I grew up on various farms and always had an outdoor dog, both in Hawaii and in Washington. One of the most important things (aside from food and plenty of fresh water) is that they have good shelter - somewhere with enough shade for when it gets hot and enclosed enough to stay warm when it gets cold.
Depending on how much space you have in the yard, you may want to think about making a sandbox for the pup to dig in. Not only will it help curb any digging tendancies elsewhere that might be bad (I had one who tried to dig under the air conditioning unit), but hiding hiding different things (toys, treats, etc.) at various depths will help keep the pup occupied when no one else is around.
Aw, that'll be a nice for a dog! I'm sure you'll be sure it's got a shady spot to lie and rest.
You might want to get something for the puppy to gnaw on. Dogs chew, so you're going to want to channel that somewhere other than on the side of your house.
A lot of dog-rabid people are also indoors-rabid. Well for me most of my dogs would much much rather be WITH the family as much as possible. I think my Corgi would have heart failure if he couldn't follow me around all day
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It's pretty much summer all year round. But around February, it will get really hot.
We have a cement floor for the porches though. I think that's pretty cooling. Also, it's pretty hot indoors too. Most malaysian dogs are very hardy bunches and used to the weather. It's the pedigree pups bred for cold climates that you gotta worry about...
Ooh, thanks for the suggestions. I was looking up clicker training already. When I mentioned it to my dog friends here, they looked at me like I was nuts. :(
Oofta, well I suppose the native pups are used to it. I'd still say a wading pool, or ice... or something.
But maybe I'm just saying that because I hate the heat myself, hehe. Meanwhile my foster pup, she of the ten-thousand-pounds-of-hair was quite happy outside in 90 degree weather as long as she had a spot of shade. Crazy dogs.
Yay on the clicker training, though yeah I'm not surprised people haven't heard about it there. I think it's just now becoming popular in the states and the UK. Good luck experimenting with it though! So much fun!
Oh one other thing. You may want to find out if any of the plants in your garden are poisonous. Puppies will eat anything as they explore their universe!
Not to give you heart failure, but yanno, it's a thought. :)
It's American though, and populated mostly by dog rescuers and other dog fanatics. They have endless amounts of excellent information though, and the forums are active and lively.
I also would never leave my dog outside unattended -- it's far too dangerous, especially for a puppy. Just because you think your neighborhood stray dogs aren't aggressive doesn't mean they really aren't, are only aggressive towards other dogs, and don't carry diseases. Ditto the cats, bugs, weather, and random stranger. It will also not help get him/her socialized, and puppyhood is a key stage.
If you're worried about it getting into things, have you looked into crate training? I really can't comprehend not wanting my dogs inside with me all the time, and this helped me train them to know what they could do, what they couldn't, and get it housebroken. Food for thought!
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Depending on how much space you have in the yard, you may want to think about making a sandbox for the pup to dig in. Not only will it help curb any digging tendancies elsewhere that might be bad (I had one who tried to dig under the air conditioning unit), but hiding hiding different things (toys, treats, etc.) at various depths will help keep the pup occupied when no one else is around.
Feel free to pick my brain if you'd like!
And yay for a new puppy!
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You might want to get something for the puppy to gnaw on. Dogs chew, so you're going to want to channel that somewhere other than on the side of your house.
How exciting for you! :)
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I think it's way more dangerous for it to be indoors, cos we have lots of small stuff lying about that it can choke on!
Omg....I haven't cleared the living room yet for it. AIEEE!
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We have a cement floor for the porches though. I think that's pretty cooling. Also, it's pretty hot indoors too. Most malaysian dogs are very hardy bunches and used to the weather. It's the pedigree pups bred for cold climates that you gotta worry about...
Ooh, thanks for the suggestions. I was looking up clicker training already. When I mentioned it to my dog friends here, they looked at me like I was nuts. :(
*hughugs* I will post pics as soon as I can...
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But maybe I'm just saying that because I hate the heat myself, hehe. Meanwhile my foster pup, she of the ten-thousand-pounds-of-hair was quite happy outside in 90 degree weather as long as she had a spot of shade. Crazy dogs.
Yay on the clicker training, though yeah I'm not surprised people haven't heard about it there. I think it's just now becoming popular in the states and the UK. Good luck experimenting with it though! So much fun!
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Not to give you heart failure, but yanno, it's a thought. :)
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It's American though, and populated mostly by dog rescuers and other dog fanatics. They have endless amounts of excellent information though, and the forums are active and lively.
I also would never leave my dog outside unattended -- it's far too dangerous, especially for a puppy. Just because you think your neighborhood stray dogs aren't aggressive doesn't mean they really aren't, are only aggressive towards other dogs, and don't carry diseases. Ditto the cats, bugs, weather, and random stranger. It will also not help get him/her socialized, and puppyhood is a key stage.
If you're worried about it getting into things, have you looked into crate training? I really can't comprehend not wanting my dogs inside with me all the time, and this helped me train them to know what they could do, what they couldn't, and get it housebroken. Food for thought!
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I can't say the same for stray cats though. But they haven't been coming around.
I'm rooting for it to be a part time indoor dog, but I really have no choice in the matter. :) I am the lowly daughter in the household totem pole.
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