mannered and starved for attention that they would explode with joy upon seeing a human and jump all over the person and be very annoying so yeah you did not want to be around them. My experience is dogs that live in side are better mannered and more pleasant to be around.
Phoenix loved being outside and at my parents where she lived for several years she would often go out the pet door and sleep outside in the yard at night even in the cold ( well cold for So calif) or in the rain but it was her choice my mom use to bring her back in to only have her turn around and go back out. She was a border collie that had a very very dense coat so perhaps she was just too warm inside.
I am sure others will chime in with their thoughts.
I do not leave my dogs outside when I am not home. And I sure wish my neighbor didn't. They have three little yappers, and one big dog. When I go out the patio door or my dogs go outside, the big one barks twice and goes back to sleep...that is NOT a problem. The little yappers do just what they do best....bark that yappy little bark that drives people crazy and they do it for about 15 minutes.
If they had not sold their house and will be moving in May, I have a feeling animal control would be called and nail them for four dogs, when only three are legal, and the constant barking/yapping.
And just walking the neighborhood with my dogs during the day, it amazes me how many dogs are out in the yards barking when no one is home, and how many times I call animal control on dogs wondering the neighborhood. And the animal control guy seems to know exactly what house the dog belongs too.
We don't leave ours out either because they are GSD and will raise all kinds of Hell whenever anyone goes by the house. It's more for the neighbors than for the dogs. As long as it's not too cold or too hot there is little question a dog would prefer to be outside rather than in a crate. But we don't crate ours either, they run free in the house because they are older and are not getting into any trouble.
When we were home, our dog was free to go out or come in. Usually, he only stayed out for a few minutes at a time unless someone was in the yard with him.
When we left, the dog was in the house. Again, free to go anywhere in the house. We're not fans of crates. I understand that some dogs have destructive tendencies when they are alone, but I still think crates are way overused and overpromoted these days.
If it's a choice between being alone outside or alone in a crate inside, I think it depends on the dog. I don't think either choice is a great one. If the dog is likely to get into trouble or annoy the neighbors if left outside, I guess the crate is better.
I'd never leave Nico outside unattended, for any length of time.
I don't have a problem with people that do leave their dogs out, as long as they have water/shelter and aren't living their whole lives at the end of a chain or tether. I wouldn't leave Nico out for lots of reasons;
1. He'd be easy to steal. Way too trusting of everyone and everything.
2. He'd be miserable being left alone anywhere. He loves people.
3. Someone could poison him.
4. He may bark out of boredom, and I don't want to annoy my neighbors.
I don't leave them outside where we live now if we aren't home, but I did at our last home. The difference is we have close neighbors here while we had a couple of acres before. My one dog still tries to convince me to let him out whenever I grab my shoes while to other just lays on her cushion and watches me through one barely opened eye. If it were just about the dogs one woukd be left out and one left in, but dog owners have an obligation to be considerate neighbors.
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I generally don't think it's a good idea. When they are outside and get bored, there are too many possibilities of them getting into trouble: digging or jumping out, getting their head or legs stuck somewhere, obsessive barking, eating something dangerous, destroying things etc. Our foster dog went out to pee for five minutes and got her head stuck in the pool fence, because she saw a bird . I don't want to know what kind of shenanigans she would get into if left outside unattended for a long period of time .
When they are in a crate, where they should feel safe, they will either chew on a toy if provided or just go to sleep. It is very unlikely anything bad will happen to them if they are crated while you are out.
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) or in the rain but it was her choice my mom use to bring her back in to only have her turn around and go back out. She was a border collie that had a very very dense coat so perhaps she was just too warm inside. 
. I don't want to know what kind of shenanigans she would get into if left outside unattended for a long period of time 
