Thinking about letting my husky sleep outside this winter

[MirkoS]

Hello everyone,

As title suggests, I was thinking about letting my dog sleep outside this winter. The reasoning behind it is that she gets sick easily when it's winter because it's usually really hot inside (sometimes it goes up to 35* C ~ 95 Fahrenheit), and really cold outside (-15 to -10* C) which is a huge difference in temperature that usually results in a fever of some sort that translates to roughly 3 weeks of no activity whatsoever for her and an unhappy and sad puppy.

So, by leaving her outside 80% of the time, I thought she might build up tolerance which in turn will spare her of all the shots and vet visits that she undergoes when she's sick. What are your thoughts on this? Oh and I will most definitely consult with my vet before doing this. And if anyone's wondering, she's 1.5 years old. Cheers!

[Emma]

Do the vets have any idea what exactly her illness is?

I've not heard of a dog getting sick due to temperature changes except for things like hypothermia, heat exhaustion.

[MirkoS]

Do the vets have any idea what exactly her illness is?

I've not heard of a dog getting sick due to temperature changes except for things like hypothermia, heat exhaustion.

Well, the vet says she has a sensitive tummy and that I should look out for that. Last winter was more rainy that snowy, so that could be the reason for her illness.

[Emma]

Well, the vet says she has a sensitive tummy and that I should look out for that. Last winter was more rainy that snowy, so that could be the reason for her illness.

Oh yes that's very true, they certainly can have sensitive stomachs, my dog Ice was terrible until we found a food that would agree with him.   The rain won't be causing her upset stomach though.  I would be looking at things like food intolerances (wheat and yeast are particular offenders).  Over feeding can cause diahhroeah too.   

[michelle12]

We have cold winters here also and I wouldn't let my pup sleep outside. While he enjoys the cold and likes spending time outdoors in the winter, he also loves to come in plop down in front of the space heater for long periods of time. I can't imagine sending him outdoors all night in the winter. He is a spoiled dog and loves his indoor bed and being part of the family.

I've never had any issues with fevers or illness and we certainly have big temperature swings here. He does have a typical husky sensitive tummy.

 

[Markulous]

I too would be looking at food for a solution rather than sleeping/living conditions - our first had problems and we switched to raw and have never had a single food related issue since (now have 6 and have fostered a few as well). Find the right food and all will be well

I'd have no problem with dogs sleeping outside as they'll quickly adapt (though OH would resist!). I often quote the living conditions from many moons ago when I worked on a mining exploration camp in Northern Quebec during the winter - we lived in tents and manager had a Golden Retreiver who lived outside all the time - and temps went down to -20C. She lived in a small kennel and just grew a thicker coat - and absolutely adored it all! A word of some warning though: with the thicker coat, when temperatures start going up the dogs do tend to overheat quite easily - ironically, it's the warmth they struggle with, not the cold!