Too cold for puppy?

muletide

We have a 5 month old collie pup she is about 12Kg and very healthy. She normally sleeps outside in a kennel with a few blankets under her. There is no door on the kennel but it is in a sheltered spot. What I was wondering was is it too cold for her to go out tonight? I was going to put a hot water bottle under the blankets, would that be sufficent?

muletide

anyone ? I have to put her out soon

Arcadian

Oh bring the poor thing inside, as cold as it is now it'll be a lot worse as the night goes on.

tj-music.com

At that age the dog really should generate enough body heat to stay outside but for the dogs sake I would consult a vet.

Mod_Man

Currently -3°, will probobly reach -7 tonight.. sure you can leave her in the house for one night...

muletide

Thanks all but it looks like the kennel for her she has to get used to sleeping outside she survived last night in a shed so I am putting her out now

Mod_Man

muletide wrote:

Thanks all but it looks like the kennel for her she has to get used to sleeping outside she survived last night in a shed so I am putting her out now

Ah the poor thing.. last night was the coldest night in Ireland for 10 years..
but I guess thats why they have the big coat.. althogh in the wild they would have the pack to keep them warm...

junkyard

Poor dog, I don't know why people get dogs as pets and then leave them live outside. Any of my dogs are always regarded as family and are treated accordingly.

Laguna

junkyard wrote:

Poor dog, I don't know why people get dogs as pets and then leave them live outside. Any of my dogs are always regarded as family and are treated accordingly.

I disagree myself, I don't have a dog but I think they're yard animals, there's nothing more ridiculous looking when a person starts to treat a dog like a human, for example letting your dog sleep in bed with you etc.

As for having a dog inside when it's cold, meh, dogs survived in the cold before humans domesticated them, sure it could go down to -7 tonight but we're not talking Siberia here, I think the dog will make it through the night tbh..

daiixi

Laguna wrote:

I disagree myself, I don't have a dog but I think they're yard animals, there's nothing more ridiculous looking when a person starts to treat a dog like a human, for example letting your dog sleep in bed with you etc.

I agree. All our pets have never been allowed on the carpet let alone on the couch or in a bed!! But it's been really cold for the past couple of nights. Surely there's a bathroom or laundry/garage where a pet should be able to sleep when it's so cold or really really wet.

junkyard

junkyard wrote:

Poor dog, I don't know why people get dogs as pets and then leave them live outside. Any of my dogs are always regarded as family and are treated accordingly.

Ours are part of the family as well. The smallest one sleeps on my bed.

junkyard

I wouldn't regard a dog as a yard animal, a cow or a horse yes, I think exceptionally cold weather is very hard on all animals. I've had dogs as pets all my life and as stated above treat them as family as I have high regard for them but as you've said yourself Laguna you don't have a dog.

Mod_Man

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=local&id=3711355

*Lolly*

muletide wrote:

We have a 5 month old collie pup she is about 12Kg and very healthy. She normally sleeps outside in a kennel with a few blankets under her. There is no door on the kennel but it is in a sheltered spot. What I was wondering was is it too cold for her to go out tonight? I was going to put a hot water bottle under the blankets, would that be sufficent?

Can i just make a suggestion... Ive had a few pups over the years myself so all the advice i can give you on this particular subject would be to go outside yourself even just to give a walk around the garden before you go to bed.
If you find it too cold to stay out for more than thoose 4/5 Mins then id suggest bringing her in with you.
Yes she may have a thick warm coat on but in this weather id rather be safer than sorry. Even if you dont find the cold too horendous id still reccomend you bring her in as - as you said she is still quite young and obviously will be out all night where as you would be tucked up warm in bed unsure of whether the *weather* conditions have worsened or not..

junkyard

I reckon the punishment for that crime should have been the same for the cruel b***ard who tied up that poor dog. I've watched the Michigan animal police on the animal channel and its a regular occurrence there to leave animals freeze to death or lock them in a yard and leave them to die when they move house.

*Lolly*

To be honest if i ever get another puppy (which is almost guarenteed!) then id never want to leave it out side for more than 10mins for a run around! (That is apart from daily walking exercise of course)

junkyard

Where ever I go my dogs go too, holidays and all.:)

damo605

muletide wrote:

Thanks all but it looks like the kennel for her she has to get used to sleeping outside she survived last night in a shed so I am putting her out now

Well, she'd probably be much better off in the kennel tonight instead of the shed as the smaller area of a kennel will help her make use of her body heat! Oh yea, PUT A BLOODY DOOR ON IT!
Also, as for your idea of putting a hot water bottle out with her.... Go for it! Be sure not to boil the water in case she chews and punctures the bottle and burns herself. I used the water from our hot water bottle (filled last night) to defrost the water pipes this morning so they're not to be knocked

SuzyS1972

junkyard wrote:

Poor dog, I don't know why people get dogs as pets and then leave them live outside. Any of my dogs are always regarded as family and are treated accordingly.

Agree 100%
Mine barely did a wee last night before breaking down the door to come back in

Buy a door for the kennell as your obviously not going to change your mind on this one

Sigma Force

This dog is still a pup and the weather is colder than normal, at least invest in a snuggle safe heat pad (some pet shops sell them and on pet-blis.com) water bottles go cold quickly and can end up making the dog cold during the night.
The temperature drops even more when everyone is tucked up in their warm beds, it's not a good idea to put a young animal out until the frost has gone. A kennel is better than nothing of course and as said probably warmer than the shed, however without a door on it the draught can come straight through no matter which way it's facing.

Dogs are social creatures and not a wild animal, our ancestors used to live out in the wilds it doesn't mean we would survive freezing temperatures..even with an extra coat on us. The weathers just too unpredictable at the moment.

At least the dog has shelter though, many out there that don't have somewhere to bed down.

Vet bed is excellent for keeping the heat in compared to a normal blanket.

If you are in any way unsure if you dog will 'survive the night' then the dog has to be taken in.

Not saying dogs can't survive outdoors with shelter available of course they can but you must be more careful with pups 5 months is still young.

peasant

ehhh ....hello?

SURVIVAL? Is that all you're worried about?

I'm pretty sure the dog will "survive" the icy night ...but will it do it any good?

Dogs get colds too, also pneumonia or other respitatory diseases ... and I don't even want to think about the possible damage to (still growing) joints and bones.

For pity's sake ...let the dog inside until night time temperatures are well above freezing.

And put a bloomin flap / door on that kennel.

muletide

Thanks all I wasnt expecting all the responses. She was fine outside all night and didnt make a noise. I had to knock on the window to wake her this morning - when i went out the hot water bottle was still very warm as she had laid on it all night she is tougfher than i tought.

Peasant/Damo/Suzy - I had a door/Flap thingy on the kennel and she went absolutly crazy, she bounced off the walls and left a huge bump on her head the whole confinement thing does not agree with her I think something happened to her before we got her from the rescue shelter. Even in the shed she takes an hour or so to calm down so maybe when she is bigger I will put the flap back on so that she can push it

Junkyard my dog is a pet and is treated very well - she is sitting on the couch beside me as we speak, she is in alot except at night and walks.She has a fine big garden to roam around in when she is out. But I dont think it is right to allow an animal who will probably grow to +30kg to get too used to living indoors especially at night.

junkyard

I still think you should make an exception with such a young dog as it is exceptionally cold weather. I have come across a lot of abandoned dogs in my time and you can appreciate my concerns.

muletide

junkyard wrote:

I still think you should make an exception with such a young dog as it is exceptionally cold weather. I have come across a lot of abandoned dogs in my time and you can appreciate my concerns.

i appreciate the concern and dont worry she wont be adandoned, AGAIN, but trust me she is spoilt in every way except sleeping indoors

peasant

muletide wrote:

... But I dont think it is right to allow an animal who will probably grow to +30kg to get too used to living indoors especially at night.

Just a general remark on that:

What has the dog's possible future weight got to do with sleeping indoors / outdoors?

If you're worried that that "lump of a dog" will be trouble / a nuisance / in the way later just train her right, right now, right from the start.

Show her a place inside where she is out of the way, make it hers with a blanket or a doggy bed and train her to sleep there. Won't be hard and will save you trouble and heartache later.

Think about it ...there will be times when she absolutely cannot sleep outside / unsupervised. She will come into heat (unless you want lots of new doggies you'll have to lock her in at night). She might get an operation / injury ...woundcare cannot take place outside. She will get sick at some stage and need a warm place to recoup. She will get old and simply not be able to sleep outside any more ...

So, as she will have to sleep inside at some stage(s) anyway, why not start now, now that you can still train her to do it "your way"?

muletide

peasant wrote:

Just a general remark on that:

What has the dog's possible future weight got to do with sleeping indoors / outdoors?

If you're worried that that "lump of a dog" will be trouble / a nuisance / in the way later just train her right, right now, right from the start.

Show her a place inside where she is out of the way, make it hers with a blanket or a doggy bed and train her to sleep there. Won't be hard and will save you trouble and heartache later.

Think about it ...there will be times when she absolutely cannot sleep outside / unsupervised. She will come into heat (unless you want lots of new doggies you'll have to lock her in at night). She might get an operation / injury ...woundcare cannot take place outside. She will get sick at some stage and need a warm place to recoup. She will get old and simply not be able to sleep outside any more ...

So, as she will have to sleep inside at some stage(s) anyway, why not start now, now that you can still train her to do it "your way"?

The reason I mentioned weight was I just wanted to get across what type of dog she was- just trying to say that she is not a paris hilton breed of dog

peasant

Ahh ...I see ...

Collies also come into heat, get sick , injured, old , frail, etc

karlin

For any breed, a pup should not be alone outside under at minimum 6 months of age as a puppy coat may look nice and fluffy but they have neither the adult coat nor metabolism to stay adequately warm on just a couple of blankets. Many breeds, toys for example, should never be left outside alone anyway; they are bred as indoor dogs and are also bred to be especially close to people and can be very anxious if left alone; and also don't generally have the metabolism and size to stay outdoors any time, especially not in winter.

If you have an outdoor breed and really prefer to have the dog outside I'd at least make sure it has a sheltered place to go AND a doghouse of the right size so that, with a proper bed and the enclosed dpace, the dog can keep warm. Lying out on blankets or in a shed is not enclosed enough just as you would feel warmer in an enclosed indoor room rather than lying outside.

This country has a very poor record on animal welfare when it comes to dogs and cats, and unfortunately one aspect iof this (along with a kill rate that is 10 times that of England and Wales; see spayweekireland.ie ) is keeping totally inappropriate breeds outdoors all the time. I work with rescue groups where we see the result of these breeds being left outside all day and night with little of the human interaction some breeds in particular are bred for. So it is ridiculous to make statements like 'dogs are yard animals' as many have not been 'yard animals' for thousands of years; and those that were intended as yard guardians were designed for such tasks well before the advent of a constant stream of cars travelling at 70 mph on country roads. Also in my experience few people offer their 'yard animal' dogs even the basic protections assured other 'yard animals' like cattle or horses or sheep -- which means controlled breeding or neutering if they aren't to be bred (or isolation from situations where they can get pregnant); safely enclosed yards and stables where they can't be hit by vehicles, warm shelter at night, and regular vet care. :eek: