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There is no easy answer to this question since it must invariably depend on each individual owner and each individual dog. However, there are several factors that should be kept in mind.

Firstly, one should consider the dog's size purely and simply because very often this is the deciding factor. A large dog is more likely to be an outdoor dog purely for reasons of space. However, there's also the fact that most larger dogs have a double layer of fur - an outer layer, and then an inner layer. This allows the coat to be both waterproof and to act as a barrier to wind, cold, and, in some cases, heat. By contrast many small dogs have been primarily bred as toy dogs or lap dogs and they may lack this double coat. For example, I personally own two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Despite the fact that one of them seems to have a very thick coat, she could not ever be an outdoor dog because her coat does not have the same waterproofing and insulation properties as the double coat type described above. Therefore, she would suffer severely from the cold and wet, and indeed Cavaliers do appreciate a dog coat when they are going out in cold and damp weather.

Secondly, there is the issue of temperament for both dog and owner. Some owners strongly believe that a dog's place is in the garden or in a shed, and would never dream of allowing their dogs to be house pets. In many cases this is determined by the owner's memories of dog ownership when they themselves were growing up. For other people, having the dog in the house is the whole point. It provides constant companionship, and for those who allow their dog to share their bedroom (and indeed, their very bed) there's the comfort of another living body in the room. This is particularly true for people who are living alone. There's also the matter of the dog's temperament. Dogs are, generally speaking, sociable animals. They want to be near their people, and that includes being in the house. It is not unheard of (pun not intended) for outdoor dogs to make an absolute menace of themselves by barking and howling to be reunited with their families indoors. However, some breeds cope better with being excluded than others. Toy dogs, for instance, are very often not suited either temperamentally or physically for a life outdoors. Their history - even their breeding - has conditioned them to wanting and needing to be with their people at all times, to the point that it could be said that this is a genetic trait. Forcing

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