could anyone tell me when it would be ok to put my staffy puppy outside at night in a kennel its quite a large kennel it has a shelf for sleeping and bottom part for toilet its sheltered has a door with locks on she is 9 weeks old  some people ive spoke to said that they put there put outside straight away but i thought 9 weeks is a bit young any comments would be really helpful thanks

Well i have a kennel inside each pen with a plastic flap over the door to keep draughts out. Then once into the first part fot he kennel the dog has to turn right and the large sleeping area is there, not directly in front of the door. In winter i have heaters in there.
My pups go out at 16 weeks over night but get time in the pen through the day from 10 weeks. I like to have them house trained as i do not believe in keeping a dog outside full time. They need family time in the house with me so i can get my cuddles! This usually works out at about 8 hours.

Have a look at www.hextons.co.uk for the heating pannel. Staffy's dont have much fur on them and i think she would be too cold out there without any.

Guest why not join so we can discuss this further :)

Can I just ask the reasons for pup sleeping outside?
Staffys are great big softies who do tend to love their home comforts :) Plus they are shorthaired and need to keep warm and draught free

hi thanks for your comment im not looking to put her outside at night at this stage i meant in daytime while im out and then maybe at night as she gets older sorry im new to the dog scene this is our first dog also we was thinking of putting insulation in and a light

She would still need some heating in there, and a suitible draught free kennel. Being a short coated breed she would get very cold very quickly. Couldnt you crate train her and keep her indoors?

hi the dark thanks for your comments i could crate train her yes i have thought about that dont know which way to turn at the moment want to do whats best and stick with it thanks

A lot will depend on your housing situation too.  If you live in a suburban house with Garden, it is almost inevitable that the pup if housed outside would bark when the neighbours go about their business (only natural to want to guard it's home, or ask to be included in the goings on).  Been there done that, which is why mine only sleep in the kennels at night, but are shut in the kitchen when I go out :D

If you live well away from neighbours where pup would not be disturbed then a comfy heated kennel and enclosed run will make a  nice plce for the dog when you need to go out or can't supervise, especially when provided with lots of toys and chews.

Of course the dog should spend a decent amount of time with the family as dogs are social creatures and it is not natural for them to be happy alone, and many will develop problem behaviour due to seperation anxiety.  Of course a pup has to learn to be able to spend some time alone, as otherwise it could not function in the average home, as we can't have them with us all the time.

Hi Kazza,

Welcome to CD :)  Can I just ask why you are intending to keep your dog outside?  Not trying to be argumentative, it just seems a strange choice as you say this is your first dog and you don't seem to be very familiar with your chosen breed's requirements.

Teri ;)

yes true im not overly familiar been trying to get a book on staffs the only reason to keep her outside was my eldest child has a dog allergy and yes your probably thinking why did we get her but he is on controlled medication i dident say for def i would put her out just see how things go also ive heard they chew a lot ive heard some nightmare stories of kitchens being chewed im just looking for some help and advice at the moment want to be prepared thanks karen

Kazza,
If you run a search on "crate training" here on Champdogs you will find that putting the pup in a little cage (sunds awful i know but its really not as bad as it sounds) will control any chewing, help with house training and give you peace of mind when you have to leave the pup alone for a short time.
Maby go onto ebay, type in DOG CRATE and have a look at the ones on there. The biggest ones they do are only £41 so one for a Stafford pup would brobably be about £25 from there. Much cheaper than building a heated pen!

I think this would be much more suitable for your dog, however does not cure allergys.
Hope that helps a little.

yes that helps thank you i may try that just a feel awful i put her in the kennel today while i cleaned up and she cried for an hour

Yeah, the combination of suddenly being outside and cold, alone and unsure would have made her cry.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1283&item=4360383532&rd=1

that would be a suitable sized crate for your puppy and would last her forever.

Hi Karen,

Thanks for taking the time to reply ;)  The fact that the weather is so chilly right now and that you've already decided to keep her indoors meantime it may be worth investing in an indoor kennel or "crate" - it's very easy to train a puppy from the outset to spend time in one especially if you feed them inside with the door open and pop them in and out now and again for nap breaks etc.  This will also go some way to help you protect your kitchen :P

Hope your oldest child either copes OK with the puppy or even better outgrows the allergy - my sister was allergic to dogs as a young child but grew out of it about 10 or 12 years of age.

The good thing is there are quite a few Staff fans on here so you should be able to get lots of tips and tricks about them as well as advice on breed specific books.  Will look forward to updates.

Regards, Teri :)

thanks for you reply teri i think i will try that if you have any comments on how to house train to i would be grateful at the moment she is trained on newspaper and i take her outside in garden after meals and she has started to do bits out side i dont know whats best to do i dont want to confuse her

Again a crate would help with house training too.
Since a puppy will not (usually, there are exceptions) soil its bed you have a better chance of having clean, dry nights after the pup is used to the crate.
By being about to put puppy in its own space while you are out you are not comming home to puddles all over the place and nasty parcels under the table!

oops sorry if ive caused friction on here just wanted some advice thats all

Hi Karen,

You honestly haven't "caused" friction there's usually some floating around anyway :P

Hopefully this silly sniping hasn't put you off either seeking advice or sharing your latest news about your puppy - we can all have bad days now and again!  Weird part is we're all dog lovers but I reckon the temperaments are often more stable with the K9's than they are with the folk :D

Best wishes, Teri :)

Hi Karen, there's usually lots of help available on here and there are quite a few Staff owners - personally I always think breed specific advice is worth it's wait in gold <g>

As to housetraining I'd recommend not putting newspapers down as this can lead to confusion with the puppy not sure where it's allowed to go.   Put her out to toilet immediately every time she wakes up, eats, has a romp around playing.  Stay with her until she has actually done her business and when she starts "to go" use a command word like "busy" or "hurry up".  Eventually she'll associate that command with having to go so in a couple of months or so when you're in a hurry to go out without her it should be easy to have her "perform to order" <lol>

Try not to be annoyed at all for accidents in the house - puppies don't have control over their bladders and bowels for several weeks or even months.  Accidents therefore are usually our fault for failing to notice it was time to let them outside.  Just clean up any area which is soiled with a mixture of water and biological soap powder which removes not just the stain but the scent also.  Good luck, Teri :)

hi teri with response to your last post i have tried taking the paper away and taking her outside i can be out there 15 20 mins and she doesent do anything sometimes!! but then when she comes in she does it on the mat near the door!! and also when you say biological soap powder do you mean washing powder thanks karen                                                           

Karen
do you have a word that you use for when you want pup to go to the loo?
Choose a word and stick with it- after pup has been then praise lots and reward with a small treat :)

Pup will soon get the hang of it- they love praise and love rewards :)
By the way dont expect too much at present as 9 weeks is VERY young
Good luck

:)

OOPS,

typing at the same time lel :D

she is young yes and i think she is doing quite well for her age its just you think your getting somewhere then its back to the drawing board !!we have had her since she was 6 weeks old so she left her mum to early down to my lack of experience i saw the puppy and went head in there for her we went against everything we said we would do but hey wouldent do without her now

Hi again

I'm afraid the 15-20 minutes hanging about in the cold/wind/rain/gales (and snow even) are obligatory with the little ##### (dears :P )  Plus you'll come to realise that they learn to be their worst in the middle of the great reveal in a who-dunnit on the telly regularly!  Patience is a virtue .......

and yes, I meant biological soap powder ;)

Teri

cheers thanks for that i will try thanks for your comments and lel yes i use hurry up when i take her thank you all

Hi Karen,
Just wanted to say, I grew up with loads of cats. And when I was about 10. Developed a bad allergy, Excessive sneezing, nose bleeds etc. I started taking antihistimines for it. And started to build up an immune system again. But if I played with the cats for any amount of time. I always had to wash my hands afterwards. And not touch my skin. I soon became immune to them again. It happens now if i touch a cat. I always have to wash my hands. And Im fine. With woody our 6 month old lab. When Im playing with him, cuddling etc. My skin breaks out in itchy blotches. But it only lasts about 10 mins or so. I have a cold wash seems to clear it up.

You may ask, why did we get a dog. But I was only ever allergic to cats, not dogs grown up with dogs. It was only cats that affected me. But as others have said, your child will probably grow out of it

Alix

Teri,
Kazza has come here for advice and is learning how to house the pup through asking questions. The right thing has been done and its up to us to help as best we can.

What is with you thedark?????    I asked a perfectly civil and reasonable question and got perfectly pleasant and informative response from the girl who owns the pup and have you jumping in trying to s***stir.

Small wonder there are so many pathetic arguments on here with people like you waxing lyrical on how to behave when it's beyond your remit to do so.   But perhaps you think this forum needs a self-appointed oracle to keep the rest of us in line?

Apologies to Karen for this happening :(  it's been one of those days on here when petty point scoring seems to be a priority.

Teri   

I cant see anything in Teri's point that wasnt helpful :)

I refuse to allow another (what is it you call it here?) erm "debate" kick off on this persons thread. Help was sought, help should be given, not criticism for not knowing a breeds "requirements" as a first time owner. I'm leaving this thread now before it gets out of hand. AGAIN.

Sorry Kazza, i hope you find a solution soon, best of luck!

Thanks Lel - ever lost the will to live :D

Neither can I, I thought it was excellent advice :-)

here we go again,some people just cant be nice on here!
they always have to start arguments. i must admit its quite fun to watch but not very fair on who its aimed at! :.(

Hi Sarah,

Personally I don't even find it fun to watch (well, OK, some of it can be ;) )  but it's happening too often and must be off-putting to people thinking of joining or who have joined but don't post much :(

regards, Teri

yeh it is quite off putting isnt it,ive been on her for bout 2weeks now. and it does seem to happen alot there is no need for it everyone does things different,and has there own opinions about the threads. i wont let it put me off tho coz not everyones like that most are quite helpful ive found!
sarah x

There are good days and there are bad days - its just that *some* posters can be very inflammatory and sometimes they don't realise how it gets other folks backs up... but it always seems to sort itself out. You should see the horse board I go on where folk can post anonymously and no-one gets banned!

What a shame that what was becoming a very useful thread - not only to the OP but to other new owners as well - has now been spoiled :( Teri had stuck with this topic and given excellent advice and guidance. I can see NOTHING there which could cause offence to the OP or anyone.

To original poster,this is just my honest,personal opinion,but why did you get a dog when you want to just put it out the back? Dogs are pack members that NEED to be with their pack/family,i dont understand why you are thinking of segregating the wee pup.
Your daughter has an allergy to dogs,so you want the dog to more or less live outside by itself,no offence but it is not the dogs fault your daughter is allergic,why bring a dog into a home when you know it's going to cause all of these concerns? Dont punish the pup for something thats not his fault :(

I'm sorry i cant go along with the pack on this one,which as per usual will probaly get me into strife,but this is something i vehemently disagree with.

Maybe i read your post all wrong?? From what i have read,i dont get it :(

there are products on the market that you can spray on your dog that will help with the allergy and washing your hands after handeling the dog also helps.personaly if my child had an allergy to dogs i wouldnt get one.i had a problem with my daughter wen we got our dog her ecsma flared up.lookily it turned out to be something else! i dont think its fair on the child or the dog.but then again it depends on how severe the alergy is!
sarah x

thanks for you opinion rose but did i say i got a dog to put outside no!!! i was purely asking if she would be ok outside if we needed to put her there and its not my daughter that has an allergy its my son and he is on medication and has been fine with the dog ,it was just a possibility!! my son hasent suffered, putting a dog outside isent punishment loads of dogs live outside so please dont patronise when u dont know the whole story!!!!!!

hi kazza
is your son on medication just for the dog allergy? if so why would you want your son to have to stay on medication just so you can have a dog. fair enough if ude had the dog for ages and your son had just developed the allergy to him then youde try anything to keep the dog! im not having ago im just courious! so please dont take affence to my post! and personally i dont see a problem with keeping a dog out side as long as it has food and water and somewear nice and warm and dry to sleep!
sarah x

hi sarah thanks for your comments no it isent just a dog allergy its asthma allergy but generally long haired dogs feathers,hayfever, his nan has along haired dog and he sometimes get chesty when he is there even though she keeps the dog away from him but hes a animal lover and its very hard to tell him to stay away, he is fine with the dog we have as she is short haired and he does seem a lot better at his nans lately. i only originally asked the question in the first place as a precaution, we have had our pup 3 weeks and he hasent so much as sneezed its a long story but some people are jumping in on here when they dont know the full story must admit i was against getting a puppy because of this but my husband and 3 kids got the better of me ,doesent mean if the dog was outside she would be totally isolated from us she would still get love and attention she needs but suppose you do get people commenting but it has really put me off coming on here now that was my first post and i get all this hassle               karen

anyway thanks to everyone who did help me out with there comments gratefully appreciated!! maybe i just worded it all wrong in the first place and it got peoples backs up!! never mind consider it the end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Karen,

Think things got off to a bad start on a lot of threads yesterday :(   Have sent you a PM, click on the word "messages" in the top right hand corner of the page.

Teri ;)

thanks for that teri, it did get off to bad start i will be careful what i write next time if i ever do ,karen

i appoligize if i offended you i rearly didnt meen to offend you,kazza. i was just courious i didnt meen anythimg by it. if you read a post that said that someone had just got a dog even tho there child was allergict to it youde prob wonder why wouldnt you!
apologise again
sarah x

I wouldn't allow yourself to be put off.  Accept that mainly posters answer posts, bald as they stand, answers are not personal but on their understanding of your written words, which won't have all the facts :D

Also in some things there are different ways of doing things, that aren't wrong.  some people have a problem with dogs being kenneled, and others don't as long as ALL the dogs needs are met :D

All people and sogs are different.

and of course peenty of company and human interaction :D

I have to agree with you here Rose, I wouldn't like a dog to live outside either, I would worry too much about whether it was cold or if somebody was going to steal it and do horrible things to it.  An old man used to live next door to us and he had a dog which he used to tie up and all it had for shelter was a lean-to next to the shed.  The poor dog was so miserable and it was heartbreaking to see it in the pouring rain.  One time when it wasn't tied up we lifted it over the fence and brought it in our house for a bit whilst he was out, that dog was so grateful for any affection it could get.  He got rid of the dog soon after although I don't know where it went.  I might be a softy on this matter but I don't like outside dogs.

I think everyone would be motified to see a dog kept like that, Anna, but Kazza stated from the very first post that the dog would be given adequate shelter.  I choose to house my dogs within the house but I see no problem with keeping them outside when all their needs are met.

Yes but nine weeks old is surely too young to put outside on its own, kind of defeats the object of having a puppy doesn't it?  I know that the poster hasn't decided whether to put the dog outside or not but it is very cold at the moment.