Do your dogs live outside all year?

[Chris Wilson]

We have some of our Russian Black Terriers living out all year, here in

the Midlands. At the moment it's about minus 6 outside, and the kennels are

not heated, they are fine and seem to enjoy the colder weather at this

time of year. It can get to about minus 10 at worst out here in the

sticks. Anyone keep their dogs kennelled out in below freezing? What breeds? How do your

dogs like it? Seeing as they are working dogs from Russia I can't see

it being a problem, but a friend was horrified, although he does put a

coat on his collie as soon as it turns cloudy Thanks.

[Havard]

My dog lives inside all the time although I wish I could lock it outside without it annoying the fook out of the neighbours!!

 

Personally, I think it is a little cruel to keep dogs in those conditions. That said, I don't know if it is good or bad for them!!

 

H.

[grahamc]

Mine live in the kitchen, well that is until the conservatory is built. However when mine are outside, they dont seem to mind the cold. Will quite happily lie down outside and sleep... GSDs

[Kranz]

Now its winter the GSD sleeps inside during the night, but has a 6x4 well bedded shed to live in during the day and in summer.

[Pig]

My little girl (great dane puppy) is far too precious to go sleep outside.

[MARTIN R]

My Golden retriever prefers the cold, I would not think it is cruel for them to be outside, it must fall to well below -20c in Russia. That said my dog sleeps in what was the old post office, to big to heat well but she chooses to sleep there:)

[jazz1]

well i have a special heated place in the back of my garage and also have an outdoor kennel but my dog never wants to go inside he loves the cold and sleeping outside, although i have to force him inside

[Gazboy]

I've got a staffy and a collie, both sleep indoors. The Collie is ok at these temps if running about but there's no way I'd let him sleep outside. The staffy has a short, thin single layer coat and not an ounce of fat on him, he shivers in these temps during the day, he'd be dead in your kennel by morning as he's no better equipped for cold than you or I.

 

How well equipped is your BRT?

[markrzs]

Our two terrors love it out side but also like the feel of a soft carpet ! Mind you they do like laying on the kitchen floor which are cool tiles. Sibs by the way which feel at home in Siberia

[jazz1]

mind you mines exactly like this one but more fury so i know why he loves the cold

[keancy]

We had Alsatians when I was a Teenager and they lived most their life in the Kennel and it got much colder in Germany, where I lived, then it does here. They were just fine.

 

That said I wouldn't leave my Cat outside at night cold or not lol.

(what a wet weekend I am)

[Gazboy]

http://dogbreedinfo.com/blackrussianterrier.htm

 

They mention living indoors because of socialisation rather than exposure.

 

Did the Russian army have heated kennels- bare in mind this is a 20th century breed so perhaps the Russians weren't as barbaric as they were historically.

[Pete]

If they've always lived out doors like yours I don't see it being an issue.

[SupraGirlie]

Of course they're fine!! Although mine lives in the kitchen, there is no where outside to keep her really.

[Schtuv]

I don't know about dogs, but my cats refuse to go outside after about -2. Snow and ice are fine, but -2 appears to be the point where they'll sit by an open window, say 'mrow', and then go and rifle through the food cupboard.

 

EDIT: Thought I should add something semi-relevant. I noticed (while growing up) many of the nearby farms had working dogs which spent their time mainly outside ... they did have large barns to hide in if things got bad, though. Never appeared to do them any harm!

[keancy]

I don't know about dogs, but my cats refuse to go outside after about -2. Snow and ice are fine, but -2 appears to be the point where they'll sit by an open window, say 'mrow', and then go and rifle through the food cupboard.

 

Mine is just stupid he will go out in all weathers, then come in soaking wet and thoroughly enjoy being toweled dry

[Jurgen-Jm-Imports]

i think its cruel but i love dogs and have had them all my life...

 

would never let it sleep outdoors..

[Suprash]

My cat barely ventures out in any whether, forget it if its raining lol, me thinks she is too used to being a house cat and sleeping all day......

 

But for the dogs, I think it mainly depends what they are used to and what conditions they were brought up in, if its something they have been used to since a pup then I doubt they would batter an eye lid, if they were a house dog for say 5/6 years and then you put them outside, I bet they would be wondering what the feck is going on and keel over with cold.....

[Lewis]

i think its cruel but i love dogs and have had them all my life...

 

would never let it sleep outdoors..

 

That's a sweeping statement!

 

Working dogs prefer to be outside in my experience. I wouldn't keep an individiual dog outside but having a pack (2+) is normal social canine behaviour. Short haired, small/wirey, pussy dogs then yeah, inside (or at least heated) would be best, otherwise outside is preferred by dog and owner alike.

 

IMHO

[merckx]

then come in soaking wet and thoroughly enjoy being toweled dry

Our first cat was exactly like this too, drying him just like a dog.

[Suprash]

That's a sweeping statement!

 

Working dogs prefer to be outside in my experience. I wouldn't keep an individiual dog outside but having a pack (2+) is normal social canine behaviour. Short haired, small/wirey, pussy dogs then yeah, inside (or at least heated) would be best, otherwise outside is preferred by dog and owner alike.

 

IMHO

 

I dont think there was anything sweeping about that statement, he merely said what he personally thought......that he thinks its cruel.......that seems fair enough to me.......

[keancy]

Our first cat was exactly like this too, drying him just like a dog.

 

 

You wouldn't belive how he purrs when you do that, yet my old cat would take one look outside if it was spitting and lay back down near the radiator lol.

[Syed Shah]

Depends on the breed. My GSD used to like the cold/outdoors, the Bullmastiff was much like Gazboy's stafff - not equipped for the cold.

 

 

Cruelty is treating the animal in a way it was not supposed to live. Leaving a Russian breed outside in a UK winter is NOT cruel. Leaving one out in the sun probably would be cruel mind.

[Jurgen-Jm-Imports]

I dont think there was anything sweeping about that statement, he merely said what he personally thought......that he thinks its cruel.......that seems fair enough to me.......

yep its what i think ,i personally could not do it..if there wild dogs then there should be in the wild, am not sure how it works in russia but this is not russia lol..

 

but i would never leave my dog or any dog outside regardless if they like it..or not ever saw that film eight below...(working dogs can still freeze)

[Rob]

Our dogs are a toy breed, and wouldn't last 5 mins in this weather, but I am concerned about the dog of our neighbours at the end of our garden. It's outside all the time, on it's own in all weather. Sometimes when I'm at the bottom of the garden feeding the fish I can hear it whining. It's a hardy looking thing but I can't help feeling that as a pack animal, being alone 24/7 is cruel, and I wonder what the point of owning a dog is if you're not bothered about seeing it. Last summer they locked it in the garage when they went on holiday and a neighbour was feeding it every day.