Is it cruel to leave a dog outside all day?

[Glittertips]

I am currently a few days in to a month long hospital stay. From my room I can see in to a few gardens which back on to the hospital grounds. On the first day I noticed a husky in one of the gardens and on day two it dawned on me that he was outside in the garden every single time I looked out the window.

Having been in for a few days now I realise the owner is leaving the husky outside all day when she is at work, even once she is home he doesn’t tend to go inside until around 8pm. I don’t have a full view in to the garden as the view is obscured by a tree, but from what I can see he lies on the decking most of the day.

I feel like it’s cruel leaving the dog outside all day, in all weathers (I don’t know if it has access to food and water - I sure hope so) but my partner made the point that it’s no different from people leaving their dogs in the house all day while they’re at work and at least this dog can go to the toilet.

Should I mind my own business? Should I call the RSPCA?

YABU = mind your business, its not cruel
YANBU = poor dog, call the RSPCA

The huskies I met in Canada lived outside even in winter - it's what they're made for. They would have hated to be brought inside. As long as there's shade and water Then there's no problem.

I actually think it's unnatural for many breeds of dog to be kept indoors for most of their lives. I'm not talking about little lapdog obviously, but many of the dogs we now keep as pets were bred to be working/herding dogs and are much happier outside. My German shepherd cross chooses to be outside most of the time, whatever the weather, and is often reluctant to come in at night.

Edit for typo.

A dog like a husky is much happier outside than in. So long as he has water and shade available he is perfectly happy there. If I left my door open my old dog would have been laid outside in all weather even with the choice to come in.

I really don't think you know enough to report it. If you could see it chained, whining with no access to food or water, then I'd be reporting too, but a dog that may have a backdoor open but be choosing to be outside who goes in at night, who doesn't look undernourished, I think this is a bit ridiculous, particularly as it's a husky.

A colleague owns a husky it had a very long walk early In the morning and again in the evening. In the day time it slept all day and in all weathers in a filthy muddy patch in her very large garden despite having a luxurious bed toys and God knows what else available in the house. The back door was open all day because her partner worked from home. Initially she got very stressed by it convinced that it would be better inside and used to drag it back in and shut the door but it got very stressed and constantly whined and scratched to go back out. She then built it a luxurious shelter instead it refused point blank to go into it and dug another muddy patch a few yards away. Now she’s resigned herself to it. She spoke to her vet he said it’s a happy healthy dog and he pointed out that in Alaska etc they live out 24/7 in appalling conditions.

Thanks everyone, I feel a bit better about it now. I do still worry it’ll be bored as it’s literally just a small patch of grass, a deck and a tree so no nice sniffs etc and it doesn’t appear to have shelter.

I have a cavapoo at home and he would be horrified at being left out in the rain so I suppose I’m comparing it to my pampered pooch! Given the opportunity in the sun he would probably stay out for a few hours

As long as all the dogs needs are met, no it's not cruel.

So a husky who has shade, shelter from rain (they are not well adapted for rain!), water etc is not suffering by being outside.

However being alone for long periods, yes that might be cruel. Dogs are a social species and are not meant to be alone for long, many dogs suffer from a lifestyle like this, regardless of where they are left.

Maybe it has a kennel and access to water.

My dog has the complete run of our house and access to anything he needs, including our superking bed. He will happily lie on the front garden all day watching the world go by though. He gets walked before 7am and after 7pm tlas well.

A husky is more likely to be able to cope with living outdoors than most other breeds - it should, however, absolutely have shelter. It needs a dry, comfortable shelter with plenty of bedding. It should also have access to fresh water at all times and plenty of toys and any poo needs clearing up on a daily basis.

Assuming it has shelter, water, toys etc, I would say that the main welfare issue here would be the fact that its left alone all day, every day and isn't being walked. No dog should be left alone as much as that, indoors or outdoors, and a husky is a very, very active dog that needs a lot of exercise.

I hope it's a happy husky because those fuckers howl when they're lonely. They're pack animals.

My neighbours have a husky type , doors open all day as they are in and the dog is outside 90% of the time just laying about . She gets walked and is very much loved and cared for , she likes being outside .

Big garden to run around with food/ water/shelter and walks before and after work, probably fine.

Small terrace yard in the rain, not so much

Yes but 1 by itself isn't going to be happy.

Need 2 or 3 if they're staying out + large garden

my dogs have constant access inside and outside except in really cold weather when I have to shut the kitchen door; one of my dogs spends 90% of the time outside from 7am until 9pm. By choice! She’s happy, she gets good walks and she has the choice. Like huskies, my breed is pretty bloody vocal if they aren’t happy..:

Does it have shelter? Ours are out all day but they are kennelled (working dogs, very extensive exercise and training and plenty of time on the sofa too!). They are very happy outside.

@Glittertips I'm a Huskie owner and my girl has a favourite spot to lie in the shade watching the world go by (when not sleeping), she's out there all day unless it's raining (she doesn't like getting wet) and won't willingly come into the house during the day even though the door is always open for her, unless ive got the lawnmower out. She has 2 long walks 1 in the morning and the other at night and all the company she wants but she's just typical of the breed and is happier outside, it's the same with all the other huskies I know.

We have a husky and she spends most of the day outside as well as walks. She has toys, water shelter etc. When she is inside she is constantly asking to be let out- hence we tend to just leave her out there. She would let us know if she wanted to come back in. She's much happier outside. The only time she won't go out is in the rain. My husband WFH so she is never locked out. How do you know there is no one in the house?

I wouldn't leave my dog outside all day, but I think huskies are a bit of an acception and do really well outside, as long as they have access to shelter and water.

100% cruel - and I would absolutely report it. People shouldn't get dogs if they can't be arsed to look after them properly and be there for them. And never EVER have a dog if there is no-one at home for more than 4-5 hours a day. If you work full time work (and you're out from say 8.15am/8.30am or earlier to after 5pm,) you should not have a dog.

It's breathtakingly cruel to leave a dog outside all day. And I am shocked at the poll results. I hope the posters who clicked on YABU don't have dogs.

According to the RSPCA, dogs living outside isn't cruel and is up to the owner. I looked into this recently as a neighbour does the same. It's heartbreaking but their choice and not something the RSPCA would step in about.

Did you read the thread though? A lot of people have commented that they have dogs who are happy being in the garden. Despite owners being wfh and having open doors and enrichment activities and comfy sofas to sleep on. They want to be outside. I'm sure some dogs are practically abandoned in the garden from sunup to sundown but it's not necessarily the case here.

It's not cruel if you have a very large garden with lots of stimulation, multiple dogs to keep each other company. In that case, dogs could happily go many hours in the garden - especially huskies. Common sense needs to be employed.

However, it is true that not everyone has common sense. Huskies are usually bought for aesthetics rather than as a heat fit. They are high energy working dogs. Being alone in a boxy garden for 8 hours is not ok.

So, it depends.

In all the countries I have lived in, the vast majority of dogs are kept outside in all weathers. They are able to roam though and socialise with other dogs. I don’t think being outside is the issue. Being stuck in one place all alone seems worse but there are plenty of dog owners who crate their dogs or leave them stuck indoors all day.

I don’t know for sure that there’s no one home during the day but I see the lady in her early 30s leaving in the morning and arriving home in the evening (her age suggests there’s no kids at home during the day). I don’t see any other comings and goings.

The more I type the more I realise I know a bit too much about this woman’s routine 😅.

I got a better view of the entire garden (still obscured by the tree) from another window. There’s an awning but it’s broken so is just the metal poles, so the dog definitely doesn’t have shade or shelter. The back door is closed so the dog isn’t coming and going. The garden is slightly bigger than I thought though

Do you know the dog is on its own? One of my dogs spends all day outside from choice - but there is almost always someone in the house and the door is either open for her to come in or if it's closed she would bark to come in (which she doesn't do through the day). She has access to shade, shelter and water (though she prefers to drink rainwater than the water in the bowls we put outside). We also don't walk our dogs until the evening when it's cooler as they don't cope well with even moderate heat. So if you were looking into our garden you might also conclude that my dog is neglected.

Of course it could be as you fear and the dog is shut out when it would rather be in, doesn't have access to shade, shelter and water, and is never walked. So you could try reporting to the RSPCA.

You've only been watching for a few days so you don't know if this is the norm.