Guess I’m setting myself up for all sorts of heated discussion with this, but I need advice fr
Okay. So I have this old Beagle named Buddy, who was a stray and very likely always an outdoor and hunting dog. Anyone unfamiliar with Buddy can read my entries about him here if you so choose. Anyway, to make a long story short, it’s COLD outside, and that’s where Buddy stays. So far he seems to be doing well with his Dogloo filled with bedding, and two old blankets and some old clothing that I have been making sure is NOT damp. In fact, when I checked last night, everything in there was dry and rather cozy. And there is enough stuff in there that he can burrow down into it and still be on top of something warm.
Now, though, we’re expecting temps in the single digits tomorrow night and beyond. What do I do? Every time I bring Buddy into the house, he marks his territory ALL OVER EVERYTHING due to our two house dogs being female. So I want to be a responsible pet owner, but I can’t have Buddy whizzing all over everything for several days. It will be enough of a job just trying to make sure he doesn’t try to copulate with one of my un-spayed females. If I just leave him in the utility room or our bathroom (to keep marking to a minimum), all three dogs will likely go nuts until we all settle down for the night. Joe says Buddy can sleep with him, so that’s an option. But still, how do I keep him from spraying everywhere? Buy the doggie diapers? He doesn’t do it because he needs to eliminate and can’t make it outside, he does it specifically to mark his territory. And he is too old and not in the house enough for any last-minute house-training to do any good.
I don’t really know what to do with him. Back when I grew up, our dogs always, ALWAYS stayed outside, even in the coldest weather. They had a doghouse with some bedding, and they always did fine.
Does anyone have any REAL advice, as opposed to telling me how stupid and irresponsible I’d be to leave the old guy out at night? Keep in mind that he normally does not stay in the house, so investing in anything like training kits or really anything more expensive than doggie dipes and Nature’s Miracle just isn’t useful to me at all.
Originally published at devilishsouthernbelle.net. You can comment here or there.