Rain and sleeping outside :(

[midriff-master]

Hi there,

I am 19 years old and I have a 4 month old female chow called Nala and I live at both my boyfriends house and my house. Nala has a kennel at my boyfriends house and my house and because I stay at my boyfriends house a lot, I am not often staying at my house. When I stay at home Nala sleeps inside and usually stops barking within 10 minutes. However, last night for the first time I put her outside (she sleeps outside ALL the time at my boyfriends house - he has another dog, both dogs are tied up outside and both have seperate kennels and they can't reach each other, even though they get on fine) and I thought she was going to be fine.

It started raining last night at my house and she was outside and wouldn't get in her kennel, I was lying in bed and it was around 10.30 pm and I really wanted her to get to sleep. She kept barking for about 20 minutes, would stop and then continue to bark. I thought that maybe she was just barking at the cats so I reluctantly (I know your meant to ignore bad behaviour) went outside and saw that she was soaking wet, the neighbours were up and getting quite annoyed too, she NEVER does this at my boyfriends house. So, I brought her inside to sleep, which was probably a bad idea that I caved, but she looked so wet and cold and wouldnt go in her kennel. Now it's like she's won....

What do you think I should do to encourage her to stay in her kennel when it rains, and do you think I should keep trying this. And if it happens tonight when I put her to bed and it's raining, do you think I should just leave her out there and hope that she will learn to go in her kennel to keep dry and warm?? I dont want her to get sick but I dont want her to get what she wants when she barks, then she will think she can get away with it all the time!!

When i bought her inside after this incident last night she went straight to sleep!

I dont know what the problem is, please help! do you think it has something to do with being left alone outside and not being at my boyfriends house with his dog just being outside too? I dont know. but she's been outside in the rain at my boyfriends before and she has gone into her kennel. I dont want to keep everyone in the street awake! She is usually so good. She has got puppy school tonight so hopefully i can get some advice there.


Please help!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks in advance =)

Courtney

[kingalls]

Hi Courtney,
I don't think too many of us on this site have Chows that sleep outside. Most have Chows that sleep indoors just like family. My two don't sleep in our bedroom but they sleep downstairs. They come in for the night around 9:00 PM and go out in the morning around 6:30 or 7:00 AM. Of course, if one needs to do their "business" during the night - they give us a sort of ha!ha! sound - and one of us lets them out. They are part of our family and sleep inside with us.
I think your Nala just wants to be inside - safe and warm - with her family.

[Sirchow]

I wonder why it is important to you that Nala sleeps outside. Like Kingalls says most of us have our chows sleep inside. Bramble doesn't sleep in the bedroom as I sleep better if she doesn't but I would not feel happy if she was sleeping outside, appart from anything else I would be worried about her safety. (Chows are well worth stealing) I doubt that Nala sees it as a battle of wills she just wants to be with you. You have to remember that at 4 months she is still a baby and it is a lot to expect her to sleep so far appart from her family. When she is at your boyfriends she has a older dog to keep her safe but when she is sleeping on her own she has to stay outside and keep herself and you safe. It is a lot to expect a puppy to manage. Chows are first and formost guard dogs and can not let any unexplained sound go. IMO this may not be the best way to have the relaxed and confident chow that I imagine you would want her to grow up to be.

[midriff-master]

Thanks guys,

I didn't think about it like that. Now I feel even worse! I will keep her inside with me from now on =) except for maybe at my boyfriends house as she gets along well with the other dog and I think she likes to be out there at night.

What do you guy's do during the day when you are away and at work? Does your chow stay inside? Nala knows to go outside, and she will whine to be let out, if I left her inside for majority of the day then she would have no choice but to go toilet inside....she doesn't seem to mind being left outside during the day. Is this okay as well

Thanks so much for your advice It was a very simple solution that I overlooked.

Courtney

[Tippsy'smom]

My 2 have started staying out suring the day lately. I worry about them being out there but me being 18 and still home with my parents, my dad has forced me to do this. Tippsy(my purebred) used to stay out a few years ago but then I started leaving her in. Crate training is wonderful for during the day.

[midriff-master]

What is crate training?

[Tippsy'smom]

Other might be able to describe it better than I can, but it's where you train them to be in their crate(like the one pictured below, it's the exact one my two have).

chow_crate.jpg (39.72 KiB) Viewed 7201 times

Jasper sleeps in his, and he goes in it when he needs a break from everything or when he has a treat that takes him a while to finish. He used to stay in it during the day while I was at school but as I said before he stays outside.

Tippsy doesn't sleep in her's but like Jazz she goes in it to get a break.

They pretty much see it as their safe place. Much like a den.

[kingalls]

My two enjoy the backyard while we are at work. During the warmer days, they will go under the deck where it stays cool. While we are home, we usually leave the sliding glass door open so that they can come and go as they please.

[mnimori]

Chow Chows are known to be quite independant, so maybe you will get different results with different dogs. They all have their own personalities. Last night I left Teddy (who is pretty darn full bred, but bought in china without any proof) outside for the first time, he is 6 1/2 months, almost 50 lbs. Outside has a seperate game room that I keep the door open to that he can sleep in if he needs to. On a previous rainy day he was wandering outside and it seemed like it didnt bother him, though I was of course worried. . The weather now is perfect for a chow, winter in Guangzhou. I was out having a beer with him (not sharing!) and when I wanted to come inside and left the decision up to him so I didnt call him, I just slowly walked in, slowly shut the doors and he just layed there and watched me. Usually he would atleast get up and wait for my command. I figure it was his way of saying he's okay with sleeping outside. Just be observant with your dog, see how (s)he responds to you, more than likely they will tell you what they want. Find a way to communicate

[Ursa's daddy]

My two stayed outside in a fenced yard during the day when I worked In Savannah. They spent the nights inside. Since someone is now typically at home most of the day, they are in and out all day. At night, they sleep in the house.