To think this shelter was a bit too quick to turn us down?

[PrincessTeacake]

Myself and my Dad have been looking to adopt a dog since the one we had for fifteen years finally passed away two years ago. We're in the perfect position to adopt now, he's semi-retired and my days at work have been reduced so I can do more work at home. In the meantime, I'm learning how to drive and setting up my own part-time business. There's rarely an hour when there's not one or both of us in the house.

We made inquiries about a German Shepherd in dire need of a good home, we definitely have the space and the time to devote to a big dog and I have a history of taking on special needs animals. I filled out the paperwork, and we were turned down because we suggested building a large secure dog run in the garden with a purpose built shed for the dog to sleep in at night. We also said that during bad weather he'd be sleeping in the kitchen but that was overlooked.

I'm disappointed but more upset on behalf of the dog really. It has health problems and it's a big dog, it'll be very hard to rehome him and I feel like the shelter are leaving him stuck to a life in kennels.

[TwosaCrowd]

here our dog has a bed downstairs in the living room and one upstairs in our bedroom- which he sleeps on at night. He goes to bed when we do :) couldn't imagine leaving him alone! Dogs are pack animals, they need company.

[ComposHat]

Why on earth do you wamt a dog if you don't want to keep it as a pet and look after it properly? Sticking it in a coop doesn't seem fair on the dog.

Are you trying to get a guard dog on the cheap?

[GeeinItLaldy]

Dogs need company. By declaring your intention to keep the dog in a run and shed you told the rescue place that you would be spending minimal time with the dog. That does not make for the ideal home.

And it is perfectly feasible to allow large dogs to live indoors. I have giant breeds. At least 2 dogs at any given time. They live inside as part of the family. We have a very average sized suburban 3 bed semi and there's still plenty of room for them.

[SoldAtAuction]

We always had dogs growing up. Some slept in the house. The working dogs, usually Great Pyrenees lived outside (even in Canadian winters) with the herd they were protecting.
They were outside, in the barns, but never left alone. The goats/horses were their pack!

[SagaNorensLeatherTrousers]

One has to wonder where the resident vet on the thread got his/her qualification.

Acme Vet School!

I jest, I jest.

[mygrandchildrenrock]

I live in a rural area in England and most people keep their dogs outside in runs and kennels. The runs often take up over half the garden.
We moved here from a city where no-one kept their dogs outside and I thought it most odd. I still do, but am used to the fact that most people round here do it!

[MissBetseyTrotwood]

The rescue kennels our large breed comes from was more like a stables. It was about as outdoor as indoor could be iykwim and the dogs (having known no different) all seemed fine.

That said, ours took to home living like a duck to water. He's the biggest fire hog ever and it boggles my mind how he can enjoy slowly roasting himself. I could never keep the old bugger outside now.

[liquidstate]

Our collie lives outside. He is asleep in his kennel and large run as I type this. He only sleeps inside when ill or in extreme weather (cold, damp etc). He is 12 years old but acts like a puppy . He is a semi working farm dog and loves being outside. He is an extremely happy dog - everyone says so. He never barks or growls.

I would never allow a dog on furniture or anywhere other than the ground floor of our house. he has an indoor dog bed but prefers to sit on the floor.

Interesting fact - his kennel cost DH so much I had to have a cheap engagement ring as they were both purchased in the same month.

It looks like when he dies we will have to buy another collie from a breeder rather than go through a rescue. Such a shame. I do sympathise OP.

[RunRabbit]

PrincessTeacake I've heard some rescues are ok with outdoor shelters/kennels. I think you need to ring around and ask their policy on it.

And dogs living in 'packs' is an outdated view.

[ClaudiusGalen]

I think a few of us have pointed out the difference between a working dog used to a more outdoor lifestyle and a family pet being plonked outside.

Surely you wouldn't get a rescue working dog anyway, liquidstate? You need to buy from good working stock or you'll end up with an insanely energetic collie who rounds up anything and everything other than sheep.

[liquidstate]

I agree about the pack thing RunRabbit. Its an old view. So long as they dog has adequate company through the day (and 3 walks a day is excellent) it will be fine on its own at night.

claudius when I say semi working I mean the dog sits in the tractor with my DH and charges around the farm saying hello to the animals. He is not a sheepdog.

We also live in a semi in the centre of a very large village (5k + pop) so not massively rural.

Oh and I forgot to mention that my kennel is unheated. Some dogs have thick coats for a reason.

[ClaudiusGalen]

If he is a collie and not working you must spend a good portion of the day keeping him stimulated. Very different to being stuck in a run all day.

[Binkyridesagain]

If you keep your dog outside how are they going to keep your feet warm?

[sebsmummy1]

For those who allow their dogs on their beds, doesn't the whole house end up smelling of dog?

[HappyMummyOfOne]

Theres a dog close by that used to howl/cry all night during winter as ut was left to sleep outside in all weathers. I believe several people reported it to the RSPCA.

Where we used to live a lady had two cats that had a kennel as they were not allowed in their house, they soon discovered our new cat flap and slept inside with us from then on.

There are lots of good pet owners but lots of rubbish one too and i'm glad rescue centres are picky.

[Scuttlebutter]

Yes, of course some working dogs can live very happily in well constructed kennels outdoors. But you are hoping to adopt from a rescue and most rescues have it as one of their most basic, fundamental conditions that the dog is to be treated as a pet, and is not there to work. Part of that includes living in the house.

This is especially important for an older dog, especially for a breed so prone to HD, and one that you have already acknowledged has health problems.

[Triliteral]

I live in a rural area in England and most people keep their dogs outside in runs and kennels. The runs often take up over half the garden.
We moved here from a city where no-one kept their dogs outside and I thought it most odd. I still do, but am used to the fact that most people round here do it!

This is also my experience. I worked for a long time as a farm vet in Scotland and saw many dogs kept that way, and could see no sign of unhappiness or ill-treatment that was associated with that means of housing. For all those of you who feel dogs need warmth and central heating.... those things have only been introduced in the past 100 years. Do you really think that dogs NEED them? There are many dogs with significant skin problems that would be much improved by sleeping somewhere without central heating and a thick carpet.

Obviously if a dog isn't used to living in a kennel or outhouse (how is sleeping in a hayloft so very different to sleeping in a shed with plenty of bedding incidentally?) it might not settle to it, but many dogs would. The OP stated that the dog would sleep in the shed. She also clearly stated that she and her father would be around almost all day. Better surely than the many pet owners who work and leave the dog alone?

And I got my qualification at Edinburgh University, for whoever asked. I have experienced a great many pet owners who love to anthopomorphise their dogs, and perhaps treat them as children, and sadly some of them do have extremely unhappy aggressive dogs. But obviously everyone whose ever had a dog as a pet and kept it in their bedroom and it was fine must know much more than me.

There are many pet owners, and many different dogs. It is my opinion that there is not one right way to treat them and everything else is wrong or cruel.

[lljkk]

Most rural people like most city people I know keep their dogs in kitchen at night, with strict limits on where the dog is allowed in rest of the house. OP seemed to be describing an almost complete ban of the dog from house which means the dog would be on its own a lot of the time. Not how dogs usually like to be. They're very social creatures.

[Triliteral]

lljkk, I have looked through all the OP's comments. To quote:

About her current thinking:

Myself and my Dad have been looking to adopt a dog since the one we had for fifteen years finally passed away two years ago. We're in the perfect position to adopt now, he's semi-retired and my days at work have been reduced so I can do more work at home. In the meantime, I'm learning how to drive and setting up my own part-time business. There's rarely an hour when there's not one or both of us in the house.

We made inquiries about a German Shepherd in dire need of a good home, we definitely have the space and the time to devote to a big dog

We would have had the dog in the house frequently anyway, and with the woods nearby he would have had plenty of walks between us both. As for company, besides me and my Dad next door's dog takes a wander over here a lot (part of the reason we were going to build the run was because it's nigh impossible to completely secure the whole garden) and my uncle's dog is a frequent visitor, as well as all the local dogs. The dog would have been left by himself for, at most, an hour while we went for groceries or something.



About her previous dog:

she was exercised frequently, spent a lot of time in the house, had her special needs catered for and was very much loved and part of the family.

we always brought her inside when the weather was bad.

I honestly feel that people have looked at the words "secure dog run" and have made an assumption that the dog is going to be maltreated.

[Nataleejah]

Shelters can be very discriminative sometimes.
As for indoor vs outdoor dogs, depends on a dog, and on weather conditions.

[sparechange]

OP, I grew up in the countryside with working dogs, and now live in the city with house dogs.
So I am not going to make the same face about the notion of kenneled dogs
BUT, and it is a big but, there is always a distinction between working and pet dogs. Rescue centres, especially ones who have dogs in 'dire need' of a home, are looking to home them as pets.

These dogs are already living in kennels and finding it very stressful. It serves no useful purpose at all to send them from one kenneled environment to another, other than passing the food bill onto someone else. And this isn't how rescue centres think.

GS are a pastoral breed. They NEED human contact, they need to look after their people. It is not appropriate to lock them in a shed in the garden. Yes, I know some working GS are kenneled, but they will be used to this from a young age, and the majority of their day will be spent working with their handler. Not locked away in a run or shed.

If you just want the dog living outside, why do you actually want one? You don't sound like you want to 'work' the dog and you definitely don't sound like you want one as a pet.

[Booboostoo]

Some dogs are used to living outside and I think the trick for you OP is to rehome such a dog. Taking a dog that is used to living inside and expecting it to adjust to outdoor kennel life is too big an ask. Why don't you contact a breed specific rescue and clearly state that you are looking for a dog used to living outside? They should have access to more dogs and be able to help you.

(I've had GSDs all my life and they all lived inside, but I have known GSDs happily live outside although usually it was more than one dogs for company).

[differentnameforthis]

A large dog should be outside, other posters cannot seriously think this dog should live in doors

I know lots of GS that live indoors.

[SagaNorensLeatherTrousers]

Ok so those of you arguing it's perfectly acceptable to have dog outside (expert Vet included), why do YOU think the OP was turned down?

[SagaNorensLeatherTrousers]

the dog*