Your little Lab may just be a puppy, but they already have enough energy to keep you up all night. The kids absolutely love playing with your new furry family member. In fact, so much so that getting them to sleep in time is proving even more difficult than usual. Even your partner seems to have a rather large soft spot for the pooch. But your house is already crowded and you always intended for them to sleep outside. So you’re going to have to cut down on cuddles on the sofa in the evenings and get them used to their outdoor bedroom.
Training your puppy to sleep outside will bring several benefits. Firstly, you will have a canine watchdog outside who will probably alert you to the sound of any intruders. You will also enforce some strict boundaries, preventing them from developing separation anxiety. Unfortunately, some puppies become so dependant on their owners that they are seriously unhappy without them around.
Fortunately, training your Labrador puppy to sleep outside isn’t as challenging as you may think. Often, the difficult part comes in having the self-restraint yourself to leave them outside. But if you can overcome that hurdle, then training will consist of several parts. Firstly, you’ll need to make sure your dog has everything they need to sleep outside. You will also need to gradually get them used to their new sleeping environment. Finally, you will need to use a variety of incentives to keep them content outside at night.
Because your Labrador Puppy is young, they should be receptive and still learning the rules. This means it could take just several days for them to get into the habit of sleeping outside. However, if they are particularly clingy and don’t want to leave your side, then you may need several weeks. Get training right and you’ll have taken a big step towards having a well-trained outdoor dog.
Before you can begin work, you need to make sure you have everything you need. Firstly, you will need a spot for them to sleep outside, be it a kennel, shelter or bed. You will then need to stock up on tasty treats or their favorite food. Some toys will also be required.
The other thing your pup will need from you is time. Set aside a few minutes each evening to say goodnight and a few minutes in the morning too.
Once you have all that, just bring patience and a can-do attitude, then work can begin!
Hello our dog Pax has always slept outside (apart from the very first months with us). In the last month she has been waking any time between 3am to 5am and scratching and yelping at door to come in. We have to let her in as we have neighbours - although for a week we did try and ignore it but neighbours were a tad put out.
When she comes in she jumps on bed and goes back to sleep. She won’t sleep on one of her beds inside.
We did baby sit another dog for what was supposed to be a month but turned into ten weeks and it has pretty much started since Evie went home.
I know we have made soooo many errors here. Letting her in, letting the other dog stay so long and of course letting her on bed. I am not sure how to address this issue.
We are going away for a month next Sunday and she is staying at the breeder’s home (back with Evie). I believe she will be sleeping in her crate, I am hoping as she won’t get the attention we give her we can use this month to break all of her and our bad habits regarding this sleeping issue.
Any advice you can give me? or due to my bad decisions and being soft I’m on my own here??
Apart from this issue she is a fabulous dog.
Any thing would be appreciated
Nell
Hello Nell, The best solution might be for her to sleep in her crate inside your home. If she was not disturbing your neighbors, then you would need to let her cry it out outside until she gets used to sleeping out there again. By using a crate, you can teach her to sleep by herself but she will be inside so she should not bother your neighbors. When she goes to the breeder's house, if they work on crate training with her, then she might come back used to sleeping in the crate. If that happens then it will be extremely important for you be firm and let her cry if she pitches a fit when she comes back home. If the breeder has already gotten her used to the crate, then it should only take a couple of nights before she gives up and starts sleeping in the crate at your house. If you give in and go to her or let her out, then it will take several days before she stops crying and you will need to be even firmer. If the breeder does not train her for you, then you will need to place her into the crate with a safe chew toy and night and let her cry. Sleeping in the crate is not only safer but it can also help her learn independence, self-soothing, self-entertaining, and prevent future separation anxiety. It also makes it far easier to crate her later in life when she needs to be boarded, is sick, injured, traveling, or needs to be left alone inside. Essentially, crating a puppy during the first couple years of life prevents bad habits from forming, keeps them safe when you cannot supervise them, helps prevent separation anxiety by teaching independence, and leads to a lot more freedom later in life. Try to remember the benefits when you are trying to be firm. She is old enough to go all night. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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We recently purchased our beautiful lab bracken, his move from the farm where he was kept outside in a pig sty with a heat lamp and 8 siblings to a cosy terraced house with a crate. He settled in no problem at all and we almost have his toilet trained after just 12 days with us (over the festive period too where we had lots of visits and visitors!) Unfortunatly my partner turns out to be allergic to the dog! It's nothing we arnt managing by cleaning and keeping them separate as much as we can do but we are looking to put bracken in a kennel outside. I'm worried that this is a cruel option but I know dogs are often
kept outside and lead very happy lives
Do you think it's unfair to now put bracken outside (in a proper insulated and heated kennel) once he's just settled in his new home. I can't bear the thought of selling him but when my partner can't breath on a night time something needs to give. When he's in the kennel he will be walked morning and evening but be alone from 9 to 4 until he's old enough to be taken to work with my partner where he will be outdoors all day running around! Am I being selfish keeping the dog but putting him in a kennel(he will still be allowed in the house for short periods of time) or am i being soft and he will be fine in a kennel as he's a sturdy dog who spent his first 8 weeks in a stone outhouse! Help!
Hello Amanda, There are outdoors dogs who are happy. The key is how much time will you be spending with him in any location realistically. At this age he will need a lot of mental stimulation, a moderate amount of exercise, and a LOT of socialization. If you are able to take him lots of places, spend time walking and training him multiple times of day and generally giving him what he needs in the kennel and day to day, then he could be happy, but that will require a lot of time, intentionality, and commitment from you. Right now is the most crucial age for familiarizing him with people, puppies, new places, and other things he will experience in life. If you do decide to re-home him, many reputable breeders will take puppies back or there are pure bred rescues who foster dogs in there homes before adopting them to a carefully selected family. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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Can I let my puppy sleep in the roof? I’m going to sleep next to her and keep her warm
Hello Omar, I would need a bit more details about the situation to answer that question. Is the room flat or slanted? Can pup wander off the edge? What is the temperature outside at night? Is this a long term situation for nightly sleeping. Please describe the location and situation more, and I would love to help you. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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We are trying to transition our pup to being outside fulltime. We have a few chickens and such and need her outside for protection. During the day she is content to be outside all day long with our smaller breed dog. But at night even if I sit with her for a bit she gets a lot of anxiety and literally throws herself at the door and howls until we let her in. Our small breed dog cannot stay outside overnight. Do we just let her 'cry it out?' None of us can get any sleep so we end up letting her in. Probably a mistake, but with 4 kids we need our sleep! :(
Hello Ashley, First, at this age pup is vulnerable to other animals in the yard - even raccoons, so I would begin the sleep outside in an area where other animals can't get to her, like a kennel run with a dog house, or a porch that's screened in, or even chicken coop type area with a top and side wire fencing for protection. Make sure she can't be prey for another animal while a puppy unable to defend herself, and make sure she has a secure location to go to to sleep in, like a dog house. The secure location will also help her feel a bit more secure - although I would still expect some crying at first. Check out the Surprise method from the article linked below. Practice that method with her for 1-2 hours at a time during the day without the small dog present - to get her used to being outside by herself. That method was written for crate training, so you will modify it. When she barks, ignore the barking. Whenever she gets quiet, toss several treats out a window or door - toss the treats in an area where she can easily locate them - but not right in front of the door - since you want her to learn to hang out further from the door, not right at it. Surprise method: https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate Also, know that pup is bored. Make sure you are giving her interesting bones and toys that she can't tear apart and won't chip to occupy her. You will have to endure some crying. Typically it takes puppies two weeks to adjust to being alone, and every time you give into the crying it will continue for that much longer. Start the process earlier in the evening so that the crying isn't happening while everyone is trying to go to bed - and especially practice for shorter periods during the daytime without your other dog present. Allow the dogs to spend time together stuff but give her opportunities to adjust to being outside on her own as well when everyone isn't so tired. A lot of this process is also dependent on how close your neighbors are and whether pup will keep them up. Also, be sure to practice a lot of mentally and physically tiring activities during the day. Have training sessions where pup practices new or slightly more difficult commands that what they already know, incorporate a lot of obedience and focus work into heeling walks, and give pup interesting mental toys to play with during the day. Mental stimulation can actually make physical exercise twice as tiring for a dog and encourage a calmer mindset. You want pup to be tired and calm come nighttime. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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Is it okay to let him sleep in the balcony at night
Hello, letting Bruno sleep on the balcony at night depends on several things. Is it a safe environment? Will he disturb others? Will you be able to hear him out there if he needs you? Will Bruno be in a crate? Personally, I would keep him inside for safety and as well for him to feel secure and not afraid. I would set up an exercise pen area where he still has room to move around but feels safe - he'll sleep better that way and won't feel uncomfortable at every noise. He's pretty young to be left on his own at night. Here is a great article on setting up the pen: https://www.preventivevet.com/dogs/how-to-set-up-puppy-long-term-confinement-area. You can also crate him inside at night - many dogs prefer this "den" area. Here is a guide on helping a dog like a crate: https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crateAll the best!
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Hi , I have recently gotten 2 Labrador puppies - 6 weeks of age. I would like them to be outside dogs. At what age can they go outside to sleep ? Considering all the appropriate requirements are there. We also have a Yorkie who sleeps inside. Do you think it will be a problem allowing 1 to sleep inside and the others outside?
Thank you in advance.
Hi there. Without being able to ask follow up questions, I will do my best to answer your questions fully! I would wait until they are about 25 pounds. You won't have to worry about predatory animals coming in and getting them. I live in Colorado and we have problems with large birds, foxes, coyotes, and even some mountain lions in our mountain areas, going into yards and basically hunting smaller dogs. That is my main concern. If you don't live in an area with extreme temperatures, or crazy wild animals, you can start leaving them out now. As long as they have plenty of water and shelter, and are eating at their normal times, you can start the process. And to answer your other questions, they have eachother. So I don't think they will mind too much that the Yorkie is an indoor dog. Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thanks for writing in!
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We've been putting Moodley outside in the evening to try to get him used to being outside, but he's always crying to come back inside even when we give him toys and make his house comfy... We need him to be outside now but he just doesn't give in, he doesn't even want to enter his house
Hello! You are doing the correct thing with giving him toys and making his house comfortable. It can take him a little more time to adjust, as he is still pretty young. Another option is to try feeding him outside if you haven't already. By the time he is 6 months of age, he should be a little more comfortable with sleeping away from everyone. Just continue to be consistent and he will get there.
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his moving into a new place to sleep with new people but not in the house on the roof with a shelter and wood house for the dog how can i train him w get comfortable there without barking all night
Hi there. You can make it as comfortable as possible for him. Provide him with toys and blankets. I have also had customers have success with feeding their dogs their meals in the dog house. It creates positive associations with the new location. He may need a few nights to adjust, but he will learn to like his new home.
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Can she sleep outside now
Hello! Yes she is old enough to sleep outside. As long as she has plenty of water and shelter from the hot and cold, she will be just fine.
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Lea was brought home at 8 weeks old we had her sleep initially in the out building from the house however lea has become accustomed to sleeping inside and always being inside the house. We have recently build an area which is fenced with a kennel for her and we have made a bed with toys for her. We have left her water and food bowl next to the kennel however lea refuses to sleep inside this fenced area it's as though she feels she is jailed. How do I get her used to sleeping and enjoying play sessions in this area? As I I would not want someone to steal her or for her to wander off out of the yard at night. I have left the gate open for this quadened area open in the Hope's she finds herself there but with no luck she sleeps at the front gate crying.
Hello Deshan, First, pup will have to be closed in there, since she will want to be as close to the family as possible, but you can help her adjust to being in there and sleep at night. Check out the Surprise method from the article linked below. During the day I suggest applying the principles of that method to the kennel. Close pup in the kennel and leave, but be where you can hear her without her seeing you. She will likely cry. As soon as she pauses the crying briefly, return and sprinkle in treats, then leave again. Follow the rest of the steps from the method below for extending the time. Surprise method - you can also follow the other methods found in the article below, like playing with her in there. https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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We have a pretty well
Behaved dog however we crate trained her with the expectation she would eventually sleep inside. However after much trying our make cat hates her and she seems happy outside during the day. She is pretty good for the most part but seems to bark at night at the wind mostly and/or other dogs barking. We are unsure how to train her to stop this and therefore be able to sleep outside. ( she is still in the crate for night time sleeps)
Hello, I would continue to let her sleep inside. It's safer, more comfortable, and she'll get a better sleep (so you will too). She may be fearful at night which is not a nice situation for her, and if she is crated at night inside now, I think it is best to continue it. Once the cold weather arrives, keeping Pippa outside all day may be a problem (frostbite, etc.) so make sure the cat has a nice favorite retreat and that way Pippa can be inside when the weather is nasty. I would try introducing the cat and Pippa slowly again. Take a look here: https://wagwalking.com/training/get-along-with-cats. As long as Pippa learns to ignore the cat, they should be able to tolerate each other without being friends. All the best to Pippa and the cat!
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Hi! My puppy Mala is 5 months old. She is crate trained. She stays in a kennel in our master bedroom during the day while we are at work and she sleeps in it at night. While we are home in lunch breaks and after work, she is out of the kennel and is walked, played with, and loved on. Lately she has been waking up often in the middle of the night and early in the morning, causing us to lose sleep and get frustrated. I am pregnant with our first baby who is due in June and we have got to break her of these habits. We want her to eventually be able to be outside all of the time (we live in the country and she loves being outside) but I know that the process should be a transition. What should we do?
Hello Mallory, At this age its possible she will occasionally need a potty trip for the next month, but if pup wakes up before it has been 5-6 hours the wake up is likely due to wanting attention and can be corrected or ignored before its been 5 hours. By 6 months pup likely won't need a potty trip at night even occasionally anymore. If pup wakes up after 5-6 hours I would take pup potty outside on a leash, keep the trip as calm as possible - no treats, no play, no feeding breakfast yet, and little talk, then immediately return pup back to the crate after, and do the following when pup cries after being returned to the crate, or if pup cries before its been 5 hours. First, work on teaching the Quiet command during the day using the Quiet method from the article linked below. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Second, during the day practice the Surprise method from the article linked below. Whenever pup stays quiet in the crate for 5 minutes, sprinkle some treats into the crate without opening it, then leave the room again. As she improves, only give the treats every 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, 1.5 hour, 2, hour, 3 hour. Practice crating her during the day for 1-3 hours each day that you can. Whenever she cries in the crate, tell her "Quiet". If she gets quiet - Great! Sprinkle treats in after five minutes if she stays quiet. If she continues barking or stops and starts again, spray a quick puff of air from a pet convincer at her side through the crate while calmly saying "Ah Ah", then leave again. Only use unscented air canisters, DON'T use citronella! And avoid spraying in the face. surprise method: https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate Repeat the rewards when quiet and the corrections whenever she cries. When she cries at night before it has been 8 hours, tell her Quiet, and correct with the pet convincer if she doesn't become quiet and stay quiet. Don't give treats at night, only during the daytime practice. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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Barking when outside and screeching door. Biting making me bleed and just not listening to anything I say.
Hello! Here is information on nipping/biting. Nipping: Puppies may nip for a number of reasons. Nipping can be a means of energy release, getting attention, interacting and exploring their environment or it could be a habit that helps with teething. Whatever the cause, nipping can still be painful for the receiver, and it’s an action that pet parents want to curb. Some ways to stop biting before it becomes a real problem include: Using teething toys. Distracting with and redirecting your dog’s biting to safe and durable chew toys is one way to keep them from focusing their mouthy energies to an approved location and teach them what biting habits are acceptable. Making sure your dog is getting the proper amount of exercise. Exercise is huge. Different dogs have different exercise needs based on their breed and size, so check with your veterinarian to make sure that yours is getting the exercise they need. Dogs—and especially puppies—use their playtime to get out extra energy. With too much pent-up energy, your pup may resort to play biting. Having them expel their energy in positive ways - including both physical and mental exercise - will help mitigate extra nips. Being consistent. Training your dog takes patience, practice and consistency. With the right training techniques and commitment, your dog will learn what is preferred behavior. While sometimes it may be easier to let a little nipping activity go, be sure to remain consistent in your cues and redirection. That way, boundaries are clear to your dog. Using positive reinforcement. To establish preferred behaviors, use positive reinforcement when your dog exhibits the correct behavior. For instance, praise and treat your puppy when they listen to your cue to stop unwanted biting as well as when they choose an appropriate teething toy on their own. Saying “Ouch!” The next time your puppy becomes too exuberant and nips you, say “OUCH!” in a very shocked tone and immediately stop playing with them. Your puppy should learn - just as they did with their littermates - that their form of play has become unwanted. When they stop, ensure that you follow up with positive reinforcement by offering praise, treat and/or resuming play. Letting every interaction with your puppy be a learning opportunity. While there are moments of dedicated training time, every interaction with your dog can be used as a potential teaching moment.
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