Dog won't sleep outside

Damokc

heading should reaed "Dog won't sleep outside"
i've a year old border collie(pet). he currently sleeps inside in the hallway at night but we've a baby on the way so this can't go on.he has a house outside but will not sleep in it.he would rather just sleep outside the front door in a porch area even if its windy and raining.it is dry there unless we get rain from the north east which not often.he seems to wan to be around the front of the house to watch whats going on the whole time.cars passing by and things like that. thing im really asking is will he be ok outside?

at the moment if he's left outside for the night he will start crying and scratching around 3or4 in the morning to be left in....i always give in and let him in.

dave1982

Dog will mostly likely get jealous of the baby,if you lock him out and let the baby in.

I got extra child gates and put them up to contain my dogs in certain parts where they were allowed.

It's unfair to put him out when he is used to being inside.

Hope you can solve this,

Good luck

planetX

You're his pack - what on earth makes you think he would ever happily sleep outside?
I don't see any reason why having a baby means the dog can't sleep in the hallway

are you serious

+1 on the child gates but think of them more like dog gates

your dog has from what i am understanding gotten too used to sleeping inside so having the gates will as was previously said keep the boundaries!

you should know by now your own dogs mentality towards small people(kids) some dogs will always get jealous but if you do it right with a good introduction to your new baby you will do just fine

best of luck i hope it goes well for you

p.s my rottie just adores my son and whenever they are together my son tries to use him as a horse

Damokc

its not i wouldn't trust him with the baby,its the hair that he is constantly losing despite brushing.other forums say it could be from being inside all the time that he loses the hair.

il give those child/dog gates a go when the time comes. prob freaking out more about having a child rather than the dog being the problem!!:eek:

clearz

I wouldn't sleep outside either. Congratulations you've got a smart animal there.

are you serious

ah i think your probably just being a good parent already so

you will worry forever about everything, believe it or not my rottie loses so mush hair i'm surprised he's not actually gone bald his hair gets everywhere!

we hover at least once a day, some times its tough going and especially with the new addition you'l take time to settle into a routine but you will get it all in order and soon enough you will all be together with your dog loving your new baby more than you

TooManyDogs

Damokc wrote: »

prob freaking out more about having a child rather than the dog being the problem!!:eek:

Try not to stress too much, my little baby came home from the hospital and there were already dog hairs on her and she hadn't even come near the dogs yet! I know all about the freaking out about the baby thing but honestly it does work out if you're calm. I have 6 dogs and managed to survive my first year with my baby

piperh

Theres nothing wrong with a little freaking out those tiny 6lbish babies are scary little monsters

Seriously though i wouldn't worry about it and just use the gates to stop the dog going where you don't want it to go. You'll find the bond between the dog and the baby is amazing to watch grow and a few hairs won't hurt, i actually found my 2yr old on his hands and knees sharing food out of the dogs bowl and he survived(although he is now a fussy eater lol). If you insist on putting the dog outside he'll be ok physically but it'll be very stressful for him and if you've a new born baby waking you you could do without the dog joining in. And if close your neighbours could complain.

Pinklady11

Gosh sounds a lot like my dog! We have a labrador and he hates being outside. Anytime we put him out he just sits at the door crying to get back in! He has always slept in the kitchen so when our baby arrived, we kept him in the kitchen most of the time and he was only allowed in the sitting room in the evening when the kids went to bed. We also put him in the garden for a few hours during the day (weather permiting!). He sheds hair all year round so by only allowing him in certain areas of the house we were able to limit the amount of cleaning up after him.

Hope all goes well you and good luck with the new arrival!

Susannahmia

That is just so unfair for you to put him out when he is used to being inside. No wonder the poor dog is crying. How would you like it?

Why cant you just use a child gate to contain him in a hallway or downstairs loo?

The hair comes as part of owning a dog, if you can't handle that then you should seriously consider rehoming him with someone who can.

Have you tried using a furminator brush. They are brilliant for getting rid of hair. I used it on my old corgie who was a serious shedder and it cut down on the hair by about 80%. Couldn't recommend it more. I also gave him moult formula every day, its basically like cod liver oil for dogs and had vitamins and supplements that are supposed to help decrease shedding.

Also what are you feeding him? When we were feeding our corgi stuff like pedigree chum etc he shed a lot more. Switched to royal canin and it improved.

cocker5

Damokc wrote: »

its not i wouldn't trust him with the baby,its the hair that he is constantly losing despite brushing.other forums say it could be from being inside all the time that he loses the hair.

il give those child/dog gates a go when the time comes. prob freaking out more about having a child rather than the dog being the problem!!:eek:

ok firstly.... lots of dog are indoor dogs when there's children in the house.... my dog will always be a house dog... but its a personal choice...

On the hair thing.... try.... the furminator.... its a special brush that is supposed to reduce hair loss / shedding massively...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=the+furminator&tag=googiehydra-21&index=aps&hvadid=6213889590&ref=pd_sl_8xauvc0m56_b

or get him clipped tight... that will solve that isuue..

be careful if the dog is put outside after new baby comes home you could creating alot of problems and jealously issues....

so if its really what you want... then start well before the baby arrives...

can i ask you... how big is his kennel? alot of people buy kennels that are too small for thei dogs... this includes me, i bought a kennel for my cocker when he was a pup... he refused to use it... when he was fully grown i had to get him a much bigger one... and now he uses it no bother... he's am indoor dog but sometimes during work he is outside and no problems at all...

Trick is a dog has to be able to get into his kennel go down the back and stand up and turn around....if he cant do that he wont use it!

get him some vet bed too..
http://www.bronteglen.ie/bronteglenList.asp?cat=2&subcat=28&name=Vet

its great at keeping thme warm and dry...

also place kennel on blocks... it stops the wet and cold from the ground making his kennel unwelcoming...

Best of luck with your collie and the new baby

Damokc

Susannahmia wrote: »

That is just so unfair for you to put him out when he is used to being inside. No wonder the poor dog is crying. How would you like it?

Why cant you just use a child gate to contain him in a hallway or downstairs loo?

The hair comes as part of owning a dog, if you can't handle that then you should seriously consider rehoming him with someone who can.

Have you tried using a furminator brush. They are brilliant for getting rid of hair. I used it on my old corgie who was a serious shedder and it cut down on the hair by about 80%. Couldn't recommend it more. I also gave him moult formula every day, its basically like cod liver oil for dogs and had vitamins and supplements that are supposed to help decrease shedding.

Also what are you feeding him? When we were feeding our corgi stuff like pedigree chum etc he shed a lot more. Switched to royal canin and it improved.

alot of what your saying would lead me to think your dog is treated more like a child..but i guess thats what i get from asking this in a pet thread...if i asked in the new baby thread a presume it would be the opposite.thanks for all the replys and i will try that furminator.
i actually do think his house is too small,iv read up on it before.i was thinking of getting a garden shed for him as a house.fine and big.

boomerang

Susannahmia wrote: »

Have you tried using a furminator brush. They are brilliant for getting rid of hair.

Don't use one on a long-coated Border Collie though - they're not suitable, it'll wreck the hair. Just get one of those double-rowed combs in the pet shop - it'll pull out the dead undercoat.

To be honest, living with a double-coated breed like a collie, they're always going to shed some bit of hair, you have to live with it to an extent, but it helps if you brush them out thoroughly at least once a week.

Best of luck with the babba. I wouldn't be putting the dog out either. The baby gates work a treat. My cousin is 2 years old now, was raised with the cat and two dogs - and they all adore him, especially the cat! I would be worried about sticking a collie outside with nothing much to do while you guys are busy taking care of the newborn - it's a recipe for trouble really. They're not a dog that copes well with boredom and they don't like being away from the family. I'd venture to say your baby will be a lot safer with the dog in the house than out, as the dog will get used to the baby and come to see him/her as part of the family. Lots of info on the web about introducing your dog to the new baby. Key thing is to start making the changes now, before baby comes. For example, if you're going to put up baby gates, do it now, so the dog gets used to not having access to parts of the house.

boomerang

Damokc wrote: »

i actually do think his house is too small,iv read up on it before.i was thinking of getting a garden shed for him as a house.fine and big.

Great size wise but he'll roast in it in the summer months and as they're not insulated he'll find it cold in the winter, unless you put a kennel in there for him.

ISDW

Damokc wrote: »

alot of what your saying would lead me to think your dog is treated more like a child..but i guess thats what i get from asking this in a pet thread...if i asked in the new baby thread a presume it would be the opposite.thanks for all the replys and i will try that furminator.
i actually do think his house is too small,iv read up on it before.i was thinking of getting a garden shed for him as a house.fine and big.

Sorry, but that is really condescending. People treat their dogs like dogs, but as part of the family. My dogs live in the house, they most certainly are not treated like children. However, when I take a dog on I make a commitment to that dog, so no, I wouldn't turf my dog outside when a new human member joins the family. Maybe take a minute as to what lessons that might be teaching a child, we got a dog, then something better came along, so we threw him outside. I am not equating a dog to a child, but if you make a commitment to something, then I believe you should stick to it.


A lot of children now have allergies etc because they're not allowed to interact with any germs. A bit of dog hair won't kill a baby, just make sure that you keep your house clean, but then with a new baby around I'm sure you will.

ppink

Damokc wrote: »

alot of what your saying would lead me to think your dog is treated more like a child..but i guess thats what i get from asking this in a pet thread...if i asked in the new baby thread a presume it would be the opposite.thanks for all the replys and i will try that furminator.
i actually do think his house is too small,iv read up on it before.i was thinking of getting a garden shed for him as a house.fine and big.

maybe or maybe not, depends on who happens upon the thread and how they feel about their chosen pet.
I think the responses here were very fair to you, trying to understand your position but at the same time most pet owners.......and especially of intelligent breeds like a collie, would never dream of putting their dog out the back all of a shot like that and expect him to be happy about that.

How do you figure he should be happy about being in with his pack to being outside at night alone? I think you need to do a bit of reading into how dogs operate and especially highly intelligent breeds like the collie or you could cause yourself a lot of probelms in the future....and wreck the poor dogs head into the bargain.

Damokc

jesus some people are very touchy.it was a throw away statement meant to be taken light heartedly.sure i threat my own dog like a child...once i dont start treating the child like a dog when it comes along ill be grand

anyway,he wouldn't be locked into the house so if it got too warm he could go anywhere around the house or back/front lawn for shade.i would insulate it for winter.we have a huge area around the house.

ppink

Oh....sorry which part was throw away meant to be taken lightly?

Damokc

"alot of what your saying would lead me to think your dog is treated more like a child..but i guess thats what i get from asking this in a pet thread...if i asked in the new baby thread a presume it would be the opposite"

that part:D

thanks again for all the help

cocker5

OP....

if thats your decision then fine... he is your dog... your house your rules....... just make sure you do this WELL before the new baby arrives... and his new bed is plenty big enough.... you may consider a shed where the front door is like a stable door... ie you can lock top half etc... so he is warm and dry... but can still get out etc... also def get him vetbed its great for keeping him warm and dry

Just wanted to point out...

just beacuse posters keep their animals indoors after a baby arrives etc....and maybe a little "touchy" when another poster comes on wanting to put a dog from being an indoor dog to an outdoor dog mainly due to a new baby... does not mean posters treat their dog likes babies etc..

My cocker sleeps in the kitchen and he has done so since 10 weeks.... he is 6 now... so theres no way on this earth i could up root him and put him outside now... he would see it as a punishment etc...

Yes is a big part of my family... a canine member... not a baby... and yes i would never be without him.... but he is still a dog... i made the a comittment 6 years ago to my little guy... that meant giving him a happy, healthy and content life... cant see why this would change when a baby comes along.

Best of luck with teh dog and your new baby

FlamingSox

Just wanted to offer some reassurance to the OP as I have three young children and a dog. We used baby gates while our dog was a puppy. Now we don't need them - she won't venture into the hall at all unless she is 'invited'. At night she is cated in a room off the kitchen and during the day/evening she has a day bed in our kitchen/family room. Best of luck with your new baby, becoming a first-time parent can be overwhelming. Whatever changes you are going to make, do it asap.

Oranage2

Collies are hardy dogs - sleeping outside wont have any effect on it-

Best thing to do is put the dog out at night and no matter what dont let it in no matter how much it begs - The begging should last a week maybe 2 then when it realizes its now an outside dog it'll soon stop -

Dogs have slept outside for centuries in things called a 'dog kennel' so dont feel bad about it OP!

Just make sure you walk the dog daily no matter how much stress the baby brings - Collies are great but they do get bored easily if just left alone

piperh

Oranage2 wrote: »

Collies are hardy dogs - sleeping outside wont have any effect on it-

Best thing to do is put the dog out at night and no matter what dont let it in no matter how much it begs - The begging should last a week maybe 2 then when it realizes its now an outside dog it'll soon stop -

Dogs have slept outside for centuries in things called a 'dog kennel' so dont feel bad about it OP!

Just make sure you walk the dog daily no matter how much stress the baby brings - Collies are great but they do get bored easily if just left alone

What about the nuisance factor to any neighbours?

Zapperzy

Oranage2 wrote: »

Collies are hardy dogs - sleeping outside wont have any effect on it-

Best thing to do is put the dog out at night and no matter what dont let it in no matter how much it begs - The begging should last a week maybe 2 then when it realizes its now an outside dog it'll soon stop -

Dogs have slept outside for centuries in things called a 'dog kennel' so dont feel bad about it OP!

Just make sure you walk the dog daily no matter how much stress the baby brings - Collies are great but they do get bored easily if just left alone

Maybe it won't have an effect physically but as has already been mentioned on this thread it may have an effect mentally. I don't think the OP wants the dog to become jealous of the baby or associate the baby as the reason he's been left outside.

I can't remember if it was here or on another forum I read a few tips for dog owning parents of new babies, and one thing that stuck in my mind was in the weeks before the baby is due get the dog used to you getting up a few times during the night, you don't want to get up a 3am to feed the baby only for your dog to think it's morning time and start whining to go for a walk.
You can buy cd's with baby sounds on them that you can start playing now to get him used to crying babys so that he doesn't completely flip out when there's a tiny little human around the place screaming at the top of their lungs.
And as collies are notorious wheel lungers and chasers maybe get him used to a buggy before there's actually a baby in it.

Sigma Force

As a dog owner and a parent (so have the experience) it's ridiculous that you'd want the dog to go outside if he's happy in the porch and doesn't wake you up in the porch then leave the poor dog there. The winters are getting much too harsh now so you'll only have to bring him in anyway over winter so why change his routine.

I honestly can't see what the issue is..just brush your dog regularly and if he's moulting a lot bring him to the groomers for a good brush out and give him moult tone tonic or use a furminator. It's no big deal.

I had a newborn baby in a house with hamster, gerbil, 2 dogs and 3 cats at the time and ...she's still alive 12 years. If you're worried about dog hair then hoover.

It's a very bad idea to isolate the dog when the baby comes along, obviously never leave any baby alone with any animal but you need the dog to get to know the baby and there's always doors you can close or as said dog gates.
Just ensure the dog doesn't get ignored or left out and do you really want to cope with a new baby waking you up at night and a dog howling to get in, I think you're just going to make life harder for yourself.

I have nothing against dogs being housed outside at night but if the OP is worried of dog hair then where does that leave the dog during the day?? The dogs already used to being in and sure he's only in the porch at night so where's the harm in leaving him in he's not going to shed a pillow case full of hair a night now is he.
Saying all that my collie prefers outside but I'll be honest the winter was so harsh last year that I do not believe a collie could be comfortable with a winter like that mine was brought in it was just too cold.

The only dogs really comfortable in those conditions we had over the winter would be huskies etc. collies are hardy but it was much too cold even for them and why put a dog outside when it's happy indoors and by the sounds of it is quiet and content to sleep in the porch.

Speaking as a collie owner and someone who was out and about in that freeeezing cold last winter no amount of insulation is going to help if we get a winter like that again the minimum would be some form of heating.

That aside it's not fair on the dog why change it's routine just because a baby comes along, pushing a dog away is only going to lead to behavioural problems if the dog is seperated from you.

Susannahmia

ISDW wrote: »

Sorry, but that is really condescending. People treat their dogs like dogs, but as part of the family. My dogs live in the house, they most certainly are not treated like children. However, when I take a dog on I make a commitment to that dog, so no, I wouldn't turf my dog outside when a new human member joins the family. Maybe take a minute as to what lessons that might be teaching a child, we got a dog, then something better came along, so we threw him outside. I am not equating a dog to a child, but if you make a commitment to something, then I believe you should stick to it.


A lot of children now have allergies etc because they're not allowed to interact with any germs. A bit of dog hair won't kill a baby, just make sure that you keep your house clean, but then with a new baby around I'm sure you will.

Agree with this post wholeheartedly.

Damokc wrote: »

alot of what your saying would lead me to think your dog is treated more like a child..

??? I don't consider ensuring my dog has the best food and shelter that I can provide to fit it's needs to be "treating it like a child". I consider it basic pet ownership.

hpsheba

+1 , Dont use a furminator on a Border Collie, instead get a coat king, they are great and more suitable for their coat. Also if you get clip the coat all that will happen is that you will have shorter hair everywhere. If its the hair you are worrying about maybe book him in to be groomed prefessionally just before the baby is due and get the groomer to use a de- shedding treatment on the coat. Wont stop the shedding completley but will cut it back and give you a chance to get rid of the tumble weeds around the house, LOL I have collies too!

JustAThought

Best of luck with the baby!!
My dog won't sleep outside at all despite all kinds of tricks, great kennel, warmed sheepskin blankets etc. So maybe don't go to the expense and labour of a shed before you try the baby gates!!! Is s/he crate trained ?or is that too late now?
As someone else wrote, that's a smart dog you have there! She sounds like a lovely social curious thing; I'm guessing shed be isolated and cold in the garden....baby it's cold outside...

ppink

JustAThought wrote: »

Best of luck with the baby!!
My dog won't sleep outside at all despite all kinds of tricks, great kennel, warmed sheepskin blankets etc. So maybe don't go to the expense and labour of a shed before you try the baby gates!!! Is s/he crate trained ?or is that too late now?...

The fantastic thing about crates is that it is never too late. I introduced a 10 & 12 yr old to a crate last year and it is the most popular thing in my home now (with the dogs that is;)).

JustAThought wrote: »

As someone else wrote, that's a smart dog you have there! She sounds like a lovely social curious thing; I'm guessing shed be isolated and cold in the garden....baby it's cold outside...

Yep and I'm guessing a bored dog and a wrecked garden or dog:eek:.

Our collies when I was a kid were all outdoor dogs but the difference I think was they had pretty much full time stimulation. they were out for at least 12 hours a day on the farm with people and in the evening they were in the yard with me and the horses. always busy I suppose.