# Is it bad to let a dog sleep outside?



## hulkamaniac (Feb 11, 2009)

I'm wondering if it's bad for a dog to sleep outside all the time. I'm having the hardest time getting MacGyver to come inside at night. He just refuses to come inside at night. During the day, it's fine. He'll come in whenever I call him and eat or hang out or whatever inside. No problems. After dark, I'll open the backdoor and call them. Zero comes from wherever he is and comes in. MacGyver runs full blast and comes to a screeching halt about 10 ft from the door and will come no further no matter what I do. I was able to lure him inside with a pigs ear once, but only once. Now he will look at the pigs ear, lick his lips over and over, look at the house, the ear, lick his lips, etc...., but won't come inside. If I go out, he will run and wants to play. I did chase him around the yard once, caught him by his collar and he happily went inside. I do not want to start that habit. Lately, he won't even run to the door. I call him and he'll look up from whatever he's doing and just stare at me. 

So, the last few days I've just left him outside and let him spend the night outside, but I feel horrible about doing it. Is it bad to just let him sleep outside? And if so, what can I do to get him to come in at night.


----------



## TLA (May 3, 2010)

A lot depends on your area. But I feel that if you have adequate shelter for the dog outside it isn't an issue.


----------



## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

Susie sleeps outside at night except in the dead of winter when it gets below zero. She could come in but prefers to be outside in her dog house. If the weather is nice and he has someplace dry to sleep, I can't see anything wrong with him sleeping outside if he prefers it. It is not like you are locking him outside 24 hours a day.


----------



## GroovyGroomer777 (Aug 21, 2008)

If the weather is nice, and he has water, I don't see any problems with it.

My dog Amy loves to spend the night outside sometimes, I will peak out at her and she is resting peacefully, looking at the stars.....


----------



## hulkamaniac (Feb 11, 2009)

Here it gets 95-100 degrees at night sometimes though it hasn't got there yet.


----------



## pittsabowawa (Jul 26, 2009)

If it gets that hot I would make him come inside.

I leave Bella in her pen some nights when its really nice outside. But most of the time I prefer her to be inside at night.


----------



## infiniti (Mar 19, 2010)

Maybe he just likes it outside at night. That's what it's starting to sound like. Give him a pig's ear, make sure he has water and shelter and make sure your fencing is secure (especially from your wretched neighbor-lady), and leave him be, I guess. It would make me feel bad, too, but seriously, what can you do if he likes it out there?  He's a bassett hound ... I guess he'd bay if he was unhappy and wanted in, right? 

I mean, I suppose since you're going to keep him, you could invest in a doggie door and let him go in and out at will, but I know you don't like to spend money.


----------



## TLA (May 3, 2010)

I still think that it depends on where you are at, the weather and if there is adequate shelter and water.

My farm dogs are outside 24/7. They do have access to the feed/tack room which is where they get fed at, but otherwise they don't come in the house. 99.9% of the time when I check on them they are laying out in the yard. The only time of year my dogs seem to spend in the shed is during the winter, which they are all in their "bed" area and under heat lamps. All three dogs are lab, and lab crosses.


----------



## JewelerSteve (Apr 14, 2010)

My dogs love to sleep outside.. But I tend to force them to come in when the skunks are out and about.. Not much worse than a dog with skunk face..


----------



## Karinia (Oct 5, 2009)

Maybe it can be a protection thing.

I say this because when we keep our bedroom door closed Porkchop will sleep in the living room where he can see both back and front doors. However, if we leave our bedroom door open he'll sleep in the hallway right beside our door. 

I'd say it's fine as long as the weather is okay.


----------



## Marsh Muppet (Nov 29, 2008)

It's fine to let a dog sleep outside if he has shelter, etc., but I think you need to settle the other issue first. Allowing the dog to make the decision is a bad precedent to set.


----------



## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

infiniti said:


> Maybe he just likes it outside at night. That's what it's starting to sound like. Give him a pig's ear, make sure he has water and shelter and make sure your fencing is secure (especially from your wretched neighbor-lady), and leave him be, I guess. It would make me feel bad, too, but seriously, what can you do if he likes it out there?  He's a bassett hound ... I guess he'd bay if he was unhappy and wanted in, right?
> 
> I mean, I suppose since you're going to keep him, you could invest in a doggie door and let him go in and out at will, but I know you don't like to spend money.


+1

If my dogs didn't want to come inside, I would not make them. As long as it's safe for them outside, I fail to see a problem.

I would bet eventually he will change his mind and prefer inside if not pressured, provided the temps are more comfy inside.

I'm a herding breed fan though, and I have never had one that didn't want to be inside with me, or outside with me, or anywhere else with me, but always with me if at all possible.


----------



## hulkamaniac (Feb 11, 2009)

Marsh Muppet said:


> It's fine to let a dog sleep outside if he has shelter, etc., but I think you need to settle the other issue first. Allowing the dog to make the decision is a bad precedent to set.


What would you suggest? My routine is that I go to the backdoor and call them. Zero comes in. MacGyver usually doesn't (although there are rare times when he does). How should I modify this?


----------



## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Since he comes in fine when you call during daylight hours, then after dark if you need to let him out for a last potty break, put him on a leash or tie-out line first. You could put a 30 ft line attached a stake or a railing by your door, clip him on and haul him back in at night. 

Train coming in at night like training recall in general.


----------



## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

Why do you think he doesn't want to come in at night? Do you crate him for sleeping and he doesn't like it? Based on what you've said before, he's got some negative association with the door or what happens around the door or after coming through it (past pain, doesn't want the fun to end, etc.). You've overcome it during the day. There must be something that's happening at night that he's resisting.

Agree with MP - wouldn't let the dog make this decision. I would try to figure out what the problem is and train to overcome it vs. letting him sleep outside. In the end, though, if I couldn't figure it out, the dog would be coming inside. Have you tried bringing him in through the front door at night to see if it's back door specific?


----------



## hulkamaniac (Feb 11, 2009)

I don't know what the reason is. I really don't. Tonight, I opened the door and both of them came in with no issues. I honestly do not have any idea why he doesn't want to come in. If I go outside, he wants to play sometimes. Other times he just stares at me from across the yard and doesn't move.


----------



## BrooklynNick (May 7, 2010)

If the dog wants to sleep outside and has proper shelter from the elements, as well as water, and is not of a breed that is prone to heat exhaustion, then I see nothing wrong with it. A dog that wants to come in at night should never be forced to sleep outside, and a breed like a Bulldog (my Smuddles) should never sleep outside. A short faced breed could die from the heat at night.


----------



## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

This is going to sound like an odd suggestion, but it's easy to try, and I have a hunch that I'm right. 

Because he has no problem coming in during the day, I'm thinking it's to do with light. During the daytime, the difference between how light it is outdoors vs. indoors is small, so his eyes don't have to adjust much at all. But at night, the difference in light between outdoors and indoors is huge. He might not like the temporary blindness as his eyes adjust. Next time, try calling him indoors when all of the lights are off inside.


----------



## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

Interesting suggestion - I'd like to know if it works! 

If he is coming in sometimes with no problem, I would guess he just enjoys it out there more than inside and doesn't want the fun to end. Sounds like my dog used to be when she had to get in the car after an outing. She would do that hard-core PLOP! onto her belly and there was no moving her. Took a while to train her out of it, but it worked eventually. Not sure how much effort you want to go to. I don't like leaving my dog on her own too much and we have no fence that would hold her, so she's in with me. I'll leave it to others with outdoor dog experience to comment on how to make sure the dog is safe & comfortable.


----------



## hulkamaniac (Feb 11, 2009)

GottaLuvMutts said:


> This is going to sound like an odd suggestion, but it's easy to try, and I have a hunch that I'm right.
> 
> Because he has no problem coming in during the day, I'm thinking it's to do with light. During the daytime, the difference between how light it is outdoors vs. indoors is small, so his eyes don't have to adjust much at all. But at night, the difference in light between outdoors and indoors is huge. He might not like the temporary blindness as his eyes adjust. Next time, try calling him indoors when all of the lights are off inside.


I just saw this today and tried it. He came across the lawn and into the house with no problems. Bizarre. I would not have believed it.


----------



## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

hulkamaniac said:


> I just saw this today and tried it. He came across the lawn and into the house with no problems. Bizarre. I would not have believed it.



Credit to Dr. Temple Grandin for that idea (http://www.dogforums.com/2-general-dog-forum/75705-dr-temple-grandin.html). I'm reading her book now, and frankly, I'm becoming a believer in a lot of what she says.


----------



## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

When he comes in, lights on or not, give him a food reward he WANTS and I mean REALLY likes. It will probabloy help.

I was thinking along the same lines.. it is probably the lights. Maybe you shoud ahve his eyes checked for cataracts.


----------



## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

GLM, that's a brilliant idea. 
I too have read Ms. Grandin's books and found them enlightening in many ways. It's kind of common sense really, knowing what we do about dogs and how they sense things. Looking at stuff from their perspective (or at least trying to) and using empathy for problem solving these sorts of things is a valuable addition to dog training and behaviour mod. It's trying to "think like a dog", rather than trying to evaluate based on what WE would think.


----------



## hulkamaniac (Feb 11, 2009)

GottaLuvMutts said:


> Credit to Dr. Temple Grandin for that idea (http://www.dogforums.com/2-general-dog-forum/75705-dr-temple-grandin.html). I'm reading her book now, and frankly, I'm becoming a believer in a lot of what she says.


I take back everything I said about how brilliant you are. He would not come in tonight with the lights out and just stood outside and stared at me. I now think you're just as dumb as I am. 

Anyway, I figure he's got a doghouse out there and access to water so if he wants to stay out there I won't chase him around the yard trying to get him to come inside.


----------



## YorkieBjorkie (May 10, 2010)

Personally I think it depends on the climate of where you reside. Outside should be fine though if your dog really likes to sleep out there and has a dog house. I don't see any behavioral disadvantages really.

YB


----------



## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

I was going to suggest something to do with his eyes too... glad he came in for you finally.

That aside, if a dog is in a safely kenneled or fenced yard, and has access to water, and a good shelter, I don't see any problems with a dog wanting to stay outside; the only thing you need to be aware of is whether he is barking or doing anything else that may disturb your neighbors at night.


----------

