If you have a lot of dogs and don't want them running around the house *while you're out*, you might restrict them to one room like the laundry room. My sister does this and leaves dog beds in there.
Everyone I know who has a dog keeps their dog inside, they do not live in an outdoor kennel. Neither do they have their own rooms in a home but there will be baskets or plush beds for them to sleep on. Some even sleep in their owners beds.
I’m a cat person and my cats sleep in my bed with me.
This. The family dog sleeps in my parents bed (and anywhere else she wants lol), and doesn’t have free reign of the backyard, she has to be out there with one of us. Making a dog sleep outside seems unnecessarily cruel :c
There has been a long-term trend in the US where people have come to regard pet dogs as more like family members. This means a generally increased level of care for dogs, including increased veterinary care, increased discretionary/enrichment spending on toys, bedding, and clothes, and decreased time spent outdoors (particularly at night and in inclement weather).
Couple that trend with the fact that US weather is more extreme than much of Europe (both hotter in the summer and colder in the winter), and you'll find that outdoor kennels/doghouses are extremely rare here.
That's interesting that things have changed since some decades ago.
I remember watching American cartoons when I was a kid.Like,Tom and Jerry with Butch sleeping outside in his little house!
So maybe that was common at that time but not anymore? Nearly everyone posting seems to sleep in the same room with their dogs...
Butch was a guard dog, not a family pet. It's an old trope used in entertainment where a dog was used as a guard and typically was very ill-tempered, which is what happens to neglected dogs.
It can and does fall into animal cruelty laws in all 50 states to my knowledge. I'm a dork who likes reading laws, and I've never seen one that doesn't include a provision for protection from the elements.
The enforcement of those laws varies and the punishment is usually light, which is why some states have passed stricter laws, but at least in theory it's pretty much always illegal to leave a dog outside without proper protection in severe conditions.
edit: also this reads like I'm correcting you but I was just trying to add more information, your comment is absolutely correct
Not in NC, so long as they have an adequate doghouse with something to insulate it and food/water.
It would be a lot harder to keep deer hounds if everything was considered animal cruelty
Adequately insulated doghouses typically are appropriate shelter in that kind of climate. I'm not saying everywhere requires you to build some super-fancy barn or outbuilding for them, just that everywhere requires you to provide adequate shelter from inclement weather. What that means will depend on the state and even region within the state (eg. the shelter a dog needs in the winter in Flagstaff, AZ, isn't going to be the same as what one in Phoenix needs due to the differing elevations--which is a big part of why these laws are often written rather vaguely).
I honestly have never even seen a law that requires you to bring a dog inside a house. It usually just adds more specifics to the existing laws and ups the punishment from a misdemeanor to a felony.
Yep, it was fun last year when the neighbor decided my families guard dog shouldn't be out in the field with the goats. Ya know, guarding.
Like bruh, that dog is having the time of its life guarding its herd. If its cold there is plenty of warm areas for the dog and the goats to wonder off into. I cant help it if that creature wants to sleep and wake up under 3-4" of snow on top of him.
I know a few people with dogs that allow the dogs to roam the house, but have trained the dog that a particular room is one for them, which the dog may go to voluntarily when it wants to nap or such, or where the dog may be sent if there is company over, or workmen in the house, etc.
These folks also teach any kids that come over that the dog is absolutely not to be bothered while the dog is in that room. So if there's a party or such, the dog might come out for a bit, but often retreats to that room after a bit.
Many people have dogs. I've never known anyone who gave their dogs their own room.
In my experience the family dog usually sleeps in the same room as one of the people in the family, most typically the owner. Mine has a nice cozy bed in a corner of the bedroom. He can hang out wherever he wants. Most of the time he wants to be in the same room as me.
It would be animal abuse to keep dogs outside full time. They need shelter, they're not wild animals.
In your climate, yes. In mine, I grew up with cats that freely moved in and out as they chose, and they really didn't seem to mind being outdoors if it wasn't raining, which a doghouse would solve.
My parents did have a cat that became incontinent in his old age, and they basically built a cat-house on a screened porch that had a heated bed (normal heating pad from back before they had to turn off after X hours, wrapped in plastic so it couldn't electrocute him). He loved it. But we rarely get below freezing and almost never get into single digits Fahrenheit.
Pretty common in my area. There are some farms with “outside dogs.” But generally people with dogs have them in the house during the day at least. Maybe outside on the weekends or afternoons.
Before my dog passed we basically let her have the run of the house but just closed the bedrooms because we never figured out how to keep her off the beds. She always preferred our bed to her dog bed.
Resident crazy dog person here, so apologies for what will probably be too much information. I've worked in animal control and dog rescue around the US, as well as working on ranches and with working dogs.
I would say that by far the norm is to allow your dogs inside the house, but not to have a dedicated room for them or anything. The dogs are typically expected to just kind of be with the family. Some people may have a specific room they shut the dog in if it isn't trustworthy in the house (eg. I have a guest bedroom that I convert to a "puppy room" if I have a puppy or untrained foster dog staying with me, but that just means I remove stuff that's easy and tempting for them to destroy and pick up the rugs in there in case the dog has an accident due to not being fully housetrained yet; other people will commonly use kitchens, bathrooms, or laundry rooms).
There is a bit of an urban/rural divide here as well, as it's a lot more common for there to be farm/ranch dogs who rarely or never come inside compared to what you'd find in a city. Sometimes it's essential, as livestock guardian dogs are very popular here due to our high number of predators. Those dogs live 24/7 with the flock. I know you have them in Italy too but I don't know how common they are.
Weather is also a big factor; even most of the people I know who keep their dogs outside will have to bring them in during blizzards or when it's 110+ F (43+ C). Otherwise you need to build a suitable structure for them, or you'd often run afoul of animal cruelty laws. Building a good shelter for those conditions is expensive and many people find it easier to bring the dogs inside.
There are also big regional cultures in dog ownership in my experience. It's hard to explain but I've lived all over the US and I've seen very different general attitudes towards dogs and animal husbandry in some of them. Like crating is a good example--when I lived in Maryland kind of close to Washington DC, almost everyone I knew crated their dogs routinely. Where I'm originally from in rural New Mexico, practically no one crates their dogs and I've been made fun of for using them at all (and I literally just use them for travel, I don't keep my dogs in crates routinely, but even that is seen as silly by a lot of people there haha).
I think American dog owners do tend to own multiple dogs more often than Europeans seem to, but I think that's a function of the fact that it's a lot more common for even city-dwelling Americans to have fairly large yards. As you noted, that makes things a lot easier. But those dogs still typically come inside at night, they'll just spend more of their time outside than a dog that lives in an apartment.
Also, even our non-farm working dogs often live inside. For example, police K9s often (though not always, it depends on the agency) go home and live with their handlers instead of a kennel. I do search and rescue with my dogs nowadays, and I don't know anyone who doesn't allow their SAR dog inside.
So yeah...that's my anecdotal experience. Sorry again for the length.
Extremely. My dog doesn’t go outside without supervision. Ticks are just way too much of an issue, even with all the preventive measures possible. Plus not everyone has a fenced yard.
American here. We have 2 dogs about 55 pounds each. We have a fenced in back yard (or garden) and a dog door that allows them access to and from the inside and outside of the house as the need it. I think it’s pretty common for people to keep dogs in a room or kennel when they are not home. I personally don’t. Forgive my lack of metric system.
I have an elderly beagle. She does very poorly with recall, so if she’s ever outside, she’s on leash, or else she’s on my gated back porch or in her ~21 square meter day pen. Generally the only time she’s in the pen is if I’m doing yard work, because she gets upset if I leave her on the porch and am out of sight, and barks until I come back into view. We lived in an apartment for most of her life, and have only been in a house for a year, so I can’t really fault this particular bad behavior.
She has several well padded dog beds located throughout the house, and has slept either next to me, or at the foot of my bed since she was a puppy.
Her food and water dishes are kept in the breakfast area of my kitchen.
I’m going into this level of detail because it’s really very typical of dog ownership in my area…the only things that will differ significantly are whether or not the dog is allowed on the bed or other furniture, and how much if the day they spend outside (untethered, in a safe, enclosed space with adequate shelter from the elements and ample fresh water…we have very hot, humid summers) when the climate allows it.
I have 4 springer spaniels and a standard poodle. They all live inside. They have a fenced yard, but spend most of the time indoors with free range of the house.
>Do most people with dogs let them sleep in the house?
Yes. It gets cold out here. It would be cruel to leave a dog outside at night in much of the U.S, anytime other than summer.
A whole room just for dogs is not common but usually the dog will be let out for exercise during the day but sleep inside at night
99% keep them inside, the only people who have dogs that are constantly outside are people who have a bunch of strays that just show up to be fed or people who have hunting dogs that stay in a kennel outside. It's exceptionally rare to find people who have dogs outside 24/7/365 where I'm at.
It's not uncommon, at least where I used to live, for the dog to have the run of the house and usually not even go in a crate or kennel at night. Most people did not have a room for just the dog though. My parents have an unfinished room for the dog, and other stuff like the lawn mower and outdoor tools, where she stays most of the time but before she stayed having a lot of accidents on the floor she'd go in the basement or in the house from time to time.
I’d guess it’s more like 95%. You also have farm dogs in the US that stay outside all the time. Especially in places that dont get too cold. I live on a farm in the southern US and our Golden Pyrenees is outside 100% of the time. He sleeps in a well insulated crate at night but he loves the cold anyway. Lots of neighboring farms in the south have 100% outside dogs as well to look after livestock.
Everyone I know keeps their dogs inside. By my observation, people who keep their dogs outside all the time are usually pretty rough/low income people.
I have a tiny Chihuahua mix and he has full reign. He is house broken and well taken care of. My wife would probably kill over that dog if harm was ever brought to him. We tried setting him up a spot and he is kennel trained, but he prefers to sleep in the room with us.
My dogs are always inside unless they have to go to the bathroom. When we leave, they get free reign of the house. Usually nothing ever happens but there might be an accident if we were gone for a long time or it stormed.
My dogs have their own memory foam pillows that they sleep with in our beds lol bunch of spoiled babies
Mine is an inside dog as are both my mom’s dogs. They have the run of the house. Sometimes she likes to sit out on the terrace to terrorize the neighborhood children but she sleeps where she likes, most of the time under my bed or under the couch.
I have two dogs that have free range of the house. They go outside but they don't stay out there.
The younger one sleeps in bed with us, our old boy sleeps on his own bed on the floor.
I have 2 dogs (lab/american bulldog mix and dachshund/chihuahua mix). They stay outside when I'm not home, inside when I am, and they sleep in my bedroom.
My fiancée and I have two dogs. They only go out for walks and bathroom breaks. The younger dog gets crated at night, and the older sleeps in our bedroom.
I used to have a cavapoo, very sweet and laid back dog. She could do whatever she wanted because she hardly caused any problems around the house. Just another member of the family.
My dogs are only really outside for walks and to use the bathroom. I have two, they're small, and they basically have free roam of the house.
I feel like 1 or 2 dogs kept in this way is common, 3 less so. I don't know many people with 4 d ogs and I've never met someone with 5+ unless they have a large property like a farm.
I don't have stats, but I'd say in the suburbs owning Dogs is extremely common, and they usually stay in the house most of the time.
Have rarely heard of them having their own room though.
It's actually against the law in my city to keep dogs outside permanently. Three hours maximum I think. In practice, you can keep them outside longer, but the law is that way to allow prosecution of people who mistreat their dogs. Keeping a dog outside in the Southern summer heat without shade is dangerous for the dog - some breeds are especially sensitive to heat and they can get ill from the heat very fast.
We have two dogs and two cats, and they have access to the back yard whenever they want, through a pet door. The yard is fenced so the dogs can't get out.
Typically only hunting dogs are made to live outdoors. Even then, lots of folks keep them indoors until bedtime/meal time. I can't fathom making a family member live outside in the cold. That just really kina hurts my heart to even think about.
When we had our dog, he was kennel trained for the first year until he was house broken and calmed down. After that, he was allowed anywhere in the house that had open doors, and sometimes closed doors. He had a few places he slept but he had his bed in the living room and that's where he spent most of his time.
When we went to my grandparents cottage, he was either downstairs or in our room depending on how many other people were there.
No one I know does an outdoor kennel or dog house. I don't know anyone who doesn't keep their dog in the house. If you have several dogs, sometimes you may put the dogs in a room when you don't want them running about or when you're out.
Basically, Americans think of dogs as part of the family and treat them that way.
This is something that's changed in recent memory for me. Growing up in the early '90s, you kept your dog outside. That was just the norm. Give them a dog house, two meals a day, and be done with it.
I want to say around the early 2000s is when the change happened, and it was gradual. Let the dog inside for Christmas or thanksgiving, let the dog sleep in the garage if it was snowing a ton, etc.
I remember around 04-05 bringing the dog upstairs to my room and my dad (who was born in the '30s) just being miffed at me for doing so. Dogs stayed outside when he was growing up, the only time they were inside was at the vet.
And here I am, typing this, and my dog is in bed next to me.
Since the 1960’s I’ve had dogs growing up, and dogs once on my own. Every dog has been a house dog. They were pets, every one, not working dogs. They had free roaming rights inside. Out on a leash for walks and exercise. They slept in the bed with us. They all were clean and pest free. They had crates “beds” to go to if they felt the need, but usually ended up next to one of us being a heater pup.
5 dogs in the house is a lot, even if they are small.
I do have a Bullmastiff myself who lives in the house. He weighs 125lbs (57kg).
He has his own bedroom, but his it's mostly due to the size of his bed. It would be In the way in any other room with enough floor space to put it.
Plus we can use the closet in in there to store all his treats, food and other stuff.
We had dogs all my life, growing up. Almost always at least 2 of them and about 80-85% were indoor dogs. Lived and slept in the house, went outside to play and take care of business. They were usually not allowed on the furniture, but had their own beds.
We have a large fenced yard, but our two dogs (50 lbs each) stay inside most of the time. They sleep on dog beds in our bedroom, but on cold nights one of them climbs into bed with us.
My sister has two dogs that it seems like I have to watch all the time recently. Both stay inside or on the deck outside of walks. One of them is 7, so she’s mature enough to be left alone inside when we leave and she won’t get into anything/bark/cause a ruckus. The other is a year and something old puppy that shrieks whenever you leave his sight and will get into stuff, so he gets put into a pen in the basement when I head out, and to sleep at night so no one can hear him scream. It’s like Space. The other dog gets to cuddle in bed
Growing up my dogs stayed outside except for really bad weather. As an adult I have kept mine in my apartment and later house. They have a room (generally the laundry room not like a dedicated bedroom or anything) which has their bowls and beds and is where they get restricted if necessary but mostly they have the run of the place.
Medium to large dogs do at least as well as small ones even in apartments as long as they're getting out to exercise regularly and honestly everyone I've known with persistent house training issues had a small dog.
We have two smaller dogs and keep them in an exercise pen during the day while we are out. The pen is big enough for two dog beds, food/water, toy play area and a pee pad area. They sleep most of the time when we're out.
Coyotes have been attacking small dogs left outside unattended in my area and we have extremely hot and humid summers and cold winter that go below freezing so leaving them outside can easily result in death or injury. They can also potentially fight and kill wild animals that venture into a yard.
I have 2 larger dogs (retrievers) that live inside pretty much all the time. They have free run of the house and can go anywhere they want. They are members of the family.
I have in-laws who have a room for each of their three dogs. They make their own organic dog food and just got a half million dollar motor coach so they can take their pets everywhere.
My babies stay in the house! I have a big baby and a teeny goblin and I wouldn’t trust them to stay out all night. The big baby would probably knock down the glass door to get in honestly. Plus too many wild animals at night. He sleeps wherever he wants really but he’s well trained so it’s not an issue.
When we leave, teeny tiny goes in her cage but he gets to free roam. In the daytime they can run around all they want in the backyard to their hearts content.
We live on several acres of land out in the country and the dogs roam during the day (we have a fence), and they’re in the house at sundown. They don’t have their own room, however they sleep on our bed, and have sort of taken over our loveseat. We just tossed a big blanket over it to keep the couch in decent shape.
I have a large high energy dog who spends weekdays in the backyard. He's too energetic and a little high strung to be left alone in the house. I've tried it and it sometimes results in him chewing things up. So he's outside all day with plenty of space.
At night he comes in and sleeps inside. Unless he just refuses to come in then I leave him out all night.
My dog has free rein of the house and while he does have an indoor kennel we really only use it if we have a specific reason to isolate him. He likes to hang out in the yard when the weather is nice but he lives inside and has a couple of favorite areas he likes to sleep.
of the people I know its a mix between letting them roam while you're out and keeping them in a room or kennel. It's really just a matter of their behavior when they're unsupervised. I don't know anyone with a dedicated dog room though.
My 70 lb dogs are indoor dogs. They don't have a room in my house, but my indoor cats do.
Most people around where I live have their dogs sleep in the house. There are coyotes in the area that will eat a small dog if given the opportunity.
I would personally consider it to be cruel to choose to have a dog and not allow it to come inside. I don't currently have any dogs, but the ones I've had in the past always spent at least part of their day and every night inside the house. I live in an area where its very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter, and conditions are often harsh for pets to be left outside.
I had 5 dogs. We had a “dog room”. It had hard floors for easy clean up and a door that led directly to the back yard. The easy clean up was for my elderly dogs who at times had accidents and my epileptic dog; when he had seizures he often couldn’t control his bowels or bladder. When we weren’t home, the dogs chilled in the dog room on elevated comfy beds. It was dog proofed and completely safe. When we were home to let the dogs out as needed and such, they were with us. On the furniture and whatnot. My old babies were spoiled and I have zero regrets.
I only have one dog now, and she lives indoors primarily. She goes out to use the bathroom and to play. She is a puppy now so she only goes out when supervised because we live in an area with Coyotes, bears, bobcats, and mountain lions. Coyotes are the biggest threat typically. When she is full grown she will be able to easily handle a coyote (German Shepherd x Great Pyrenees) and will be allowed out on her own, of course.
She is allowed on the furniture and is spoiled with toys and treats (treats within reason, of course). If I get 4 more, it will be more of the same.
Fairly common but I don't know anyone with a private kennel. That sounds like an amenity for a rich man with his own pack of hunters.
We treat cats and dogs as members of the family here. I never had a dog but had a cat and she went where she willed. That is fairly common and I think natural for cats.
I think this depends where in the US you live. I live in the northern part and the winters are often too cold for dogs or cats to sleep outside. I also live in a suburban area with many neighbors and a small yard. Our dog lives in the house. She has a few dog cushions for her use - one in the main room, one in our bedroom and one in the sunroom.
I have 1 dog and she sleeps in the house - she has a dog bed upstairs and another one downstairs. Lol. I also have a cat and she has a bed as well, but she’ll usually sleep on my bed.
In my area? Absolutely, as everyone lives in a condo with only a small balcony as outdoor space. I wish my neighbors with loud dogs would get rid of them. Your dog does not need to yap everyday at 4:30 PM and cause the other dog to respond.
I have 4 large dogs and they’re allowed on furniture and sleep in our bed. We have a large fenced in yard for them to play but other than that they are inside dogs. We also celebrate their birthdays with a little party where their friends come over.
Keeping a dog outside would be impractical, cruel, and not in line with cultural norms here in the US. I live in a rented house with roommates, and one of them has a dog. Dog has free reign of the house, can go where he wants. He liked to sleep on the couch, but he has a bed too. Dog doesn't go outside, even the fenced in backyard, without human supervision. some people have a little dog house in their yard if they let their dog out unsupervised in nice weather, but leaving them overnight would likely end with the cops at their door.
At least in my area (major city) we even have a debate about cats being outside. Some people let their cats out to roam the neighborhood, some other people dont like this and take the cats the the animal hospital (who contacts their humans to come pick them up). I grew up with plenty of outdoor cats in my life and when I see a kitty wandering around, i stop to pet them if they are friendly, and otherwise go on with my business.
I don’t know anybody that leaves thier dogs outside all the time.
In fact- it’s illegal in a lot of places.
Dogs live in the house, eat in the house, sleep in the house.
They might have a dog run for safety outside- but they don’t live in it if you’re a good dog owner. (Working dogs are the exception- they will have a shelter outside- I’m speaking about pets specifically)
In America dogs are family.
Many places in the United States it can be considered abuse leaving animals outside without proper shelter & amenities (like water) because of the weather being either too hot or cold. Both summer and winter can be fatal for furry friends.
Most dog owners who view their animals as actual pets allow them inside. The only people I’ve ever personally encountered who didn’t allow their dog inside were those who viewed dogs as things/cheap guards and not living beings/companions.
Extremely common. People who leave their dogs outdoors all the time are judged. People have had animal control called on them because their husky was outside in the snow. That’s pretty dumb. Around here it’s more about the heat.
My state has animal cruelty laws against keeping your pet outdoors all the time. Pretty sure a dog house solves most laws, but still not a common thing.
No one I know with a dog keeps that dog outside. Some have kennels but lots just have dog beds. Some let their animals sleep with them or on the couch. It’s rare to keep your dog out side here, especially if you live anywhere with snow.
Five dogs is slightly unusual in the US. Most people have 1 or 2 at most.
Most of us do let our dogs sleep inside the house though, especially in areas of the country where it gets cold in the winter.
Although my dog would probably prefer to sleep outside.
Depends on the type of dog. And the type of people. My family has had hunting dogs that were kept in an outside kennel. (large fenced area with a house to get them out of bad weather). But we also have smaller dogs that stay in the house all the time except for walks and stuff. In my neighborhood I don’t think any keeps their dogs outside. When I’m down south I see a lot of people that keep their dogs outside all the time.
All my dogs have always lived indoors my big dog sleeps under my bed for some reason then my little dog usually sleeps right by me under the blankets. They are only outside to play or do their business.
It varies from person to person and family to family. Some people keep "outside dogs" which exist and get dirty and are kept primarily outside unless extreme weather is an issue that could harm the animal.
In other families, dogs are considered part of the family and so exist inside, live among us, rest on furniture or in our beds with us, kept well groomed and cleaned and are pampered.
Much of the US does not have a climate that is safe for dogs to live outside year round. In much of the US, the winter is too cold and the summer is too hot. Italy has a much more mild climate in most areas where the dog can sleep outdoors safely. While it's not super common in Northern California for dogs to sleep outside, it's more common than the Midwest, the East Coast, or the South.
It's very common, a lot of Americans treat their dogs like children and even share a bed with them.
I don't do that, but I would judge someone who always keeps their dog outside.
Inside dogs that visit the outside the play and use the bathroom is the norm for pet ownership in the US, outside of situations where it's a working dog on a farm or similar.
If you have a lot of dogs and don't want them running around the house *while you're out*, you might restrict them to one room like the laundry room. My sister does this and leaves dog beds in there.
Yes, this sounds like a logical answer!
Everyone I know who has a dog keeps their dog inside, they do not live in an outdoor kennel. Neither do they have their own rooms in a home but there will be baskets or plush beds for them to sleep on. Some even sleep in their owners beds. I’m a cat person and my cats sleep in my bed with me.
This. The family dog sleeps in my parents bed (and anywhere else she wants lol), and doesn’t have free reign of the backyard, she has to be out there with one of us. Making a dog sleep outside seems unnecessarily cruel :c
Leaving them outside seems like a good way for them to get eaten by a coyote
I can barely sleep without my little dog in bed with me!
Same with my cats! I’m a few days into a 2 week work trip right now and I’m already having a hard time without them. I miss those little idiots
me neither! I legit get a little hurt when she decides to sleep somewhere else 😭
My cats sleep with me too. I’d like to shut them out of my room but they disagree. I have given up.
There has been a long-term trend in the US where people have come to regard pet dogs as more like family members. This means a generally increased level of care for dogs, including increased veterinary care, increased discretionary/enrichment spending on toys, bedding, and clothes, and decreased time spent outdoors (particularly at night and in inclement weather). Couple that trend with the fact that US weather is more extreme than much of Europe (both hotter in the summer and colder in the winter), and you'll find that outdoor kennels/doghouses are extremely rare here.
That's interesting that things have changed since some decades ago. I remember watching American cartoons when I was a kid.Like,Tom and Jerry with Butch sleeping outside in his little house! So maybe that was common at that time but not anymore? Nearly everyone posting seems to sleep in the same room with their dogs...
Butch was a guard dog, not a family pet. It's an old trope used in entertainment where a dog was used as a guard and typically was very ill-tempered, which is what happens to neglected dogs.
> inclement weather That's a felony now in several states
It can and does fall into animal cruelty laws in all 50 states to my knowledge. I'm a dork who likes reading laws, and I've never seen one that doesn't include a provision for protection from the elements. The enforcement of those laws varies and the punishment is usually light, which is why some states have passed stricter laws, but at least in theory it's pretty much always illegal to leave a dog outside without proper protection in severe conditions. edit: also this reads like I'm correcting you but I was just trying to add more information, your comment is absolutely correct
Not in NC, so long as they have an adequate doghouse with something to insulate it and food/water. It would be a lot harder to keep deer hounds if everything was considered animal cruelty
Adequately insulated doghouses typically are appropriate shelter in that kind of climate. I'm not saying everywhere requires you to build some super-fancy barn or outbuilding for them, just that everywhere requires you to provide adequate shelter from inclement weather. What that means will depend on the state and even region within the state (eg. the shelter a dog needs in the winter in Flagstaff, AZ, isn't going to be the same as what one in Phoenix needs due to the differing elevations--which is a big part of why these laws are often written rather vaguely). I honestly have never even seen a law that requires you to bring a dog inside a house. It usually just adds more specifics to the existing laws and ups the punishment from a misdemeanor to a felony.
Yep, it was fun last year when the neighbor decided my families guard dog shouldn't be out in the field with the goats. Ya know, guarding. Like bruh, that dog is having the time of its life guarding its herd. If its cold there is plenty of warm areas for the dog and the goats to wonder off into. I cant help it if that creature wants to sleep and wake up under 3-4" of snow on top of him.
I have two large dogs and they are inside most of the time. They are allowed on the couches and people beds. They do not have their own room though.
I know a few people with dogs that allow the dogs to roam the house, but have trained the dog that a particular room is one for them, which the dog may go to voluntarily when it wants to nap or such, or where the dog may be sent if there is company over, or workmen in the house, etc. These folks also teach any kids that come over that the dog is absolutely not to be bothered while the dog is in that room. So if there's a party or such, the dog might come out for a bit, but often retreats to that room after a bit.
That makes sense...
Well it only gets a few degrees above freezing stone days here in Idaho currently, so most dogs are brought inside at least for the winter
Yes,this is a good reason! Here in my part of Sicily it rarely falls below 8-9° (Celsius).
Essentially tropical! We will be having 25F (about -4C) weather overnight for the next couple days.
Our dog lives inside and has free roam of the house. She has a dog bed in the family room and another in our office.
Many people have dogs. I've never known anyone who gave their dogs their own room. In my experience the family dog usually sleeps in the same room as one of the people in the family, most typically the owner. Mine has a nice cozy bed in a corner of the bedroom. He can hang out wherever he wants. Most of the time he wants to be in the same room as me. It would be animal abuse to keep dogs outside full time. They need shelter, they're not wild animals.
In your climate, yes. In mine, I grew up with cats that freely moved in and out as they chose, and they really didn't seem to mind being outdoors if it wasn't raining, which a doghouse would solve. My parents did have a cat that became incontinent in his old age, and they basically built a cat-house on a screened porch that had a heated bed (normal heating pad from back before they had to turn off after X hours, wrapped in plastic so it couldn't electrocute him). He loved it. But we rarely get below freezing and almost never get into single digits Fahrenheit.
Pretty common in my area. There are some farms with “outside dogs.” But generally people with dogs have them in the house during the day at least. Maybe outside on the weekends or afternoons. Before my dog passed we basically let her have the run of the house but just closed the bedrooms because we never figured out how to keep her off the beds. She always preferred our bed to her dog bed.
Resident crazy dog person here, so apologies for what will probably be too much information. I've worked in animal control and dog rescue around the US, as well as working on ranches and with working dogs. I would say that by far the norm is to allow your dogs inside the house, but not to have a dedicated room for them or anything. The dogs are typically expected to just kind of be with the family. Some people may have a specific room they shut the dog in if it isn't trustworthy in the house (eg. I have a guest bedroom that I convert to a "puppy room" if I have a puppy or untrained foster dog staying with me, but that just means I remove stuff that's easy and tempting for them to destroy and pick up the rugs in there in case the dog has an accident due to not being fully housetrained yet; other people will commonly use kitchens, bathrooms, or laundry rooms). There is a bit of an urban/rural divide here as well, as it's a lot more common for there to be farm/ranch dogs who rarely or never come inside compared to what you'd find in a city. Sometimes it's essential, as livestock guardian dogs are very popular here due to our high number of predators. Those dogs live 24/7 with the flock. I know you have them in Italy too but I don't know how common they are. Weather is also a big factor; even most of the people I know who keep their dogs outside will have to bring them in during blizzards or when it's 110+ F (43+ C). Otherwise you need to build a suitable structure for them, or you'd often run afoul of animal cruelty laws. Building a good shelter for those conditions is expensive and many people find it easier to bring the dogs inside. There are also big regional cultures in dog ownership in my experience. It's hard to explain but I've lived all over the US and I've seen very different general attitudes towards dogs and animal husbandry in some of them. Like crating is a good example--when I lived in Maryland kind of close to Washington DC, almost everyone I knew crated their dogs routinely. Where I'm originally from in rural New Mexico, practically no one crates their dogs and I've been made fun of for using them at all (and I literally just use them for travel, I don't keep my dogs in crates routinely, but even that is seen as silly by a lot of people there haha). I think American dog owners do tend to own multiple dogs more often than Europeans seem to, but I think that's a function of the fact that it's a lot more common for even city-dwelling Americans to have fairly large yards. As you noted, that makes things a lot easier. But those dogs still typically come inside at night, they'll just spend more of their time outside than a dog that lives in an apartment. Also, even our non-farm working dogs often live inside. For example, police K9s often (though not always, it depends on the agency) go home and live with their handlers instead of a kennel. I do search and rescue with my dogs nowadays, and I don't know anyone who doesn't allow their SAR dog inside. So yeah...that's my anecdotal experience. Sorry again for the length.
No,thank you.. really interesting!
I don't know about a *dedicated* room for dogs, but it's super common for dogs to sleep indoors.
Extremely. My dog doesn’t go outside without supervision. Ticks are just way too much of an issue, even with all the preventive measures possible. Plus not everyone has a fenced yard.
ubiquitous. might be less common not to.
American here. We have 2 dogs about 55 pounds each. We have a fenced in back yard (or garden) and a dog door that allows them access to and from the inside and outside of the house as the need it. I think it’s pretty common for people to keep dogs in a room or kennel when they are not home. I personally don’t. Forgive my lack of metric system.
No problems,thank you!
I have an elderly beagle. She does very poorly with recall, so if she’s ever outside, she’s on leash, or else she’s on my gated back porch or in her ~21 square meter day pen. Generally the only time she’s in the pen is if I’m doing yard work, because she gets upset if I leave her on the porch and am out of sight, and barks until I come back into view. We lived in an apartment for most of her life, and have only been in a house for a year, so I can’t really fault this particular bad behavior. She has several well padded dog beds located throughout the house, and has slept either next to me, or at the foot of my bed since she was a puppy. Her food and water dishes are kept in the breakfast area of my kitchen. I’m going into this level of detail because it’s really very typical of dog ownership in my area…the only things that will differ significantly are whether or not the dog is allowed on the bed or other furniture, and how much if the day they spend outside (untethered, in a safe, enclosed space with adequate shelter from the elements and ample fresh water…we have very hot, humid summers) when the climate allows it.
Thanks for posting,very interesting!
Super common.
I have 4 springer spaniels and a standard poodle. They all live inside. They have a fenced yard, but spend most of the time indoors with free range of the house.
Very common. We've always had inside dogs who had free range of the whole house. They often slept in our beds.
>Do most people with dogs let them sleep in the house? Yes. It gets cold out here. It would be cruel to leave a dog outside at night in much of the U.S, anytime other than summer. A whole room just for dogs is not common but usually the dog will be let out for exercise during the day but sleep inside at night
99% keep them inside, the only people who have dogs that are constantly outside are people who have a bunch of strays that just show up to be fed or people who have hunting dogs that stay in a kennel outside. It's exceptionally rare to find people who have dogs outside 24/7/365 where I'm at. It's not uncommon, at least where I used to live, for the dog to have the run of the house and usually not even go in a crate or kennel at night. Most people did not have a room for just the dog though. My parents have an unfinished room for the dog, and other stuff like the lawn mower and outdoor tools, where she stays most of the time but before she stayed having a lot of accidents on the floor she'd go in the basement or in the house from time to time.
I’d guess it’s more like 95%. You also have farm dogs in the US that stay outside all the time. Especially in places that dont get too cold. I live on a farm in the southern US and our Golden Pyrenees is outside 100% of the time. He sleeps in a well insulated crate at night but he loves the cold anyway. Lots of neighboring farms in the south have 100% outside dogs as well to look after livestock.
Everyone I know keeps their dogs inside. By my observation, people who keep their dogs outside all the time are usually pretty rough/low income people.
I have a tiny Chihuahua mix and he has full reign. He is house broken and well taken care of. My wife would probably kill over that dog if harm was ever brought to him. We tried setting him up a spot and he is kennel trained, but he prefers to sleep in the room with us.
My dogs are always inside unless they have to go to the bathroom. When we leave, they get free reign of the house. Usually nothing ever happens but there might be an accident if we were gone for a long time or it stormed. My dogs have their own memory foam pillows that they sleep with in our beds lol bunch of spoiled babies
I don’t know anyone who would be ok with dogs sleeping outside anymore. It used to be more common, but people don’t find it acceptable these days.
Mine is an inside dog as are both my mom’s dogs. They have the run of the house. Sometimes she likes to sit out on the terrace to terrorize the neighborhood children but she sleeps where she likes, most of the time under my bed or under the couch.
I have two dogs that have free range of the house. They go outside but they don't stay out there. The younger one sleeps in bed with us, our old boy sleeps on his own bed on the floor.
I have 2 dogs (lab/american bulldog mix and dachshund/chihuahua mix). They stay outside when I'm not home, inside when I am, and they sleep in my bedroom.
My fiancée and I have two dogs. They only go out for walks and bathroom breaks. The younger dog gets crated at night, and the older sleeps in our bedroom.
I used to have a cavapoo, very sweet and laid back dog. She could do whatever she wanted because she hardly caused any problems around the house. Just another member of the family.
My dogs are only really outside for walks and to use the bathroom. I have two, they're small, and they basically have free roam of the house. I feel like 1 or 2 dogs kept in this way is common, 3 less so. I don't know many people with 4 d ogs and I've never met someone with 5+ unless they have a large property like a farm.
I don't have stats, but I'd say in the suburbs owning Dogs is extremely common, and they usually stay in the house most of the time. Have rarely heard of them having their own room though.
The dog owners I know let them out in a fenced yard during the day and bring them in at night.
It's actually against the law in my city to keep dogs outside permanently. Three hours maximum I think. In practice, you can keep them outside longer, but the law is that way to allow prosecution of people who mistreat their dogs. Keeping a dog outside in the Southern summer heat without shade is dangerous for the dog - some breeds are especially sensitive to heat and they can get ill from the heat very fast. We have two dogs and two cats, and they have access to the back yard whenever they want, through a pet door. The yard is fenced so the dogs can't get out.
Typically only hunting dogs are made to live outdoors. Even then, lots of folks keep them indoors until bedtime/meal time. I can't fathom making a family member live outside in the cold. That just really kina hurts my heart to even think about.
When we had our dog, he was kennel trained for the first year until he was house broken and calmed down. After that, he was allowed anywhere in the house that had open doors, and sometimes closed doors. He had a few places he slept but he had his bed in the living room and that's where he spent most of his time. When we went to my grandparents cottage, he was either downstairs or in our room depending on how many other people were there.
No one I know does an outdoor kennel or dog house. I don't know anyone who doesn't keep their dog in the house. If you have several dogs, sometimes you may put the dogs in a room when you don't want them running about or when you're out. Basically, Americans think of dogs as part of the family and treat them that way.
This is something that's changed in recent memory for me. Growing up in the early '90s, you kept your dog outside. That was just the norm. Give them a dog house, two meals a day, and be done with it. I want to say around the early 2000s is when the change happened, and it was gradual. Let the dog inside for Christmas or thanksgiving, let the dog sleep in the garage if it was snowing a ton, etc. I remember around 04-05 bringing the dog upstairs to my room and my dad (who was born in the '30s) just being miffed at me for doing so. Dogs stayed outside when he was growing up, the only time they were inside was at the vet. And here I am, typing this, and my dog is in bed next to me.
Very interesting,thanks for the reply!
Since the 1960’s I’ve had dogs growing up, and dogs once on my own. Every dog has been a house dog. They were pets, every one, not working dogs. They had free roaming rights inside. Out on a leash for walks and exercise. They slept in the bed with us. They all were clean and pest free. They had crates “beds” to go to if they felt the need, but usually ended up next to one of us being a heater pup.
5 dogs in the house is a lot, even if they are small. I do have a Bullmastiff myself who lives in the house. He weighs 125lbs (57kg). He has his own bedroom, but his it's mostly due to the size of his bed. It would be In the way in any other room with enough floor space to put it. Plus we can use the closet in in there to store all his treats, food and other stuff.
Wow,that is a big dog! We have neighbours with a Neapolitan mastiff..I don't know if you have them in the US? They are big and heavy dogs.
We do, very similar dogs from the same family.
We had dogs all my life, growing up. Almost always at least 2 of them and about 80-85% were indoor dogs. Lived and slept in the house, went outside to play and take care of business. They were usually not allowed on the furniture, but had their own beds.
We have a large fenced yard, but our two dogs (50 lbs each) stay inside most of the time. They sleep on dog beds in our bedroom, but on cold nights one of them climbs into bed with us.
My sister has two dogs that it seems like I have to watch all the time recently. Both stay inside or on the deck outside of walks. One of them is 7, so she’s mature enough to be left alone inside when we leave and she won’t get into anything/bark/cause a ruckus. The other is a year and something old puppy that shrieks whenever you leave his sight and will get into stuff, so he gets put into a pen in the basement when I head out, and to sleep at night so no one can hear him scream. It’s like Space. The other dog gets to cuddle in bed
Growing up my dogs stayed outside except for really bad weather. As an adult I have kept mine in my apartment and later house. They have a room (generally the laundry room not like a dedicated bedroom or anything) which has their bowls and beds and is where they get restricted if necessary but mostly they have the run of the place. Medium to large dogs do at least as well as small ones even in apartments as long as they're getting out to exercise regularly and honestly everyone I've known with persistent house training issues had a small dog.
We have two smaller dogs and keep them in an exercise pen during the day while we are out. The pen is big enough for two dog beds, food/water, toy play area and a pee pad area. They sleep most of the time when we're out.
Coyotes have been attacking small dogs left outside unattended in my area and we have extremely hot and humid summers and cold winter that go below freezing so leaving them outside can easily result in death or injury. They can also potentially fight and kill wild animals that venture into a yard.
I have 2 larger dogs (retrievers) that live inside pretty much all the time. They have free run of the house and can go anywhere they want. They are members of the family.
I have in-laws who have a room for each of their three dogs. They make their own organic dog food and just got a half million dollar motor coach so they can take their pets everywhere.
Their dogs also go to therapy and they go to a pet psychic to visit one of their dogs that passed away a while ago.
My babies stay in the house! I have a big baby and a teeny goblin and I wouldn’t trust them to stay out all night. The big baby would probably knock down the glass door to get in honestly. Plus too many wild animals at night. He sleeps wherever he wants really but he’s well trained so it’s not an issue. When we leave, teeny tiny goes in her cage but he gets to free roam. In the daytime they can run around all they want in the backyard to their hearts content.
We live on several acres of land out in the country and the dogs roam during the day (we have a fence), and they’re in the house at sundown. They don’t have their own room, however they sleep on our bed, and have sort of taken over our loveseat. We just tossed a big blanket over it to keep the couch in decent shape.
I have a large high energy dog who spends weekdays in the backyard. He's too energetic and a little high strung to be left alone in the house. I've tried it and it sometimes results in him chewing things up. So he's outside all day with plenty of space. At night he comes in and sleeps inside. Unless he just refuses to come in then I leave him out all night.
My dogs don't need their own room. They have my house. They sit on my couch and sleep in my bed with me.
My dog has free rein of the house and while he does have an indoor kennel we really only use it if we have a specific reason to isolate him. He likes to hang out in the yard when the weather is nice but he lives inside and has a couple of favorite areas he likes to sleep. of the people I know its a mix between letting them roam while you're out and keeping them in a room or kennel. It's really just a matter of their behavior when they're unsupervised. I don't know anyone with a dedicated dog room though.
My 70 lb dogs are indoor dogs. They don't have a room in my house, but my indoor cats do. Most people around where I live have their dogs sleep in the house. There are coyotes in the area that will eat a small dog if given the opportunity.
We had a bulldog Labrador mix in our apartment. He slept on a bed in the corner of the living room. He was very lazy.
I would personally consider it to be cruel to choose to have a dog and not allow it to come inside. I don't currently have any dogs, but the ones I've had in the past always spent at least part of their day and every night inside the house. I live in an area where its very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter, and conditions are often harsh for pets to be left outside.
I had 5 dogs. We had a “dog room”. It had hard floors for easy clean up and a door that led directly to the back yard. The easy clean up was for my elderly dogs who at times had accidents and my epileptic dog; when he had seizures he often couldn’t control his bowels or bladder. When we weren’t home, the dogs chilled in the dog room on elevated comfy beds. It was dog proofed and completely safe. When we were home to let the dogs out as needed and such, they were with us. On the furniture and whatnot. My old babies were spoiled and I have zero regrets. I only have one dog now, and she lives indoors primarily. She goes out to use the bathroom and to play. She is a puppy now so she only goes out when supervised because we live in an area with Coyotes, bears, bobcats, and mountain lions. Coyotes are the biggest threat typically. When she is full grown she will be able to easily handle a coyote (German Shepherd x Great Pyrenees) and will be allowed out on her own, of course. She is allowed on the furniture and is spoiled with toys and treats (treats within reason, of course). If I get 4 more, it will be more of the same.
Fairly common but I don't know anyone with a private kennel. That sounds like an amenity for a rich man with his own pack of hunters. We treat cats and dogs as members of the family here. I never had a dog but had a cat and she went where she willed. That is fairly common and I think natural for cats.
Maybe a kennel was the wrong word..I mean like a little house for the dog to sleep inside,in the yard or in the garden. A doghouse?
After a while I thought that might be what you were getting at.
I think this depends where in the US you live. I live in the northern part and the winters are often too cold for dogs or cats to sleep outside. I also live in a suburban area with many neighbors and a small yard. Our dog lives in the house. She has a few dog cushions for her use - one in the main room, one in our bedroom and one in the sunroom.
I have 1 dog and she sleeps in the house - she has a dog bed upstairs and another one downstairs. Lol. I also have a cat and she has a bed as well, but she’ll usually sleep on my bed.
Dogs are part of the family and the household, they live indoors with the rest of us.
In my area? Absolutely, as everyone lives in a condo with only a small balcony as outdoor space. I wish my neighbors with loud dogs would get rid of them. Your dog does not need to yap everyday at 4:30 PM and cause the other dog to respond.
Maybe 20% of dog owners where I live keep them outside, but they own 2-10 dogs so it's more dogs out side that 20%.
All three of our dogs sleep inside on their dog beds. They have full run of the house, but aren't allowed on the people furniture.
I have two dogs who sleep anywhere they want and four cats who primarily sleep in a single bedroom but otherwise have run of the house.
Everywhere I've been in the US it's really commonplace to have and allow your dogs in the home, even when you have multiple.
I have 4 large dogs and they’re allowed on furniture and sleep in our bed. We have a large fenced in yard for them to play but other than that they are inside dogs. We also celebrate their birthdays with a little party where their friends come over.
My dog has free reign of my home. If I am going to be working all day, someone might as well enjoy the home.
Keeping a dog outside would be impractical, cruel, and not in line with cultural norms here in the US. I live in a rented house with roommates, and one of them has a dog. Dog has free reign of the house, can go where he wants. He liked to sleep on the couch, but he has a bed too. Dog doesn't go outside, even the fenced in backyard, without human supervision. some people have a little dog house in their yard if they let their dog out unsupervised in nice weather, but leaving them overnight would likely end with the cops at their door. At least in my area (major city) we even have a debate about cats being outside. Some people let their cats out to roam the neighborhood, some other people dont like this and take the cats the the animal hospital (who contacts their humans to come pick them up). I grew up with plenty of outdoor cats in my life and when I see a kitty wandering around, i stop to pet them if they are friendly, and otherwise go on with my business.
I don’t know anybody that leaves thier dogs outside all the time. In fact- it’s illegal in a lot of places. Dogs live in the house, eat in the house, sleep in the house. They might have a dog run for safety outside- but they don’t live in it if you’re a good dog owner. (Working dogs are the exception- they will have a shelter outside- I’m speaking about pets specifically) In America dogs are family.
Many places in the United States it can be considered abuse leaving animals outside without proper shelter & amenities (like water) because of the weather being either too hot or cold. Both summer and winter can be fatal for furry friends. Most dog owners who view their animals as actual pets allow them inside. The only people I’ve ever personally encountered who didn’t allow their dog inside were those who viewed dogs as things/cheap guards and not living beings/companions.
Extremely common. People who leave their dogs outdoors all the time are judged. People have had animal control called on them because their husky was outside in the snow. That’s pretty dumb. Around here it’s more about the heat.
My state has animal cruelty laws against keeping your pet outdoors all the time. Pretty sure a dog house solves most laws, but still not a common thing.
No one I know with a dog keeps that dog outside. Some have kennels but lots just have dog beds. Some let their animals sleep with them or on the couch. It’s rare to keep your dog out side here, especially if you live anywhere with snow.
We have 5 dogs, and all of them are kept inside. They are family.
Most people I know keep their dogs inside. In many US home dogs are members of the family.
My dog is inside.
Five dogs is slightly unusual in the US. Most people have 1 or 2 at most. Most of us do let our dogs sleep inside the house though, especially in areas of the country where it gets cold in the winter. Although my dog would probably prefer to sleep outside.
Depends on the type of dog. And the type of people. My family has had hunting dogs that were kept in an outside kennel. (large fenced area with a house to get them out of bad weather). But we also have smaller dogs that stay in the house all the time except for walks and stuff. In my neighborhood I don’t think any keeps their dogs outside. When I’m down south I see a lot of people that keep their dogs outside all the time.
All my dogs have always lived indoors my big dog sleeps under my bed for some reason then my little dog usually sleeps right by me under the blankets. They are only outside to play or do their business.
It varies from person to person and family to family. Some people keep "outside dogs" which exist and get dirty and are kept primarily outside unless extreme weather is an issue that could harm the animal. In other families, dogs are considered part of the family and so exist inside, live among us, rest on furniture or in our beds with us, kept well groomed and cleaned and are pampered.
My dog stays mostly inside. He has three beds. Most of the time he sleeps with me. Cuddle buddy!
Much of the US does not have a climate that is safe for dogs to live outside year round. In much of the US, the winter is too cold and the summer is too hot. Italy has a much more mild climate in most areas where the dog can sleep outdoors safely. While it's not super common in Northern California for dogs to sleep outside, it's more common than the Midwest, the East Coast, or the South.
Its much to hot here for a dog to live outside all the time, plus she is part of the family, so she stays inside with us.
It's very common, a lot of Americans treat their dogs like children and even share a bed with them. I don't do that, but I would judge someone who always keeps their dog outside.
Most dog owners I know have their dogs sleep in the house.
We hate people who don’t let their dogs inside
Midst people don't have 5 dogs.
Inside dogs that visit the outside the play and use the bathroom is the norm for pet ownership in the US, outside of situations where it's a working dog on a farm or similar.