Keeping dogs outside

larrlin24

I'm in the process of moving and our new house doesn't have anywhere for both of my dogs to be inside. I'm planning on building them an area in the garden that's fenced off and buying a large shed that they can take shelter in. They're going to be full time outdoor dogs as this is what works best for us, but I want them to be safe and happy. They're used to being indoor at night and when it's cold, but that won't be possible when I move so I'm trying to plan things in advance. Is there a certain shed I can buy that is insulated? Or will a normal garden shed be okay for them as I'll obviously be putting their beds in with tons of blankets etc. I want them to be cool enough in the summer, and warm enough in the winter. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Nody

Why exactly can't they sleep inside in the hallway, kitchen or living room (as example locations)? The reason I ask is because changing it completly like that is likely to cause problems in and of itself beyond the move (new location, new smells, not feeling secure and now add in being kicked out from what they are used to) on top of the costs etc.

larrlin24

Nody wrote: »

Why exactly can't they sleep inside in the hallway, kitchen or living room (as example locations)?

Because I have indoor cats and they don't really get along. In the house I'm in now, the cats have their own room at night and so do the dogs, but that isn't possible where we're moving so it's just best for everyone if the dogs are put outside in their own area!

Graces7

many dogs kept like this get stolen, apart from what the poster above said.

if i did this with my two they would bark allthe time

dogs need more than a shed and blankets. they don't always get that in rural areas they are chained up in yards.

larrlin24

Graces7 wrote: »

many dogs kept like this get stolen, apart from what the poster above said.

if i did this with my two they would bark allthe time

dogs need more than a shed and blankets. they don't always get that in rural areas they are chained up in yards.

Sorry but I have no choice but to keep them outside, so I'm posting this to ask for advice on how to keep them as happy and as safe as possible. This is my only option, unless I give them to a new home which obviously I do not want to do. They're used to being outside in their own area for most of the day and they're quite happy, but they come in at night. Like I already said, this won't be possible where I'm moving.

Nody

What breed of dogs are they (i.e. huskies can handle things very differently then a pug etc.)?

cocker5

OP,
Im assuming from your post "full time outdoor dogs" this means they will not be allowed in the house at all really?

If this is infact the case Im just going to come right out and say it whats the point in having them so? Dogs need their family (humans) not just the company of another dog. Infact my dog prefers humans to other dogs most of the time. They need love, socialisiation, attention, affection, communication, a sense of belonging etc and they def wont get that being "full time outdoor dogs"..

and to be honest you menetioned your moving house, and sticking them outisde 24/7.... id say they are gonna love that and will no doubt bark like crazy all day everyday.

If your reason for banishing them 24/7 to outdoors is down to a cat then Id be rethinking the whole set up....

Personaly I wouldnt let indoor cats dictate my home....

Poor dogs will suffer because of the cats... let the dogs sleep in the kitchen and the cats in another room (or sitting room etc).

Dogs make great garden decorations in some peoples eyes but in reality its no place for a dog 24/7 outdoors with little interaction. its cruelty.

My two scents



Edited to say.. you asked how to keep them happy??? let them sleep indoors, you do have a choice, there are ALWAYS choices.

cocker5

larrlin24 wrote: »

Because I have indoor cats and they don't really get along. In the house I'm in now, the cats have their own room at night and so do the dogs, but that isn't possible where we're moving so it's just best for everyone if the dogs are put outside in their own area!

Best for who? not the dogs anyway.....

larrlin24

cocker5 wrote: »

OP,
Im assuming from your post "full time outdoor dogs" this means they will not be allowed in the house at all really?

If this is infact the case Im just going to come right out and say it whats the point in having them so? Dogs need their family (humans) not just the company of another dog. Infact my dog prefers humans to other dogs most of the time. They need love, socialisiation, attention, affection, communication, a sense of belonging etc and they def wont get that being "full time outdoor dogs"..

and to be honest you menetioned your moving house, and sticking them outisde 24/7.... id say they are gonna love that and will no doubt bark like crazy all day everyday.

If your reason for banishing them 24/7 to outdoors is down to a cat then Id be rethinking the whole set up....

Personaly I wouldnt let indoor cats dictate my home....

Poor dogs will suffer because of the cats... let the dogs sleep in the kitchen and the cats in another room (or sitting room etc).

Dogs make great garden decorations in some peoples eyes but in reality its no place for a dog 24/7 outdoors with little interaction. its cruelty.

My two scents



Edited to say.. you asked how to keep them happy??? let them sleep indoors, you do have a choice, there are ALWAYS choices.

They will be getting attention, love, socialisation etc. There's always someone home. They're walked daily and get plenty of affection. Like I already said, they're used to being outside in their own area during the day, so they don't bark like crazy. Hardly banishing them to the outdoors now am I. I'm trying to make sure they have plenty of shelter and a nice big place to run around. Surely that's better than keeping them indoors all day long like most people. Not sure what all the hostility is for. I'm not letting my cats dictate my home, but they're indoor which won't change so this is the only solution I can think of.

andreac

What breed are they?

andreac

Why can't dogs stay in one room and cats another at night? Surely you have more than one room in your house?

ShaShaBear

larrlin24 wrote: »

They will be getting attention, love, socialisation etc. There's always someone home. They're walked daily and get plenty of affection. Like I already said, they're used to being outside in their own area during the day, so they don't bark like crazy. Hardly banishing them to the outdoors now am I. I'm trying to make sure they have plenty of shelter and a nice big place to run around. Surely that's better than keeping them indoors all day long like most people. Not sure what all the hostility is for. I'm not letting my cats dictate my home, but they're indoor which won't change so this is the only solution I can think of.

Nothing wrong with keeping your dog indoors all day long once they are walked.

If I put Shadow outside for longer than half an hour, he'd cry to get back in! There's only so much cat-chasing and grass-sniffing he can do before he wants back inside to cuddle up on the couch.

You'd have to spend a lot of time outside to give them the level of human interaction they need to be happy if they are never inside.

cocker5

larrlin24 wrote: »

They will be getting attention, love, socialisation etc. There's always someone home. They're walked daily and get plenty of affection. Like I already said, they're used to being outside in their own area during the day, so they don't bark like crazy. Hardly banishing them to the outdoors now am I. I'm trying to make sure they have plenty of shelter and a nice big place to run around. Surely that's better than keeping them indoors all day long like most people. Not sure what all the hostility is for. I'm not letting my cats dictate my home, but they're indoor which won't change so this is the only solution I can think of.

Sorry OP but you said they would be full time outdoor dogs... thats suggest not allowing them into the house at all?

If this is the case well then well yes you are banishing them.

Maybe there is someone home most of the time... but thats no use to the dogs when they are in "their own area" all the time. looking in the house from a "dog pen" is no life.

who doesnt like who??

Ie dogs chase the cats etc? can you not try and socialise them so they learn to "tolerate" eachother, it doenst have to be one extreme to the other.

What breed of dogs?

You say your cats are indoor and thats not going to change, well you are letting them dictate... let them become outdoor cats for a while.

No sure why you so dead set on the dogs getting turfed out

larrlin24

Guess I'll have to find another solution. Thanks for the replies!

robocode

larrlin24 wrote: »

Guess I'll have to find another solution. Thanks for the replies!

This can be a pretty hostile forum when you mention dogs being outside OP. My guy is outside during the day while we work (like most of the world, but even that gets some hostility online, I'd love not to work and be home with the dog all day!) but he is inside then all evening and sleeps indoors.
Initially we were going to have him sleep outside but we are lucky in that we have a utility room that has now become his bedroom. Re your initial question about insulation, I've heard a lot of people mention straw, but I haven't tried it

larrlin24

robocode wrote: »

This can be a pretty hostile forum when you mention dogs being outside OP. My guy is outside during the day while we work (like most of the world, but even that gets some hostility online, I'd love not to work and be home with the dog all day!) but he is inside then all evening and sleeps indoors.
Initially we were going to have him sleep outside but we are lucky in that we have a utility room that has now become his bedroom. Re your initial question about insulation, I've heard a lot of people mention straw, but I haven't tried it

Thank you for the kind reply! I'm sure your dog is very happy! They actually have straw in their current kennel and it's worked extremely well for us so I'll keep that in mind. Thanks again!

RosieJoe

Can you not put a bit off effort in to socialise the cats & dogs? I'd be surprised if you cannot get them to live in harmony.

If that fails, I'd personally crate the dogs indoors over night rather than put them outside.

andreac

Theres nothing wrong with dogs being outside at all, but it can be quite a transition when dogs are used to being inside. Some breeds are not meant to live outdoors and you wont say what breed you have.

Most dogs stay outdoors for at least some part of the day while their owner is at work etc, which is fine. But you have said they wont be in the house at all due to no space, but surely you can put the dogs in one room at night and the cats in another, whats wrong with that idea?

Graces7

op it can be done. I have 2 cats, 2 dogs, and they cannot coexist.when i moved here, the layout o the house meant separation was hard.

now the dogs sleep in the spare room, leaving main house free or the cats and when cats, who live with me upstairs(i have to rest a lot) ii escort them downstairs and out. they are comically skilled now at lying in wait outside the door and zooming in before collie can blink

it is worth it believe me. no way could i house these dogs outside. took some thought too

Graces7

RosieJoe wrote: »

Can you not put a bit off effort in to socialise the cats & dogs? I'd be surprised if you cannot get them to live in harmony.

If that fails, I'd personally crate the dogs indoors over night rather than put them outside.

believe me in some cases this cannot be done. wee dog is fine with the cats b ut collie is a different matter altogether.

but meaningful separation can be achieved.

Graces7

t

andreac wrote: »

Theres nothing wrong with dogs being outside at all, but it can be quite a transition when dogs are used to being inside. Some breeds are not meant to live outdoors and you wont say what breed you have.

Most dogs stay outdoors for at least some part of the day while their owner is at work etc, which is fine. But you have said they wont be in the house at all due to no space, but surely you can put the dogs in one room at night and the cats in another, whats wrong with that idea?

no way would i leave my dogs outside when i am out. in farming country apart rom the risk of theft

andreac

Graces7 wrote: »

t


no way would i leave my dogs outside when i am out. in farming country apart rom the risk of theft

Yes, that's you Graces, im talking about in general.

A lot of people can and do leave their dogs out in the garden during the day. I know i can leave mine out for a few hours if i go out and there's no problems.

Tranceypoo

larrlin24 wrote: »

Thank you for the kind reply! I'm sure your dog is very happy! They actually have straw in their current kennel and it's worked extremely well for us so I'll keep that in mind. Thanks again!

Just on the straw subject, my in-laws dog (who I have posted about previously) was getting a lot of ticks as he was sleeping on straw in his shed, last summer I switched him to a proper dog bed, blankets on top of a bed which was lifted off the floor and the ticks all but disappeared, he still gets the odd one maybe he's just prone to them, the vet did say it wasn't really to do with the straw but I'm not convinced, plus straw can make them itchy, I wouldn't recommend it, vet bedding and proper blankets are better I think.

larrlin24

Tranceypoo wrote: »

Just on the straw subject, my in-laws dog (who I have posted about previously) was getting a lot of ticks as he was sleeping on straw in his shed, last summer I switched him to a proper dog bed, blankets on top of a bed which was lifted off the floor and the ticks all but disappeared, he still gets the odd one maybe he's just prone to them, the vet did say it wasn't really to do with the straw but I'm not convinced, plus straw can make them itchy, I wouldn't recommend it, vet bedding and proper blankets are better I think.

Oh wow I didn't know that. Interesting info, thank you! I'll look into what's best.

For the people asking, I have a collie and a jack russell. The reason I can't have them inside with the cats is because the layout of the new house is all open plan except for a very small utility room and a small toilet. There's nowhere to keep them separate unfortunately. I appreciate the replies from people who are trying to understand my situation. I'm not doing this to be cruel to the dogs, I just can't see any other way around it. I thought a nice big shed in the back garden with their own area would be okay for them as they enjoy being outside but I guess I was wrong. Wasn't expecting so many hostile replies to be honest.

Tranceypoo

larrlin24 wrote: »

Oh wow I didn't know that. Interesting info, thank you! I'll look into what's best.

For the people asking, I have a collie and a jack russell. The reason I can't have them inside with the cats is because the layout of the new house is all open plan except for a very small utility room and a small toilet. There's nowhere to keep them separate unfortunately. I appreciate the replies from people who are trying to understand my situation. I'm not doing this to be cruel to the dogs, I just can't see any other way around it. I thought a nice big shed in the back garden with their own area would be okay for them as they enjoy being outside but I guess I was wrong. Wasn't expecting so many hostile replies to be honest.

From your original and further posts, the impression was given that the dogs are used to being inside and now are being moved to a new house and being left outside all the time, that's the picture I got anyways and I do think it's unfair on them, many dogs are happier outside, many dogs have never been given the option of being inside sadly (my in-laws dog is a case in point, he is a big hairy collie but he would love to be inside despite never being allowed in!), but moving them from inside at night to outside at night doesn't seem fair, could they not sleep in the utility and the cat have the rest of the house, or vice versa? I just think they might start barking at night time when they're not in the house, it might change their behaviour etc, I don't know I'm not an expert, when we moved house with just 1 dog and 1 cat, we tried to keep the disruption to their 'routine' to a minimum, having said that, our cat and dog got on fine so it wasn't an issue but if I'd had to separate them then so be it but I absolutely would not have put my dog out in the shed (which is insulated and heated by the way).

I think maybe you could come up with some other options for the dogs, especially the jrt I would imagine he/she would really feel the cold outside even in a shed with bedding and a collie to cuddle up to.

Kukey

If your dogs sleep together, I would put a large kennel in the shed with a plastic
dog bed in the kennel with vet bedding.Duvets,pillows etc get damp whereas the
vet bed stays dry and is nice and cosy for the dogs.

Knine

larrlin24 wrote: »

Guess I'll have to find another solution. Thanks for the replies!

You could use a heat lamp to keep them warm in really cold weather or for winter nights. Would this be an option for you?

The Bishop Basher

larrlin24 wrote: »

Oh wow I didn't know that. Interesting info, thank you! I'll look into what's best.

For the people asking, I have a collie and a jack russell. The reason I can't have them inside with the cats is because the layout of the new house is all open plan except for a very small utility room and a small toilet. There's nowhere to keep them separate unfortunately. I appreciate the replies from people who are trying to understand my situation. I'm not doing this to be cruel to the dogs, I just can't see any other way around it. I thought a nice big shed in the back garden with their own area would be okay for them as they enjoy being outside but I guess I was wrong. Wasn't expecting so many hostile replies to be honest.

You know your own dogs OP and only you can decide whether they'll be ok sleeping outside. It sounds like you really want to do the best for them and there are plenty of ways to provide them with good shelter outdoors. Hope it works out for you.

tk123

OP just buy a load of these :P (they have cheaper ones but I like the picture in that one better). My two are indoors - the 4 year old would go mental if he was left out but my pup would be in her element lol - she loves to be out sitting on her chair! I'd be wary of buying a shed etc/spending too much money in case they don't use it or take their time getting used to it - maybe get a crate/crates to have on standby in case it takes longer than expected to get them used to sleeping outside.

hollytrees

Larlin, I think they will be fine outside, it's better they are put out now when the temperatures are increasing. I remember asking the vet about them sleeping in the shed and he said it was fine as long as they weren't in a draft. mine are in concrete shed so I'm not sure how warm wooden one would be. I also use fleece blankets and they all sleep in one bed.

Mine also are outside during 2 full days I'm working. Apart from those times they are in the house or we are out and about on walks or playing.

I've been meaning it put lock on shed although they cause such a racket if anyone goes in I'm sure we would hear them!

boomerang

OP I applaud you for keeping both cats and dogs, and not choosing one over the other. A lesser owner would rehome either the dogs or the cats. You're in a tough spot but doing your best to make it work. Fair play.