[ahill01]

He hates going inside the house. It's a struggle trying to get him back inside.Is this just a phase that pups go through? I try to keep him outside the house as much as possible. I take him to the dog park every weekend, he goes to doggie day camp several times a month, he is starting puppy agility this weekend, and I take him for walks twice a day. Anytime he senses that it's time to go or we get near the house he stops dead in his tracks and will not move. He just kind of looks at me and even with treats sometimes he will not come. We do crate him while at work (about 8 hours), but the rest of the time while we are home he has free roam of the house and I usually don't put him to bed until about 11pm. My husband and I play with him constantly and he has a million toys. I give him bully sticks and just little things to try and keep him happy and not bored while inside but I'm just not sure why he hates coming back inside the house. (?)

 

[TooneyDogs]

Going back to the house means the fun is over. Outside is very, very attractive.
Use the same tactic that we use to get a pup to leave the house...a walk to the DQ and a mini cone is very rewarding.....make coming back in the house very rewarding.
Use high end treats...a warm breakfast, a huge soup bone, tasty treats hidden around the house that he can hunt down (have hubby place them while you're out) or anything else your dog enjoys.......some dogs like to be groomed or massaged.

 

[hulkamaniac]

He hates coming back to the house because when he gets there he gets crated for 8 hours which is a long time to crate a puppy in the first place. Most pups can't hold it that long (you didn't mention how old your dog is). He associates being in the house with being confined, restricted and not having anything fun to do.

 

[bambee]

I agree 8 hours is quite a long time to crate your dog. If he has some place to run or if you can trust him to not potty anywhere inside the house,I guess it is safe to let your dog loose around the house.

 

[Beki659]

I agree 8 hours is quite a long time to crate your dog. If he has some place to run or if you can trust him to not potty anywhere inside the house,I guess it is safe to let your dog loose around the house.

I dont think I would ever leave a puppy to run around the house for eight hours alone. Seems like a complete recipe for disaster. My two adult dogs got themselves into trouble in only a hour- puppies are usually worse.
I think its better to crate for 8 hours than teach the puppy that its ok to run around tearing things up and using the bathroom on the floor (at least in the crate they will really, really make the effort to hold it).

OP- it sounds like you're trying to make being inside fun. I had to deal with the same issue with Charlee when she was young- she would take SO long to use the bathroom, because she was so interested in everything.
Maybe try to take her on more than two little walks? I take my dogs to the bathroom 4+ times a day, but one of those times, I take a walk around my apartment complex. Its fun, and they look forward to it, but they also know that they will get other opportunities to be outside. They know dinner is after as well!
I also leave the window open a bit (screened) so Charlee can watch everybody go by my apartment and get some fresh air, and she really seems to enjoy that. Do you have a safe patio area the puppy could do the same in?

 

[scott.teece]

I think the crating issue depends on how old the dog is. If your dog is 5 months old and is holding it for 8 hours, that a huge ordeal for them, making going outside even more enjoyable/relieving. If its at all possible, someone coming in at the 4 hour mark to break it up with a walk and some play might be very helpful.

We've found that hiding treats and asking her to find it has made going inside a pleasing experience. Our pup currently does the same thing. Sometimes I just keep walking right inside, letting them know I am the leader when we walk. Sometimes I bring her right back to the backyard to play so she can release more energy.

If your dog has a million toys, it might be too much of a good thing. Maybe try scaling the availability of the toys back so on Monday she only access to a certain couple toys, on Tuesday a different couple. If she has access to all toys all the time, its possible she may not look forward to them as much as you'd think.