Our dogs are outside dogs but I cannot help but feel sorry for them when they are in the driving rain. They have shelter but it seems two of them don’t want to get into the same shelter even though one shelter is 4×8 foot. Go figure.
A quick solution is to put up a (PUP, ha ha) tent. It was $17.96 for a 5×6 foot floor area. Two of the three dogs got into it immediately and took an afternoon nap. My third dog is older and just wants to be left alone so I am sure she will end up in the 4×8 ft shelter.
Even if you don’t want to use the tent as any type of permanent solution, it is great to have if you just need some shade when the trees lose their leaves.
Molly,
My first thought is “you are an idiot” because they are dogs…animals who first lived outside and still do in my neighborhood. I would say just about all my neighbors have at least two dogs that spend the majority of their life outside. We live in the country in Florida.
You obviously live in the city. I happen to feel sorry for dogs that are cooped up in an apartment all day while the owner is at work. I have seen people put their dogs in cages while they are at work so they don’t destroy their property (because they are bored).
I also feel sorry for dogs that are outside chained-up. That is cruel. Dogs don’t like to sleep and poop in the same area but they don’t have any choice when they are chained up. Our dogs don’t leave our yard even when the gate is open.
I have two cats that sit in the window all day and look outside. Where do you think they would rather be?
My three dogs are 60 pounds each. I do not have a little ten pound dog because I “want” outside dogs. I love big frisky dogs who love to run and play. They have their shots, shelter, plenty of food and exercise. I bring them inside when the weather is cold and they wake me up a couple times a night wanting to go outside. They want to be outside. They chase squirrels and each other.
Also, three dogs keep each other company so we don’t have to be outside with them all the time. That’s why we have three dogs. When we had only one dog, she did stay inside at least 50% of the time.
When we go out of town for a day or two, we do not put them into some flea-infested kennel. We stock their food and water supply and have our neighbor check on them. We actually plan our trips based on the weather report because we have “outside” dogs.
Our dogs have a swimming pool during the summer to keep them cooled off and plenty of shady trees. And during chilly nights, we have a heat lamp in the dog house. Oh by the way, God gave them “furry” coats so I don’t have to put one on them.
We are always looking for ways to make their yard/houses cozier and “green”. We are figuring out a way to make a large dog house out of straw bales. That way they can jump and climb on the bales, too. Our dogs are like “children” to us.
Because we live in Florida…the weather is pretty much warm all the time and we work in our yard with the dogs by our side. We have two acres of fenced-in land that they can run on.
So, I would say my dog has a better life than a city/apartment dwelling dog any day.