Poll for dog owners!/ Update post #137

[Skywalker]

My husband and I disagree on the issue of dogs being allowed in the house. He insists that most dog owners agree with him and that I am out to lunch. I think most dogs owners would agree with me.

So, your input as a dog owner would be very much appreciated!

Thank you very much for your time!

 

[Sleepy]

I generally feel ok with a dog having free roam of the house (including on the furniture because I am not worried about dirt or damage due to nails), but my dog has A LOT of loose hair no matter how much I comb him. The hair is everywhere. For that reason, I make it a rule that he not enter the part of the house where the kitchen and dining room is and also he has to stay off all the furniture (beds/livingroom stuff).

 

[Pixiedust34]

Our dog has full run of the house but she isn't allowed on furniture. She has a cozy dog bed and she sleeps on that.

I think that dogs in houses are happier dogs than dogs who are kept outside all of the time. Dogs are pack animals and being with their (human family) pack makes them happy. I know that some dogs are bought as working dogs and guard dogs and are meant to be kept outside frequently for their jobs, but IMHO regular non-working dogs belong in the house so they can be close to their family and enjoyed.

I've seen people get dogs and leave them outside all of the time and I wonder why they got a dog if they spend little to no time with it.

 

[jbmom]

Our dog has free rein of the house, but he is not allowed on the furniture. He is very spoiled otherwise!

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Our dog has full run of the house but she isn't allowed on furniture. She has a cozy dog bed and she sleeps on that.

I think that dogs in houses are happier dogs than dogs who are kept outside all of the time. Dogs are pack animals and being with their (human family) pack makes them happy. I know that some dogs are bought as working dogs and guard dogs and are meant to be kept outside frequently for their jobs, but IMHO regular non-working dogs belong in the house so they can be close to their family and enjoyed.

I've seen people get dogs and leave them outside all of the time and I wonder why they got a dog if they spend little to no time with it.

I agree with this, especially the bolded part. Dogs around here may be outside for periods of time, but mostly inside with their peeps.

My dogs have free roam of the downstairs of the house. Zoey has even taken over one of the lazy boys in our room as hers. We keep slipcovers and stuff on the living room furniture so she won't get up on it. It's leather and we're concerned about damage.

 

[JerseyJanice]

My dog has free run of the house, including the ability to sleep on the furniture.

The only reason is because I was an amateur at raising dogs when we got this one. If I knew what I know now when we got him, he'd be a lot more confined. He wouldn't be allowed upstairs or on furniture.

I wouldn't keep a dog outside though. There'd be no point in getting one if that were the plan.

 

[WL Fan]

We have 2 200lb St. Bernard puppies (they're brothers) who sleep outside in their doggie townhouse. They come in during the day, but know they have to stay on the big rug by the front door. They lay there and snore all day long. The thought of having St. Bernard slobber from one end of the house to the other skeeves me out a bit. That stuff is like Gorilla Glue.

 

[mamamary]

My dog has pretty much freedom in the house. I learned my lesson from my last lab about coming on all the furniture. There was always hair everywhere and it was pretty embar. if people came over and they got covered in hair. Baxter doesn't even try to get on the furniture so it really worked out well. He'll sleep in his own dog bed or under my bed. A few times my DD tried to get him in her bed but he isn't interested.

 

[Avalon_toon]

Our dog has free run of the house when we are home. She is kennel trained, though, so she sleeps in her kennel (inside the house) at night, and when we are not at home.

 

[Tinijocaro]

My dogs are little and don't shed so my answer was free run of the house. If I had a large or shedding dog, there would be limits and definitely no furniture-yuck! Who want dog hair all over their clothes?

I definitely disagree with an outside dog in any circumstances-why bother getting a dog?

 

[golfgal]

Our dog has free reign of the house and furniture but she is only 12 lbs and doesn't shed all that much. She also has free reign of the backyard through her dog door. She goes out to do her business and chase an occasional rabbit or squirrel but if we are not out with her, she doesn't stay out long. She is a baby.

Her backyard is considerably smaller now that we have about 4' of snow too--we can only shovel so much of it for her.

 

[bballmom56]

We have 2 200lb St. Bernard puppies (they're brothers) who sleep outside in their doggie townhouse. They come in during the day, but know they have to stay on the big rug by the front door. They lay there and snore all day long. The thought of having St. Bernard slobber from one end of the house to the other skeeves me out a bit. That stuff is like Gorilla Glue.

We have one female St. Bernard, about 140 lbs. She can go anywhere on the maiin floor of the house. She can't get on the furniture because she physically can't get on the furniture. But I would keep her off it if she could. She doesn't go in the basement because she can't do stairs well.

She would be heartbroken if she couldn't sleep next to my DH's side of the bed. She is so attached to him. She loves the rest of us as well, but he is her alpha.

Yep, we have hair, but really no slobber - I thought it would be worse. Just watch out after she drinks, lol! But she adds so much to our lives, I can't see separating her from us. And there is NO WAY she would ever live outside. We adopted her from a rescue that got her from a kill shelter in KY, and they said she was picked up from the streets. She has NO desire to live outside again!

 

[mom2travel]

I took the middle option because our dogs stay downstairs in the main living area and are not allowed on the furniture (there is already too much dog hair everywhere ). The do have free reign of the downstairs though. I had never heard of dogs living outside in a doghouse (other than people I know who live on farms or extremely large properties) until a few years ago learning one of our neighbors has a dog that does so (didn't even know they had a dog at that point since never saw it!)

Like some PPs, we consider the dogs part of our family, so in the house they live

 

[NMAmy]

Our dog can go anywhere in the house but because I didn't allow it when she was a puppy, she won't go upstairs now unless someone accompanies her. She'll stand at the bottom of the stairs and wait for someone to go up to bed.

She's allowed on the furniture but not the beds in our rooms. There is a twin bed in DH's office that she uses during the day when we're at work.

 

[Angelhalo]

Our dog a Scottish terrier, doesn't shed much and she only weighs 20 pounds. So goes where she pleases and it allowed on the furniture. Even if she did shed, our furniture is leather so it is easily wiped off. She sleeps on our bed at night.

 

[AnnaS]

Our 75/80 lb boxer has free rein of the house. He is not allowed on furniture except the sofa down the basement that needs to be thrown out. Our fault though - he should not have taken over this sofa because we don't think we will be able to prevent him from a new one.

I feel they should be inside. Mine will not even stay outside alone for 1 minute without one of us staying there with him even for potty breaks.

 

[Ephany]

I have two large lab mixes. They can go pretty much anywhere in any of the common living areas, but not the bedrooms. They're also not allowed on the furniture; they're big and they love the dirt. If I let them up on the couch, there'd be no place for people and I'd have to bathe them twice daily. Not happening.

 

[sunlver]

I have 3 large dogs and a foster dog, and they are all inside dogs. They go outside to potty and maybe run around a bit, but spend 97% of their day inside sleeping on the couches
I never understood the "outside" dog who was never let in. Well I have heard of the outside who gets let into the garage if it is freezing temps. I guess I just don't get it. How lonely for the outside dog. Yes, people say well me or the kids go out and play with him/her..But in reality, how much time do u spend with your 100% outside dog???

 

[Mermaid02]

My dog can go wherever she likes in the house- she is welcome to sleep on our bed if she likes..... or on the sofa.... wherever she's comfy!

 

[bas71873]

Our dog has full run of the house but she isn't allowed on furniture. She has a cozy dog bed and she sleeps on that.

Ditto for our house. And our dog has never even tried to get on the furniture. She was crate trained early on as a puppy and now, 3 years later, she knows where her beds are both upstairs and down and if she's not following us around, she's there observing what's going on. Now I do have a huge fenced in backyard and she LOVES to be outside most of the day, especially if the weather is nice, warm or cold, basking in the sun and chasing the birds and rabbits that wander into my yard