Every now and then i notice on postings owners mention that their dogs live in the 'utility room','in the kitchen','outside in kennels','downstairs,not allowed upstairs'.I guess my question is why? Why do owners segregate their dogs from themselves and the rest of the household?

I guess it's hard for me to understand because my dogs are never further than 10 feet away from me at all times when i'm home,and even when we go out for walks for the most part and they are always off leash.They would bark the house down if i attempted to lock them away from me in another room,and to be honest i cant think of a single reason of why i would do so.They dont suffer from SA as they are fine when i have to go out and leave them.

I've had dogs all of my life and i've done the same with all of them,they have always slept in my bedroom and had full run of the house whether i'm home or not. I've heard reasons like 'keeping parts of the house dog hair free',but isnt this part and parcel of owning dogs? Although having said this i've mostly had dogs that dont shed,or do so very little.

I just cant imagine having my dogs live in the utility room,which was said in a recent post

I started this post because i genuinely do not understand why someone would have dogs but then not want them around them,it just doesnt make sense to me.They are such social creatures who IMO need/like to stay in contact with their 'pack'.

Look forward to your replies :)

I've had dogs that lived outside Ktee, in the days when I lived with my parents and we already had 6 dogs in the house and I wanted more :D Since owning my own house my dogs have always been, like yours, allowed free access to the whole house - with the exception of puppies who aren't house trained yet. They are kept in the kitchen when I can't give them my full attention for the simple reason that I don't want accidents on the carpets.

I don't think, but will wait and see if I'm corrected, that there will be many people with just one or two dogs as pets who live outside or in a utility room. The ones who have kennels are most likely to have lots of dogs and it just wouldn't be possible to have them all inside. If you show it's very easy to have your numbers creep up to the extent that they can't possibly all follow you about all the time.

I too can't really see the point in getting a dog as a pet and keeping it outside. It makes more sense to me if people have working/show dogs and have collected too many for them all to be house pets :)

Same as you Ktee, my dogs are part of my family so they're always allowed the run of the house (apart from sons bedroom as he has allergies) whether I'm in or not.
I recently had a conversation with a someone who was bragging how spoilt her sister's GR was as they converted the garage for him but he was never allowed in the house

I'm with you - as I type, I've got one dog dozing against my chair leg (whom I will trip over when I get up because she'll stand up :D), one watching me from a few feet away, another dozing on the sofa next to me and I think the last is in the next room asleep.  Usually they're all in the same room with me.

I can understand why some people separate them though.  For one example, my brother's dog has varying restrictions on where she can go.  Indoors, she's separated from whichever room my 1yr old nephew is in because she's a very bouncy dog, and as a safety measure - he tends to move around a lot and is prone to standing on her tail.  In the garden she's only allowed onto the grass to play, as it's not cut often so for kids' hygiene she has to do her business on the patio (there's a wall and gate ot keep her there).

As another example, in my old house, when I got my first two dogs I had cats - and try as I might, I couldn't persuade Remy to behave nicely around them so in the end we had to keep the dogs downstairs 24/7 so the cats could have the run of upstairs and a bit of peace (not to mention safety, he liked to wallop them to play).  Now I don't have cats, the dogs are allowed almost everywhere - but even now, they aren't allowed in the spare room as I have rats in there, which are most definitely viewed as lunch!

But, I don't get people who just don't like them upstairs but have no good reason for that.  Likewise I don't understand people who have dogs but don't particularly like them - I know a woman who has a springer but is very intolerant of dogs, and has actually said that the dog doesn't get much attention from her because she finds the bounciness annoying.  I'm guessing that dog doesn't sleep in the bedroom, and I don't understand why she's got it.

my two dogs are only segregated from the upstairs part of our house.. they go everywhere else downstairs..
they sleep in the kitchen at night, but we have a large open plan ground floor, so if they wanted to I guess they could go elsewhere, but seemingly choose not to.
The reason for not letting the dogs upstairs... well, they're animals and it's my space and it's carpetted and so therefore, they're not allowed.. simple as that really :-)

My dogs go everywhere downstairs, but upstairs is a people-only zone. Why? Because we like it like that. A traditional part of the reason for having a dog is to have a watch-dog, to sound the alarm in case of suspicious activity, which they can't do if they're buried in quilts upstairs! :D Visiting friends sleep downstairs too, because we don't have a spare bedroom (and no, we don't all sleep in the same room!) so downstairs is perfectly comfortable! :D

We shared a sleeping-space with the dogs before and got very little sleep because of the way they twitched and snored and yipped in their sleep - bless them, they were comfy! :D Thank goodness they didn't fart as well!

> which they can't do if they're buried in quilts upstairs! 

You've obviously not been at my house when there's a noise outside :D being snuggled up next to me doesn't stop Remy sounding the (annoying) alarm! :D

Oh, my Dobe does this as well! Usually happens on a Friday or Saturday night if there are hooligans going past from the pubs :rolleyes: Doesn't happen too often luckily. Scares the life out of you doesn't it

No, mine reckon that if we're there then we're in charge! ;)

I never had the guinea-pigs or the chickens upstairs in our bedroom either, and they were just as much our pets as the dogs are. :D

Oh I don't know JG - on a bitter, cold night a head chicken with a couple of guinea-pig ear muffs might be quite nice. :-D

Hmmmm - a bit too squeaky when I turned over, methinks! :D :D

squeek ROFL :-D :-D

Ooh forgot that one, mine too are only allowed part of the garden, initially for when the children were small to avoid kids and dogs getting carried away and someone getting hurt and to avoid dog muck being trailed into the house.  I prefer to limit their toilet area, with poor eyestight makes picking up much easier, after all their excersise proper is got when taken out.

I have never taken the barier fence down ad teh neighbour who backs onto us hates dogs, so it is useful to have a buffer between where the dogs are and his property.

Hygiene, privacy and management.

I have a coated breed, who prefer a cool environment.  The hair gets pretty much everywhere, and I prefer to keep the bedrooms, my new 'Parlour' (have turned through lounge back into two rooms), dog free.  the hair still gets there, but not so much.

We all prefer to sleep alone, so no dogs in the bedrooms, bathroom (except when being bathed in Winter)or 'Parlour'.

Spend most of my waking time at home in the Living room and kitchen with the dogs. 

At night all except one of the dogs go to their bedroom.  This is a double Kennel, with connecting internal door, 5 feet x 10 feet, 4 baskets and two full width benches to choose from as sleeping places, baskets and benches have Vet bed for comfort.  The Kennel has two opening windows and two removable shutters over weldmesh so that in hot weather they can be cool even with pop holes shut.

IN the day weather permitting (except in heavy rain or storm) the back door is open and the kennel pop holes open, and the girls often choose to sneak off for a rest there in the day.

There are also two baskets under the work surface in the kitchen, and when there is a pup a crate up too.  Cotton Door mats are alternative daytime resting areas on the tile floor, but floor used on hot days to cool off.

I love my children and dogs, but with both I do sometimes not want to be in constant physical contact with them.

Not all visitors are dog minded, and having a dog free reception room has advantages when one has to have such people in, and for when anyone is dressed up to go out etc.

When I am not home the dogs are confined to the Kitchen to limit their ability to see and bark at external stimuli of which there are plenty in a terrace house on a busy road with a  bus stop just outside.  This helps preserve good neighbour relations, though I think one would never be happy short of the dogs being debarked and unable to utter any sound at all.

I might add that for the past 10 years I have had at least 3 dogs and up to 5 permanent resident with various part time ones.

Dogs are social creatures, and they do have their pack, each other.  I am a person, their owner not part of their pack, dogs know we are not dogs.

Well said Brainless.

I think people need to be less judgmental when it comes to they way others keep dogs. We all have different methods and different things work for different dogs and people.

Lets be a little more open minded peeps. :)

I don't like dogs in the bedroom from a hygienic point of view, especially when they are moulting.  Mine spend the daytime and overnight in the conservatory, I don't have to close any doors off, they know they are not allowed into the lounge until the evening. As they are walked in muddy woods in the morning my house would be filthy if I let them have a free run of the house and furniture during the day.  The conservatory floor is easily cleaned when they diry off.

When they come into the lounge they settle down, they know if they want to play they go out to do it, they are also not allowed onto the furniture as I don't like sitting on dog hair.  At the end of the day they are dogs not humans, as long as the boundries are set at the start they accept it as normal.

Our Golden has free run of the house when we are in.  When we are out and at night when we go to bed she stays in the kitchen (we have a big kitchen).  She isn't allowed to sleep in our bedroom because she'd probably end up on the bed and I'd end up sleeping on the floor :D

Mine are in the kitchen.  Nice big room, leads straight into the garden and we spend most of our time in there!  They are not allowed upstairs except for bath times or if they are ill they come to bed with me:d   So they are just allowed in the living room and the kitchen which are the only two rooms downstairs.

I wished I had read yours first, I think your post represents the largest % of dog owners and I share it 100%.

I did forget to add that the rules are bent when my girls have puppies as they spend the first two weeks in the bedroom with and without me.

Also if I had a sick dog who needed nursin(never happened yet) then they woudl be where they were going to be secluded adn close by 24/7.

Yes also the same. Almost goes without saying Barbara, We are the same bitches with pups are with us in our bedroom for the first few weeks then moved to the spare room.

Well said Barbara ...we are the same ...Mallies shed massively and I really don't want the hair upstairs as well as down :D :D Plus having 2 girls and one boy means we have to be able to segregate them at some point during the year ;)

Funny I am the opposite I can't for the life of me understand why people think dogs should be around them and everyone else 24 -7, in every single part of the house and that there is something strange about those who don't share their opinion.  :-)

I love my husband and my daughter BUT I wouldn't want them around me 24 hours a day. I love all of my dogs dearly to but I dont think because I love them they should have free run of the house.  :-)

I live in a bungalow, a few years ago I built a huge extension on the back of my house, it is a large family room come diner which is open plan to my kitchen. The dogs have free run of the extension & through to the kitchen. They do not get past that area into the rest of the house.  We spend 90% of or waken home hours in that part of the house. I dont think they need to be in the rest of the house for no other reason than his.

My Daughter doesn't sleep in my room why should the dogs ;-)

Past this area is my more formal living room and dining room, bathrooms and bedrooms, I see no need for the dogs to be in these areas at all. :-)

Our dogs do have free run of the houose when we are in, however 4 sleep in hall/landing and 2 sleep in the utility room.

We have never allowed dogs to sleep in rooms and to be perfectly honest, although I love my dogs in every single way I don't like dogs on beds, I can't stand sleeping with them or sleeping with dog hair and dirt.  My dogs are only allowed in my room at home if I'm in their working and only if they settle down on the floor.  I know when I stayed with my booyfriend with his parents the dogs were allowed on the bed and every night I went to sleep and could feel the dirt, I had to ask my boyfriend to keep the dogs off the bed because it's someting I don't like.

Now I don't mind having a cuddle with the dogs on the sofa :)

I also think it's good to be able to shut dogs in another room while your in the house without them barking the place down, not all visiters are happy with 6 setters all at once, and also if my great grandma visits, she is too fragile to have the dogs charging round her, likewise someone with a broken leg for example, now we might tell people who don't like dogs "tuff" but a 90 year old family member we can't ban from coming round to visit....

Maybe it is because I have had small children and dogs/puppies at the same time that segregation at times is required for their mutual safety and comfort means I prefer not to include the dogs and children in everything I do.

Mine are never more than 10 feet from me either, but there are sometimes walls, doors or floors between us :D

Mine pretty much have access to the whole house almost all of the time.  The only room that is off limits is my dressing room.  They generally sleep upstairs (although one is confined to the ground floor currently as he is recovering from surgery and stairs are off limits for at least another month). For their part, I don't think they'd care if they had to sleep downstairs permanently as long as they had enough space and a comfy bed.  In fact, being large, double coated breeds who choose to spend a lot of time outside (they are both lying dozing on the patio at this very moment), I think they'd be equally happy with the kind of outside kennel arrangement that Brainless has...it's me that wants them inside and upstairs as my OH's job means he is away a lot and I feel more secure with the dogs near to hand.

My dogs sleep downstairs. They have the whole of the kitchen & dining room to roam and sleep in. I spend all day and night in this area aswell - in fact I only use the front room myself if I want to watch a film in peace. They have immediate access to the back garden, door open most of the day/night. I don't want them upstairs. But if you want three leonbergers on your bed then you'd best sleep on the floor :)
They are part of my family, I spend more time with them than my husband ;) (wonder if I can get him to sleep in the kitchen?)

Dicksy and Biscuit are both outside whilst I'm at work, they have their own shed with their own bedding, fresh water etc.,  When we're in they can come in.................neither are allowed upstairs not that they try to go there is no stair gate or anything it's just they don't go and they've never been encouraged.  They are allowed in dining room and kitchen in the day, and have the run of the downstairs in the evening when we're in the lounge, to be fair we don't go in the lounge during the day either.  They both sleep in crates in the dining room, Dicksy like a budgie likes to be covered over at night with his blanky!

My dogs at home live by my mums terms - they stay in the kitchen most of the time except in the evening when we are all in the sitting room. The kitchen in our house is the busiest place and we spend most of our time there. Pesto is up at uni with me and most of the time she goes where she pleases except when I go out when she is confined to the sitting room and kitchen. I like to beable to put a dog away from me without it pining. It gives me an option if non doggy people are around. my dogs aren't aloud upstairs at home as we had resident cats before the dogs and they arn't really friends so it gives them space that is dog free.

I can never understand why people would keep their dogs in kennels outside, but as long as the dogs are healthy and happy, i don't see anything 'wrong' with it. Maybe one of the reasons I don't understand it is because my breed are very people orientated and friendly, and I am not sure would do well in kennels. I don't know of any breeder who keeps my breed outside. Stud dog owner has 4 adult entire dogs, 4 adult entire bitches and one dog puppy. All live in her house, but are segregated as needed. Breeder of our bitch has 4 adult entire bithces, 2 adult entire dogs (which she does not use for stud) and again, they all live in the house, seperated from each other as needed.

I personally would never have more dogs than I can comfortably house. Our girl had the run of the house where we lived before, and had the option to sleep on my bed if she liked. She usually chose to sleep downstairs, on the floro at the bottom of the stairs. In our new house, she is not allowed upstairs, as I do ge t a bit fed up of getting a £300 ballgown out of the cupboard for a black tie do (have to attend a few due to my fiance's work) and it being covered in dog hair. It is nice ot have one 'doggy' free part of the house. It doesn't mean our girl means any less than us, and she is happy staying downstairs. For example, she currently has a litter, and I am sleeping downstairs with her and pups until they go to their new homes. I just prefer not to have them upstairs.

Each to their own though, isn't it?

I plan on getting a dog early next year. It will sleep in a crate to start with, during toilet training. When it gets bigger and/or when it is reliably housetrained, it will sleep in the kitchen. It will not be allowed upstairs because we wish to keep dog hairs to a minimum in places where the dog does not NEED to go (my DP is more houseproud than I am and he DOES deserve some say in how the house is kept. Also I am very lazy and try, at all times, to keep housework, particularly hoovering, to a minimum!).

The dog will spend the majority of its time with me; my children will be at school and my partner works and I am at home all day. I have purposely waited until my kids are at school so that I can spend as much time as possible with my dog. It will be a family pet but I also plan to do some competitive obedience with it. It will spend evenings in the living room with us but at night time it will go on its bed in the kitchen. It will not be allowed on the sofas.

Basically, my dog will be very well  cared for, it will have LOTS to do, will be trained to stimulate it mentally and will be very well exercised physically. I really don't think that owning a dog NECESSARILY involves having them have the run of the house. You CAN love dogs, and accept a certain amount of mess and hair, without wanting EVERYWHERE covered in hair!

It's horses for courses, isn't it? My friend, for example, has LOTS of land and has two big dogs. They do not want for exercise but she does nothing with them. They are loved, that's for sure and they have the run of the house  but I have never seen the point of having a dog just for the sake of having one around. I like to DO stuff with them. That doesn't mean she shouldn't have dogs, though.

All that said, though, I don't see the point of having dogs if they never come inside, even if they are well exercised and stimulated/trained. To me there has to be a balance.

My two have a kennel and run that we use when we are out for more than an hour during the day or if we have visitors, workmen etc and they pester them too much (big 'un likes to supervise the work :D).  When we are home they are usually in with us - their choice.  They are not allowed upstairs without one of us and they have never tried it on.  They sleep in our bedroom at night but definately not on the bed (or any other furniture), one each side, although big 'un usually goes downstairs to sleep at some time during the night.  Ground floor is unrestricted, little 'un like to sleep on the floor next to me in the evenings, big 'un likes the foot of the stairs they have their vetbeds in their favourite spots. 

There is a difference between being kennelled and dogs sleepiong out, which in my breeds case is more comfortable and healthy for them.

What I also forgot to say was that when they do come in the lounge they are expected to lie down as opposed to when they're in the dining room they can have toys, bones/chews, a mad half hour almost anything goes.  This rule extends to my children and my grandchild too, no eating, using pens etc., games/toys are for the rest of the house.  I like one room that is my peace room and often sit in there with no TV, music or anything, listening to silence!

That is what my new Parlour is, no TV and no personal junk.  That way it just needs an occasional dust and hover.  I moved my music player in there, but I don't go in for much, the radio is about it, rarely put in a CD.  Just realised my entire Music collection was a few LP's and Tapes that I mostly binned last year.

My dogs have free run of most of the house. The guest bedroom is off limits as is my office when I'm not there as that room has numerous wires. But everyone has their own idea of what's appropriate and desirable. I would feel I failed as an owner if my dogs were stressed just because I had to limit their access to me. There are times when it's not safe or appropriate for them to be with me. Obviously you enjoy this type of interaction - no right or wrong, just different preferences. It would drive me nuts to have dogs that were constantly under foot. I'm quite happy that on walks mine are snuffling about within 50 feet of me usually though sometimes farther depending on where we are. They walk with me a bit, say hello then go investigate again. In the house they hang out where the feel like it. When I'm working they're both in other rooms where it's more comfortable. When I'm a couch potato I usually have a golden bookend with me. My puppy likes sleeping in the hall by the door. My husband and I don't always stay together when he's home either.

I think you have two small border terriers that I believe are of a similar age. If you have a mix of sizes and ages sometimes you have to manage their interaction for the safety of small, old or injured dogs.

My dogs have free run of the house when we are there but are confined to the kitchen at night and the kitchen and hall during the day if we are out. They have comfy beds in the kitchen and our bernese spends most of her time on a trampoline in the garden watching the world go by. My parents live in a granny flat adjoining our house and my mum is allergic to the setter ( not the bernese though) so we try to keep Treacle out of there. Dakko used to sleep in our bedroom at the side of the bed but the girls find it too hot so they prefer the kitchen. They often take themselves off to their beds by themselves if we are up late The dogs are not allowed into the bedrooms if we are not there simply because they pinch things (especially cuddly toys from my kids) and then hide them in the garden, its easier just to close the door when we are not in the room.

Funny, but due to its current setup the kitchen is the main room I keep the dogs out of when we're out. :) We're remodeling in January but for now we have open shelving full of food. I can just imagine what little Miss Piglet could help herself to in there! Plus I lock up the toys when I'm not around to supervise in case they get a squeeky out.

My boys have the run of downstairs when I'm in, they aren't allowed upstairs.. with a seven year old with a room full of toys, they could chew things which wouldn't be safe for them or fair on my son. I can't rely on him to keep his door closed! So its just not practical to allow them the full run. They stay in the kitchen if I go out and at night, mainly for their own benefit, I couldn't relax knowing they could be chewing something and Marley the rescue gets very anxious if I leave him anywhere, except for the kitchen with his 'brothers' :D :D

The only exception to the rule is Oscar who is usually found upstairs... he squeezes through the stair gate! He's all fur and looks bigger than he is! :rolleyes:

My Dobe has free access to the whole of the house. Some rooms he just chooses not to go in as they're never used such as spare bedrooms and the study (which is so crammed full you could hardly swing a cat in there, let alone a Dobermann :D). He generally goes wherever I go and we spend most of our time in the lounge, kitchen and garden. He sleeps upstairs for a couple of hours during the day when I'm up there, and also at night. I do have to say that, although he is a short haired breed, the hairs in the bedding are a bit of a bother as they weave into the fabric. He sleeps on top of the covers as he gets too hot underneath, but even that means that I now change the entire bedding a lot more often than I used to, also because of the oils from his coat and anything else he might deposit on there The joys of a male dog :P

Our previous Dobes weren't allowed upstairs as I was only 5 at the time, my sister 9, and my brother 15 so it was safer for everyone, especially when we had friends playing over, that the dogs were where my parents could keep an eye on them. We didn't use gates or anything, they just never went up there and were never encouraged to do so.

I can't imagine segregating my current dog as I don't really have any reason to, but I can fully understand why people who have multiple dogs, very hairy dogs, different size/age dogs, other pets, and children, would need to (think I covered everything there!)

Ours do not come upstairs. For alot of the reasons already mentioned. Daughter who is 6 has lots of toys upstairs, plus I like to keep part of the house free from hair and slobber!!

At night they are confined to kitchen to sleep where they have loads of vet bed and other bedding and they are all quite happy. When we are at home most of the time they are with us flaked out on living room floor but there are times when they go into the kitchen. I won't have them there while we are eating and if daughter is doing homework she concentrates alot better without the dogs there as a welcome distraction!!!:-D

Our dogs are all loved and looked after. They don't come on the furniture (often;-) ) but I can often be found sat on the floor with them having a cuddle!!! But they are dogs. And while they are part of the family as with our daughter we still need some time out from them.

I don't have kennels (well okay we do, but nobody sleeps in them at night, they're just there in case the dogs want to use them during the day -they just stand in the garden, not enclosed) but we have 12 dogs and you could never fit that lot into our bedroom! I also hate having animals in the bedroom. It's the one room I want clean and tidy. As it is I have to have my birds in there as there is nowhere else safe for them, and kittens are born in there so I can check on the mother during the night without needing to sleep on the sofa, but that's as far as it goes. I can't stand animals in my bed. Especially this time of year -paws get muddy the moment they go outside, and I don't want that everywhere. We also have little and large separated so big dogs sleep in the kitchen diner, little dogs have for run of living room and hall.

Some dogs become over dependant on people if allowed too close to them all the time. It's not the NORM, but it can well happen, and I have two (acquired as adults) that needed work as they couldn't bear to be more than a few feet from me at any time, and that's not healthy for either them OR me.

Those that argue that they don't see the point in having dogs as pets unless they sleep in the bedroom -do all of you have your children sleep in the same room as you as well? ;)

Some dogs become over dependant on people if allowed too close to them all the time.

Classic example of this is my in laws. They have a bitch who at our house is quite happy to be seperated from us. She knows the rules and just slips in to being one of the pack. At their house they cannot leave her for 2 minutes. If they want to go to the shop they either take her with them or get somebody in to sit with her. The problem is when they first got her they refused to leave her. She sleeps with them and if they needed to go out they paid a local lad to come and sit with her. There was no reason for this as she was a grown up dog that had no history of chewing, she was housetrained etc. Now they have suddenly realised they have a problem as they can't leave her.:rolleyes:

I tried to advice them and help them but there was always someone who knew more than I did.:rolleyes:

Misty has the run of downstairs when we are in, she isn't segregated from us at all when we are there.  In our old house at night she used to sleep in the hallway (which was the same size as a smallish bedroom).  Bob the cat slept on the stairs.  Upstairs is a pet free zone because I just cannot abide by hairs in my bed (and I have a mild reaction to cat hairs).  However, the only time I am upstairs is at night sleeping.  She or Bob were never segregated from us unless at night.

In our new house, we now actually have a back door that leads into the utility and porch area (never had that before - the back door lead straight into the living room).  It is quite a large space that I have had to use for the past couple of days for Misty when she has been a little so and so and dug the garden (on 3 occassions).  It was only so she could dry off a little before coming in the carpeted area of the house (had a stairgate across the door).

I have only had to do this because we live in married quarters so have to be a little careful with what we do with the carpets etc etc.  (having spent 4 solid days cleaning our old property at the weekend, I am now glad of this utility space as it provides the perfect area for a drying dog (has radiator etc).

Bob hasn't joined us yet in the new house so am still a little unclear as to where he is going to sleep at night (obviously away from Misty!!).  Misty has actually been sleeping on the stairs and landing at the moment as Harry is away during the week til Christmas so was peace of mind for me but I am actually finding I sleep less as I hear her moving around and its making me even more jumpy (if thats possible!) But things will change anyhow as Harry is bringing Bob back with him tonight so Misty will probably be in the kitchen and Bob the utility area (cant stand the smell of litter trays!).

My Daughter doesn't sleep in my room why should the dogs
in answer to blue- your daughter is a human that likes her own space, a dog is a pack animal and needs company

As a pack animal my dogs have the best company they could want at night. Each other.:-D

As a pack animal my dogs have the best company they could want at night. Each other.

Exactly.  I have answered but didn't really see the point of the thread in the first place really.  I am glad the majority do seem to form the same opinion that the dogs don't have to be strapped to you 24/7.  I would have worried about half of you :-D :-)

I show a lot , trim my dogs ones to one nearly every other day, I walk them all twice a day, I share the couch with them at night and generally spend loads of time with them, in fact nearly all my time BUT my life is mine I share it with the dogs and my family. The dogs are not just my life 24 hours a day. 

I personally don't think it is healthy for the dog to be brought up like that. 

The point of the thread, Blue, is that people are entitled to post on any topic within reason. Just because you personally dont support it doesnt mean there is no value to it. I think the high number of posts on the topic indicate that it is a popular discussion.

And as Blue said, the majority of responders (so far) are in agreement - they find it undesirable to be with their dogs 24/7.

Jeangenie my comment  to Blue was simply to indicate that there was "A point" to the topic, in answer to her claim that she could see "no point" to it. I do not understand your reply to me, as I have not commented whether or not I think dogs should be with owners 24/7.