Does Anybody's Doodle Stay Outside?

[Discussing Labradoodles & Goldendoodles]

My mini doodle, Hank, is 12 weeks.  He stays outside in the courtyard during the day and only comes in at night to sleep in his crate.  He likes being outside where he can run and play which seems normal to me.  I was raised with outside dogs.  Hank is my first puppy on my own.  At first, I thought I would try to keep him inside, but the potty training got to be too much for me since I have a mobility impairment, and my reaction time is slower than normal.  He has never had an accident in his crate, doesn't cry at night, or need a potty break in the middle of the night.  Please don't think I'm a horrible person.  I love Hank as much as an inside dog owner.  Just wonder if anyone else has an all or primarily outside doodle?  Does anyone's doodle sleep outside?  If so, how does that work out for you?  Basically, I think I have one good puppy!  Just want to make things as happy for him (and me) as possible.  Thanks for any feedback or insight you have to share.  Hope I don't end up feeling guilty about considering having him sleep outside.  I really do love my puppy.  Honest.  I do.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I agree, Camilla and Adina.  Well said (in my opinion). This person asked for info, experiences, and validation. We offered  a lot of good seasoned advice, info, alternative options for training and not much validation for the idea.  

I felt the discussion was pretty much over after her last (and final) post.  I, along with several others, tried to respond positively to that post.  Why? Because, speaking only for myself, and what has not been mentioned here is that 1) she said  the pup would be with her in the morning, when she returned from work in the afternoon, in the evening and overnight. 2) she was going to be working with a trainer so someone would be overseeing the situation, and 3) she was willing to work on having a happy healthy well adjusted dog. The pup was eventually going to be able to be inside or outside -- at will. My FInnegan would LOVE that. SO while I don't agree with keeping a young pup, especially a doodle, outside all the time, that didn't sound like the plan anymore -- so maybe our advice had some impact and, as has been expressed, there is more than one way to raise a happy healthy dog. 

Now I'm not trying to lecture or judge anybody else, -- for some, this was not enough. Fair enough.  We all come into these discussions with our own life experience and opinions.  When I was looking for a dog, one rescue group refused to adopt a dog to me because I worked.  It didn't matter that I could take my dog to work, or that I work from home a couple of days a week.  Or that I had volunteered with a rescue group, training and caring for puppies several years ago. Or that the puppy needed a home. I worked, end of discussion.  But that was better than the second group I tried. I found a really sweet puppy but when they found out I was going to crate train her, they not only said no, they told me how wrong it was to keep a puppy in a crate, ever, and when they couldn't change my mind, they really laid into me.  Now I worked in rescue so I know the need for rules and I know what's ideal for a pup -- and I also believe in crate training -- but my point is, that sweet pup lost out on what Finnegan would tell you is a pretty good life because they couldn't move past their opinion.  They really believed they were right. OK fine.  But I didn't need to be called awful, inhumane, and stupid in the process.  You can see that this is kind of my "hot button" :)   

I'm not a pushover when it comes to real animal abuse.  Ask the guy across the road who chained his dogs out (in a perfectly good yard) day and night with nothing but a dog crate for shelter.  But to your point, Adina, I could see what the situation was there.

In this situation, I was willing to give this person the benefit of the doubt.  I'm not trying to defend her, I'm just not willing to condemn her or call her on animal abuse because I don't get that. If she was a "toad" (I did learn something out of this discussion :) so what? I say give someone the best advice/information you can and move on. 

This is just my opinion not fact.  I want to be clear:)  So disagree if you want, but please don't anyone get angry. 

Thanks for letting me express it. It just really bothered me that IF some of the assumptions here were wrong, this discussion might have terribly hurt someone. And thanks again, Camilla and Adina. 

  

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This discussion did hurt many of us.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I understand Karen. But we gave her all the advice we could and I'm hoping between that and Doodle magic...Hank will be inside.  Call me crazy but I don't think this is a big leap in this situation...more of a small step.  At least I hope so.  I really do.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Me too, Cheryl.

[FAITH HODGES]

HI, I AM BRAND NEW TO THIS SITE AND I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING ABOUT DOODLES OUTSIDE!   I PLANNED ON HAVING AN INSIDE DOG BUT KOBE PREFERS TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME OUTDOORS.  HE NOW HAS HIS OUTSIDE HOUSE WHERE HE DECIDES TO GO TO FOR LONG NAPS.  HE COMES IN WHEN HE WANTS TO AND WE CALL HIM IN SOMETIMES BUT HE TOTALLY ENJOYS HIS OUTSIDE TIME BY HIMSELF.  HE SLEEPS INSIDE AT NIGHT ALWAYS!!!  HIS FOOD IS ALWAYS INSIDE AND WE HAVE PLAY TIME INSIDE MORE OFTEN THEN OUT AND TAKE HIM FOR DAILY WALKS WEATHER PERMITTING.  HE LOVES HIS LARGE BACK YARD!!!

[Ginny Nightingale]

Please go to page 1 and read thru the replies Faith--I think you will see that very few people on this site like the idea of an outside dog and there are lots of reasons listed--there is no point in writing all over again.It sounds like your dog is an inside dog that enjoys the yard and as long as he is fenced in, I see no harm in that--but he should be allowed to be with you a good part of the day as well.

When I was a kid, decades ago, my parents had 2 dogs--both in a kennel. They were allowed out now and then and they would quickly leave the property and get into garbage, fights, etc. I loved those dogs and spent time with them as a kid by going into the kennel and keeping them company--no one else spent any time with them.

This is USUALLY not the way things are done today, thank goodness. My three are with me or are out in my yard that has a fence--but I keep an eye on them out there and bring them in after 10 minutes or so. In the summer, they will lie by the door outside and enjoy the sunshine--but they still come in to cool off after just a short while unless I am out there with them. They are my companions and I would not want them to be away from me all day. Doodles love people!