Would it be fair for me to get a dog?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m not really a dog person, although I don’t dislike them. I had a dog while growing up, until she got ran over by the school bus (as I got on, and witnessed, natch. GREAT way to start the school day.)

But my young kids are starting to ask for a dog, and my wife wants one. I really wouldn’t mind one, but here’s my only rule; the dog would have to stay outside, and I mean at all times. I would provide more than adequate shelter, but we have winters to the low teens and summers to the high 90s. I have many wooded acres in a somewhat rural area, and no fences.

So, in your opinion, would this be fair to the dog? Plenty of love, outside shelter, and necessary vet care, but no inside-the-house. Even on stormy nights.

If it matters, the family is partial to beagles.

2

I think it would be fair, provided you build a fence (or have one built). My dogs growing up were always outside dogs, and it was never a problem. However, the only real way to avoid that ‘kids witnessing the dog run over by the bus’ thing is to build a fence of adequate size and height/sturdiness to hold the dog you get. The many wooded acres can be great for your kids and dog running around together, but seriously, don’t let the dog run loose unattended. You don’t know what will happen to it or what it will get up to.

3

Let me second the part about not letting the dog run unattended, especially since you say the family is partial to beagles. Beagles are lovely dogs, but finding and (relentlessly) following a scent is what they do best, and they’re not known for their obedience to verbal commands. A beagle that takes off after a scent can easily become a lost beagle.

My beagle doesn’t seem particularly bothered by wet or cold, and I imagine he’d do fine outside in Winter if he were provided with adequate shelter. A windproof, dry, well-insulated doghouse with piles of something insulating to burrow in would probably make him very happy.

4

I’m not sure you should get one at all*, but if you do decide to do it, it shouldn’t be a beagle. Beagles are generally the type of dog who do best when not left alone. There are exceptions, but they usually prefer the company of their owners, or another pet. You should look towards breeds that are more solitary.

*I’m not really against outside dogs, but they often seem to suffer from the “out of sight out of mind” kind of situation, where everyone moves on with their lives, and basically forgets about the pet. Is someone willing to go outside and spend time with the dog every day? Even when it’s cold out?

5

I’m curious as to why it has to stay outside all the time. Allergy issues, white carpet? I also have to second what Omega Glory just said. You have to take extra care to make sure that someone is socializing with the dog a lot every day. Dogs need that probably more than almost any other pet.

6

No, you shouldn’t get a dog. You really don’t like dogs, the kids won’t like the dog either because it’ll just be a wild animal outside that barks. A dog chained up outside isn’t a pet. I think it borders on cruel.

7

I would have to agree with Caridwen. My next-door neighbors had a large dog they kept outside in a fenced area. When their children lived at home and were young, it was okay. The dog was played with and loved (I was friends with their kids, and we would go over all the time and play with it.) But their children grew up, and moved out, and the dog is still around. They live for a long time, you know. Seeing that dog all by itself in its little compound every day breaks my heart, whenever I visit home. Big fluffy dirty old Sammy never even gets taken on walks anymore. Now, I’m not saying this will naturally happen to your dog. Your children are pretty young, I presume, and maybe your dog won’t outlast their childhoods. But it’s pretty unlikely. I’m sure you have the best of intentions and no plans of abandoning the poor creature, but my next door neighbors aren’t cruel people either. It’s just what happened. Dogs really do need to be loved–and lets face it, why would you keep a loved one out in the cold?

8

What will happen to the dogs on days so cold that you’re advised to bring pets inside? Or that hot? I grew up in NY and frequently saw days so cold that they warned on the news to bring all animals inside and I’m in FL now and frequently see heat warnings.

Low teens and high 90s? No way. Do not get a dog and leave it alone exposed to conditions like that. I can’t even imagine considering it.

9

Every summer I see a few outdoor dogs with maggots. Typically, the dog has some diarrhea that soaks into the perineal fur, scalds the tissue, then flies lay their eggs. By the time the owner notices a problem, the subcutaneous tissue is packed full of writhing worms.

I think you should get a dog, if for no other reason than to keep your veterinarian’s mortgage paid.

10

Unless your outdoor people, who would interact w/ the dog on a daily basis, summer or winter, rain or shine, you shouldn’t get a dog that’s going to be outside all the time. Have you considered a toy poodle. They make good house dogs, they are smart and playful. They don’t shed and are easy to keep clean. I never thought I liked little dogs, until my wife bought a toy, he was a great little dog and gave me lots of pleasure.

11

Would you expect a family member to stay outside and never come in the house? A dog should be a member of the family, not a lawn ornament. Also, as the former owner of a beagle, that would be one of the last breeds of dog you want to leave outside unless you really hate your neighbors. They love to bark and when there is a siren off in the distance, they will do their best to imitate it with long mournful howls. Add me to the side that believes you and your family are not ready to adopt a dog.

12

Dog are a lot of work and responsibility and they live a long time. If your not 100% committed to having a pet that’s going to part of your family you shouldn’t own a dog. I know people that are dog lovers and don’t have a dog because they don’t have time to care for one.

We had a neighbor who had a dog just like you described Tanaqui. The dog spent his life chained outside to a dog house. Their yard smelled like dog shit and you couldn’t even go on that side of the yard because it stunk. Day and night that dog just sat there. The only contact it got was when someone slopped some food in front of it. It went from a nice dog to a wild, tangled mess. After awhile no one talked to the dog or interacted with it. They were “supposedly” nice people too. I think there’s a special place in hell for people that mistreat animals. I hope the neighbor’s hell is a chain wrapped around his neck stuck in a closet somewhere.

Tragically Dip I’m not saying your like that but seriously, pass on the dog.

13

A dog is a pack animal.

Most dogs can be taught to endure a regular workday separated from their human pack, but not much more than that. Your duty as head of the pack is to lead the social interaction as well as providing food, shelter, and medical care.

As much time as you can manage to spend with a dog is good. Non-working dogs have no careers, and nothing else in their lives, except what you can give them. They are completely at your mercy.

If you can’t spend a lot of time bonding with your pack animal, don’t get a pack animal.

Sailboat

14

I appreciate everyone’s opinion. I think you all make reasonable arguments for not getting a dog. I’d hate for one to lead a miserable life out here, and that’s why I thought the responsible thing to do would be ask around first.

So, when the time comes, I’ll tell my kids that the SDMB wouldn’t let them have a puppy. :smiley:

15

I seriously think it’d be best. Kids lose interest anyway, especially when they’re no longer a puppy. I love beagles too but they’re barkers and if you have neighbors they’d hate it.
If you go away, it’s a hassle to get someone to watch and feed the dog. Even if you’re crazy about dogs there are more reasons not to have a dog than to get one. Especially if you have kids.

16

I truly don’t understand these sentiments:

[QUOTE=racer72]
Would you expect a family member to stay outside and never come in the house? A dog should be a member of the family, not a lawn ornament.
[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Caridwen]
…the kids won’t like the dog either because it’ll just be a wild animal outside that barks. A dog chained up outside isn’t a pet. I think it borders on cruel.
[/QUOTE]

A dog (or other pet) may well be a member of the family. However, a dog is not a child or partner, and it’s inappropriate to assume that its needs are identical to that of a human being. How does keeping an animal outdoors, provided that it has *appropriate * food / shelter / companionship, equivalent to treating it as a “lawn ornament?”

For comparison, my other pet is a horse. She lives outdoors 24 x 7 x 365. Evenings and in severe weather she’s in a small paddock with a run-in shelter. When we had bitter cold weather this Winter, she was blanketed, given access to the run-in, and provided with additional feed and hay (extra calories to turn into body heat). She’s fat, energetic, and healthy. Am I cruel because I don’t keep her in the house? Does this mean that I don’t like her as much as I like the dog? Does the impracticality of keeping a horse in the house outweigh the cruelty of keeping it outdoors?

[QUOTE=A.R.Cane]
Unless your outdoor people, who would interact w/ the dog on a daily basis, summer or winter, rain or shine, you shouldn’t get a dog that’s going to be outside all the time.
[/QUOTE]

Good point. Do your wife and kids already enjoy spending time outdoors year round? How likely is it that they’ll want to to spend significant quality time with the dog with it’s 90 degrees or 15 degrees out?

For the record, my dog is an indoor pet whose outdoor time consists of several walks - on a leash - every day. It works quite well for both of us - I don’t have to worry about him (getting lost | being hit by a car | poisoned by something that looked like food | pissing off the neighbors by barking), and he gets to spend 22 hours a day sleeping on the furniture.

17

Hey, an idea.

Many shelters will do short term fostering, especially when they are at capacity, or other special situations. For instance, you could have a puppy for 2 weeks, until room opens up at the shelter. Some dogs have minor, but infective (to dogs) illnesses and need a place for short term quarantine. Friends of mine fostered a pregnant dog. She gave birth at their house, and the puppies spent 6 weeks there. The kids had a great experience, then they got new carpet. :wink: It would be an intense, short term exposure that would provide memories as well as reasons why you might prefer not to have one long term.

18

I share the view that keeping the dog outside all the time would not be a good idea (and I suspect that even if you started out with that rule the kids might want to sneak it into the house anyway :slight_smile: ). Are you sure that there isn’t a breed of dog that you could accept having in the house? There are so many different breeds that can accomodate different lifestyles. I used to have a toy poodle and would definitely agree they are worth considering. I did not realize what a nice bonus it was to have a non-shedding dog until I ended up with two cats who keep leaving fur on my couch. :stuck_out_tongue:

19

[QUOTE=cwthree]
I truly don’t understand these sentiments:

A dog (or other pet) may well be a member of the family. However, a dog is not a child or partner, and it’s inappropriate to assume that its needs are identical to that of a human being. How does keeping an animal outdoors, provided that it has *appropriate * food / shelter / companionship, equivalent to treating it as a “lawn ornament?”

For comparison, my other pet is a horse. She lives outdoors 24 x 7 x 365. Evenings and in severe weather she’s in a small paddock with a run-in shelter. When we had bitter cold weather this Winter, she was blanketed, given access to the run-in, and provided with additional feed and hay (extra calories to turn into body heat). She’s fat, energetic, and healthy. Am I cruel because I don’t keep her in the house? Does this mean that I don’t like her as much as I like the dog? Does the impracticality of keeping a horse in the house outweigh the cruelty of keeping it outdoors?
[/QUOTE]

No, a dog doesn’t have the same needs as a human being. But they are extremely social animals and unlike your example, a horse :rolleyes: they often prefer to spend time with humans than even their own species.

What would be the purpose of having a dog only to keep it tied up outside for the next 15-17 years, especially an extremely social breed like a beagle?

The OP didn’t act like he was thrilled with the idea of having a dog. He said he’s not a “dog person”. Meaning I doubt if he’s going to be rolling in the grass every day with the beagle and sharing his ice cream with the dog. He really doesn’t even want it in the house.

You obviously have pets. Would **you ** recommend the OP get a dog?

20

Maybe we’ll get a horse…