[tuffycuddles]

I know several people who do dog sledding and all these dogs are 100% outside dogs. most are kept in a dog yard with the rest of the sled dogs each on their own chair with their own house. (with the exception of our friends with just 4 sled dogs who are kept in a run in their back yard) and they only get attention when they are being fed and when they get run.... Just wondering what people think about this. Becasue i hear alot of negative things on this forum about keeping dogs outside 100% of the time...
Tho with sled dogs they are working dogs and their entire purpose is sledding...they arn't meant to be pets... yup..i'm just curious thats all.

 

[Keechak]

I have a very good friend who raises and occationaly breeds sled dogs. I think in the case of a sledding bred dog who has hundreds of years of being kept outside with other dogs, there is nothing wrong with it. Her dogs don't exactly crave human interaction so I see nothing wrong with it.

However if someone were to take a breed like mine and try and keep them as outside only dogs I would have a problem with it simply because they are a very handler oriented breed and they NEED that companionship

 

[Silvergirl]

Since these are 'working dogs', I see how this is how they would be treated. Dogs like this yearn to learn and do not crave human interaction as much as other canine interaction (They do need socialization with humans and I'm not going to say every sled dog should be outside. Some are raised as housepets and should be just that.)
However, most breeds or dogs that are not used to this lifestyle would not enjoy this as much.

 

[UrbanBeagles]

I don't raise sled dogs but I do have a working breed that gets worked. They are pet dogs in the sense that you definitely develop a strong rapport with dogs who are worked with - whether they are hunting, bird dogs, sled dogs, etc. The last thing they are starving for is human affection & while this might sound surprising, the last thing most of them want is to lie around on the couch all day with a stuffed toy. Beagles are a bit different than sledding breeds in that they can turn on their pet dog facet on/off. They are happier to be pets than a northern breed. Still, even with Beagles being this way, I find that even the best prepared/intentioned pet homes do have problems with the energy and determination of the breed.

I can imagine that sled dogs would go crazy in an environment where there was little mental stimulation. Being a housepet doesn't cut it for some dogs/breeds, they have bigger & better things to do. My kennel dogs are happy outside because of the stimulation their work provides, and even in the yard/kennel they find more to do & will stay more active, alert than if in the house. I think it's sort of insulting to a dog's intelligence to presume (not saying anyone here is doing this, just to clarify!) they are happier as house pets than working animals that serve a purpose, even if that means they must be acclimated to the outside weather in a kennel. JMHO

 

[Pickleisaminidaschi]

As long as the dogs get food, water, and shelter I don't care if they live outside. I think I dog SHOULD have attention though...

 

[Mdawn]

I don't really have an opinion on it because I don't know enough about it. However, I would think because they are working dogs and were bred for that purpose and were brought up with that purpose, I wouldn't think that they would have the same needs in regards to human companionship that pet dog would have...some of it, NOT ALL OF IT, but some of it depends of breed...

For example, my Mastiff is a guardian breed. It's in his nature to be protective...supposedly . He NEEDS to be around his "people" or he isn't content or happy. It's part of his breed and part of his personality. I would think that it would be different for a sled dog, who was born to pull a sled. I would think that is what they would be happiest doing and what would be important to them. I would think that a dog in that setting...human companionship wouldn't be as important...

I don't know...as I said I don't know anything about it.