Too young for kenneling?

[rapid fire]

I am picking up a 7wk old GSP female tomorrow and plan on going ahead and crate training and house breaking her, eventhough she will be an outside dog. I just think it will pay off when she travels with me. I have a 20' X 8' kennel w/ concrete floor and full tin roof. 4' X 8' is closed in and insulated and has a human access door and a dog door. When will she be old enough to stay in the kennel over night or during the day by herself? The kennel is also located w/in a 1 acre fenced yard, but I don't feel it would be a good idea for her to have free run of the yard while I'm not at home. What are y'alls thoughts? thanks, RF

[CherrystoneWeims]

I say keep her being a house dog. Why keep her outside? She will become much closely bonded to you if she is with you more. Have her outside when you aren't at home for long periods of time so she won't have to hold herself.

[muddycreek]

The pup will be fine in the situation you described. Many dogs never see the inside of a house and adapt just fine.

[bobman]

No way its still too cold here for that, a 4' x 8' insulated room unless its heated is useless for a dog other than to get out of the rain

[bondoron]

I say keep her being a house dog. Why keep her outside? She will become much closely bonded to you if she is with you more. Have her outside when you aren't at home for long periods of time so she won't have to hold herself.

I agree 100%

[ezzy333]

I think it a personal decision as to where you want to house your dog but I have never found a pup too young to spend time in a kennel. They do need some type of a dog house and I have found thet the cardboard barrels that products are shipped in make great inside houses for pups or dogs till or if they outgrow them. We have whelped many a pup in the kennel and thats where they grew up. I have mine in the house quite a bit now and like it this way but when there were 30 dogs in the kennel they didn't have the luxary of getting house time. Plus with one of the boys somewhat allergic to close contact we couldn't bring them in if we had just had one or two. Nice thing is that dogs will do find in most circumstances if you just give them some time everyday that you can. And our kennels were no heated in anyway.

Ezzy

[bobman]

Izzy I doubt you kept a 7 week old pup alone in a kennel with no small dog house for them, that is what is described in his question??

its cold rainy crappy weather down here Georgia can have some real cold weather this late. Make him a good dog house with some bedding or maybe a heat lamp in the room set up so he cant chew it and then it would be OK

[ezzy333]

Not only kept them there but also whelped them there. Coldest Was a litter of 6 whelped one night when it was -26 degrees. Raised them all with no problem. I never lost a littler or a dog from lack of heat as long as they had a house or barrel with bedding. For a matter of fact had very little in vet bills as we just didn't have the problems when in the cold as we do when they are in warmer more humid conditions. Will admit it took extra feed to give them the energy they needed but they went from the show ring to the field directly from there. At the time we were feeding a good corn based feed with meat meal and it did a great job of keeping them fit.

Ezzy

[vzkennels]

I agree that if you give a dog or pup a nice tight & dry dog house there is not really much problem keeping them warm.I have all my dogs kenneled & are whelped in the kennels,most of my litters are born in the fall & prefer them over summer litters in the heat & flies.I have had litters as late as a wk before Christmas & never lost a pup because of cold temps.The biggest loss I had was the last summer litter I had but because of small & weak pups,The heat might have played a roll because of the female not eating like she normally would doing pregnancy due to being so hot.I had a female here to breed several yrs ago when the temps were -20 or better for over a wk straight,she stayed here & was bred in the kennel that wk & whelped & raised 9 healthy pups.I think the most important in cold temps is plenty of food & dry conditions & good dry bedding.

P.S. Just something I want to add,if you think keeping a dog or pup in the kennel will make them kennel shy just ask the owners I have sold to or come visit me & see my dogs.My dogs are handled from birth as we supplement with bottel feeding to make sure every pup get their share.They are handled daily & are very personable,loving,crave attention,& training.

[CherrystoneWeims]

VZ,

I agree that dogs kept in a kennel can do just fine. BUT I think that is OK if you have more than one dog. The original poster only has this one pup. He needs to remember that dogs are pack animals and the humans will have to take the place of the pack if there is only one dog.

[bobman]

Not only kept them there but also whelped them there. Coldest Was a litter of 6 whelped one night when it was -26 degrees. Raised them all with no problem. I never lost a littler or a dog from lack of heat as long as they had a house or barrel with bedding. For a matter of fact had very little in vet bills as we just didn't have the problems when in the cold as we do when they are in warmer more humid conditions. Will admit it took extra feed to give them the energy they needed but they went from the show ring to the field directly from there. At the time we were feeding a good corn based feed with meat meal and it did a great job of keeping them fit.

Ezzy

"Them" implies multiple pups cuddled up with each other and momma, this guy is asking about takeing a pup from that situation and putting it in a cold kennel ALONE

[rapid fire]

Looking back on my post, I see I left some information out. I do have the ability to heat the closed section and would definitely do that if the temps were down. I plan on keeping her inside my house for about a month in order to get her good and crate trained and house broken. She came home today and is doing great. She is wore out and has been in her crate asleep since 7:00. I'm afraid she will be ready to play at about 2:00 AM.

[nitrex]

Sounds like your'e doing pretty good! Keep spending time with the pup and introduce it to as many things as possible over the next few weeks. Socialization is key at this young age!!

Nitrex