To give a different slant on dog ownership, I was brought up on a farm and we had a semi-working collie sheep dog.
The dog never saw the inside of the farmhouse, its quarters was an old pig sty.
Quite luxurious for a dog, there was a pitched roofed covered area and a small enclosed yard.
Cosy enough under cover with plenty of straw.
I've no idea where it pooed - apart from the obvious 'where it wanted to' - the notion of clearing up dog mess didn't exist in rural Worcestershire.
The dog spent most of its days mooching around the farmyard, an almost ideal environment because there was lots of interest with workers working, other animals to look at, and occasional visitors to weigh up.
The dog didn't seem to need regular walks, although I and others would occasionally take it for a stroll across the fields.
There's an old saying a dog can only serve one master, but that dog managed to rub along well with anyone who came into contact with it.
I did some basic sheep rounding up a couple of times - the dog seemed to know instinctively what was required, so my input was minimal.
I don't recall the dog ever getting much medical attention, routine or otherwise, but it lived to a ripe old age so I reckon it was happy and healthy enough.
