For those of you that live in cold areas, where do you leave your dog in the winter?

Question

I live in a high desert region in California. During the winter it gets VERY cold.

I have a Chihuahua puppy that I leave in my backyard when I have to go out of the house. Of course, I don't leave her there all day. If I am not at home my sister or mom will eventually get home and bring her in.

We do not let her (my puppy) loose in my home, it is too dangerous. There are too many breakable items, and small things that she can eat. When we do bring her in she is in her crate, on the sofa with someone, or on someone's lap. In other words, she is always under supervision inside the home.

Fall and Winter are near and like I mentioned, it gets really cold outside.
What should I do when it is cold out and no one is home (I would regularly leave her in my backyard, but I cannot for obvious resons)??
What do you guys do when you have to leave your dogs at home and have to go out during the winter???

Just so you know...
My Chihuahua puppy, get cold really easily. Whenever there is a cool breeze, she starts to shake all over, so leaving her outside during a winter day would probably kill her.

Answer 1

Well you have a couple options really you can either crate train her, keep her in her crate when no one is home, if you have the correct sized crate she should be more than comfortable in there for a few hours OR you can always pick a room, ie: kitchen, laundry room etc, that does not contain small breakable items & get yourself a pet/kid gate & put it up to blockher in there, the latter of these 2 options allows her to be able to run about & access to her food/water also if she needs to potty you could leave newspaper or puppy pads down OR get a small dog litter box for her & train her to use which ever method you have chosen....a Chihuahua shouldnt be kept outside for long periods of time really AT ALL, they can be delicate & with no one to supervise could be hurt. Leaving her outside is NOT an option so I would advise one of the above options or maybe placing her in a home where she can be in a more suitable situation...BEST OF LUCK!

Answer 2

Hmm, I have two labs and I live south of Arkansas, so the winters are not overly harsh here. One lab was born only 5 months ago so she hasn't seen winter yet. The other is very appreciative for her dog house when winter comes around. She is very old and we have a little dog house for her that we put cedar chips in whenever there is frost on the ground. Yes, she does get very cold and sometimes shivers. Mind you, the rain/snow will play an important part in his comfort. Make sure that whatever you have in the house will stay dry for the duration of the cold months, or at least change is regularly. Cedar chips are warm and keep the bugs off, which aren't’t usually a problem in winter, though, and hay is very warm and makes a good soft bed. The question would be easier to answer and more precise if I knew how cold it gets… Also, a little flap on the door of the house does well in keeping the wind from blowing too hard. If it snows where you are, I would suggest keeping the house above the level of the snow so that whenever it melts, the house will stay dry. Better yet, put the house in a garage or in an open shed that has access to a yard for the dog’s personal needs. (I’m assuming that he is an outside dog, no?) Best of luck to you and your pooch wherever you are!

Answer 3

Buy a dog crate (cage) and put her in it when you can't watch her in the house. A chihuahua will die if you leave it outside in cold weather. Put a blanket in the crate and some food and water. Also give her a safe chew toy to keep her busy and happy. Try a small rubber Kong toy and stuff it with peanutbutter or some other treat. Just make sure that the chew toys you give her won't come apart (a choking hazard). Avoid Rawhide and beefhide chew toys. My dog almost choked on rawhide several times. Besides Kong toys, Nylabones are a good chew toy to leave in her crate. If she is a strong chewer, get the ones labeled "durable". Don't get her the puppy bones because she may bite them apart and swallow the pieces. Also, when you do take her outside in the winter to go to the bathroom, put a coat on her. I think all tiny and short-haired dogs really appreciate the extra warmth. When it's cold out, my dog will refuse to go out until we put her coat on her! Anyway, I hope this helps. Just remember, if you're cold, then your dog is cold too!

Answer 4

The best kind of dog house is an insulated L shaped dog house with the door cut perpendicular to one of the lines of the L, toward the end. These are hard to find in a retail pets store or anywhere for that matter. I would simply build it, but not everyone has the knowledge or ability. Stick the dog house in the lee of the house away from direct wind. Certainly make sure the doorway of the dog house does not face the wind. Normally the door faces away from the north and toward the south. For that breed, outside in the cold, I would consider an air-conditioner/heater combination for that dog house. They make them for dog houses. Certainly put a swinging door on the dog house. There are also companies in business that provide dog sitters. The main thing is to make sure the puppy does not suffer in the cold. Chihuahua's are really susceptible to the cold.

Answer 5

Uhh DO NOT LEAVE YOUR DOG OUTSIDE!!!! Its cruel and animal rights can come and take her! It is much more dangerous leaving her outside then inside, a wild animal could attack her, she could get off her lead/out of the fence and get hit by a car, someone could steal her, Chihuahuas are worth good $!

The number one answer here is look in to a den or crate if you can't trust your dog while you aren't home. It is an instinct for the dog to have a den, some dogs even love their den/cage and go there when they want to feel safe. Just do not treat the cage like a punishment for when she is bad! You should go to http://www.petvideo.com and watch some videos on owning a dog.

Answer 6

Were I live in Palm Springs CA, it doesn't get cold. But my brother lives up in northern CA, and it gets really cold there in the winter. They bought a big cage from the pet shop to put there dog in while they are at work, pretty much for the same reason you mentioned. They both teach school and no one is home for about 8 to 9 hours a day. They asked the Vet what to do and this is what he suggested. Just make sure that there is plenty of water and a little food in there for your dog. Also make sure it is big enough for him/her to move around freely inside. I hope this helps. Good luck.
If you would like I can email you a picture of the cage they use. I have one my brother sent me with the dog laying inside.

Answer 7

I live in Upper Michigan and boy does it ever get cold here in the winter 40 below at times I leave my dogs in the house if you train your dog right they will mind just like a kid will, But since your dog is so small I would suggest getting a indoor kennel and set it up in the kitchen and get a child gate so she /he can't roam around the house while your gone make sure your puppy as water and lay down newspaper or lassie pads for the puppy to relieve them self, Dog breeder & trainer of labs for the blind for 14 years...

Answer 8

Here in Canada we leave Huskies and other farm dogs and stuff outside, cause to bring them in and out makes the cold worse after the warm. If outside all the time they get used to it. On the other hand alot of famers let them in the porch overnight in winter

The SPCA will take small and thin haired dogs away if left out. I have a cockapoo and I leave him in the house and come home at lunch to let him out. If I am gone more then 4 hours I kennel him. That is his little home, he goes there on his own if I am mad... he feels safe there... Sometimes he likes a treat ball or a hallow bone with peanut butter ( not to much, makes them thirsty)

Answer 9

It does not sound like you can adequately care for your dog. I had a neighbor with a MinPin...would shiver in Oct. If your home is not a place where dog can play, you need to find your pooch another home.

I have 2 labs, they are spoiled. They have the run of the house, they usually beat me to bed at night. I have to push them out the door when it rains. I would never leave them out in the winter. One of them has a thick coat and sometimes it gets so cold, his feet hurt so much he lays down in the snow, he won't wear boots.

If I saw your dog locked out in the winter, I would call the SPCA.

Answer 10

We have a doghouse it takes a while for the dog to adjust to it but the way to keep it warm is not to have too large of a house for the dog for its size they curl up when they sleep, you put in straw a towel covering the door and a small light bulb generates heat, being careful to have the wire exposed to protect from chewing, there is also heating pads at the pet shop that are prov-en safe.