Dropping "to be"

[dakotaslt49]

Today I saw a post on a different site with what I think are grammatical errors (the usage grates on me and that is usually a clue) but I don't know WHY they are errors and I cannot find why anywhere. I'd appreciate some help, even just pointing in the right direction. Here are the two sentences:

Dogs don't need housebroken – they naturally know where to go. (I think it should be "Dogs don't need TO BE housebroken...." or, "Dogs don't need houseBREAKING...." But I don't know the rule that says that.

The second sentence:

Household "pet dogs" don't need trained. (Similarly, I think it should be "Household 'pet dogs' don't need TO BE trained." or, "Household 'pet dogs' don't need trainING." Again, I don't know the rule that says the original in ungrammatical. I'm sure someone must know exactly why, and if you'll tell me then there will be at least two of us. Thanks!

[BobK]

That construction is commonly used in Scotland. It's not standard, but educated Scots use it.

b

[dakotaslt49]

Thank you! I learned something today. I would never have known that.

[riquecohen]

Today I saw a post on a different site with what I think are grammatical errors (the usage grates on me and that is usually a clue) but I don't know WHY they are errors and I cannot find why anywhere. I'd appreciate some help, even just pointing in the right direction. Here are the two sentences:

Dogs don't need housebroken – they naturally know where to go. (I think it should be "Dogs don't need TO BE housebroken...." or, "Dogs don't need houseBREAKING...." But I don't know the rule that says that.

The second sentence:

Household "pet dogs" don't need trained. (Similarly, I think it should be "Household 'pet dogs' don't need TO BE trained." or, "Household 'pet dogs' don't need trainING." Again, I don't know the rule that says the original in ungrammatical. I'm sure someone must know exactly why, and if you'll tell me then there will be at least two of us. Thanks!

Welcome to the Forum, dakotaslt49. You are grammatically correct.
"Dogs don't need to be housebroken/to be trained." or "Dogs don't need housebreaking/training." Of course we all know that they do.