In another section of the board, Vince P. wrote:

"I believe that a PSD or series Schutzhund dog should be kenneled and not live in a house. Can I open my eyes now? I can hear the emails flowing already. “My little Fito sits on my lap all night long and I dare you to come to my club and say he is not a serious contender.” We’ll save that for another post. This accomplishes two things. I will only go into the first since this is the topic at hand. It removes the need to teach Fito proper house manners."

I am curious as to what the other reason is for not keeping a PSD or serious Sch. dog in the house.

What are other people's views on this topic?

Some people have said that the dog is part of the pack and that the handler is the leader of the pack. Therefore, they say, the dog has to stay outside so it will realize who is the boss. My view is the opposite. I think that if the dog lives indoors and gets to know the handler and his/her family, then it will give it's life more willingly because it knows it's handler more intimately than a dog that is kept outdoors. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

My police service dogs are kenneled outside and so are all the dogs in my k9unit.
You must understand that a PSD is not a pet.The dog needs to be acclimated to the conditions in which he is working,which in my case down here currently,is 95+ degrees and 85+ humidity,not an air conditioned house. The dog needs rest when he is off duty and normally, that is tough to do in a home situation. The dogs are perfectly "bonded" without laying around the house. They work 40+ hours a week,riding in a unit,plus the off duty time spent with the handler and weekly maintenance training.

Renee-

When your dog is in the cruiser does it not rest? I can't believe that you don't ride around in the cruiser without air conditioning. It's been my experience that it's usually the handler looking for the rest, and not the k-9. A bond can only get better with day to day positive interaction. This takes effort, and is one of the many reasons that it's easier to kennel the dog.

I don't think a police k9 should be pampered as a house pet. Yet a dog deserves more than being put away as a piece of equipment.

The dog is kenneled at the end of the day so it gets enough rest? What of shepherds who have their dogs working all day, then bring the dog into the home at the end of the day? They manage to be well rested. What of dogs used in wartime? Often the dogs were with their handlers 24 x 7.

I'm not trying to start a fight, I just don't really see the logic in kenneling a service dog at the end of the day. If I depended on my dog I'd want to make sure we had the best bond possible to ensure we could be a good team.

I failed to finish my post. I should have said..it's easier to kennel the dog, but NOT better. I can't find any logical explanation to kennel a dog. I've seen dogs that had to be kenneled because of poor stability and social skills, but that is an entire different topic.

You do not see the logic in it because you do not work dogs on the street,and you have no idea what all is involved in doing so <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I assure you,the bond with the handler is quite strong without making a housedog out of him. It isnt a matter of "putting him away like a piece of equipment". You need to read my post again.

It is clear that you do not know what you are talking about Prizgard1204. You truly do not understand a working dog , and your insults about certain people being lazy prove it.
First of all a dog that is kenneled will get the rest that it needs and when after a period of time the dog has rested it will want to go to work with the handler, it will look foward to this, it will be driven more so then if the dog lives in the house with the handler all the time. I will agree that some people are lazy, but just because you don't want an animal in the house doesn't mean that the person is lazy.
How about learning some more before giving advice,as others that don't know might feel that you know something. I believe that a shift in a car with a dog, plus walks and training is enough "positive interaction" with an animal. It is for the most part too much with a human!!!! Remember this is not a pet but a working animal. What kind of "experience" do you have anyway? It really gets me when people want an animal to have be with them 24 hours a day, and those of us that kennel a dog for a period of time are lazy. THis is just total bullshit.

The AC runs in the unit,but we do not keep it on "frozen north". How much "rest" can the dog get riding in the unit for 10hours? We make calls,traffic stops,etc etc.All through the shift,the dog is searching vehicles on the interstate etc etc. The dog needs a place to rest where he can "turn off".If a handler isnt bonded with a dog working with him 40+ hours a week,plus training time and off duty time there is a problem.

Mike-

Stress is something that both humans and k-9's must learn to deal with. Don't be so sensitive, simply because I see no use in kenneling a dog. You may kennel your dog, thats ok with me. I read my post and then yours, and your partly correct,there were some insults made.