[troidz]

Hi my dog is 7 years old and has always slept inside on her own couch. Now we have moved houses and the landlord doesn't want her inside at all. So a couple of questions! Will a doggy bed under the veranda with a dog coat be warm enough for her? as it will get down to 0 degress celcius. Or should i get her a kennel with a blanket? The only thing is with the kennel is she has never had one and may not sleep in it. It may be a wast of money. Please give me some ideas or suggestions thanks!!!

[Mdawn]

Well, I can only speak from my perspective, but I wouldn't let the dog sleep outside in really cold weather, especially if they aren't used to it. A dog that is 7 years old, that has always slept inside, may not be able to handle really cold weather...

If the dog HAS to sleep outside, he or she needs to have some sort of shelter. An insulated doghouse with lots of hay or straw with something in the entrance to keep the elements out, like a heavy piece of rubber nailed to the entrance door. As well as blankets, etc.

However, if it were me and it was a really cold night, I'd ignore my landlord and the dog would be inside and the landlord could kiss my butt. But that's just me...

Also, a good tip for the future would be to find out how landlords feel about pets BEFORE agreeing to rent a house or apartment from them. And if they don't like pets in the house, finding another place that will let them in may be a good idea...

[lovemygreys]

Let me ask you a question. Would you move in to a house where the landlord requested that YOU sleep outside? If not, I'm just wondering why you would move into a house where another family member was forced to do so....furthermore, I can't begin to fathom why you would even consider letting a dog sleep outside, exposed to the elements.

If you are forcing your dog to live outside, then you are obligated to provide that dog with adequate shelter - sleeping under a veranda is not adequate shelter IMHO (see post above).

[PsiElement]

If your dog has always been primarily indoor, this is going to be quite a shock and possibly damaging to him/her.. besides just the elements their are creatures to think about. Even small things like raccoons are dangerous, especially to dogs and cats who are not used to them. Leaving food outside for your pets is a really surefire way to get the vermin to flock to your house and the landlord may become so upset about that (if your dog isn't hurt first) that they don't want any animals, period.

I think should you decide to put her outside you should provide her with an insulated shelter esp. for the cold weather. Putting her under the veranda in a sweater is like you sleeping on the veranda in your winter coat. Sure, it could be colder but you're far from comfortable, warm, or happy. Your dog will likely feel the same.

I reccomend if you won't be there long (if it's just a transition house, etc) boarding your dog or having someone else take care of it so it can remain to be indoors and well-socialized.. if you will be there indefinitely (basically you don't know when exactly you're leaving), I'd start looking for another more dog-friendly home.

[RonE]

Boy, I really hate getting up in the morning and reading a thread like this the very first thing. It puts a dark cloud over the day and I haven't even had a cup of coffee yet.

Even the cows and horse usually get a barn and the company of other cows and horses. (No disrepsect intented to cow- and horse-owners.)

[Renoman]

I'm with you Ron. I don't understand. It takes some extra hard work and it may take time, but finding a landlord that accepts pets without restrictions can be done, I've done it and I had 3 dogs at the time.

I would not take a 7 y.o. who is used to being in the house and suddenly banish him to the backyard exposing him to the health and safety issues mentioned in previous posts.

If it were me, the dog would be in the house where he's always been.

[Jen D]

Did you know how the landlord felt before you moved in?

[cowdog]

Mu sleeps outside and always has done. She has toys, blankets and water and is perfectly happy in her kennel - painted white with black splodges on to match her.

But then, it is always warm and dry here in the Canary Islands!

[blackrose]

My two dogs sleep outside (soon to be three dogs sleeping outside), but they have always done so, so they're used to it. They share a kennel, they have each have an igloo doghouse, and they have water, shade, a table to sleep under/sleep on, etc. In the cold weather I pack their doghouses with straw and they love it.

Granted, my dogs have always slept outside and they also have thick coats (being a Lab and a Lab mix) which helps protect them from the elements. Rose has a thinner coat than what I'd like an outside dog to have, so in cold weather she wears a doggy coat. In extreamly cold weather they come inside.

So before you make your dog sleep outside, make sure you have a secure place to put her (ie, a kennel). Make sure she has water that isn't frozen over (considering it is cold) and that she has a warm dog house (see the above posts). Only you know your dog enough to know if she will except being switched from sleeping on a couch to sleeping outside in a doghouse. Some dogs won't care, others will cry all night long. You also need to consider her breed; if she is a breed that has a short/smooth coat, there is no way she should be sleeping outside, as her coat isn't goind to provide much warmth. But if she has a thicker coat like a Lab, GSD, ACD, Collie...then she should stay warm a bit better. Also, senior dogs have a harder time in extreame conditions. Both of my outside dogs are seniors (eight and eleven) but they aren't "old". The only thing that shows their age is they are calm (that is saying something for Labs. ) and that they can't go as far on walks. If your dog is in the "frail" elderly stage, then don't make her sleep outside.

But I agree with everyone else in the fact that you should find a more dog friendly place. Having a housedog go to an outside dog can be too much for them sometimes.

[peace36]

What kind of dog do yo have? I would not put the poor doggie outside if she has always slept inside! Maybe you can find a nice home for her with people who will keep her in and treat her like a member of the family? I dont want to sound cruel but it sounds like you are suddenly having trouble caring for her.

I am not talking about shipping her off to a shelter either I am saying advertise and see if someone kind and worthy of owning and propely caring for the dog responds.