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xxdevixx September 13 2006, 01:30:19 UTC
in that situation i'm neither agreeing with it nor am i going to lecture about it to them. i give her some credit for at least going out of her way to make proper arrangements for the dog to live outdoors (with heated barn etc.). i must have missed that she said they were 'managable' allergies and that seems to be the main reason why the dog is outside. that definately bothers me more than the dog actually being kept outside. i don't think it's fair for people to say 'if you have allergies you shouldn't have that pet' because there are means to get around that especially if you really want that animal around. i take a pill twice a day when i'm NOT around my guinea pig. i'm allergic (sneezy/runny nose) to cats and i want at least 1 DMH/maine coon so that's going to be a lot of work right there but i'm willing to do it in order to allow them to keep me company.

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aheadsuretospin September 13 2006, 02:11:13 UTC
I don't agree at all with keeping dogs primarily outside. Her allergy thing pissed me off. She said herself they are mild and she manages. Taking a pill or getting a shot doesn't seem like too much to ask, IMO. My little brother is 15 and he's allergic to the pets(again, mild) and he hates needles. But he still goes to the doctor once a week for an allergy shot because he thinks spending time with the pets is more important than his fear of needles.

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xxdevixx September 13 2006, 02:47:53 UTC
this also makes me also think of someone who does keep their animal (cat would be a good example) indoors, feeds them a good quality food, takes them to the vet yadda yadda but won't get them speutered because of the fact that they're a strictly indoors animal. their cat may not get hit by a car or bitten by a snake but it's still at risk of reproductive cancers as it gets older. it may not happen, but it is still a possibility. my friend has never had any problems with her outdoor animals being attacked or run over, but i just consider them very lucky and still don't agree with them being mostly kept outdoors. but, in her case, i've seen that it can work out.

taking a pill or shot does seem a lot less effort than trying to properly enclose a 3 acre property for a smaller animal to run loose.

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bloolark September 13 2006, 02:53:54 UTC
Random note -- Maine Coons are definitely long haired.

That said, I absolutely don't think that people with allergies shouldn't own pets (if so, I'd be writing myself out of animal ownership). But if you can't provide the best possible care for an animal, regardless of the reason, you shouldn't own it. You ESPECIALLY shouldn't bring home a new pet when you know that you can't care for them properly.

Dogs are social animals. They need a pack. Whether that be humans, other dogs, or livestock is entirely up to the situation and the dog, but keeping a dog alone outside all the time is cruel. Pet dogs belong inside, receiving 'ambient' attention simply by being around their people while the people do other things. End of story.

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miss_teacher September 13 2006, 04:31:17 UTC
Pet dogs belong inside, receiving 'ambient' attention simply by being around their people while the people do other things. End of story.

I completely agree with this statement. Well put.

Right now I'm not actively giving my dog attention. But she's laying down on the couch next to me and I know she much prefers that to being outside, cold and alone.

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bloolark September 13 2006, 04:47:55 UTC
My two are playing bitey-face and 'I hump your head' about two feet away, which does kind of make me want to throw them outside. ;) But, honestly, I've never understood the concept of outside dogs. I don't devote huge portions of my time to giving attention to my dogs, we do things together. We live together. And everyone is happy that way. (Note: We frequently do things with the dogs, and they do get attention, it just isn't usually 'today I will go into the yard and spend 2.5 hours with my outdoor dog' it's 'let's take a walk in the city' or 'let's do some obedience work while the coffee brews', etc).

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xxdevixx September 13 2006, 07:16:29 UTC
Yeah, I know they're long haired. VERY long haired lol. I meant that as a DMH and/or Maine Coon. I really like the black DMH's. They're very pretty =) I'm sort of on and off with cats, even the shorthaired ones give me a bit of trouble sometimes so it should be interesting. I'm kind of stubborn though so I know I'll keep them around even if my breathing abilities suffer for it ;)

And yes... they do need a pack, whatever it may consist of.

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bloolark September 13 2006, 17:33:01 UTC
Hair length has absolutely nothing to do with how much allergies they cause (particularly in cats). You're actually allergic to their dander and saliva, and all cats shed that along with hair all over your house. If you're allergic to cats and you want to live with them -- http://community.livejournal.com/practicalcats/9176.html :)

I'm seriously allergic to cats (to the point of not being able to breathe/asthma when I have allergy attacks), and I own five. All indoors. :) (And one's a Maine Coon, two are short hair, and two are medium haired.)

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xxdevixx September 14 2006, 00:40:22 UTC
Yeah, I completely had a brain fart and forgot it was the dander/saliva XD Thanks for the link! I actually used to take Benadryl for my allergies but it always made me so drowsy and I'm already a naturally tired person so I switched. I've tried different things but right now I'm taking the generic brand of Chlortrimoton(sp?) called Equate Chlortabs and they're doing pretty good so far. My friend recently got a shorthaired cat and wouldn't you know, she likes to be around my head a lot and use me for a launching pad so if I can remember to take something before I go over to her house my allergies don't get too bad. My dad used to get bloody noses around cats so I'm glad I got away with just sneezing/runny nose/watery eyes.

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