dog won't use house - won't get out of rain

Hello all,

I hope there is someone out there who has heard of this problem. Our dog WILL NOT use his house (he has had 3 now). He will sit in the rain/sleet/snow and will not go in the dog house. We have put hay in it, have put his favorite blanket in it etc and still he will not go in. In fact he systematically dismantles his dog houses by dragging, pushing, pulling, chewing them etc until they are useless.

The problem is our neighbors complain if he is not "properly" provided for and we are at our wits end about shelter for him. Please help. He can not stay in the house because he is to big and destructive to be an inside dog.

Please don't misunderstand. He is walked twice per day, he has toys, and lots and lots of attention. He just won't use a dog house. If we can't figure something out we will have to find another home for him because the neighbors won't quit complaining to animal control.

How big is he? My biggest is almost 100 lbs. and he is most definately a inside dog along with my 70 pound shepherd. I think the dog would benefit from some training and time spent on letting him be an inside dog........then you have No worries about a dog house.

Thank you so much for your reply. Our dog has spent all of his 1.5 years living full time in the house and constantly wanting to be outside.

After numerous items were destroyed and numerous trips to the vet due to things he ate he had to live outside. He is a german shepherd mix and seems to be very high strung. We live in a mobile home and living inside at this point is not an option - he weighs about 130 and can clear the kitchen counters with no problem.

We love him dearly but can not afford for him to be in the house.

Any other suggestions?

If there is evidence that you are doing everything you can to provide adequate shelter, food and water for him while he's outside, your neighbors can't do a thing about it. The most AC will do is come over and go "we can't do anything, sorry." If the dog won't go in the house, that's his deal. He'll find shelter if he really gets uncomfortable.

I too would like to see him be a house dog, but mobile homes aren't all that sturdy and if this dog is wanting to be outside, he'll find a way to get outside.

He'll go in when he wants too. Babylon hardly ever goes into his house, but when he gets cold enough, or wet enough, he will go in. I just have a bed of straw outside, and he stays perfectly content on that. "You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make him drink."
Also, try giving him some more intense exersize, and more chew toys. I think that should really help him out.

I agree...he'll go in when he feels the need. I have to put Addie outside after being indoors for a couple hours cause she just doesn't like it in the house. I've seen her lay happily in the snow for a snooze as long as there was a ray of sunshine to bask in. I also keep a pile of straw outside of her house, she loves it. sounds like he is destroying his house cause he's bored. is he in a penned area where he can run? if not, that's probably a good idea. he sounds like he needs some room to play, and more activity.

Have you tried feeding and putting his water in his dog house? If it is the only possible place for him to eat and drink, he'll go in for that. He may come back outside, but he might get a little more use to it and decide it's AOK.

I agree though, that it would be better to find out about training and teaching him house manners with proper training techniques. Even though he likes it outside, he may learn to enjoy being with his family more if he learned to be more relaxed indoors. Lots of exercise is good for a big dog and some real brain work. Obedience training can do wonders for an active dog. Your dog just needs some more structure and a job and he'd settle down.

I came back to say this...and you probably don't want to hear it, but I say it with total kindness. he just may not be adjusting to being an outside dog. if he was always indoors, he may be sad and lonely outside. I understand your position, but all points should be considered. he is part shepherd, well..my shepherd would die if I left him outside because he HAS to be with us..it's a shepherd thing. sure, I can put him out in the pen for a couple hours...but he just paces, waiting for me to come back. they are clingy that way.

I agree Debi. Dogs were designed by nature to be with their families and not just a little here and a litte there, but most of the time.

I agree. Boredom, stress and loneliness are the reasons for his destructive behavior. I have never heard someone say they can't afford to keep a dog inside before? What about that costs more money? More cleaning perhaps but it sounds like he is doing some damage outside too. Bring him in and train him he can be taught not to "clear the counters" and you can learn not to leave food unattended in places he can reach.

i ahd a great dane, belive me, he could rest his head on the counter...and i lived in a very small house at the time (not much bigger than a US mobile home) and i was 7 i taught him not to counter surf and when i couldnt watch him anything within reach was secured in cabinates/the fridge/the microwave.
Yes big dogs are a little more destructive by nature (they cant help it that a tail wag will clear the coffe table!) but they CAN be trained.
If the dogs SOOO active indoors that its that destructive its not getting neer enough mental stimulation or physical excersize (which also sounds like the problme your running into wiht him eating his houses.)

as for getting him to sleep in it...he would if he wanted to...obviously he dosnt...

some extra time, some extra training and obviusly this is a high energy dog, hes going to need more than just 2 walks a day and toys...he needs offleash/line running and mental stimulation...
mabe even try training him in somehting like flyball, agility or frisbee...that kind of stuff would keep him excersized and mentally stimulated making him less likely to be destructive indoors!