So, here's the situation – it might not even be a real problem, but I'm struggling. My partner and I adopted Arthur three months ago. He's a young Fox Terrier cross Jack Russell (or so we were told). Arthur was house-trained pretty quickly; we got him at 8 weeks, and I’d say he was clean by about 3 and a half months. There were a few accidents here and there, but they were very rare. It took a bit longer for him to be dry through the night, but eventually, it was a miracle: no more poo or puddles to find in the morning. He used to sleep in a little nook at the bottom of the stairs.
We moved house two weeks ago, and we’ve been putting his bed in a larger hallway closed off with doors (otherwise he’ll eat anything he finds, which is dangerous). But since the move, he’s started crying, whimpering, and leaving messes and big puddles of wee for us in the morning.
Yesterday, when he refused to go to his bed, we took him out for a final wee in the garden just in case that was the problem. He went out and then curled up in his kennel as if to say 'I want to sleep here.' So, we let him sleep outdoors.
The thing is, I'm really struggling with this. I feel like I'm abandoning the poor thing in the cold. I'm terrified he'll get ill, eat something dangerous, or choke. But this morning, he was so happy when we let him in, greeting us just like he always does. So please, does anyone have any advice for a worried owner!?
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Yeah, that’s exactly what I think, so I’m just leaving him to it. I don’t think he’d go outside if he wasn't happy sleeping there, especially since he knows he’s got his bed inside in the porch. I’ll keep offering him his bed every night anyway ^^
Yeah, that’s exactly what I reckon, so I’m just leaving him to it. I don’t think he’d head outside if he wasn’t happy sleeping there, especially since he knows he’s got his bed inside in the porch. I’m still offering it to him every night and I’ll keep doing that anyway ^^
Yeah, that’s exactly what I think, so I’m just letting him be. I don’t think he’d go outside if he wasn’t happy sleeping there, especially since he knows he’s got his bed inside in the porch. I’ll definitely keep offering him his bed every night anyway ^^
Oh, for sure, but when you talk about wide open spaces, the sofa is in a league of its own! ;)
My girls love being in a cocoon, in a tiny little space, piled on top of each other, but if the sofa is an option, then they couldn't care less about having a roof over their heads—it’s the holy grail! 😁
In my opinion, your dog probably just doesn't like the spot you chose for him at night, so he’d rather go to his kennel where he feels more comfortable. :)
I don’t think the wide open spaces bother him, as we’ve accidentally left the doors open before while he was napping on the sofa and there weren't any accidents in the house.
He did the same thing again last night; when it was time for bed, he dashed off to his kennel outside, so... yeah. He seems to be doing really well, still as cuddly and full of beans as ever, so I’m not too worried. A behaviourist told me not to feel guilty and not to project my own human emotions onto the dog (that might not be very clear, but I’m sure you know what I mean). Thanks for your replies, anyway!
I don't think the big spaces are the issue because we've accidentally left the doors open before and he just had a snooze on the sofa – no accidents in the house whatsoever.
Last night he did the same thing again; when it was time for bed, he headed straight for his kennel outside, so there we go... He seems absolutely fine, still just as cuddly and full of beans, so I’m not overly worried. A behaviourist told me not to feel guilty and to stop projecting my human emotions onto the dog (that might not be very clear, but I’m sure you know what I mean). Thanks for your replies, anyway.
Hello! Why not simply try an indoor kennel, like a little den? Having a roof over his head might make him feel more secure. Some puppies don't like being in high-traffic areas or out in the open... As for the indoor kennel, don't get a foam one or it’ll end up chewed to bits ^^... There are some lovely ideas pinned on Pinterest... and some Ikea hacks too... https://www.pinterest.fr/search/pins/?rs=ac&len=2&q=niche%20int%C3%A9rieur%20pour%20chien&eq=niche%20int%C3%A9rieur&etslf=9453&term_meta[]=niche%7Cautocomplete%7C2&term_meta[]=int%C3%A9rieur%7Cautocomplete%7C2&term_meta[]=pour%7Cautocomplete%7C2&term_meta[]=chien%7Cautocomplete%7C2 https://i.pinimg.com/564x/6b/8e/dd/6b8eddf1524beaa8982740db27333bea.jpg https://i.pinimg.com/564x/03/48/fb/0348fbdd25d0c5f4eee148819b94b5e7.jpg A puppy might feel the need to be protected with something over his head... personally, leaving a puppy outside where he could be stolen or eat something he shouldn't... he's still growing, so the cold isn't great for his joints... not ideal... and most importantly, by keeping him outside, you risk making him feel vulnerable and you'll find it much harder to build a proper bond with him later on. And one more thing: you're the boss! It's not up to your puppy to decide... ;-) It's for his own good that you’re the one in charge... when he's older, if he prefers sleeping outside, you can see how it goes then... by getting him a proper outdoor kennel... :-)
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Some of them simply don't like sleeping in large open spaces and prefer to feel all cosy and tucked away.
Hi,
I’m with @Doudou 229 on this—some dogs just feel better with a roof over their heads ^^
My girls will only sleep in their crate (which we don't even lock anymore). When we tried to take it away, it was a total disaster; there was no way they'd sleep in their bed in the lounge, even though it was in the exact same spot where the crate used to be. We put it back, took the door off, and now they’re happy as Larry. Some dogs just don't like sleeping in wide open spaces and prefer feeling all cosied up ^^
Hi there,
What if you simply tried an indoor kennel, like a little den? Maybe having a roof over his head would make him feel more secure? Some puppies don't like being in high-traffic areas or out in the open... If you go for an indoor kennel, don't get a foam one, otherwise it'll end up being chewed to bits! ^^
There are some lovely ideas pinned on Pinterest... and some "IKEA hacks" too...
https://www.pinterest.fr/search/pins/?rs=ac&len=2&q=niche%20int%C3%A9rieur%20pour%20chien&eq=niche%20int%C3%A9rieur&etslf=9453&term_meta[]=niche%7Cautocomplete%7C2&term_meta[]=int%C3%A9rieur%7Cautocomplete%7C2&term_meta[]=pour%7Cautocomplete%7C2&term_meta[]=chien%7Cautocomplete%7C2
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/6b/8e/dd/6b8eddf1524beaa8982740db27333bea.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/03/48/fb/0348fbdd25d0c5f4eee148819b94b5e7.jpg
A puppy might just feel the need to be protected with something over his head... Personally, I wouldn't leave a puppy outside; there's the risk of him being stolen, or him eating something he shouldn't... Plus, he’s still growing, so the cold isn't great for his joints...
It’s not ideal... and most importantly, by leaving him outside, you risk making him more anxious and you might find it much harder to build a real bond with him later on.
And one more thing—you're the boss! It's not up to your puppy to decide.. ;-) You're the one who knows what's best for him...
When he's older, if he really prefers sleeping outdoors, you can see about that then by getting a proper outdoor kennel... :-)
