Pet dogs need to live indoors
Just received this email today and felt I had to post this.
“We wanted to find out some information regarding owning a Husky. Is this dog able to stay outdoors in the summer time also is it acceptable during the winter time, here in Ontario. Please advise.”
I answered this way:
“Dogs are social creatures and leaving them outside alone for long periods, day after day is not fair to the dog. Please let your dog live in your home all year long where it can interact with its human family (its pack).”
Just so its clear, of course dogs can spend some time outside alone, but please also take the dog’s best interests into account here. If the dog is in a fenced backyard where it is safe, has a few toys and likes the outdoors, then sure let the dog hang out outside for an hour a day, maybe two. Better yet – interact with that dog while it is outside.
Please don’t let your dog LIVE outside. That’s just not fair to the dog. In terms of huskies in particular, yeah we’ve all seen movies where the huskies lived outside in Alaska or some other cold place. BUT those are working dogs, and even if they did live outside, it was with OTHER pack members. You cannot compare this situation with a residential home in Ontario.
Do others feel the same way?
