Gundog Training Forum

Looking for some advice on adjusting my dogs to living out part time.

They age between 16 months and 6 years and have lived in full time since I got them. However my circumstances have changed and they now need to live outside part time. Basically, overnight and while I'm at work. I work part time and split shifts so its only a few hours at a time.

They've settled quietly overnight already and I'm sure they'll get used to being outside while I'm gone soon enough.

My question is, how do I go about getting them used to the change in temperature at night? The dog room will be insulated and have heating so I can keep it warm in the winter, at the moment its still quite chilly overnight (in June!) so I've been putting equafleeces on the short coated ones. They've not got any fat on them at all and are very short coated. They seem to be warm enough like that. Once it gets warmer, if summer ever actually arrives, I'll try them without.

Any advice will be gratefully received. In 20 years of having dogs I've never kept them outside. Feeling guilty!

They'll be fine. Insulation and heating with blankets is plenty. I have one cocker at the moment who happily lives out in a heated and insulated kennel, I switched the heating off back in April and she spends the days sat out in the run with her blankets that she likes to take from the inside and make nest with

To be honest the heating isn't necessary at all, the most important thing being that the are dry and out of drafts. I have a sleeping quarters in the kennel that she has to jump into so that's stops any drafts ever getting to her.

Hope this helps and don't worry

Ps mine is in the house while we're at home so she has a similar lifestyle to what yours have.

Beno1978 wrote:They'll be fine. Insulation and heating with blankets is plenty. I have one cocker at the moment who happily lives out in a heated and insulated kennel, I switched the heating off back in April and she spends the days sat out in the run with her blankets that she likes to take from the inside and make nest with

To be honest the heating isn't necessary at all, the most important thing being that the are dry and out of drafts. I have a sleeping quarters in the kennel that she has to jump into so that's stops any drafts ever getting to her.

Hope this helps and don't worry

Ps mine is in the house while we're at home so she has a similar lifestyle to what yours have.

What he said. Mine, including my 7 year old who'd always lived in before, go out when I'm not in, and in when I am. They don't have heating, but they have a dry, well insulated, draft-proof box and they're always warm as toast. The younger one spends most of his time sleeping in the run out of choice, even through winter.

Thank you both for your replies. I put equafleeces on them the first few nights but have since left them off. Its about 15 degrees at the moment so I figured its not that cold.

I've not got a kennel, its an 8'x8' shed with a stable door and opening window, plus a dog flap, so during the day they also have the run of the garden.

I think its been harder on me than them, I feel so guilty locking them up at night when they've always slept on the furniture. Mind you, its got a whicker arm chair it there lol.

Thanks again for your replies, it helps to know others do the same. Most of my friends dogs sleep on their beds so I don't dare tell them mine are outside.

I would say if you can lower the ceiling height and box off a bit of it to make a cosy sleeping area I would. A small box keeps the heat in really well.

All mine have lived outside from the moment they were born I have heaters in the kennels like others on here but I haven't had to use the heaters for them, the kennels I have are insulated, if you are worried you could insulate the kennel yourself but they will fine

Mine are outside in an unheated kennel in the middle of Scotland all year round and are as happy as can be, I double mine up so there's always two in a kennel but even with the temperature in minus double figures they're out and ready to go in the morning. Big thing is to adjust diet with temperature, they burn a LOT of energy keeping warm in very cold winter weather so up the rations accordingly.