am i being over sensitive?

[becky]

[gaddylovesdogs]

I'd be concerned if I were you, too. I don't really "believe" in outdoor dogs unless they are well taken care of. Puppies should be fed twice a day, and allowed to come inside. And terriers......

[jules]

In my honest opinion, you being very sensitive! Why do people bother to get dogs, or any pet for that matter, to leave them outside? whats the joy in it, I don't understand - a dog should be part of a family. These puppies require four feeds a day, we both know that - if I was you, I would have to say something ..... tactfully of course! I also agree with you Becky that they require stimulation to grow as well as food. Hope he at least keeps them warm enough.

I too have a Weimaraner - shes a lovely girl, almost 11 years old now and finally grown up a bit!
Let me know what happens, am interested in this one - good luck.

[Carrie]

No, you're not overly sensative. That is no way to treat puppies. They need human interaction and a lot of it. They need to be fed 3 or 4 times a day when very young. They need to be informed about the needs of puppies and how they will be maladjusted if they're not loved, cuddled, socialized and worked with.

[flyndog]

Is this a general discussion topic or am I'm confused again. What's the debate topic?
Kit

[stardust]

the fact is they will be better PETS if they have human interaction. i really feel sorry for these pups, because someday these owners might want them to be perfect little angels and listen to everything, and because how they are growing up right now they wont be. they will be more likely to snap and fight and be basically wild. right now they are living in a wild pack and without human guidance (PROPER HUMAN GUIDANCE) they will not be suitable for pets. and really that is scary as to what will happen to them in the future..... *sigh*

[PitBullie09]

I would definitally say something. Expessially about feeding them once a day and LOCKING them in a STABLE.

[Ritz459]

Both of our dogs are outside dogs, but if I had had my way, they would be inside. (But that isn't really possible because they would eat our cat.) I give them plenty of exercise and human interaction. I trian them and they are pretty much well behaved dogs. They even don't really like to be inside. I brought them in one time and they were fine, but as soon as they went out side they went CRAZY! They were zipping around everywhere, and I was like, "WOW!" I would be concerned though if one of my neighbor/family member if they had puppies and they kept them outside and let them run everywhere and only fed them once a day. (I feed our dogs once a day, but they are older and will only eat their food a 5:00 anyways...) I would try saying and explianing something to your sister and her husband about them. I feel so sorry for those pups....

[LabLuver22]

Outdoor dogs are fine if they're well taken care of and loved and socialized (although an indoor dog is preferable if possibly), but it doesn't sound like that's the case here. You're correct to be concerned. Those puppies aren't receiving enough human interaction and will probably grow to be horribly socialized if their owners keep this up. And terriers really should be doing something to keep their mind busy, especially puppies, even if it's emptying a Kong.

Unfortunately, this is every bit as big a case of neglect as not providing adequate food, water, and shelter (in my opinion), but it's not illegal--in other words, as long as your dog has food, water, and shelter, they're considered well taken care of.

I would definitely talk to them--but be very careful! Some people can get very defensive about that kind of thing (but, you probably know if your sister and her husband are that type of people). They can still be outdoor dogs, but they should be fed three times a day and given at least two hours (at least one hour when they're adults) of human interaction and playtime every day, and taken to at least one place a week for socialization. If their owners can't provide that for them....they really should think of finding their puppies another home.

If I sound like I'm coming on too strong, it's because I feel very strongly about this kind of thing. A dog should be a member of the family, not a yard decoration.

[BXRchic]

Originally Posted by Carrie

No, you're not overly sensative. That is no way to treat puppies. They need human interaction and a lot of it. They need to be fed 3 or 4 times a day when very young. They need to be informed about the needs of puppies and how they will be maladjusted if they're not loved, cuddled, socialized and worked with.

I wholeheartedly agree! I do realize that we're talking about dogs and not humans here, but a study was done in the 40's I think. There were two orphanages. Orph "A" was full of babies that were loved and held and cuddled, talked to, etc. Inside of Orph "B", the babies were not talked to or even held. They were fed by bottle while in their cribs and the only time contact was made was during bath time or diaper changes. Babies from "A" grew up to be healthy, well adjusted and happy kids and adults. Babies from Orph "B" were sickly for thier durations, many did not survive infancy and there were notable amounts of children from "B" who were not able to make relationships or tight bonds with anyone.
There really is something to Nature vs. Nurture here and those who have chosen to discredit the idea do not realize how badly they are setting up an animal or person for a bleak (sp?) future. Even if one wasnt sure whether or not all of the coddling and time spent attempting to make a bond actually worked, wouldnt it be better to at least know that you tried?
In my Modern Political Thought class there was a quote that became one of my favorites, the name of the person escapes me (sadly-because this is a good one), but this person said (on religion-but you'll likely see the connection) "Isn't it better to believe in God and be wrong than not believe in God and be wrong?" (whether it's true or not, isnt it better to at least give it a try than face the consequences for being wrong about it later?)
Just food for thought.

By the way (and back to the point) , you ARE being sensative. But that's not a bad trait-its "sensative" people like you (and most of us here) that make great husbands, wives, parents, children, teachers, friends (I could go on for days with these titles, but lets not forget one that's especially meaningful to most of us here), and animal owners...~!

[Carrie]

Right....you're sensative and so you should be. Overly sensative?.......as in being illogical or "all in my head" kind of sensative???? NO WAY. You're absolutely correct in worrying. That's what I meant by, "no, you're not overly sensative." LOL.

[becky]

thank u all for your kind words and advice.

i will keep u all posted

[gaddylovesdogs]

Originally Posted by becky

i will keep u all posted

Goodie!

[Kaiyah]

I have 2 different veiws on "outside" or "tethered" dogs. My grandparents have a newfie mix named Bear. This dog is an outdoor dog. he lives outside 24/7. My aunt decided one time that she would be a savior and take the dog home with her. Well, Bear had his own opinion. he would howl constantly unless she took him outside. Inside, besides the howling, he was restless. She brought him back, he was happy. A neihbor of my grandparents turned them in last winter because they claimed my granparents were abusing the dog and not letting him inside and that he had no shelter. Bear has a huge, dog house with walls that are like 12 inches thick and full of insulation. The inside is full of blankets and hay. And yet, 90% of the time, when you look outside, he will be laying in the snow, or on top of the dog house. Even in a blizzard. Last winter we had a bad storm that lasted like 3 days. The temp dropped to at least 30 below. Where was bear? Sleeping on the top of his house! My dads rottie max, is the same way. So some dogs are just fine as outdoor dogs. On the other hand, if they are not used to it or cannot handle the outdoors, or are left outside and forgotten then it is a problem. Neither Bear nor Max are left and forgotten. If the situation is right, an outdoor dog is fine.

[kjm]

I agree Kaiyah. Until I brought Boone home, my parents had NEVER had a dog in the house unless it was very sick or some other extreme circumstance. They've had dogs all my life and they've all done perfectly fine. Sugar, our rottie, was about 13 when she died and her son, Buster, is about that age now.

Of course, my parents have never owned a small dog, like a mini schnauzer or yorkie, so there's a difference. Those dogs should never have to live outside for any time.