[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

I have had an outside dog nearly all my life in NW Ohio (as do many folks in our rural farming community). They do just fine provided they get to sleep in a doghouse or garage. We have an underground fence for our Australian Shepard and it works fine, but he was probably 6-8 months old when we put the fence in.

Same here Tim. While I understand the sentiment of those who consider a dog one of their kids, I disagree. Despite the attachment, it's still an animal. If I get a dog it will live in a doghouse that is in the shade in the summer and sheltered in the winter, with a heat lamp to keep it warm. I know many people with outside dogs, they're no worse off than dogs that live inside all of their lives. In fact I would argue that some owners are doing their dogs a disservice by leaving them inside all of the time, my parents have already had to have surgery on their 6 year old Golden's back legs because the dog could barely walk. Inside dog, small house, it doesn't get much exercise. At least a dog in a fenced yard can roam without constraint.

Your responses have convinced me that I won't get a puppy without a fence though, the invisible thing just isn't solid enough.