Dog refusing to come in from the back yard

[user094746788]

... and I can't think why

He's 6, short haired and he doesn't normally love the cold. It's January. My garden is a concrete wasteland low maintenance landlord's garden where there's so little wildlife that even my bird feeder went untouched. Theoretically it could be a rat, but he's fairly ruthless in his pursuit of them, so I doubt it's that, or any other hunting.

He's taken to intermittently going out into the garden and point blank refusing to come back inside. It's often dark when he does this, and it's hard to see what he's up to, but I think he's just standing / sitting there. On one occasion when it was light, he was standing outside in the drizzle, shivering and refusing to come inside - I had to pick him up and bring him in in the end.

He doesn't appear ill in any way, and is perfectly happy to go out for a walk. No changes at home; it's a quiet home and I keep the temperature around 18C so he can't be overheating.

Any ideas, or is he just being an uncharacteristically stubborn git?

I would be taking him to the vet for a check-up to make sure he's not in pain. Dogs are really good at hiding it and sometimes it's only very slight behavioural changes that they show us.

Fair point, though I have no idea how they'd tell he's in pain - if the vet tries an examination he'll try and bite them. It's the one place in the world he needs to be muzzled. Sigh.

He's not generally an easy dog, and I suspect I'd have seen an uptick in his reactivity if he was in pain, but he's overdue for a check-up anyway.

Could you try a treat to bring him in, it might just be something in the tone of your voice that is making him reluctant to come in, like he thinks he's in trouble and you're going to tell him off. Especially if you're starting to get frustrated with him.

Vets can do an overall check of him - muzzled or even partially sedated if necessary, and check things like his ears, paws, teeth, anal glands, joints etc. for signs of inflammation, pain and infection.

All dogs will react to some extent if they're in pain - even if muzzled they will move, vocalise, flinch etc.

It's not normal for a dog to sit shivering in the garden and refuse to come in so he definitely needs checking over sooner rather than later.

If it's new behaviour for your dog I'm sure it should be checked out but my dog likes to sit outside even in the cold and the dark quite voluntarily. He does draw the line at rain. He is big and fluffy and we think he just gets too hot in the house. He will ask to go out and just go and lie down on the patio. He often goes to sleep there. It seems he just likes it. In the house he doesn't lie on his dog beds or go on the sofa or the beds he prefers the floor and rugs or doormats.

My dog is like this, as in loves to sit out all evening in the garden, she doesn't refuse to come in, but that is where she is most happy, winter or summer.
In her case, I think it goes back to when she was abandoned in Turkey, she was in hiding in the day, and ventured out at night to find food. When I first got her, she was awake all night on alert, but had her 7 years now, so doesn't do that any more. Still prefers to be out in the garden all evening though, mostly just watching everything, quiet but alert, until she spots a fox!
Does your dog have a history?

My shih tzu used to stand motionless, frozen in position. A quick trip to the vets confirmed arthritis in the neck/spine causing pain and muscle spasm. He's now on pain meds and a happier dog. He was 7 when he was diagnosed.

See what the vet says. Fingers crossed for you and fur friend!

Have you got any new appliances that have upset him . A couple of years ago my sister bought me a Ninja foodi for Christmas and our dog got very distressed with the beep it made when you turned it on / off etc . He would go in the garden and I had to pick him up to get him back in . We stopped using it after 4/5 goes and got rid of it .

I’d get him checked at the vets tbh, but mine is utterly fascinated by hedgehogs 🦔 and will sit outside for hours, even though they rarely come in our garden probably due to ddog

Ny sister's dog hates the Ninja foodi as well.

My small dog sleeps most of the time but very occasionally goes to garden, eats some plants and hides. He seems to be self-medicating for tummy ache.

I would have your dog checked for pain.