Leaving the dog outside
- Thread starter southernblues
- Start date
FCSpringer
Moderator
Ha , I hear ya. We were in an ice fishing contest a couple years ago when the reg temp was 26 below and the winds were sustained at aronnd 20-30mph, from 9 amto get a good hole at noon, and fished till 3. Wouldn't work in it but everyone fished in it.
Recon
New member
Thanks
Thanks for all of the great info I was wondering this same question as I will be getting my first hunting dog at the end of the season, living in CO I definitely wondered about this. I have had German Shepherds all my life still do and they handle the cold pretty well but a GSP seems like it might not do as well. Does it matter if they are 100% house dogs when next season comes and I take my little rookie out to hunt will he be able to grow a decent winter coat being indoors except for exercise and training??
Thanks for all of the great info I was wondering this same question as I will be getting my first hunting dog at the end of the season, living in CO I definitely wondered about this. I have had German Shepherds all my life still do and they handle the cold pretty well but a GSP seems like it might not do as well. Does it matter if they are 100% house dogs when next season comes and I take my little rookie out to hunt will he be able to grow a decent winter coat being indoors except for exercise and training??
Won't matter a bit if they are indoor dogs or not with their coat. And with a bird dog they are constantly on the move so they will stay warm.
Haha, my 2 year old GSP sleeps next to my wife in the bed at night. Not all night, but she gets my wife tucked in and then waits til she's asleep... then sleeps on her own bed.
Its supposed to get down to 40 below tonight here in Iowa, there is no way I would leave my GSP outside. I just bought this house in Oct. (my first house), but next spring I will be building a kennel out in the backyard. The kennel will only be for during the day and then the dogs will come inside. The 12 week old pup is still in the process of crate training.
Heck no. Make sure you get out at least for a run a couple times a week or your house could get torn up though!
Never had a problem with taking the house dog out hunting. She has lived inside all her 2 years. She loves to get out and hit fencelines just as much as she likes curling up on the couch.
treedaddy
Member
My dogs stay outside year round in Tennessee. Heat in the summer is usually more of a problem than the cold. Lately, we have had temps of about 10 at night. When temps get below 20, I put both dogs in the same side of my dog box at night and park the truck in the garage. I have taken them to school with me on real cold days and then let them out at lunch for water, bathroom break. Often, they just stay in the box. These dogs are used to many long hunting trips and they know they better drink and pee when they get the chance. If I left them in the pen, they would not get out of their dog houses all day anyway.
My Golden - Inside
SoDakotan here- No way am I leaving that close hunting, blood hound nosed Golden on the outside. Means motel too. Drove 25 miles from a no-dog Iowa motel one night. (Two hyper labs had torn up a room & hence -"No -No" to all dogs. Ran into the best outside of Dakota hunting ever in Nthrn Iowa the next day and been back many times since. Rigged my pickup as warm and cozy back of cab just in case. Your dog living inside with you- winter & Summer becomes more human and not some poor robot living in a cage or leashed all its life. Way less hyper also, stays mellow. I road hunt the Dakota Iowa birds a bit. Can't have a hyper and too easily excited dog for sneaking up from the outside ditch. Doesn't bolt and knock u on your a-- either when you crack the door after he's seen what you've seen.Non-season I can drive up to some close Dakota birds pickin evening pebbles (pretty tame that time a yr) With a open window and command- Ste--aa-ay, he looks down at them and they look up at him. A robot would bolt. Kennel? Hell no. Good weather they are in the pick up box and not that dumb to jump out at a stop light. My Golden won't get in to some scanty straw bedded kennel.
SoDakotan here- No way am I leaving that close hunting, blood hound nosed Golden on the outside. Means motel too. Drove 25 miles from a no-dog Iowa motel one night. (Two hyper labs had torn up a room & hence -"No -No" to all dogs. Ran into the best outside of Dakota hunting ever in Nthrn Iowa the next day and been back many times since. Rigged my pickup as warm and cozy back of cab just in case. Your dog living inside with you- winter & Summer becomes more human and not some poor robot living in a cage or leashed all its life. Way less hyper also, stays mellow. I road hunt the Dakota Iowa birds a bit. Can't have a hyper and too easily excited dog for sneaking up from the outside ditch. Doesn't bolt and knock u on your a-- either when you crack the door after he's seen what you've seen.Non-season I can drive up to some close Dakota birds pickin evening pebbles (pretty tame that time a yr) With a open window and command- Ste--aa-ay, he looks down at them and they look up at him. A robot would bolt. Kennel? Hell no. Good weather they are in the pick up box and not that dumb to jump out at a stop light. My Golden won't get in to some scanty straw bedded kennel.
FCSpringer
Moderator
I don't think any dog that lives in some of the warmer states has to worry about it at all. Just so you fellas know, we live in the Northern 1/2 of MN. Several times wind chill gets to50-80 below. If you do keep a dog out in it, sure it might live, but I highly doubt it is enjoying the stay.
When it kills wild critters around here, why would it not possibly kill a dog. Because it does.Down Sth, you pretty much have nothing to worry about. I would not worry about it in many states. It is just a decision you have to make yourself in relation to where you live, that simple.
I see some talk about this on the thread about the wife letting me get a dog, and it seems to be the guy's from a totaly different area that think it's no big deal. Also one that talks about a breeder or trainer or someone in general that has 20-30 dogs, well You won't find too many of those that don't have heated buildings with outdoor runs here either. If they did they wouldn't get much business, Ask anyone from MN if they would leave there dog with a trainer that keeps thier dog out in a plastic barrel or a dog house when it is 30-40 below.
And "again it depends on where you live"..... Here we see cats and dogs with ears froze off all the time. I can take a pic. of my brother in laws if youd like to see it. It is up to the dog owner to do what they feel is right for thier pet. My vet has seen several cases of hypothermia, and frost bite. And just remember " Not all Toto's live in KS"
some city's have Laws here that give the Law enforcement the right to take your dog or pet to a shelter, if they feel the ellements are too extreem. So what is one to do.
No one is saying it is wrong for someone to leave dogs out side, just that in parts of the country you have to be carefull, In states like Kansas it is probably Again not a issue. I doubt they drive on the water in many states either, but here we do for 4 months out of the year. So It gets colder longer.
When it kills wild critters around here, why would it not possibly kill a dog. Because it does.Down Sth, you pretty much have nothing to worry about. I would not worry about it in many states. It is just a decision you have to make yourself in relation to where you live, that simple.
I see some talk about this on the thread about the wife letting me get a dog, and it seems to be the guy's from a totaly different area that think it's no big deal. Also one that talks about a breeder or trainer or someone in general that has 20-30 dogs, well You won't find too many of those that don't have heated buildings with outdoor runs here either. If they did they wouldn't get much business, Ask anyone from MN if they would leave there dog with a trainer that keeps thier dog out in a plastic barrel or a dog house when it is 30-40 below.
And "again it depends on where you live"..... Here we see cats and dogs with ears froze off all the time. I can take a pic. of my brother in laws if youd like to see it. It is up to the dog owner to do what they feel is right for thier pet. My vet has seen several cases of hypothermia, and frost bite. And just remember " Not all Toto's live in KS"
some city's have Laws here that give the Law enforcement the right to take your dog or pet to a shelter, if they feel the ellements are too extreem. So what is one to do.
No one is saying it is wrong for someone to leave dogs out side, just that in parts of the country you have to be carefull, In states like Kansas it is probably Again not a issue. I doubt they drive on the water in many states either, but here we do for 4 months out of the year. So It gets colder longer.
Last edited: