Need advise of how to make a puppy an outside dog!

[Andy]

Well, looks like we have husband's blessings on getting another dog. I am still torn about it. I am sure it will be larger than I really want but the research I have done shows this goldendoodle backcross to be the right fit for our family.

husband and difficult child purchased a kennel and dog house today. They are spending the day assembling. We do have a crate for in the house and traveling, ect.

My question is: How do you prepare your new puppy to be alone outside? Can it be in a training crate in difficult child's room for a week or two before introducing it to being outside alone? difficult child can have it spend time during the day in its kennel/dog house to get it use to it.

I can not find that answer in any of the books that difficult child has borrowed from the library (a few a great books and I will look for them to purchase at a book store). The books talk about letting it be in the crate in the bedroom but it does not go further to talk about how to make an outdoor dog be an outdoor dog.

Thank you! (we get the puppy on Tuesday, July 13th)

 

[donna723]

I maybe should keep my mouth shut, but if it has to be alone outside and away from the family most of the time, why get the dog in the first place?

 

[klmno]

I tend to agree with Donna about this, especially given the breed you are wanting. Poodles are not outside dogs and many goldens do well inside with people and just being out of the house for adequate potty time and excersizing.

 

[Suz]

I completely agree with Donna, Andy.

Dogs are pack animals and need to be with their pack, not outside alone. No rescue organization I know would allow anyone to adopt one of their dogs if the dog was going to be an outside dog. And the breed you want to get you are choosing precisely because it is family-friendly.

I hope you will either accept that the dog is going to be a member of your family inside with your other dog ..............or, if you really only want an outside dog, I hope you decide not to adopt another one at all.

Suz

 

[donna723]

Suz is right. Dogs are very much pack animals and their pack will become YOU and your family. Dogs were not meant to live alone, exiled in a back yard by themselves, especially a young puppy. It will never become properly socialized that way. And they get lonely and bored and then they start bad behaviors like digging and barking and driving your neighbors crazy! And most places it's been way too hot this summer for a dog to be outside - the poodle half of this dog is strictly an indoor kinda guy! The thing about dogs confined to a back yard - out of sight, out of mind. Unless someone goes outside to play with them, they get no attention at all and it's very easy to almost forget they're out there. I always feel so sorry for these dogs - I've seen them sweltering outside in the summer heat and almost freezing in their little dog houses in the winter. It just breaks my heart!

I really hope you will reconsider, or at least choose some other breed of dog that you will keep in the house.

 

[emotionallybankrupt]

I agree with the other responses but wonder if there is some particular reason you are thinking it is unworkable for this dog to be an indoor dog. Maybe we can help with that? Both my dogs are indoors, and I'll admit I never would have thought it workable in my younger years. Honestly, I can't remember exactly what changed my way of thinking, for me to decide to give it a try. We've had no problem though, and as you can see from my signature, they are both large dogs--standard poodles. Wonderful members of the family, and very "people" oriented. They would be very unhappy animals if they were "outdoor" dogs.

 

[donna723]

I make it work with FOUR inside dogs, three Bostons and a larger mixed breed dog. Crate training at an early age is very helpful, and having that crate to put them in when you need to really helps. It helps with housebreaking too. I live alone and don't have a fenced yard so I make A LOT of trips outside with dogs on leashes. But if you have a fenced yard, it's easy enough to let them out when they need to go and back in again. Potty training a puppy takes a little time and a lot of patience and consistency but it's well worth it. There's all kinds of hints available on the internet to help with this.

 

[klmno]

I can see some dogs staying outside often but they would be different breeds and still have other animals around them under good circumstances. I only think of that because I sheltered a border collie once and it wasn't working well to keep him in the house- he ended up being adopted by someone with a horse farm and staying outside most the time but I feel sure he's happier because he really had that strong herding instinct. Still, it's my understanding that the new owners weren't just keeping him out without interaction most the time. But the breeds that need to work or herd to stay happy are not necessarily the best breeds for young family pets- People with kids can't usually spend the outdoor time with the animal on a farm or working with them or hunting, etc. Even a lab, which can be very good with kids, might be able to handle more outdoor time, but as others have pointed out, it is still not a good situation to put it outside by itself and try to keep it there as a general routine. And they need a lot of exercise. in my humble opinion, any dog gotten to be a family pet should be intended to be with the family most of the time.

 

[klmno]

I have always foubnd that the "second" dog potty trains easier than the "first". I don't know if it was coincidental for me or if it was because the younger one learned from the older one and "got it" relatively quick.

 

[donna723]

It's a little different though if you live way out in the country, have a lot of land and livestock, and have one of the larger breeds that enjoy being outdoors and roaming around. That's a lot different than having a little dog confined to a back yard and spending most of it's time completely alone.

 

[emotionallybankrupt]

My experience is that poodles are very quick learners and easy to housebreak. I think I've heard that females are generally easier. That was definitely the case here, although he was not particularly difficult.

 

[klmno]

It's a little different though if you live way out in the country, have a lot of land and livestock, and have one of the larger breeds that enjoy being outdoors and roaming around. That's a lot different than having a little dog confined to a back yard and spending most of it's time completely alone.

Exactlly my point! The border collie I had in my home moped around while being sheltered in that situation- obviously it was still better than being homeless and he could jump a typical residential fence so they had trouble finding a place for him to stay temporarily (about a month). Anyway, I hear that once he found his "forever home" on the farm with horses he could "herd" (it's no harm or fear for the horses), and had another large dog to hang out with outside and a family that loves him and is outside with the animals a lot, he spends most of his days running around with a smile on his face. LOL!! But yes, that is entirely different than getting a dog to be a family pet in a typical neighborhood.

 

[Andy]

O.K. Then inside at night it is - In difficult child's room. When we are home, it will be with us at all times but we are not home 24/7. I would think outside during the day on nice days (when it is older) when we are gone for awhile? It would have more room to move in its outdoor kennel than in the indoor crate. It will not be allowed to roam the house unsupervised - likewise, there is no room that I would want it to have free roam of while we are gone.

The dogs we had while I was growing up were outdoor dogs who did not like to be inside for very long so I don't have any experience with large dogs in the house. I don't have a problem with the dog inside overnight or in extreme weather (hot or cold or stormy) or when someone is home supervising it. That is why I got one with low shedding since I knew it would be inside a lot.

Standard poodles are one of the large dog breeds. Both the mom and dad of this puppy are outdoor dogs with barn/shed as shelter from the weather.

Thank you all for your input. I do understand where you are coming from. I assure you that it will not be kept alone or away from the family while someone is home (including overnight - it can be in difficult child's room with him). I know lots of "outdoor" dogs that are indoors with the family much of the time but can be found in their outdoor kennels during the day if their family are gone for awhile weather permitting. I just don't know how old the dog was when they started doing so.

 

[klmno]

Both the mom and dad of this puppy are outdoor dogs with barn/shed as shelter from the weather.

If they are housing a poodle like this, it sounds like a puppy mill to me. Actually, it sounds like it anyway.

 

[donna723]

If you took an older dog that was used to being outside and roaming free and then tried to convert it in to a house dog, that would be different. But getting it as a small puppy, it doesn't ever have to get used to roaming and running loose. For the longest time I kept my larger mixed breed, Freebie, on a long tie-out on my covered front porch while I was at work - the rest of the time she was inside. I thought she liked beign outside better. The tie-out was long enough for her to get down in the grass but not long enough for her to reach the street. She was way too cold out there in the winter and way too hot in the summer and now she's terrified of thunderstorms and lightning. I have her in the house with the others now and she's very well behaved and much happier being inside.

You really need to get a crate and begin crate training when it's a very small puppy. Mine stay in their crates while I'm away at work and they actually love having their own "rooms". I got them used to it by feeding them their breakfast in their crates before I left for work. They can each eat in peace and no competition over the breakfast. They're still out playing most of the time when I'm home. A crate becomes security for them, their own little den, their hide-away. They each have their own bedding in there and their own special toys and they actually go in on their own to nap. I don't trust any of mine to be out unsupervised while I'm away - too many things they can get in to and maybe get hurt. I do trust Ragan to be out long enough to make a quick trip to the store or something, but anything longer and she's in the crate too. A crate can really help with potty training a puppy too because generally they won't go where they sleep. You want to make sure the first crate is small enough that they don't have enough room to go potty on one end and sleep in the other! It can be done though. You will come to bless the day you bought a crate!

 

[Andy]

Not a puppy mill - I visited - I refuse to get an animal from anywhere that I can not visit first and I will never purchase from a puppy mill. The dogs are very happy and healthy - owners are retired farmers with lots of room for the dogs to run - many large dogs like to be outdoors where there is more room to run. Many farmers have their large dogs outside all the time.

When I was growing up, we had 80 acres for our dogs to run on and they were much happier outside than inside. It all depends on the individual dog. We want our dog to be as comfortable and happy outside as it is inside.

We do have a crate set up and ready to use.

 

[Suz]

Andy, I stand by my first post. A goldendoodle is bred to be part of a family and the "doodle" part is to help reduce the shedding/allergies. If you are asking about "training" a dog to be happy outside I am deducing that your bichon isn't an outside dog so why would you treat this dog differently?

Suz

 

[Mamaof5]

The reason you can't find that information out there on the net is because there is no information out there about that topic matter. It's generally not acceptable to leave a dog outside by itself at all. Any breed. Dogs are pack animals exception to the rule are feral dogs, feral hybrid males in particular or lone wolves (canine family).

It's not the best idea to even leave the dog on a chain outside during the day, dogs need socialization day and night. Crate training is an alternative choice and is fairly easy to train a dog for crating. It's about consistency and the breeder that has the mom and dad outside like that is by definition a puppy mill. How socialized are these dogs in all honesty - with that being said, the breeder is partially responsible for the temperament of the parents thus by breeding also the temperament of the offspring. Just like humans, puppies learn from behavior of their parental presence.

I'd question the temperament of the puppy and the parentage of that puppy with that kind of treatment. If not a puppy mill, at the very least a backyard breeder. I would caution against this particular puppy and start looking for perhaps a shelter dog - less expensive, all it's shots, neutered\spayed and socialized with both animals and foster homes (possibly families and kids). There are three kinds of breeders - responsible ones (the one you want to purchase a puppy from), backyard breeders and puppy mills.

 

[flutterby]

And Golden's *love* to be with their people.

 

[emotionallybankrupt]

I'm still trying to figure out if your reasoning is a logistical thing. My dogs don't have free run of the house while I'm gone--or even of a room, for that matter. I found out very early on that they are like children in that together, they get into trouble much more quickly than separately!

I have two roomy crates for them, and the crates are side by side so they can "chat" while I'm gone. I know they are just fine with this arrangement because I'm never had the first problem with getting them to go in the crates when I need them to. I'm wondering if you're concerned about finding a crate large enough for the dog when he's full-grown. I did have to look around a little to find one suitable for my 80 pounder, but they do exist.

To be outdoors while you are gone sure does leave a lot of variables besides loneliness. As I've posted in another thread, I've just learned that I have to be concerned about coyotes here. What if the weather gets hotter, colder, or stormier than you expected? To have mine inside, in their crates, I know they are safe in a controlled environment, and that gives me peace of mind.

As for when I'm home, I've found that having large dogs in the house really isn't much different than having small dogs in the house. They have plenty of opportunity to be out to exercise and potty, but they don't stay out without supervision. Inside, they'll cuddle up with you just like a smaller dog would. My mom laughs and says my dogs are way too big to be lap dogs. I disagree!