sleeps outside in the cold

[kp9er]

I have a 5yr old yellow lab that will not sleep in his dog house,Unless it is pouring down rain,It doesnt matter what I put in there for him to lay on he will drag it outside in his pen ( 10x20 ) and sleep on it after 2 or 3 days he tears it up.and I have to give him something else.Ive tried several different dog houses but it doesnt seem to matter.We had 6 inches of snow last week and I look out to check on him and hes asleep in the middle of his pen laying on his pillow.

[aggieone]

Labs are accustomed to cold weather.  Many are noted for cold water rescue.  Have you ever tried bringing your lab inside.  They love to be inside with you, and have favorite places where they love to snuggle with you.  They are famous for laying their head in your lap, on your knees or on your chest when you lay down with them.  Labs have wonderful personalities and they love their families.  Try bringing him in a little at a time, let him get accustomed to your heat and air.  Put his food and water bowls in the same place so he knows this spot belongs to him.  Buy him a KONG and put all natural peanut butter in it.  If he is chewing his pillow, he is bored to death.  Buy him safe chew toys.  Let him lay on your t-shirts or robe.  Make him feel special in your home and you will be the one to get all the pleasure out of it.  I know they shed more inside, but we brush our labs (I just lost one of them) every other day.  We vacuum a lot, but that is nothing compared to them greeting you at the door and looking out the window for you to come home.  Your lab will live for you, you are all he will think about.  He wants to please you, play with you and love you.  My daughter in law does not like dogs in the house, she is afraid the house is not clean.  Yes my house is clean, I just have to dust and vacuum more.  My husband told her to get use to it as the dogs rule!!!!  She has adjusted and now she has a cat inside.  Just try bringing your lab in for a few hours each day.  At first he will be nervous, but like I said put his food and water bowl somewhere special for him.  Allow him on the furniture and you will never be sorry.  Of course when you have one inside, requires more bath time, and that is O.K. too as nothing compares to the pleasure you will find in snuggling with your lab.  Try it, you'll love it.  Aggieone

[GoKoo]

I don't know if this helps, but my Mom has a four year old rescue from the mountains in Arizona.  Molly was rescued from the Navajo Indian Reservation, where is it freezing and snowing in the winter.  My Mom lives near there, and when it snows, Molly wants nothing to do with her happy warm house -- she's fine there the rest of the time.  She's perfectly happy to curl up in the snow, sometimes six inches or so, and doesn't want to come in.  My Mom now leaves her outside -- of course she's got a good coat, with the doggy door open so she can come in.  I do think I'd get your canine into as many classes and activities as possible -- the tearing up the pillow sounds like boredom.

[Jaybay]

I can't help much with this one because I fully believe that dogs should be inside at night and socialized to become a true member of the family.  There's a reason the National Weather Service advertises the "Pipes, Plants and Pets" warnings during cold weather.  Domestic dogs and constant exposure to bad weather aren't generally a good mix - no matter what kind of dog you're talking about.  OK, end of lecture.  :-)

Have you checked the dog house to make sure there isn't something in there he doesn't like?  Maybe some kind of wild critter?  I would think doghouse training would be similar to crate training.  The dog needs to understand that his den is a place of comfort and relaxation.  In crate training, there are all kinds of things you can do to make it a pleasant place.  We start by leaving the door open and throwing treats inside.  Then we feed them all their meals in the crate.  In addition to some kind of padding on the crate bottom, you could put in an unwashed t-shirt of yours.  The smell from the shirt is like having his pack leader right in the crate with him.

If you dog lives most of his life in his pen, it's probably boredom that is causing him to rip and shred his pillow.  He has to get out into the world, and that means you'll have to walk him.  Dogs need mental and physical challenges to live a balanced, healthy life.  Better yet, get into some training classes so you can socialize him and bring him in your home to live.  :-)