What temperature do you think is too cold to leave a dog outside?

Shelli2

If it's too cold for a human to sleep outdoors it's too cold for a dog.

If it's too hot for a human to be outside, it's too hot for a dog.

Time of day doesn't matter much.

That's the very basic needs, but any decent person also takes into account comfort and safety.

Darc19

Shelli2 wrote: »

If it's too cold for a human to sleep outdoors it's too cold for a dog.

If it's too hot for a human to be outside, it's too hot for a dog.

Time of day doesn't matter much.

That's the very basic needs, but any decent person also takes into account comfort and safety.

This is the problem when people ask genuine questions.

The dog police appear and unless you treat a dog like a human, you are bullied to hell by these types.

Dogs are NOT human. Yes many of us will treat them as extensions to the family, but they are dogs and they have different bodily systems to humans.

Different dogs even of the same breed become accustomed to different ways of living and if you bothered to read the posts you'd have read that the op has the dogs in a luxury insulated dog house.

But that won't stop the overreacting types who will never see it from any other point of view except their own.

AMKC

cocker5 wrote: »

I’m surprised they are rescues OP as most rescues will not rehome dogs to homes where they will be sleeping outside. Not saying I don’t believe you or anything just stating a fact

If your hell bent on leaving them outside why not get heaters for under their bedding to make sure they are ok?

Something like this:

https://www.petworld.ie/product/snuggle-safe-microwave-wireless-heatpad-with-fleece-cover/

You pop it in microwave then under their bedding ...

Will keep u both happy

Well one was rescued by my cousin who then gave her to me as she was worried the person she rescued it from would get it back and the other one I rescued myself as it was been mistreated and left outside all the time a couple of years ago around Christmas sooking wet and cold so I took him in and the owners agreed to let me have him as it was not working out for them. When I took him in he was afraid of everyone and angry but he is a very happy spoilt dog now. He is still quite shy do.

Thierry12

Darc19 wrote: »

This is the problem when people ask genuine questions.

The dog police appear and unless you treat a dog like a human, you are bullied to hell by these types.

Dogs are NOT human. Yes many of us will treat them as extensions to the family, but they are dogs and they have different bodily systems to humans.

Different dogs even of the same breed become accustomed to different ways of living and if you bothered to read the posts you'd have read that the op has the dogs in a luxury insulated dog house.

But that won't stop the overreacting types who will never see it from any other point of view except their own.

Very true

Some dogs just don't want to be inside

We had an Alaskan Mal/Sibe husky Mix and he never slept inside after puppy stage

We tried to bring him in few times like storms, big freeze years ago and he wouldnt sleep or settle till he was outside, we worried about him those times , but he prefered be in the shed or in his house, he gave up his house to the cats on those snow days 3-4 years ago.He was a mad dog.

Parents Labrador is the same, never comes inside except for storms as he hates them, he doesn't have the fur or the same size but being doing fine like that for 10 years

Our Labrador is different, she sleeps in kitchen or laundry room everynight, she'd sleep in our bed if she could.

cocker5

AMKC wrote: »

Well one was rescued by my cousin who then gave her to me as she was worried the person she rescued it from would get it back and the other one I rescued myself as it was been mistreated and left outside all the time a couple of years ago around Christmas sooking wet and cold so I took him in and the owners agreed to let me have him as it was not working out for them. When I took him in he was afraid of everyone and angry but he is a very happy spoilt dog now. He is still quite shy do.

What about the heated pad I suggested?

AMKC

cocker5 wrote: »

What about the heated pad I suggested?

I looked at it. I might get it. How reliable are they do?

em_cat

They are good, but still yorkies have a very thin coat , like the hair on a humans head, they aren’t suited to being out doors in the winter. In terms of the mess if brought indoors, crate train them. Yes, they may mess the first couple of nights but if properly trained it will stop.

ganmo

Anyone else think that a dog panting while sitting down at rest because of central heating is borderline cruelty?

tk123

ganmo wrote: »

Anyone else think that a dog panting while sitting down at rest because of central heating is borderline cruelty?

You mean the one time they brought the dog in as legend goes in these threads? Do people who leave their dogs out have the house like a furnace with the heat on?

My dog lies under the radiator cooking himself when it’s on and I often put a fleece coat on him during the day as our house is so cold and draughty.

I feel i’d be doing a disservice to CAM by not pointing out that panting at rest - especially in the evenings - is often a sign of pain. So if somebody was to dismiss their imaginary dog’s pain as them being too hot then yes that might be a bit cruel..

ganmo

tk123 wrote: »

I feel i’d be doing a disservice to CAM by not pointing out that panting at rest - especially in the evenings - is often a sign of pain. So if somebody was to dismiss their imaginary dog’s pain as them being too hot then yes that might be a bit cruel..

Every days a school day

bertiebomber

a good hot water bottle in a fleece cover would also relieve the chill and the door closed at an angle to avoid the draught getting in . dogs do adjust but these are so small id prefer the crate inside and then moved out of your way out side during the day.

i have a whippet rescued from appalling circumstances bald from mange so cold he was curling up in the embers of a fire in an encampment of our native ethnic peoples. today he cannot support any chill or cold and wont even go out to pee if its raining has to have a coat he adores heat and comfort like no other dog i have ever had. small dogs and light / tthin skinned dogs love the heat.

Graces7

tk123 wrote: »

You mean the one time they brought the dog in as legend goes in these threads? Do people who leave their dogs out have the house like a furnace with the heat on?

My dog lies under the radiator cooking himself when it’s on and I often put a fleece coat on him during the day as our house is so cold and draughty.

I feel i’d be doing a disservice to CAM by not pointing out that panting at rest - especially in the evenings - is often a sign of pain. So if somebody was to dismiss their imaginary dog’s pain as them being too hot then yes that might be a bit cruel..

Panting was the first alert that my wee dog;s heart was starting to fail.

tk123

Graces7 wrote: »

Panting was the first alert that my wee dog;s heart was starting to fail.

polesheep

You have to treat every dog differently. I would keep a yorkie in at night from September to April. On the other hand, my big old collie cross slept outside for fifteen years. And I mean outside, under all weather. Then, all of a sudden, a few months ago he decided that he wants to stay in at night... and he is most welcome. It's always been his choice.

bertiebomber

polesheep wrote: »

You have to treat every dog differently. I would keep a yorkie in at night from September to April. On the other hand, my big old collie cross slept outside for fifteen years. And I mean outside, under all weather. Then, all of a sudden, a few months ago he decided that he wants to stay in at night... and he is most welcome. It's always been his choice.

age is honourable and now hes feeling the cold in his bones what a clever dog you have.

polesheep

bertiebomber wrote: »

age is honourable and now hes feeling the cold in his bones what a clever dog you have.

It started in the summer so I have a feeling that it's more to do with contact. He has always followed me everywhere. When in the house in the evening he will follow me from room to room. He even gets up if I go to put the kettle on. I'm going to miss him big time when he's gone. Provided he goes before me, of course.:)

bertiebomber

polesheep wrote: »

It started in the summer so I have a feeling that it's more to do with contact. He has always followed me everywhere. When in the house in the evening he will follow me from room to room. He even gets up if I go to put the kettle on. I'm going to miss him big time when he's gone. Provided he goes before me, of course.:)

i have a 14 year terrier and she is now called stalker she clings to me i see a little bit of cloudiness in her eyes and i think her hearing is only random when food bags are open so she is aware of her loss of senses and thence clings to me. But they do definately become needy in the years from 12 onwards. shes greedy heedless and sings from the top of her voice when i come in from maybe a 15 minute job outside shes adorable. elder dogs melt my heart.

Tangleytuftles

I don't think keeping dogs outside is abuse IF:
They have an insulated area to stay.
They are older than 9 months.
They choose to stay outside.
They're more than 10 kilos(anything under 10 kgs isn't big enough to keep themselves warm imo).
Some breeds like great pyrenees go mental inside.
Some individuals don't like inside and some individuals don't like outside.
My dogs mother(border collie) sleeps happily in an insulated garage with free roam of the farms acreage. My dog got given to me because he's not an outside dog like at all. He cries in the rain, has allergies that make his expenses too crippling to be a farm dog and he just doesn't like the outside without his people. I've always told my mother that past a certain age(once they've matured and their adult coat has grown in) my dogs will get the choice of inside or outside. Mine is comfortable and happiest inside with his people but his mother was not. All dogs are different and that's okay.
However if they clamour to be inside let them in, potty training is a thing and you signed up for accidents when you decided to get a dog. Replacing a door so you can have a doggy door isn't that hard. Just get a wood door that fits, cut it according to the doggy door instructions and install while stashing the glass door away safely. You don't wreck a glass door and they get to come in and out.

Graces7

Many years ago when we started caring for the collie no one else seemed to care for ( had been given to our landlord's father after the mother died but he had no interest and never spent a night at the house) she had been left out in all weathers.
Chained up.

Slowly we got her used to being indoors. First the back porch, where she nested! Then the kitchen with my other dog.

Out during the day. Unless bad weather.

They are adaptable. Also very clean. Never a worry on that score. Balance the needs of dog and owner..

kowloonkev

BloodBath wrote: »

Don't keep dogs if you aren't willing to let them live in your home.

It's animal cruelty. I doubt you worry about them too much if you're willing to do that.

Especially a tiny thin breed like that that was never made to live outside in the first place. Why do you keep pets?

It's animal cruelty to participate in the pet industry at all.

Kauto0709

If you take on a dog as a pet it should be treated as part of the family and allowed live in the house.

My dog sleeps at the end of our bed (sometimes even chances getting under the duvet in the winter!).

Kauto0709

Kauto0709 wrote: »

If you take on a dog as a pet it should be treated as part of the family and allowed live in the house.

My dog sleeps at the end of our bed (sometimes even chances getting under the duvet in the winter!).

A dog is an animal not a person, a fact lost on many. This whole dogs inside is a new thing they lived perfectly happily outside (with sheds/kennels) to sleep and for shelter until people lost the run of themselves in recent times.

As a child I grew up in the country so everyone had/has dogs I never saw a dog even let inside for a few mints until I was in my teens I think.

By all means keep a dog inside if you wish but it is perfectly acceptable to keep them outside also and not get treated so badly by posters for it like happens in here

DBB

Nox001, once again, you need to be asked not to post in this forum in a way which disrespects the forum and its users.
I've had enough of it now. You've been warned a multiplicity of times about the same thing, and you're clearly paying no heed.
So here's what's going to happen, just to make it absolutely clear to you.
If you do it one more time, you will be banned permanently from the forum.
Please do not reply to this post on thread.
Thanks,
DBB

polesheep

Kauto0709 wrote: »

If you take on a dog as a pet it should be treated as part of the family and allowed live in the house.

My dog sleeps at the end of our bed (sometimes even chances getting under the duvet in the winter!).

That wouldn't be for me, but each to his own. The only reason I posted was to show that some dogs are fine to sleep outside, but no way would I leave a yorkie to sleep outside except in good summer weather... even if it wanted to.

Graces7

polesheep wrote: »

That wouldn't be for me, but each to his own. The only reason I posted was to show that some dogs are fine to sleep outside, but no way would I leave a yorkie to sleep outside except in good summer weather... even if it wanted to.

That was my attitude to cats until we had dogs as well and there was no spare room to keep either in; ( I think that makes sense ) so the cats got the freedom of my bedroom and somehow it just stayed that way. I feel the cold more these days ( and nights) so..And no way would the dogs be out at night.

Graces7

Zain Mammoth Campground wrote: »

A dog is an animal not a person, a fact lost on many. This whole dogs inside is a new thing they lived perfectly happily outside (with sheds/kennels) to sleep and for shelter until people lost the run of themselves in recent times.

As a child I grew up in the country so everyone had/has dogs I never saw a dog even let inside for a few mints until I was in my teens I think.

By all means keep a dog inside if you wish but it is perfectly acceptable to keep them outside also and not get treated so badly by posters for it like happens in here

You are speaking about working . farm dogs in many parts of rural Ireland. Not companion dogs/pets in villages and towns where their role is very different and always has been. For literally centuries. This is nothing new.

It is indeed ie farm dogs out all night and often barking , something I have indeed seen and heard many times in my years here and if it is changing I for one am glad. My neighbour here now sleeps his dog in safe accommodation rather than chained up outside after a barkathon that disturbed us and the dog all night.

I feel that people here were not speaking about working farm dogs but about their home dogs. A different thing altogether, and one we do indeed need to be flexible about in both directions.

irishlady29

AMKC wrote: »

0pMy two dogs sleep outside in a dog house. I see it's to be quite cold tonight. I would normally let them sleep inside if I seen it was to be this cold but they like there little bed too. I do worry about them when it's this cold do

Rule of thumb.....if its too cold outside in the nip for humans....its too cold outside for the pooches....thats my thoughts anyways

anewme

Darc19 wrote: »

But but but but Fakebook and a friend of a friend's work mate's brother's friend said that every dog in his estate was stolen, so the gardai and official figures must be wrong.

It's a conspiracy Joe, a conspiracy.

As for the op, I'd be allowing them in from now on, gets quite chilly these nights and weather for next week looks dreadful.

Theres a huge increase in stolen dogs.

It's a trade as lucrative as the drugs trade, with little repercussions, so it's easy money.

So much so, that Gardai in certain areas are mounting roadblocks and checks and have made a certain headway, but it's just the tip if the iceberg.

The issue is that some Gardai are more proactive than others and there is a challenge with how the actual data is logged- Gardai logging and recording reports differently ( I know of two cases where Gardai did not want to give a number until owners insisted) so it is fair to say the numbers are not accurate due to no process in the reporting channels.

There needs to be a central database for stolen dogs and a taskforce between here and UK to action it. CAB needs to become involved.

Belittling it as a conspiracy theory is just adding anguish to the distraught owners who are desperately seeking their pets and want them home. If you started to list the names, youd fill this page.

Pets are not safe unattended in their own gardens and people need to take appropriate action to keep them safe.

I think Yorkies are definitely inside dogs, only little bits of things with no body fat. Have you a utility room OP or Garage?

Zapperzy

bertiebomber wrote: »

a good hot water bottle in a fleece cover would also relieve the chill and the door closed at an angle to avoid the draught getting in . dogs do adjust but these are so small id prefer the crate inside and then moved out of your way out side during the day.

Just a note about hot water bottles. I wouldn't use them in a dogs bed outside overnight. They start off very very hot and will quickly cool down. When very hot there's a risk of a dog burning themselves. Also when they cool down, which outside on a cool night they will cool quite quickly, they will start to become a source of cold. They will not stay warm for an 8+ hour night.
The heat pads mentioned by another poster are designed for slow release of heat over a long period. Therefore no risk of burns or becoming a cold pack.
But with any source of heat make sure the dog has space to move away from it if they become too warm.

A crate seems like a good solution. Otherwise make sure the bedding doesn't become damp and is up off the floor of the kennel. You can buy raised beds for this. Not sure if you close the door of the kennel overnight but if not you can buy doors made of plastic strips which allow the dog to pass through and will keep some of the draught out. Or if the kennel is big enough you can put an internal half wall in and put the bed behind it so the bed is blocked from direct draughts in the door.

Graces7

irishlady29 wrote: »

Rule of thumb.....if its too cold outside in the nip for humans....its too cold outside for the pooches....thats my thoughts anyways

Reminds me of the old saying, " A five dog night" …. which comes from frozen regions where the coldness of a night is measured by how many dogs it takes to keep you warm in bed.... Trust me, I know that in cat terms. Unlike a HWB a cat stays warm...