dogs in winter, a few tips needed please wrt dog flaps, covered crates and post-muddy-walk-protection

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We adopted a now 4-yr-old dog at Easter and caring for him has been easy up to now given the lovely weather (well it was v hot over here - mainland Europe) but I now need some advice please before winter arrives.

1. Dog flaps - do any of you have them? It will soon be too cold to keep the back door (which opens in to our kitchen) permanently open for the dog but dog, likes having access to the garden (this morning, for example, between walks, he spent most of his time lying on a sunbed on the terrace watching for cats ).

1. Winter dog beds - covered crates - do any of you use them? Furry one sleeps in a fairly shallow bed in the hall atm - lovely and cool in the summer - but freezing and very drafty in winter. For various reasons, it's a good location for him to sleep but we don't want him to get cold. I've seen covered crates advertised such as these and wondered if any of you can recommend them? Or would it be better if he was higher off the floor? The other problem is that, although he's a small dog (lh daschund) he likes to stretch out his full length (78cm approx) on his back to sleep. Any ideas gratefully received!

1. What do you all use after muddy walks to protect the car? Furry one is wrecking all the covers at the moment (he's tethered but on the back seat) and he has covered the windows in nose prints Dh not happy and has asked me to buy a "drawstring pouch" for him to sit in while driving home, obviously not convinced myself!! Again, any ideas or recommendations very welcome!

Meant to say, with regard to dog flap, it will be quite an expensive operation to set one in to our exterieur kitchen door, and I obviously don't want to do this if it goes unused.

Is your dog alone all day? If not, the dog can ask when it needs to go out, and you can open the door to let him out. If he is alone all day, you need to find a much better solution than a dog flap...

2)Have a look for dog caves! I've just bought one for my dog and she loves it. But a good snuggly bed with a fleece top will be fine for most dogs with normal coats in good health.

3. Your DH probably means a dog bag, which is like a drawstring bag made out of towel material. You put their legs in the bag and then toggle it around their necks to keep cars and houses clean. Is your dog long or short haired?
   I'm not sure having him on the back seat in a doggy bag would be very safe, so perhaps look for a small crate instead?

Thank you very much for your reply Sparechange Always had dogs around as a child but haven't been responsible for one as an adult ifyswim, so appreciate the help.

1. No, I am here with the dog most of the time and if I am going to be out for longer than 1 hr or so, dog goes to be with my dh in his office down the road. (Dog was terribly anxious when we first adopted him and couldn't be left for more 1h 30 at a time and he seems quite happy with this now. Took/taking it very slowly though).

The reason I want him to have access to the garden is not for fouling purposes (never had a problem with house training) but because he is very highly strung and needs constant stimulation and he likes sitting in the garden looking for birds and cats. Also, in the past, he was kept tied up in a garden and although this obviously wasn't good, I think he feels 'safe' when he can go outside and come inside again when he wants to. (He was shut outside with no opp to come inside before.) Obviously, he can 'ask' me to do this but I live in v. tall house with office at top, so easier if he can come and go himself without me having to go up and down all the time.

1. Will google dog caves thank you! Dog is still a little underweight (he has feeding issues as had bad teeth when he came to us, and although they have now been operated on, I still think he associates eating with pain). So it is difficult to keep the weight on him. Hence worry about him keeping warm at night.

1. Agree doggy bag thing doesn't sound very safe on back seat. (He is a long-haired daschund.) Dog will hate it, as he prefers human company in the car (well, everywhere really as he is very people orientated) but think a crate might be the best way to go. Thanks again.

Aw, it sounds like he has really landed on his paws with you!
But he doesn't need to be in and out of the house every 5 mins. Have you got some entertaining toys to keep him occupied? When you say he goes 'looking' for birds and cats, presumably you mean to chase?! I wouldn't go too far encouraging that sort of behaviour, not least because it gives him the idea that he has to 'guard' the house from the pests, so could make separation anxiety worse, if he thinks he has a huge space to patrol for you.
Giving him a smaller patch to keep an eye on for you, and giving him things to keep his mind occupied will probably be better for him than free rein of the house and garden all the time...

Just to warn you, we have daxis and due to their short legs they pick up all the mud in winter! We have lots of baths over the winter months. Still though, they are worth it!

Meant to say earlier sparechange that that should have read : 'he couldn't be left for more than about 5 mins at a time' but now has gone up to 1h 30 or so.

Agree it's not good to encourage 'guarding' behaviour - he doesn't chase or bark at cats and birds (well he barks very occasionally but not often, perhaps once a fortnight or every three weeks and not for very long or with much conviction) but agree that distraction is better.

Iteresting point about linking that with separation anxiety though. Will definitely think about reducing his 'patch' in size - thanks.

He does have toys and he likes lying on a soft rug or a sun bed in the sun. It's just he's one of those dogs that needs constant stimulation - he is happiest 'doing' something every minute of every day (if that were practically poss but sadly it isn't) and so a natural environment might be more interesting for him than a static indoor one perhaps.

Thanks for the warning Olivia we are just discovering this now!!! In summer he collected grass seeds, twigs and leaves! Now it seems to be mud and more mud. And he hates having baths!!!