# Helping indoor dogs adjust to being outdoors?



## carissah1496 (Oct 30, 2011)

Hello, I am new to the forums and I have a question about indoor dogs being adjusted to being outdoors. Sorry if this is a little long-winded :/

We have 3 dogs - a beagle, a wheaton terrier, and a pitbull. They are all around the same age; going on 3 years old. They have been indoor dogs as long as we have had them (the beagle and terrier since they were puppies, and the pitbull may have been outdoors when we got him at 1 year old, but has been an indoor dog ever since). Of course they go outside to potty, run around, go for walks/trips, etc, but generally they are in the house for the majority of the day and they sleep inside. The beagle and pitbull are crate trained and sleep in the crates overnight or while we are gone from the house currently, because they like to chew on tables/chairs/etc and we can't seem to break them of the habit. The terrier is very well behaved and has never needed a crate as he seems to be completely content to just lie around and enjoy the home  the other two are a bit crazier! 

Anyway, we recently put our house up for sale, and while we are waiting for it to sell we are moving in with my fiancee's father, who does not want the dogs to be in the house. He says that he will allow them to sleep inside, but during the day they will have to be in the backyard. Personally I think it's a little silly, seeing as he has the space and all they do is sleep anyway! But alas it is not my place to say. 

Basically I am just looking for advice on how to get them adjusted to it. I don't want to traumatize them or make them think they are being punished. This is only a temporary situation, as soon as we get our own house they will be indoor dogs again. I have looked around online and from my research decided I am definitely going to get them all their own doghouses so they have shelter, and definitely huge water bowls. The backyard is fenced (although we will have to check for holes/gaps because the beagle is a digger) but I am wondering - do I need to get chains or rather, those cables with the rubber surrounding them? I am not sure if they would be prone to trying to jump a fence to escape if left alone, but if I have to tether them I want to find an option that is safe and not cruel. Or, is a dog run a better idea than a tether of some sort? 

I am aware that I will make time to spend with them and not just leave them out there on their own; this is really only a solution for when no one is home to be with them. I just want them to be safe and comfortable  any tips or advice would help, I am fairly torn up about having to change their lifestyle for the time being and need any help I can get. Thank you 

Oh, and also, weather: the area is pretty decent weather-wise for the most part. I would say it doesn't get colder than 45-50 degrees, and doesn't get hotter than 85. It's in the Bay Area (East Bay) of California.


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## Lindbert (Dec 12, 2010)

I don't have much to offer as far as outdoor dog advice since I never had a dog that lived outside, but I'd like to make the following suggestions:

- Does your in-law know that dogs that spend most of their time outside have a far more potent "doggie" smell than dogs that live inside? It doesn't make much sense to allow stinky dogs in the house at night only if the goal is to keep the dog free from the "smell" of dogs. 

- The vast majority of dogs should NOT be tied up while left outside unattended. Not only is it unsafe, in some places it is illegal and may result in fines and/or having the dogs removed from the property. If it were me, I would go for the dog run. 

- I would invest in some toys or some other way to occupy the digging beagle and some ways to prevent him from escaping the run.

- Be prepared for quite a bit of barking/noisyness when they are first left outside. If you have time now, I would start leaving them alone and/or outside for gradually longer periods of time so they can get used to it. Most likely, they aren't going to be happy about this change no matter how you prepare for it (especially the pittie. Every pittie I know hates being out in the elements and acts like they melt in the rain!) 

Can you try to talk him into letting the dogs stay crated in the basement or garage (if he has one) or somewhere else out of the way? If you have to have them outside, it definitely beats them going to a shelter or being homeless and isn't really cruel, but if I was in a similar situation I would definitely make every attempt to negotiate to have them inside.


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## carissah1496 (Oct 30, 2011)

Lindbert said:


> I don't have much to offer as far as outdoor dog advice since I never had a dog that lived outside, but I'd like to make the following suggestions:
> 
> - Does your in-law know that dogs that spend most of their time outside have a far more potent "doggie" smell than dogs that live inside? It doesn't make much sense to allow stinky dogs in the house at night only if the goal is to keep the dog free from the "smell" of dogs.
> 
> ...


I'm not entirely sure why he doesn't want them to stay indoors during the day... I don't think it has anything to do with the smell. It might be that he is worried they would destroy the house/furnishings or something to that effect. I will have to talk about it with him to see what the issue is. He does have a garage that I would prefer them to stay in, except that it is very small and packed with tools, paint, other chemicals, etc. I don't think it would be very safe for them, and I think they would prefer being outside to being locked in a small garage. Unfortunately he doesn't have a basement.

The original plan was just to keep them crated in the room that we would be staying in, but for some reason he just told us yesterday that they have to stay outside during the day. I don't know what changed but I will definitely talk to him about it, and see if we can negotiate. If not, then I will look into getting a dog run rather than a way to tie them up  thank you for the help!


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

1. Prepare to wash them every weekend. Also, clean their paws when they come into the house.
2. Staying outside won't bother them much, but it will expose them to more distractions. The beagle can smell distractions a mile away. 
3. You could try putting chicken wire on the ground all around the fences, so that the dogs will be less tempted to escape. A Pit can destroy anything made of wood, and climb many wire fences, given the motivation.
4. If they escape, you may want to buy an inexpensive invisible fence, and bury the cable in the yard to keep them away from the fence. Note, after a few weeks, the shock may not deter a determined Pit. Not sure about a terrier. I don't recommend a fence of this type, but it is a quick fix, if needed.
5. I agree with a dog run, b/c it is more secure. They will need something like a Kong or two, and hard rubber bones to chew during the day.


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## MafiaPrincess (Jul 1, 2009)

May not be an issue for your crew, but it is for mine.. If left out longer than they want to be, mine will bark endlessly. I live in a city, where my neighbours would be calling the cops.. So more than a potty, or if a human is out with them mine won't happily chill outside. I have a friend with a farm. I've left mine with a few of hers in the dog yard at times while visiting and ignore the barking. Mine never extinction burst and stop. 

May not be an issue for yours, but it may be something you need to think about depending upon your dogs, annoying his neighbours.


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## carissah1496 (Oct 30, 2011)

MafiaPrincess said:


> May not be an issue for your crew, but it is for mine.. If left out longer than they want to be, mine will bark endlessly. I live in a city, where my neighbours would be calling the cops.. So more than a potty, or if a human is out with them mine won't happily chill outside. I have a friend with a farm. I've left mine with a few of hers in the dog yard at times while visiting and ignore the barking. Mine never extinction burst and stop.
> 
> May not be an issue for yours, but it may be something you need to think about depending upon your dogs, annoying his neighbours.


They are all barkers (well, the pit and beagle bark and the terrier joins in out of confusion, I think) but usually only when we leave the house and put them in their crates. When it's "bedtime" and they go in the crates, they rarely bark then, if ever. I am not sure how they would react to being outside. When they go outside to potty, if I try to get them inside after only 5 minutes it's a huge hassle... I know 5 minutes is different from several hours, but I think they really enjoy being outside. I think the crate is what they don't like. So maybe if in a dog run they wouldn't be as prone to barking, I hope not anyway because that would in fact annoy the close neighbors we'll be having. 

Thank you everyone for the tips  I am confident I will find a way to make them comfortable, I just hope they can keep the barking and attempts to escape to a minimum!

Thank you, this helps a lot!!


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