To ask how long your dog stays outside?

[lockdownqueen]

When I let my dog out he does his business and comes straight back in and straight into his bed.

I always tell him to stay out a bit longer and stretch his legs but he just wants to come in.

Is this the norm? I've had him 8 years but it's only last couple of months he's been doing it. I know he's getting older now so not sure whether it's to do with that.

He probably doesn’t like the cold. My little Yorkie dashes back in as soon as she’s done.
My Skyes on the other hand will lie out in the pouring rain & howling gale if I don’t chase them in!

My dog wont even go into our backyard for a wee, the only time he leaves the house (and wees) is when he goes on a walk other than that he is on the sofa or on the bed

The little one that died last year used to hate getting his feet wet. Only dog I’ve ever had that I swear walked on tip toes whenever it was raining & only a foot from the back step at that.

Mine all go to the toilet and then wait at the door to come back in as soon as they are done.

One of them is happy to play outside alone the odd time, the rest absolutely not

I just let him choose. In the summer he’ll have a wander around the garden. If it’s raining, he just does what he needs to do and soon back in.

He comes back in as soon as he’s been - if it’s raining he’ll go to the door and we’ll open it, he’ll then stand there weighing up how heavy it’s raining -v- how desperate he is. Often he won’t go out and will wait a bit longer. Sometimes we get the pitiful ‘make it stop raining’ look so we give him a push outside as he obviously really needs to fix

On a sunny day he may lie down outside for a bit

My backdoor open all day in summer. She's in and out all day will be beside me wherever I am so if I'm in garden shes
there. She loves sunshine but is shorthaired and I have to make sure she has sun cream on! Hates the wind and rain and has to be pushed outside literally! But loves the snow and will dive in it head first! She has plenty of exercise as I walk her twice a day. But on the whole apart from playtime wherever I am she is summer garden all day winter curled up between my legs.😁

Meant to add my darling does not use garden as Toilet unless very desperate she does jobs on walks and i even take her for a wee during day on nearby green. ( Because when I first got her garden was being landscaped and fences were not all up then and could not let her out in fear if her escaping so would take her out for jobs)

Princess prissy paws isn't keen on weather.

Wind makes her cross, she hates it even slightly damp, to warm and she hides. Her ideal is a bit sunny and dry and very still. She enjoys a little snooze in the sun then otherwise is out, a quick wee, quick bark to see if anyone is around and then back in. Perhaps twice a day. She does get 3-5 walks a day so plenty of fresh air and exercise.

Our eight year old cocker loves being outside when we are but not on his own. Luckily we live somewhere where we spend a lot of the year outside but the second we all go in so does he. A lot of Australians have "outdoor dogs" which is fine if you live on a farm and have working dogs but we are talking the kind of dogs that are usually household pets. I always think if you don't want to share your house with a dog don't get one but maybe I'm the strange one!

My dog only goes out to do his business and comes back in, he only likes to play outside if I go with him or one of his doggy friends are here

Generally it's a pee/poo and a quick sniff to make sure the squirrels aren't in the garden.

However, when the sun is out he might take himself outside and lie/roll on the lawn for about 10 mins but then comes back in.

Our year old loves pottering outside in summer, falls asleep, door usually open so wanders in and out.

Rain she will not do. She’s got a bush she’ll dash to when desperate and use as shelter to pee under.

Ponds, rivers, puddles, the sea...let me at them. Slight drizzle and it’s all mournful looks and, yes, tippytoes.

If it's raining mine will go out and come straight back in again. Otherwise he'll mooch around for ages even if it's freezing. He loves it if it's windy.

He's 11.

Mine is nearly three.

In summer he'll go and it in the sun for ages. In winter he has to be practically locked out and booted up the garden to do his business 🤣

I suspect it's a combination of his age and the cold weather that stops him wanting to stay out.

It’s a personal preference for some dogs I guess, especially if they are not a ‘sniffer’. But in your case, if he’s only just recently started this behaviour, I’d take him for a health check at the vets. It could be the start of arthritis, or sight problems etc, something that is making him feel less inclined to have a wander.

My boy used to spend hours out there, but now he’s older he’ll only stay out if one of us is with him. He used to love his evening perambulations, just before bed in particular. He would always spend a good 45 minutes out there going all round the fences. We used to say he was checking the borders were secure. It doesn’t bother me that he likes to have someone with him every time now. I prefer to go out with him anyway, as I like to clean up immediately if he goes.

He has arthritis and lying still all day does him no favours and by one of us always going out with him, he’ll at least walk around the garden a couple of times. He still has his mad half hour, doing his old-dog version of zoomies in and out the house and asking us to chase him after his evening meal though.

My Soft Coated Wheaten girl used to back-up on the back doorstep and refuse to go out if she deemed it too cold or it was raining. By contrast, my Belgian Terv x Border Collie would spend all day out there in all weathers and loved to lie in the middle of the lawn in deep snow while more fell and covered her! Snow was her absolute favourite.

Collies all day if they have the chance. Lying down watching everthing that is going on which may only be the wind in their fur.

The Cockers if allowed out and in ,out and in, out and in, out and in........ this is not encouraged

I have an 8yo Labrador. She only stays out in the garden for ages when the weather is nice. Mostly she lies and snoozes in the sun. If it is bad weather and dark she wanders out to do her business then comes in to snooze.

My princess a staffie biggest whoose on 4 legs! She won't sit on a cold surface hence her own bit of carpet to lay in the sun.

Mine is a lab. On walks he will go out in all weathers, he doesn’t seem to notice or care what the weather is doing. However, for a quick wee in the back garden, he’s much keener on fair weather and will, spend time out there enjoying himself. If it’s raining, he will nip out quickly to do his business. He does like to sit by the open back door and watch the bad weather though (whilst I wave bye-bye to all the heat!).

My staffie will go out in the garden alone in sunny weather for about 10 mins, max,and then she wants to be with me again. Rest of the year she won't stay in the garden unless I do.

Mine comes back in as soon as she’s toileted. We lived in a flat for several years before we moved here, so she wasn’t really used to a garden from a young age.

My dogs rush outside carrying squeaky ball, tuggy etc in mouths when the back door's opened. Then stand there looking expectant waiting for someone to play with them.
They come straight back in if no one obliges.

Mine are outside a lot. Once it hits minus degrees I have to drag them in. Once the ice and snow comes they won't come in at all. They like high winds and rain too. They are malamutes so it explains it. If I put my heating on they go outside and make me feel guilty.