Choosing whether our dog is going to live inside or outside the house will be a decision that will influence the behavior and the attitude of our dog when he is an adult. Whether you have already decided whether your dog should live indoors or outdoors, or if you have not yet decided, we recommend that you read this article carefully in which we will make it clear which is the best option and why.
If you are a responsible owner you will quickly understand why we suggest one of the two options. You are ready? Find out if the dog should be indoors or outdoors in this article on our site.
Don't forget to comment and share your opinions and doubts!
Are the dogs happy away from home?
It is true that in the old days, and especially in rural areas, practically all families left their dogs outside. But it was not a choice related to dirt or hair: the majority of dogs that lived outside were livestock protection dogs or guard dogs.
A dog is happy in the field, whether it's when we go hiking, for a walk, or even when we spend an entire afternoon playing ball. However, dogs are social animals that are used to living in a "pack" so spending long hours alone makes them vulnerable tofeeling lonely, bored and marginalized One of the most common problems in dogs that spend many hours alone is separation anxiety, which directly affects the behavior of the animal making it anxious, stressed and destructive.
For this reason, and although we work on obedience on a daily basis, we can suffer when we observe how our dog becomes disobedient and begins to change his behavior. He may also begin to suffer from "resource protection" with the territory, a behavior that can become aggressive and very dangerous, including to ourselves. Every day with our pet helps us create a strong and close bond that will make it follow us, want to carry out our orders and, in short, be happy.
On the other hand, it should also be considered that the most intelligent breeds of dogs (which are currently the most used in security and surveillance) are the ones that suffer the most when being outdoors. Dogs such as the German Shepherd, the Doberman Pinscher or the Belgian Malinois require very important mental, social and physical stimulation which, if not fulfilled, can irremediably lead to serious behavior problems
To all this we will add that using a dog as a lookout is a very bad idea. Dogs are living beings that need attention, affection and a family to belong to. Guard dogs are sad and unmotivated animals.
Finally we must also notice an important detail: the dog is not an animal that is going to spend long hours lying down and doing nothing, on the contrary, it needs to run, play, discover and be happy. For this reason, there will come a day when the dog will decide to leave the garden or the field in which he lives looking for an insect to chase or a trail that will take him somewhere. He will become an adventurous dog, which means that he can go to other houses to steal food or to the forest with the presence of wild boars, for example. Many people in this situation will decide to tie him up, so the poor animal will have to spend the rest of his life chained.
It goes without saying that having a dog to keep you outside, tied up and probably very nervous is a bad idea. If we want a guard we can hire an alarm and if we want to enjoy a furry and beautiful animal, we better buy a stuffed animal. Adopting to have an animal outside the house, especially the dog that is so social, is a serious mistake. Let's not make him unhappy.
If we are evaluating the option of having a dog outside for hygiene, we must remember that there are breeds that do not shed hair, something to consider if we are really scrupulous. But attention, it is also important to understand that the dog is an animal that likes to sniff (it is a form of relaxation and knowledge of the environment), to be in comfortable places such as our sofa (like us) and that it can drool or dirty a little (like ourselves!). All these details are typical of the nature of the dog. If we are not willing to tolerate them, we should not consider having this noble animal by our side.
And inside the house?
Inside the house, the dog enhances its socialization process with people by observing and dealing with family members and different guests, so if we want to enjoy asociable adult dog it will be essential to make him learn to relate to people. Including him in the home is the best option.
Also, indoors the dog wins in quality of life:
- By touching and caressing him regularly we will detect the appearance of a possible disease, tumor or internal ailment earlier.
- You will be less prone to calluses on your elbows.
- Also, he will be less likely to get a parasite infestation
- Your fur will be cleaner.
- You will not suffer the consequences of bad weather: rain, snow, low temperatures…
Inside the house we will be aware of the tastes, habits and character of our pet. We will be helping him in his development from a close and familiar point of view, something that every dog should be able to enjoy.
Having the dog inside the house, regardless of whether we have a garden or not, is the option that every owner should chooseif he loves to his pet. Education, patience and affection are the key that will allow us to enjoy a clean, careful and calm dog inside the house, but active, excitable and happy when out for a walk.
And you, where do you keep your dog?
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