Control in the house

Angus is now 6 months.

He has great outdoor accommodation by way of a large rear grassed and paved yard, kennel, two dog trampolines, full access to the undercover alfresco area, a ceiling fan that we leave on for him and a wading pool.

Prior to the hot 40 C degree weather we would let Angus inside when we had a coffee in the family room. When we finished after about 20 minutes he went outside.

Yesterday due to the intense heat we had him inside all day. He was a real handful and into everything.

It's not plausible to do all the daily chores when Angus has to be watched all the time, so we had to keep him outside today even though it's hot.

We do want to have Angus inside when he is more mature and stops going feral.

How did you manage with this scenario please?

It really comes down to patience, everyone enforcing the rules and exercise. With all three they are very managable

Also keep in mind he is still very young and going through the teenage phase

Thanks, I am aware of that, however, like most staffies, rules are meant for breaking.

He knows the rules and obeys them when we are in sight of him, however, if we turn our back for a second he has total disregard for them.

I guess what I want to know, is it a gradual thing letting him in the house, when you have time to supervise him? Or, what is the alternative?

With the current heat wave it's not been safe to walk or exercise Angus.

Our Vlad is 6 months old today, and he hates being inside unless it's to sleep. He has a swimming pool under the veranda and we put a huge block of ice in it, so when he wants a cool down he goes and has a splash and sits in it for ages! We make sure he has extra drinking water and we make sure it's in the shade so it doesn't get too warm. I understand he's a bit older than your little one, but we get up an hour earlier too while it's still mild and take him for his walk as he gets a bit feral if he doesn't get at least one walk a day.

Good luck... they do like to test the rules every now and then Vlad tests them all the time

Sorry... should read properly... your Angus and Vlad are the same age

pixie79 wrote:Sorry... should read properly... your Angus and Vlad are the same age

That's cool, I do it all the time.

My mothers family originated in Bendigo in the gold rush days, the surname was Boxall.

Sorry... have only been here a few years. Not a true local.

Most of us here in the UK have our dogs inside from day 1. I wouldn't dream of keeping Charlie outside all the time, regardless of the accommodations. They need a lot of human contact and interaction and to feel part of the family. I don't understand why someone would buy a dog as a pet, then keep it outside all the time.

I've just read this back and it comes across as harsh which wasn't my intention. Please don't see it as a personal attack, I just don't understand it, I guess things are done differently over here. Anyway, patience, persistence and consistency. Exercise all 3 while training and he'll get there. Being outside constantly does nothing to reinforce the boundaries of indoor behaviour though so I would let him spend a lot more time indoors.

if the dog is not in the house lal the time then it is novelty and so he is exploring the new territory it will soon wear off then its just setting boundaries of where he can go and what he can do.

In the uk the weather is usually rubbish so we cant really understand how your climate is and it really is what your dog is used to. I would be so scared that someone would take them id never leave them outdoors on there own.
But having said that my 2 would be with me were ever I am if it were too hot or cold outside for me then same for my dogs .

Unfortunately, we're not home during the day, so Vlad is outside, but when we're home he does come in... and then he scratches at the door to be let out again LOL. He likes to be able to run around and all his favourite toys (except his cuddle ones) are outside. If we left him in the house by himself while we are at work, we would come home to a HUGE mess (eaten lounges and no television LOL) We also have the luxury of a massive fence around the perimeter with a big lock on the gate to the back yard, which is huge. Vlad has an undercover area and a kennel... he gets walked twice a day and gets lots of love before and after we get home.

I've never had a dog kept outside, so I'm not much help. I know that your summers can be way too hot for a dog to be confined indoors, but in the UK a staff probably wouldn't do too well outside all year.

I personally like to have my dogs with me all the time, so I wouldn't kennel.

He comes in of an evening. He sleeps inside. As we speak he is currently flat on his back with his front paws in the air and his hind legs stretched right out with his head right back LOL. He looks a real state!

We once had a sheepdog when I lived with my parents and their house rules meant he wasn't allowed upstairs. If he did get upstairs he would be in to everything and would completely trash the place. Like Julie said it is all novelty for him, the more he is allowed in there the better the behaviour you can expect. He has free run outside and can do what he want when he pleases, so when he does come in he still wants to do what he wants as he is used to it. The only real way to ensure he follows the rules even when your not watching is to allow him inside more often so they can be continually reinforced. It wouldn't take long for him to learn what is acceptable behaviour inside. Just requires patience and understanding the reason behind his behaviour.

Like the others have said over here it is very different. Our dog lives inside, and someday's it is a struggle to get anything done between her and the two children but we manage. She is very calm in the house as she is used to being indoors and knows that outside is for playing and inside is for good behaviour. The only time we have to remove her so we can get things done is when the hoover is on, as she sits next to the electric cable and holds it between her feet to lick it. So this is the only time she is put in her crate with the door shut!