Keep her outside??

jagresti · #1 20th April 2012, 07:57 AM

Hi all - this is a general question since I have never owned a boxer breed before. I have had a shepherd when I was a kid and my dad always left him outside (except to sleep and when it was really cold). Is it better to leave her outside all day or inside? Does it matter? She is almost 6 mos old, I have had her for almost 2 mos and up until now, she has been allowed to roam the house inside (except the bedrooms and bathroom) during the day. Very minimul accidents and damage. My yard is medium sized (almost 1/4 acre) and I just finished cleaning it up and it is now completely fenced in with a large porch on the side to give her shade area. I was thinking since the weather is turning, it would be better for her to leave her outside all day instead of inside. I would leave a bowl of water for her and some toys in the yard (same as I did inside). Just a thought...wondering what you all think...she seems to be starting to be an "inside only dog" which I do not like. Only comes out when I leash her to go for a walk. I will open the door and she only stands at the door, smells the air, and goes back to her blanket in the living room.

Thanks again.

Roge · #2 20th April 2012, 09:34 AM

No I would not leave her out on her own as Boxers are people dogs. Roge follows me where ever I go in the house however when the weather gets warmer I leave the back door open for him so he can come and go as he pleases as he loves to snooze in the sun, in saying that it never gets too hot here in Ireland so extreme heat is hardly ever an issue. I would never lock him out on his own and if he does happen to go outside with someone and wants to come back in he gets up on our garden bench which is outside our kitchen window and stares in and on occasion has knocked on the window with his paw.
My Terrier on the other hand will stay out all day depending on the weather and never look to come in.
Your dog being only 6 months old doesnt know any different as she has been inside all the time she will sooner rather than later figure out the joys of a snooze in the sun and will enjoy being out. She is still very young and they do tend to have a light coat so she may still find it too cold ,hay given the choice wouldnt you choose a nap on your blanket to going out in the cold.

johann · #3 20th April 2012, 01:05 PM

No, no, no! Boxers (or any breed for that matter) need to be inside the house with their owners. Left outside unattended she can get into mischief (digging, fence jumping, barking), will be less friendly and more likely to be aggressive due to lack of continued socialization (IME), or get injured/ill and you wouldn't notice right away.

If you aren't commited to keeping your boxer inside full time, please find a boxer rescue to take her. They are not a breed that can live outside or even spend the majority of their time outside.

My boy loves to lay out and sunbathe on our deck or in the grass, but he's always let back in immediately when he wants to be. It's a similar situation to the one Roge described, but we can't leave the door open due to our cat....so I'm constantly letting him in/out on demand.

TysonsMyBoy · #4 20th April 2012, 06:39 PM

I couldn't imagine leaving my Tyson outside all day by himself!! I got a patio doggie door so when I am home he can let himself out, because he will ring the bell 30 times an hour to go out!! He loves going out to play, but he LOVES coming in to be with his family

jacquim · #5 21st April 2012, 10:13 AM

I agree with all of the other responses. Raiden doesn't think much of going outside either unless I go out there with him to play (he pees then instantly is whacking the back door with his paw to come back in). Boxers are social dogs though and like being with their people. I wouldn't recommend keeping them outside for long periods of time. When they get bored, they also get destructive so your nice yard that you just cleaned up will quickly get torn apart.

jagresti · #6 23rd April 2012, 06:31 AM

Thanks for the replies...sounds like Sophie will continue to be an "inside dog" then. I just thought that keeping her locked inside all day was worse...shows what I know. I'm not sure what she does all day while I'm at work, but there never seems to be that much of a mess when I come home. Unless I am gone for a LONG time in a row (more than 6 hours). Aside from occassional accidents (about 1 per day) I think it will work out. Deciding on putting in a doggy door too. Any recommendations on that?

Thanks!

johann · #7 23rd April 2012, 02:57 PM

A doggie door could be a good idea- that way she can go outside to pee/run around but still have access to the house.

Would probably help with the accidents too. I don't know that I'd trust my dog to have free access to our full backyard- might come home to a few holes dug to China.

Just as a warning, you may want to start confining her to one or two dog proof rooms in your house (if you aren't already) before she hits her adolescent/bratty period. Unattended boxers can cause a huge amount of destruction in a short period of time.