Leaving a yorkie outside?

usernamecat

Hey ,

Really hoping someone here can help me.

I have a 4 month old yorkie , myself & my boyfriend both work shifts so since we have her we have been leaving her out the back in the mornings around 7 until maybe 10 when one of us is in from work or going. The garden is secure & she has a little kennel with a big soft blanket & when she's outside one of us is always inside getting a few hours kip but my question is , is the weather getting too cold now to leave her out this long??

It's 5 degrees this morning ? Even tho she has her little kennel?

Just don't want her getting sick. She is 1.8kg weight.

The Diddakoi

I would say no. A Yorkie would be far too small and delicate to be kept outdoors. Their hair is like human hair, and they have very little body fat to keep themselves warm, and are very sensitive to temperature fluctuations.
Also they can escape through the tiniest gap in a fence, and are a target for thieves, so safety would be a big issue.
They are primarily a house dog.

HemlockOption

usernamecat wrote: »

Hey ,

Really hoping someone here can help me.

I have a 4 month old yorkie , myself & my boyfriend both work shifts so since we have her we have been leaving her out the back in the mornings around 7 until maybe 10 when one of us is in from work or going. The garden is secure & she has a little kennel with a big soft blanket & when she's outside one of us is always inside getting a few hours kip but my question is , is the weather getting too cold now to leave her out this long??

It's 5 degrees this morning ? Even tho she has her little kennel?

Just don't want her getting sick. She is 1.8kg weight.

Nice to see your concern OP. I think you realise yourself that your little dog would be safer and happier indoors.

Kinzig

alf66 wrote: »

I would say no. A Yorkie would be far too small and delicate to be kept outdoors. Their hair is like human hair, and they have very little body fat to keep themselves warm, and are very sensitive to temperature fluctuations.
Also they can escape through the tiniest gap in a fence, and are a target for thieves, so safety would be a big issue.
They are primarily a house dog.

I would definitley agree...my neighbour had a yorkie that she insisted on keeping outside...I did my best to try and persuade her to keep him indoors as he was able to get under a fence which left him able to get to the road..he was killed by a car shortly after:(

cocker5

OP,

I have to agree with the other posters... def way too small to be left outside.

My Mum has a yorkie, very similar to yours, she has always been an indoor dog and last winter she still found it chilly inside even though her bed is beside the radiator, so we got her a samll coat for her to wear indoors and during the winter we have a heavy jacket for her to wear when shes being walked.

As another poster said their hair is like human hair, very very fine def not enough during the summer months let along the winter months.

ShaShaBear

If the little beauty is happy to use her kennel outside, I would suggest picking up a small crate - she should find it easy to adapt to. Let her snooze in that when you would normally have her outside - you'll feel much better, she will be infinitely safer and everyone is happier.

aonb

OP since you are asking the question, you know yourself it is too cold for her. Agree with the other posters - a yorkie is too fine haired/small. Shes a total cutie too!
It was 2degrees here this morning - grass frost 8-(

Bizzum

There wouldn't be a bother on her.
I would suggest you start straight away when the weather is autumnal.

toadfly

I have two adult Yorkies and wouldn't even consider leaving them outside OP. They don't cope very well with excessive heat or cold and have very very fine hair. They are house dogs OP.

borderlinemeath

Bizzum wrote: »

There wouldn't be a bother on her.
I would suggest you start straight away when the weather is autumnal.

Have you ever owned a yorkie? Ever felt the fineness of the hair, or see their skin through the very thin hair? Yorkies were bred to work indoors, even though none of them work anymore, they still have that very fine coat, that keeps no heat in the animal.

I'm not one for dressing dogs but yorkies are a breed that need to be dressed for the elements on a brisk walk, particularly in winter. How do you think a yorkie will fare keeping warm in a garden with only a kennel for shelter?

dharma200

I don't think Yorkers are a breed that are equipped for outdoors.. I have three dogs who are primarily outdoors until the cold really comes, but they would be of a strong large breed with good coats and able for it Yorkers are delicate little things, so defo find awe area indoors hts

boomerang

I think she'd be happier (and more safe from theft) indoors, OP.

alroley

Definitely not. Yorkies are a tiny breed with hair, not fur. No matter what the breed, leaving a dog by itself for 15 hours is a no in my book

usernamecat

alroley wrote: »

Definitely not. Yorkies are a tiny breed with hair, not fur. No matter what the breed, leaving a dog by itself for 15 hours is a no in my book

I would never leave her on her own for 15 hours , just a couple of hours was all I meant.

Thanks a million for all the replies . I left her out to go to te toilet earlier and kept her inside after that. This morning was so cold the little crator would've been freezing.

Bizzum

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Have you ever owned a yorkie? Ever felt the fineness of the hair, or see their skin through the very thin hair? Yorkies were bred to work indoors, even though none of them work anymore, they still have that very fine coat, that keeps no heat in the animal.

I'm not one for dressing dogs but yorkies are a breed that need to be dressed for the elements on a brisk walk, particularly in winter. How do you think a yorkie will fare keeping warm in a garden with only a kennel for shelter?

To tell ya the truth , I seen plenty of em living under trailers. Hardy little buggers.

There are more dogs living outside than the pampered indoor pooches.

Only a kennel for shelter you say. Sure what more do they want?

We're only talking for 3 hours, so it's a non issue. Leave her out, there won't be a bother on her.

alroley

Bizzum wrote: »

To tell ya the truth , I seen plenty of em living under trailers. Hardy little buggers.

There are more dogs living outside than the pampered indoor pooches.

Only a kennel for shelter you say. Sure what more do they want?

are you kidding? Of course they need more than just a kennel in a garden

Vertigo100

They are def sensitive to heat changes as is evident by our little one joining us under the duvet until she gets too warm then potters off to the end of the bed for the night

DBB

Bizzum wrote: »

To tell ya the truth , I seen plenty of em living under trailers. Hardy little buggers.

I've seen them too! The same ones often have little or no hair thanks to the mange they have.
I don't think anybody here needs to use how people who keep their dogs under their trailers as a model for the most appropriate way to keep dogs generally. They're hardly an example of great animal husbandry.

There are more dogs living outside than the pampered indoor pooches.

Ahhhh, the old "pampered pooches" argument, so common in Ireland that people mock those of us who take heed of everything the evidence is telling us, and keep our dogs in a way that keeps them healthy and happy.
Maybe there are more dogs living outside, I'm not sure how you arrived at that conclusion, but it comes as no coincidence that Ireland has a terrible reputation when it comes to animal welfare. Amongst many of our terrible habits is leaving a highly sociable, human-orientated animal to live a life of near-total solitude, something which is widespread in many an Irish garden.
Just because you see it a lot doesn't mean it's okay.

We're only talking for 3 hours, so it's a non issue.

It is an issue for a tiny dog with a thin coat when the weather is cold and/or wet.

borderlinemeath

Bizzum wrote: »

To tell ya the truth , I seen plenty of em living under trailers. Hardy little buggers.

There are more dogs living outside than the pampered indoor pooches.

Only a kennel for shelter you say. Sure what more do they want?

We're only talking for 3 hours, so it's a non issue. Leave her out, there won't be a bother on her.

No. They're not "Hardy little buggers", far from it. I don't know where you see 'plenty' of them living under trailers. Most dogs don't live under trailers, let alone yorkies. Unless you're talking about dogs that live with a certain minority group? Great example they are.

Not all dogs that live indoors are pampered pooches. Most people actually care a great deal for the welfare of their dogs. Apart from the risk of being stolen as the dog is a desirable pedigree, the yorkie is simply not a breed equipped for outdoor living, no matter how much you try and justify it by rubbishing the OPs suggestion of bringing indoors by calling it a 'non issue'.

TBH, I feel sorry for your pets, if you have any. Sure 'what more could they want' only a kennel:rolleyes: