# Golden Retrievers- Outdoor or Indoor Dog?



## lannakim (Jan 4, 2007)

thanks for all ur help


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

http://www.hssv.org/docs/behavior/dog_backyard.pdf


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## Snowshoe (Nov 17, 2006)

Your vet is very correct. There are VERY few dogs that will turn out well with out human interaction. 

Many people will tell you that if you absolutely must keep a dog out doors, that you should consider rehoming him/her. 

Most outside dogs do not turn out to be the ultimate companions we tend to wish for our dogs to be- they are unsocialized, badly mannered, and also tend to be more aggressive then their indoor counterparts. 

Also, as your vet mentioned, there are also many serious health risks to raising a dog out of doors. 

I would consider this before I raised a dog specifically to be an outside dog.


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

Raise your dog indoors with your family, train it to be a great member of your family and you won't go wrong.


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## animalcraker (Nov 9, 2006)

Your vet may have gone about giving advice in the wrong way, but everything they said were valid reasons for rasing a dog indoors. If you want your dog to be a member of the family then raise it inside with the rest of your family. Would you raise your childeren in the backyard? why doesn't your dog deserve the same respect of being a family member? 

Is there any particular reason that you want raise you pup outdoors?


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## workingdog (Oct 19, 2006)

I agree your dog can have plenty of outside time but should be in the house with the rest of the family.


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## skelaki (Nov 9, 2006)

I agree with the others. Your dog can and should have plenty of outdoor time and exercise, but he should live in the house with you. He will be a better pet for doing so (assuming you take the necessary time to train him properly).

I grew up at a time when most dogs other than toy breeds were outdoor dogs, but it was a different world back then. For one thing, we kids spent a lot more time outdoors with our dogs. They went just about everywhere with us except to school and church. Most mothers stayed home back then and so the dogs had at least some interaction most of the day.


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## y2jae21 (Dec 23, 2006)

mine is both


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## DogAdvocat (Nov 30, 2006)

Before I was born, my dog spent the first year of his life inside as a treasured member of the family. When I was born, he was shipped outside, and only allowed in an inside porch area if the weather was really bad. I'm truly sorry my parents made that decision, and I know that I missed a lot by having him outside, and though I played outside with him frequently, it wasn't the same as him being part of the family. And from his aspect, I regret that he had such a lonely life. He was a good dog that didn't deserve that. People back then didn't realize what dogs need, and that they are pack animals, needing to be with their pack, especially their human pack. It took a long time for people to get the idea that a friendly dog, which was what they wanted, has nothing to be friendly to when outside by itself. Those were also the days when they assumed that anything with fur could withstand cold temperatures, not realizing that dogs had been domesticated to the point where they didn't have wolves fur, and wouldn't have been allowed to dig a den as wolves do. 

Since that dog, my family has never had an "outside dog," so I'm glad they learned from their mistake, but it's still hard to think of the 16 years of solitude, with long cold lonely nights, that my first dog endured.

Please, make your dog a part of the family and give him access to being inside with you.


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## Buddy (Nov 22, 2006)

Golden retrievers pretty much do anything they are told


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## Cheetah (May 25, 2006)

Buddy said:


> Golden retrievers pretty much do anything they are told


This depends on the dog. I've met my share of hyperactive, disobedient, destructive goldens. No dog does whatever it's told without knowing how (training).


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## MagicToller (Jan 4, 2007)

When it comes to maintaining the dog, I think it should spend the majority of it's time indoors. Golden Retrievers are sporting dogs, and many people tend to forget that. They feed it, let the dog run around outside for a bit, and then bring it back in; or just let it stagnate outside for the rest of it's life thinking that a yard is going to solve the exercise problems. This is only half true, responsible owners will read up on the breed they are interested until they are saying it in their sleep. They should provide activities for the dog that will stimulate him mentally and physically - i.e long walks, dog parks, participating in agility/rally/obedience, hunting, hiking etc. 

While I have not had a Golden, I have seen many of them spoil miserably due to ignorant owners. Yard time should be taken in moderation, and should be supervised. Walking for ATLEAST an hour each day should be somewhere in the routine with your dog, along with any other activity you may want to partake in.


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## Lokum (Jan 5, 2007)

in Istanbul mostly goldens are at home not rarely they are in the gardens..


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