Should you let a young puppy relax and play in the garden?

[Michele83]

Hi all - wondering about this, as with the weather being so nice, Piccolo wants to be outside quite frequently, even if it's just to lie on the grass and relax.

To be clear, I take her outside regularly for toilet breaks. What I'm talking about is outside of those times. I have read in a couple of places that, other than to go to the toilet, a puppy should not be allowed outside, and from my understanding the rationale is that the delineation between house and garden (toilet area) becomes blurred. However in other places people don't think it's a problem.

For instance right now I am sitting in the garden with her. She's had a poo and a wee and is quietly lying down chewing on something in the sun. It seems a shame to take her in the dingy house. But perhaps that is what I need to do?

What have others done in this respect with their puppies, and did it affect them later in life if you let them relax in the garden?

Thanks

 

[JoanneF]

It's fine - absolutely have her in the garden. What I think is the confusion is that some people in the summer just leave a door open so the dog can go out to toilet if he or she wishes - but that isn't toilet training them. As long as you do actively take her out to toilet and heap praise and reward when she does, she will get it.

The garden is a great place to start working on early training - getting her to sit, come to you, and leave things alone are all good to start her on.

 

[Mad Murphy]

Ive never heard this.. My dogs have always been aloowed to relax in the garden. Murphy quickly understood that the garden was his territory and he refuses to do a poo there.

 

[Michele83]

It's fine - absolutely have her in the garden. What I think is the confusion is that some people in the summer just leave a door open so the dog can go out to toilet if he or she wishes - but that isn't toilet training them. As long as you do actively take her out to toilet and heap praise and reward when she does, she will get it.

The garden is a great place to start working on early training - getting her to sit, come to you, and leave things alone are all good to start her on.

Thanks I was hoping someone would say that!

 

[Whippylove]

All my boys have been allowed out in the garden , Rolo has until tomorrow to wait go out for walks, hes been spending a lot of time in my garden training and playing.

 

[Michele83]

All my boys have been allowed out in the garden , Rolo has until tomorrow to wait go out for walks, hes been spending a lot of time in my garden training and playing.

Thanks - it's going to make my life a lot easier!

As you have a whippet like me, can I ask how long your pup is sleeping through the night, and how old he is?

Thanks

 

[Whippylove]

Hi Rolo is 13 weeks he sleeps from 10 o,clock to 7am he's always been good at bedtime, but he does have the big boys to follow

 

[merlina]

Gosh- our house and garden must be Liberty Hall- they just go in and out in summer. The only time we brought the puppy in was when the elderly boy needed a break! You puppy will do well I'm sure getting plenty of fresh air.

 

[Michele83]

Thanks merlina.

Hi Rolo is 13 weeks he sleeps from 10 o,clock to 7am he's always been good at bedtime, but he does have the big boys to follow

Thanks! Mine is 10 weeks and sleeps from 10pm to 5:15 at the moment (I've just extended it from 5 to 5:15). She seems to be fine with that so when she's 12 weeks I'll try extending it a little again.

 

[leashedForLife]

QUOTE, Mad Murphy:

... Murphy quickly understood that the garden was his territory, and he refuses to do a poo there.
________________________________
.


I use "walks" as the reward for "pee & poop at home", as that means we get it over with, I can bag & dispose as needed B4 the walk, & in truly-foul weather, when neither of us would want to walk around, the dog briskly gets on with voiding, & we get back into the house...
to play, train, work on a new behavior, or hang-out together.

With male dogs, i have them learn to "drain the tank", vs withhold a quart or so to dribble out as marks -
by peeing B4 we go for that walk, & interrupting every attempt to mark while off his own 'turf', the dog quickly susses that if he doesn't GO when given the opp, he may have to wait quite some while B4 he gets to pee again.
Of course, if we're out for *hours*, i do not let him suffer from a ballooned bladder! - this is just for training purposes, not to torture the poor dog.

Ms who absolutely must over-mark every dog's urine they encounter can be very irritating to walk with, plus such compulsive over-markers are often reactive to other dogs, esp'ly other Ms. // Stopping the marking behavior often reduces their excessive chip-on-the-shoulder attitude, & they're more tolerant - not sociable, but less reactive.
I'm all for civil - we don't need to hold hands & sing 'Kumbaya', but pulling out a knife & waving it isn't apropos, generally.

- terry

.

 

[pongo111]

Hi,

I was concerned about our puppy being in the garden as she hasn't had all of her vaccines yet.
But, the vet said it's fine, so now she's in and out all day.

Bit concerning the heat lately, but I let a bit of water trickle out of the hosepipe and she drinks that out of a bowl and puts her feet in a little.

 

[Violet Turner]

Try and keep her in the shade, as dogs can get heat stroke. Make sure there is always fresh clean water available.

 

[Michele83]

Yeah the heat is both a blessing and a curse. It's making my puppy calmer, but she is also obsessed with lying in the direct sunlight. I don't know how she does it as it's burning hot. We've been playing a not-so-fun game where she sits in the sun, then I sit next to her with an umbrella which blocks out the sun, then she gets up to find a sunnier spot, and I follow her and shade her with the umbrella again, and again, and again, and again ha ha. At least it gets her moving around a bit. She's also wearing sun lotion. And I'm keeping her indoors more at the moment. She doesn't seem to want to do much in this heat.

 

[Whippylove]

I'm the same mine haven't been getting out long only for the toilet its boiling here, theres been a few dogs with heatstroke up here you'd think people would learn