Is it cruel to leave a dog outside all day?

I posted earlier In the thread. As a current husky owner I know a bit about them and yes they do tend to love being outside a lot but the issue here is whether or not the dog has access to food and water and I know with my boy he would go through more than one bowl of water in that time plus the dog should really be properly walked as they are very energetic dogs.

I’ve been out with my boy today for 2 hours and he’s once in, drank a load of water and is ready for a nap ( as am I haha ) but he would go crazy if he was left all day every day on his own, it’s not fair.

Huskies are fine outside generally, they are happy out there. However, they do require a lot of stimulation and plenty of walks as they do have a lot of energy to expend. So if he isn't being walked that is very cruel. RSPCA won't do a thing. 7 years ago, my mums neighbour was in hospital and her family locked her JRT senior dog in all day everyday, went in 5 mins a day to feed her, never let her out. She cried the whole time and I called the RSPCA 3 times and they weren't interested. They would put a seal on the door and if it had been broken through entry into the house in 24 hours they didn't see an issue, even though the house was freezing cold (winter time) she was left to urinate and defecate in the house and was fed a small amount once a day. She also had overgrown nails cutting into her paw pads and would skid across the wooden floor to come to the window. When me and my sis did get into the house and saw what she was given it broke our hearts ( 1 saveloy sausage!)

(Fortunately, my mum went and told the neighbour what was happening and asked her to let me take her in so that's how my sis and I gained entry. Sadly the lady passed away but fortunately doggo had settled in with me so she's been here ever since.)

I don't need companionship I have 5 children and a partner 😂

I get the same as anyone else that owns an animal. They don't need to live inside to enjoy them 🤷🏻‍♀️

@fluffypooch what do you get from having dogs if they are outside all the time, surely most people have dogs for some form of companionship?

This !

Yes, cruel to anybody in the vicinity if the dog barks regularly 😅 At least it sounds like this one doesn't.

A neighbour did this, their two dogs howled and barked all day everyday. It sent everyone around potty. If they were inside it would still send their direct neighbours potty. Dogs can get very bored when their owners are out all day everyday. These people worked 7 days a week which is impressive for them, not for the dogs.

I suppose that being a husky it would be happier outside than trapped indoors, but it is sad that the poor dog is getting so little attention and stimulation. These are lovely dogs and I can't understand why anyone would get one and then leave it alone all day.

You’re making huge assumptions. You don’t know the dog or what its likes and dislikes are. What works for your dog won’t work for mine they are all individual. Maybe get a crossword book to kill your time rather than watching someone’s dog in their private garden for hours on end.

I have friends which own both a husky/malamute mix and a chocolate lab.

The husky wants out more in the winter than the lab. While the lab wants out more in the summer than the husky. Each dog breed is different and requires different attention.

Leave the dog alone. Be worried if you don't see it for a few days.

I have 5 dogs and they live outside 100% of the time. They are fed outside, have a large garden and access to two brick outbuildings for shelter. In the outbuildings they have have sofas to sleep on. They never come in the house. They are all walked 2/3 miles a day aswell. People might call me cruel for not letting them in the house, but to me dogs are dogs and should be treated as pets and not humanised. They are fed, walked, are watered and have shelter. That's good enough imo.

It's a husky. What do you think it's bred to do? Where did his ancestors sleep for the last few hundred years? Controversially, it's probably happier outside than in as long as it has water and shelter from the rain.

It's probably cruel in the British sense of a family pet. Interestingly the working huskies in Finland I've seen all live outside and they told us they hate being inside/getting too warm, even when it's -25 there. Also some people want a dog to guard their property (farm dogs etc). So if the dog has a purpose like that, I can also understand it and the farm dogs I grew up with had a kennel but just preferred pottering around outside, they weren't allowed in the house at all.
If its more that it's a family pet they can't be bothered with and just shove it in the garden all day and night, that's not really OK but not cruel enough for the rspca I suspect, if it's fed etc.

I know two people that had huskies and both said they lived outside the full 24 hours! Had kennels but apparently they didn’t want to be inside at all (think they’d tried having them as house dogs at some point) and these were two totally different people who both said the same thing!

One of my dogs moves outside for the summer. It's his choice. He still gets walked, can come in whenever he wants, comes in for meals etc. It's just the minute the days start getting longer he wants to be outside. I think its weird but he is who he is. I often invite him in and he just looks at me like I'm the weird one. I come home and don't check on him sometimes too because he is well aware of when I get home, he hears the gate and barks if he wants in. I do work from home though so am around a lot of the time.

Husky’s do tend to get warm in houses. But leaving them outside all day alone is not really fair either. RSPCA/SSPCA are not interested if dog has access to food/ water and shelter and is in ok condition. Possible you can’t see all these things from your window. So it is maybe worth a call for it to be investigated. Also if the dog only has access to the decking - this may be unsuitable as decking can heat up in the sun and if the dog is unable to move is a risk of heat stroke.
However I think RSPCA/SSPCA will not investigate if you are unable to give an address. So might be worth asking your partner to see if he can work out the address for the property you are seeing.
it may all be fine but it may not. So at least if you pass on the info you have done the right thing.

Ours isn’t a husky but he does the solo one woof when he wants out, when he’s hungry he doesn’t a grumble. I don’t know how but he knows the time of day so when it’s getting close to 3pm & he knows our son will be home from school soon (he gets school transport) he whines by the front door. Then about 8pm when he wants a treat he barks at you, single bark then a few seconds later another single bark & so on until you get it. Then when he thinks it’s bedtime he’ll pace between the sofa & the stairs whining at you until you go to bed & take him upstairs with you. Its so funny how we know what our dogs bark means

From experience huskys are outdoor dogs. They prefer being outside no matter the weather. As long as theyve got water and are fed etc there's not alot anyone will do.

We used to have a Husky - he loved to be outside at ALL hours and in ALL weathers. He had food, water and shelter outside but still would choose to lie at the gate and watch the world go by. He would wake us up at 2, 3 , 4am until we let him back outside. He never barked unless he wanted in and that was only one 'woof'

Many a time the RSPCA came to visit after a neighbour repeatedly reported us, but they said we weren't doing anything wrong and the dog was clearly well cared for - just that the little sod wouldn't use his kennel and would happily lie out in thunderstorms, snow storms, hailstone and sunshine.

You've made assumptions on something you can only see from a window. Ours had shelter, water, food, treats (plus those our neighbours fed him!), walked for 3 times a day, given long runs on the burn where we live, regularly taken to the beach and was regularly taken out with us when visiting family, but he was 'always locked outside' to anyone who passed the house. He was an excellent door wedge and deterrent too, lying against the gate so cold callers wouldn't come to the house 🤣

My dogs can come in and out as doors are kept open (I wfh), they usually want to be wherever I am.
One of my cats though - she prefers to be outside most of the time. She's happy to be out in the driving rain too - she's come in for dinner looking like she's been swimming! There's a cat flap if the door is shut and she has no issue using it, she just likes being out.
More than the dog in question being outside is that it's on his own. I don't see how people who work outside of home can have a dog.

Poor dog will be bored stupid. Our yard dog (livery yard) preferred being outside and would find the last patches of snow to lie on-she’s a malamute x, but she was entertained all day, ‘helping’ to catch in, turn out, she had company all day.

I’d say the RSPCA won’t care, I’m afraid.

Oh no that's very sad poor dog.

Those people are the ones who are cruel, treating animals like children. You are making so many assumptions in this thread, many of which are true for some dogs but absolutely not for all dogs. Get over yourself.