Re: ...
t's a tricky one to address a problem or issue with neighbours diplomatically. At all costs try and preserve your good relations with your neighbours!
In this case perhaps you could shell out for a dog coat and offer it to them as a gift ... hint hint Mr/Ms Neighbour! 'Saw this, thought is was cute and thought of your little Poodle'... Difficult to get stroppy in face of a generous gesture...
Some dogs are bred to bear the cold with thick, dense coats. Others such as Yorkshire Terriers, may have long coats but the hair is thin and slow-growing. These sorts of dogs are definitely not suited to living outside without some form of warmth or insulation.
Our dogs (one with a dense coat, the other with a Yorkie-type coat) live outside during the day and sleep inside at night. During the day they always have access (via a large cat flap) to our brick, south facing shed where they have a bed insulated with carpet, cardboard and cushions.
I dunno. The ISPCA or better still a local dog rescue would be the best source of advice (try http://www.irishanimals.com (www.irishanimals.com) for rescues local to you ... I'm not affiliated to the site in any commercial way, just interested in animal welfare)
Unfortunately the law and local authorities here in Ireland don't place an awful lot of importance on animal welfare ... case in point most local authorities list their advice on dog control and licencing under the Waste Management sections of their web sites. And with between 18,000 and 30,000 unwanted dogs killed every year it seems like an awful lot of the general public don't give much of a toss either.... South Dublin County Council alone have accepted more than 260 unwanted/stray dogs into their pound since the beginning of 2005 ... A situation repeated up and down the country...
[soap box]If you want to get a dog, go for it! Though realise the commitment involved before making the decision. Not just walks, picking up poo, feeding, vaccinating. One of the single most important responsibilities of a dog owner is to ensure their dog is neutered/spayed. Full stop. No excuses. *rant, rant,rant* Also consider very strongly adopting a dog from the pound or one of the many rescue centres around Ireland rather than buying a dog. You'll be saving a dog's life either by rescuing a dog that would otherwise be killed or freeing up space at a no-kill rescue for a dog that is on doggie death row in the pound (the rules are that a surrenedered dog is killed by the pound on the day its surrendered. A stray has five days to find a home before its killed... thank goodness a small number of dog pounds stretch and bend these rules as much as they can to save as many dogs as they can. But there's only so much stretch in those rules... ) If you insist on a pure-bred I'd seriously question you're motivations for owning a dog and whether you have the dog's best interest at heart. [/soap box]