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Post by bamapitbullmom on Mar 2, 2009 8:33:12 GMT -5
nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/resident-dog-vs-family-dog/Resident dog vs. Family Dog: What is the difference? Today, it seems that discussions and headlines about dog bites, canine aggression and the behavior of certain dog breeds dominate our national dialogue concerning the human-canine bond. However, all attempts to understand canine behavior through studies or statistics, and all discussions about canine aggression and breed specific behaviors are meaningless unless we recognize two distinctly different types of dogs living among us: resident dogs and family dogs. Lumping resident dogs and family dogs together in academic studies or statistical compilations will not yield any insight into the causes and reasons for dog bites. A Resident Dog: Dogs maintained outside the home (on chains, in kennels or in yards) and/or dogs obtained for negative functions (guarding, fighting, protection, breeding for financial gain) are not family pets; they are resident dogs. Acknowledging the environment in which they live and the function for which they are maintained is vital to understanding their behavior and, when the situation arises, their aggression. Resident dogs cannot be expected to exhibit the same behaviors and level of sociability as family dogs. A Family Dog: Family dogs live inside the home and are afforded the opportunity to learn appropriate behaviors through positive and humane interaction with people on a daily basis.
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Post by RealPitBull on Mar 2, 2009 9:44:45 GMT -5
Gawd, what did we do before Karen Delise! Important distinction, above.
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snipe
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Post by snipe on Mar 2, 2009 11:29:40 GMT -5
Aren't some dogs kept outside but are still family dogs?
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Post by bamapitbullmom on Mar 2, 2009 11:52:55 GMT -5
I'm sure their owners would consider them family dogs, but how many family members live outdoors?
The point here is that living conditions are rarely taken into account when a bog bite or attack is reported. If it were, the incidences involving outdoor "resident" dogs would far exceed those of fulltime, indoor "pets".
But they are lumped together with a focus on breed, not socialization, health, living conditions, lack of training, etc which are far more statistically relevent factors to consider.
When you have the time, take a look at the entire site, it's a fabulous resource in the works.
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Post by RealPitBull on Mar 2, 2009 12:27:02 GMT -5
Yeah, the point made above is important because it begins to cause people to look at *ENVIRONMENT* as a cause of dog attacks or the influencer of the development of aggressive behavior. It also begs consideration of the fact that certain breed are more prone to attracting people looking for a guard/attack dog and these sorts of people are more likely to keep a dog chained, avoid proper socialization/training, etc. Again, this goes to environment and not breed - even if, at first glance, breed seems to be the only common denominator.
When people keep screaming about 'vicious breeds!!!!', it's waaaaay too easy to overlook real causes, like bad ownership or the general way a dog is kept as the underlying, unifying factors involved. But human behavior is too difficult to address and change - people don't like being told what they are doing wrong. It's just too easy to blame something else.
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snipe
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Post by snipe on Mar 2, 2009 12:33:42 GMT -5
Oh, ok. I just remembered that some people were saying they have (or had) dogs that live outside.
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Post by bamapitbullmom on Mar 2, 2009 12:44:42 GMT -5
I've had many outdoor dogs as pets and considered them more than family members. But one was shot to death when we weren't home when he went off as usual to do doG knows what, my first childhood dog was hit and killed by a car.
This was how I grew up until I hit early teen years and learned about crates and better care.
My dogs stayed outside when we were at school and work, free to do as they please and have done to them what anyone or any other animals decided to.
My dogs very well could have been put in a position of biting someone or something.
The alternative was to spend more time and interact with them more in a home environment in order to create a dog with a higher threshold and better socialization and manners.
I loved all of my dogs incredibly, I feel the point with comparing "resident" dogs and "family" dogs is an important one. In most cases dogs kept outdoors are going to have more opportunities to learn unwanted behaviors, practice them, become frustrated, bored, aroused but also be accessible.
I would certainly feel that I knew a dog which lived indoors with me rather than one which lived outdoors fulltime. Regardless of how much time I spent out there with it.
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snipe
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Post by snipe on Mar 2, 2009 13:06:06 GMT -5
"I would certainly feel that I knew a dog which lived indoors with me rather than one which lived outdoors fulltime. Regardless of how much time I spent out there with it. "
me too. i never even heard of having outdoor dogs until recently, and would never even consider it. i like being around my dog, to me, that's why you get a dog. to have that constant companionship, and to interact with it. i am sure you can have a similar relationship with an outdoor dog, but to me you can't have that same close, and intense relationship when you live in separate places.
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Post by RealPitBull on Mar 2, 2009 13:15:59 GMT -5
"I would certainly feel that I knew a dog which lived indoors with me rather than one which lived outdoors fulltime. Regardless of how much time I spent out there with it. " me too. i never even heard of having outdoor dogs until recently, and would never even consider it. i like being around my dog, to me, that's why you get a dog. to have that constant companionship, and to interact with it. i am sure you can have a similar relationship with an outdoor dog, but to me you can't have that same close, and intense relationship when you live in separate places. Speaking as someone who used to have outdoor dogs, and now has strictly indoor dogs, I will tell you that you are 100% right. The relationship you have with an indoor dog just can't compare to the one you have with an outdoor one. It's just not possible. And I was VERY VERY close to, and spent TONS of time with my outdoor dogs. But when I started keeping dogs indoors, I was like, "WOW, I can't believe what I've been missing!" My family is still to some degree all about the 'dogs are meant to be outdoors' mentalitiy, which irks me, but since the two people that mainly feel this way don't have dogs, it's ok, I guess (they can stop complaining about the dog hair when they come visit me, though! )
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Post by tank on Mar 2, 2009 13:27:06 GMT -5
how well do you think an "outdoor dog" would do in an inside setting? What about a dog that was kept outdoors for all of it's life, surrendered to a shelter, then adopted to a family that wanted to have a family indoor dog? Just wondering. Sorry if this is too off topic. But reading this brings up this question in my head.
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Post by bamapitbullmom on Mar 2, 2009 13:35:58 GMT -5
This happens all the time. Lots of dogs are found as strays or rescued from chains or living outdoors and morph into couch potatos and well-mannered inside dogs.
Some may have residual behavioral issues stemming from lack of socialization, simply not knowing what is expected and fear of household environments but unless the behavioral issues are severe, they easily can overcome these.
My own Jasmine, whom we brought in as a foster at age 5 months was freaked out by the tags on her collar since she had never worn tags. She initially tried to mouth them off, trying to reach them but it was simply something so new she didn't know what to make of it. It's the same with anything new. Even the television was scary to her. The dishwasher, telephone ringing, etc all were things she became habituated to.
Dogs don't generalize well but they are amazingly resiliant and adaptable if given the proper help.
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Post by crystalbbr on Mar 2, 2009 23:01:09 GMT -5
My family is still to some degree all about the 'dogs are meant to be outdoors' mentalitiy, When Dustin and I first started dating, that was the mentality he had. "I can't believe your dogs sleep in the bed with you" - fast forward to the present and he is the one who keeps up with the rotations of who is sleeping in the bed with us at night hahaha Obviously after he experienced being in my home with dogs living inside, he really couldn't stand the thought of what became our dogs living outside all the time like he originally believed was 'right'
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Post by valliesong on Mar 2, 2009 23:14:13 GMT -5
I think "resident" dog vs. "family" dog is a good way to put it. Although I am completely against tethering and penning dogs outdoors away from the family, I am also against keeping dogs in the garage, basement, kitchen, rec room, or anywhere else that they aren't spending the majority of their time with the family.
I have also worked with a lot of dogs that have transitioned wonderfully from living outdoors to indoors. Of course they will have no concept of the rules for indoor life, but neither do puppies. The good thing is that they have longer attention spans and larger bladders. Most of them are just so thankful to finally have companionship that they bond extremely well.
One of my own dogs, my foxhound, spent the first four years of her life outdoors. She is now a pampered couch potato. Roscoe was abandoned outside of a liquor store in Easton, and Aiden was running, emaciated and injured, in Harrisburg. I have no idea how they originally lived, but from Aiden's condition, he was obviously not a family dog.
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Post by tank on Mar 3, 2009 0:42:42 GMT -5
I'm glad to see there is success highly possible with transitioning outdoor dogs to indoor dogs. I had always wondered about that. I just sort of assumed it might be hard, because they are probably so used to being outdoors that they whine to get outside constantly and can't be relaxed indoors. My only experience was a few years ago I found a dog wondering in my neighborhood. She followed my dog and I home and came inside but just wanted to be outside, but wouldn't leave the premises. Come to find out when I went through the neighborhood looking for her owners that she was an "outside dog" a few blocks away that had gotten out. The poor girl didn't want to go home, but she also didn't seem to want to be inside.
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Post by valliesong on Mar 3, 2009 2:11:23 GMT -5
I'm glad to see there is success highly possible with transitioning outdoor dogs to indoor dogs. I had always wondered about that. I just sort of assumed it might be hard, because they are probably so used to being outdoors that they whine to get outside constantly and can't be relaxed indoors. My only experience was a few years ago I found a dog wondering in my neighborhood. She followed my dog and I home and came inside but just wanted to be outside, but wouldn't leave the premises. Come to find out when I went through the neighborhood looking for her owners that she was an "outside dog" a few blocks away that had gotten out. The poor girl didn't want to go home, but she also didn't seem to want to be inside. Anything that is new to a dog will cause stress. A dog that hasn't learned the pleasures of being inside will often request to go out. Very few dogs tend to have this issue long term.
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Post by purplepaws121 on Mar 4, 2009 20:44:00 GMT -5
I still know people that have that "dogs belong outside" mentality, and it is frustrating. My dad was like that but I have soooo been able to change him! BB (his Boxer) now lives inside, is not kenneled outside anymore when they aren't home (or very rarely), is kept on HWP, and is even fed a decent food. Woo hoo!!
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