Please Help Us Settle A Little Disagreement

[mrs tornsocks]

Six weeks or so ago, our 1yo lab decided to take himself outside to bed. We'd tell him it's time for beddy byes and instead of walking into the laundry, where he has a bed, he went the other way and out the back door. I think previously it might have been too hot for him, but since it started getting cooler, he still seems to prefer it.

So ... now that it's getting colder it's raised the question whether he'll stay outside. We would quite like him to sleep outside, just because he sometimes wakes up earlyish in the laundry and barks to get out (to play, not to toilet). Also, our laundry has a lab carpet from his hair.

I am worried he'll get cold, my OH thinks I'm silly. He sleeps on a lovely pet futon in his crate (lab, not OH ) and last night I put a thinnish blanket over the crate since it was quite cool.

Would a lab get cold in the worst of the Sydney winter ? I know they're bred for chilly waters but just wondering.

[Caesars mum]

If he is sleeping in his crate outside and it is covered and under cover away from the wind and rain then he should be fine. If you are worried you could get him a coat for sleeping in.

You might also like to raise his crate off the concrete or ground onto a pallet so that the cold does not transfer through to him.

[gillybob]

Get him a coat.

Up here I think its far too cold for any dog to be outside at night.

In saying that ,most dogs in this town live outside.

Most dont have dog houses or beds either.

So they can survive.

But if you care about a dog, you care that its warm at night.

What about letting him in at night in winter.

[mrs tornsocks]

Get him a coat.

Up here I think its far too cold for any dog to be outside at night.

In saying that ,most dogs in this town live outside.

Most dont have dog houses or beds either.

So they can survive.

But if you care about a dog, you care that its warm at night.

What about letting him in at night in winter.

This is the the point I made to OH, it's not like he's been an outside dog or is a farm dog that you could maybe argue he's used to it. He snoozes up lying on the lounge with me and the blanky before he goes to bed - and then he goes outside to bed.

The crate is under shelter on the wooden deck and covered.

Might invest in a coat but think I'll be able to win the argument with OH

[Cockerlover]

As long as he is in a draft free zone he will be fine ,I have a bitch that insist on sleeping outside, despite being an indoor dog ,a coat wouldnt go astray though .

[Clyde]

Another vote for coat. SBT123 makes them to order in the Commercial forum.

I would keep covering the crate like you did aswell.

[Colliewood]

A Lab huh??

Can we place bets on how long the coat may last??

Is he a chewer??

[persephone]

I wouldn't worry about a coat - it's just one more thing to chew/get hooked up.Make sure he has a good windproof cover on his crate.. a solid floor to stop drafts , and also be aware that he may well take to barking at things thru the night after he's been out there for a while

[Teebs]

I have one that sometimes wants to sleep outside, if it is cold he will soon let me know that it is time to come back inside

I dont worry, i dont put a coat as he eats it, he snuggles in his kennel and comes to the back door and bark to come in - If i make him stay inside he sits at the door and cries, drives me mad, so i let him out!

[mrs tornsocks]

A Lab huh??

Can we place bets on how long the coat may last??

Is he a chewer??

Not a chewer. Hasn't destroyed a bed, dug in the garden or done any of the other stereotypical stuff. Had a go here and there, but not that determined.

Not sure how he'd go with a coat though. Didn't really like his Santa hat at Xmas.

[kelpiekaye]

My dogs sleep outside every night. They have good kennels and bedding and are probably warmer than me. If you saw the old farm house we live in you would understand why

[Scarlet]

I wouldn't worry about a coat - it's just one more thing to chew/get hooked up.Make sure he has a good windproof cover on his crate.. a solid floor to stop drafts , and also be aware that he may well take to barking at things thru the night after he's been out there for a while

I agree with persphone.

Dogs are pretty tough and some reaally like the cold weather.

I had a rough collie who loved winter and would be found outside sleeping in the open covered with a light covering of frost!

[Whippetsmum]

If he won't keep a coat, maybe try someting under the crate to reflect body heat back up, I did see a blanket that has a thermal reflective backing, but if it was under the crate he couldn't chew it.

Keep an eye on his weight as the temperature drops, as it will give you a good idea of how he's managing the cold.

[aussielover]

Just get him a kennel. If he stops wanting to go outside to sleep, then he is probably too cold. In that case you can let him sleep in the laundry again. It really doesn't get very cold in sydney, so you needn't worry too much. My dog used to choose to sleep outside even though we wanted her to sleep inside! she has a longer hair but she didn't have a kennel or anything. We left the door open for her to come inside but she always stayed out.

[Erny]

He snoozes up lying on the lounge with me and the blanky before he goes to bed - and then he goes outside to bed. ... Might invest in a coat but think I'll be able to win the argument with OH

Perhaps he is too warm from the snooze on the lounge with you and the blanket and that this is the reason he initially chooses to be outside, at least initially. Personally, I wouldn't coat a dog such as a labrador - they are double coated by nature and the problem with a jacket is they can't escape it if they are feeling too warm. If he has a nice cosey spot (kennel) to go to which serves as protection from all weather (including drafts) then I'd suggest he'd be ok.

I can only compare to Victorian weather though, but our nights get cold as well. When I was a kid we had a labrador. Those days were different and people were outside more than they were in and often there was someone at home for a good part of the day. But also in those days, dogs were predominantly outdoor dogs. Ours was. He had a wooden box with blankets and that was situated in our outdoor laundry, to which the door was always open. He was more than comfortable, warm and ok out there.

Why don't you skip the snooze on the couch with the blanket (just give him a comfy mat for him to lay on) and not have him warmed up before bed-time, and see if he's still looking to go outside then?

ETA: Have you had your heating going lately? That also might be the reason for him initially opting to go outside. Labradors are generally cool-weather dogs.

Edited April 26, 2010 by Erny

[Crazy Daisy]

I had a shepherd x kelpie and a golden when we lived in Sydney and despite having the best insulated kennel I could find, access to the lounge in the sun room and multiple beds in the laundry, both of them would sleep out on the grass. Sometimes I would come out in the morning and they had bits of frost on their coats. Silly doggies.

I wouldn't worry about a coat. As long as he has somewhere to get out of the wind he should be fine. He'll let you know if he's cold.

[sas]

Labs have pretty good coats on them, maybe just leave him be and keep an eye on him, just ensure he has a draft free place to bunk down.

[mrs tornsocks]

He snoozes up lying on the lounge with me and the blanky before he goes to bed - and then he goes outside to bed. ... Might invest in a coat but think I'll be able to win the argument with OH ;)

Perhaps he is too warm from the snooze on the lounge with you and the blanket and that this is the reason he initially chooses to be outside, at least initially. Personally, I wouldn't coat a dog such as a labrador - they are double coated by nature and the problem with a jacket is they can't escape it if they are feeling too warm. If he has a nice cosey spot (kennel) to go to which serves as protection from all weather (including drafts) then I'd suggest he'd be ok.

I can only compare to Victorian weather though, but our nights get cold as well. When I was a kid we had a labrador. Those days were different and people were outside more than they were in and often there was someone at home for a good part of the day. But also in those days, dogs were predominantly outdoor dogs. Ours was. He had a wooden box with blankets and that was situated in our outdoor laundry, to which the door was always open. He was more than comfortable, warm and ok out there.

Why don't you skip the snooze on the couch with the blanket (just give him a comfy mat for him to lay on) and not have him warmed up before bed-time, and see if he's still looking to go outside then?

ETA: Have you had your heating going lately? That also might be the reason for him initially opting to go outside. Labradors are generally cool-weather dogs.

Thanks !

He doesn't snooze with blanky and me every night, just so happened it was last night.

Generally he snoozes on the floor before we put him to bed and then goes outside when we tell him it's bed-time. It's interesting though, he didn't go outside until the weather cooled at the end of summer, so he obviously found it too hot during that time and preferred to sleep in the laundry.

Haven't really had heating going - it's only just started to cool here in Sydney, crazy weather.