what sort of dog kennel?

[Michael Corby]

Hi,

We're moving to a smaller house and Mr Flattie will not be able to sleep in the laundryroom anymore. We are planning to buy him a dog kennel or dog house to keep outdoors for him to sleep in at night - or during the day! We've never had a kennel before.

Does anyone have any advice or tips for buying a kennel? We have been looking at timber kennels that are raised off the ground, in Extra-Large. When he lies out he's about a metre. Should we be getting a kennel that will allow him to lie out, or do they always curl up in their kennels.?

I guess I just don't want to get something too small, but I want it to be cosy.

Help!

Cheers,
Mike

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[jean.car...@googlemail.com]

Hi Michael

Flatties are not good at being outside dogs. Ours has always slept in
the house. They like to be where you are. Can your dog not stay in
the house? Ours sleeps on our bedroom floor, but even if you don't
like that idea, can't he have his bed in one of your other rooms.

Jean

[J Pav]

I agree. 

 

FCR require interaction with a family member. They do very poorly if left outside for long periods. You must not ignore your FCR and they are totally inappropriate as "backyard dogs".

 

Can you put a bed in the kitchen or some other place, if not in your bedroom?

"jean.car...@googlemail.com" <jean.car...@googlemail.com> wrote:

Hi Michael

Flatties are not good at being outside dogs. Ours has always slept in
the house. They like to be where you are. Can your dog not stay in
the house? Ours sleeps on our bedroom floor, but even if you don't
like that idea, can't he have his bed in one of your other rooms.

Jean

On Aug 20, 2:15 pm, Michael Corby wrote:
> Hi,
>
> We're moving to a smaller house and Mr Flattie will not be able to sleep in the laundryroom anymore. We are planning to buy him a dog kennel or dog house to keep outdoors for him to sleep in at night - or during the day! We've never had a kennel before.
>
> Does anyone have any advice or tips for buying a kennel? We have been looking at timber kennels that are raised off the ground, in Extra-Large. When he lies out he's about a metre. Should we be getting a kennel that will allow him to lie out, or do they always curl up in their kennels.?
>
> I guess I just don't want to get something too small, but I want it to be cosy.
>
> Help!
>
> Cheers,
> Mike
>
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
> Be a better Heartthrob. Get better relationship answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545433

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[Jean Glover]

Yeah... I agree. FCR's are people dogs. My dogs also sleep in my bedroom.  We sleep odd hours, long hours, whatever. And the dogs just fit in because that's the way packs work.
 
Also from a security point of view... I live in a hot country and I can sleep with bedroom balcony doors wide open because my dogs are there. If you have any threat of burglars a big barking dog inside the house is a major deterrent.
 
Plus, if you work away from home, it gives your dog 12 more hours with you.
 
And when your partner gets up and one moves in..... it's such bliss!!! 

Jean

> From: jean.car...@googlemail.com
> To: flat...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: [Flatcoats] Re: what sort of dog kennel?
> Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 08:34:21 +0000
>
>
> Hi Michael
>
> Flatties are not good at being outside dogs. Ours has always slept in
> the house. They like to be where you are. Can your dog not stay in
> the house? Ours sleeps on our bedroom floor, but even if you don't
> like that idea, can't he have his bed in one of your other rooms.
>
> Jean
>

[Jean Glover]

No dog should be a ' backyard dog'.  My elderly mother in law was totally unaccustomed to dogs. After living with my kids and highly people-focused Coffee ( Mike... this is about to be what I meant in the earlier email), she said, ' Coffee
isn't a dog - she's a person. And not JUST a person, but a GOOD person.'
 
A creature of habits, for one month, my m-in-law swam every morning (at 80!) at 9.00 am after coffee and 2 cigarettes. The last day of her holidays, she didn't swim.... after 10 minutes, Coffee went to her room, sniffed in her bag, and brought her the 'right' swimming costume. (Mike - however wonderful baby FCR's are... they aren't on that level of 'in-tuness' with their people.
 
That you adore your FCR as he is, means you are really an FCR person. I believe you have even more wonderful years ahead of you with your boy. 
 
Jean

---

Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 04:53:18 -0700
From: jp4...@yahoo.com

Subject: [Flatcoats] Re: what sort of dog kennel?

To: flat...@googlegroups.com

I agree. 

 

FCR require interaction with a family member. They do very poorly if left outside for long periods. You must not ignore your FCR and they are totally inappropriate as "backyard dogs".

 

Can you put a bed in the kitchen or some other place, if not in your bedroom?

"jean.car...@googlemail.com" <jean.car...@googlemail.com> wrote:

Hi Michael

Flatties are not good at being outside dogs. Ours has always slept in
the house. They like to be where you are. Can your dog not stay in
the house? Ours sleeps on our bedroom floor, but even if you don't
like that idea, can't he have his bed in one of your other rooms.

Jean

On Aug 20, 2:15 pm, Michael Corby wrote:
> Hi,
>
> We're moving to a smaller house and Mr Flattie will not be able to sleep in the laundryroom anymore. We are planning to buy him a dog kennel or dog house to keep outdoors for him to sleep in at night - or during the day! We've never had a kennel before.
>
> Does anyone have any advice or tips for buying a kennel? We have been looking at timber kennels that are raised off the ground, in Extra-Large. When he lies out he's about a metre. Should we be getting a kennel that will allow him to lie out, or do they always curl up in their kennels.?
>
> I guess I just don't want to get something too small, but I want it to be cosy.
>
> Help!
>
> Cheers,
> Mike
>
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
> Be a better Heartthrob. Get better relationship answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545433

[Stella]

Oh I agree.  My kids surround the bed. Makes for interesting steps if you have to get up in the middle of the night.  But I couldn't sleep at night if one of them was outside.  My 2 little girl FCRS sleeps smack in the middle of Kevin and I.  My Boy sleeps on top of the A/C vent at the floor thankfully on my husbands side. lol. 

 

They need human interaction and stimulation. They live for their family so they are poorly suited to live in a backyard all day or night. When they are bored and stressed they develop behavior problems, such as digging, barking, and become destructive.  They can develop skin problems and flea allergies if kept outside. They will frequently develop thunderstorm anxiety. As sporting dogs they are easily able to dig out of a fence or sometimes climb over it when left outside for long periods of time unsupervised because they want to be with people. They also targets for theft if left outside in a backyard when the owner is away from home. They are very social and pack oriented.

 

A happy flat-coat is an inside dog. In fact, most dogs are this way and do better as inside dogs.

 

Stella

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Petersfield The Anthopologist CGC TDI "Indy"

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803-980-3654

[Allison Garfoot]

And I totally agree as well.

 

My 3 FCRs all sleep in the house, the boys usually cuddle up together in the kitchen on their huge bed (old quilts and blankets) and our girl sleeps in the lounge. She always comes up for a cuddle on our bed to say goodnight before the lights go out and she comes back up at 6am ish to say good morning and have another snuggle for an hour or so before our day begins.

 

We've just been out playing ball for the last couple of hours and they are all sprawled out at my feet as I type - they are people dogs and need to be around their human companions.

 

Heaven!

 

Allison, Pipkin, Nelson & Fellow

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[J Pav]

One morning I woke to find myself being hugged by my FCR.  He was still asleep.  A wonderful treat to wake up nose to nose with your sweet FCR.  Our dogs share our bed - we're one big happy pack. 

[Michael Corby]

Oh dear, it seems to be unanimous!

 

Magnum has always slept in the laundry, with a dog flap in the outside door.  He has a stretcher bed but he prefers to flop down by the door with his head and right foot resting out through the dogflap.  It looks incredibly cute, and he does is even on the coldest of nights.  That's why we thought he would be ok in a home outside the house.

 

When we go out, he is outside - a great watchdog, but if anyone is at home he is always inside, always flopped out where he can open an eye and see us if he feels like it.

 

He never complains about anything, is unbelievably tolerant and has never snapped at our 6 year old who has been know to hit poor Magnum on the head.  He has the most delightful personality (or dog-ality).

 

Our new house is so small and I do hope someone will think it is ok to have a kennel ...only for night-time ...?

This should probably be a new thread, but by the way, does everyone else's FCR do vertical take-offs when it is time for a walk?  Our next flattie will be named Harrier.  It really is the most incredible sight.  He also does it when out walking and he sees another dog that he'd like to socialise with.

 

Cheers,

Mike.

----- Original Message ----
From: Allison Garfoot <all...@garfoot.com>
To: flat...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 9:15:38 PM
Subject: [Flatcoats] Re: what sort of dog kennel?

And I totally agree as well.

 

My 3 FCRs all sleep in the house, the boys usually cuddle up together in the kitchen on their huge bed (old quilts and blankets) and our girl sleeps in the lounge. She always comes up for a cuddle on our bed to say goodnight before the lights go out and she comes back up at 6am ish to say good morning and have another snuggle for an hour or so before our day begins.

 

We've just been out playing ball for the last couple of hours and they are all sprawled out at my feet as I type - they are people dogs and need to be around their human companions.

 

Heaven!

 

Allison, Pipkin, Nelson & Fellow

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[Perfect Paws Dog Training]

Hi Mike,

 

First - re: the vertical leaps, yes, Gauge does those too.  In fact, I've taught him to do it on command when I say "woohoo!".  He also often does it when I release him from a stay.

 

As for the outdoor kennel, I really would reconsider, even if your dog likes to have his head out the flap.  We have a small house, the kitchen, living room, eating area are all one big room essentially and then we have 2 bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs.  Our 2 dogs sleep on beds on either side of our bed.  They are so needy of human contact that I can't imagine them being outdoor dogs - it even says so in the breed standard I believe.  At one point, we lived in a one-bedroom apartment (we used to go for LOTS of walks then!!) and the dogs slept inside with us, on their beds, beside our bed.  Jasmine, our 7 year-old girl comes up at night to say goodnight and occaisionally in the morning if it's a lazy morning, but otherwise, they sleep on their beds.

 

As I type this, Gauge is at my feet.  As long as he knows where I am and can see and preferrably touch me, he's happy.  He would be miserable in a kennel outdoors.

 

The other thing to consider is that outdoor dogs can tend to bark (leading to complaining neighbours), dig, be subject to insect bites, neighbourhood kids etc.  They also tend to become smelly from lying around outside all day and they are susceptible to heat and cold out there, even if you provide adequate shelter, they may not know to use it.

 

No, Flat-Coats don't make good yard dogs...

 

Melissa 

[Marilyn Wilkinson]

Melissa, you said it beautifully.  This is what is in the breed standard, as posted on the FCRSA website:

 

The Flat-Coat is a cheerful, devoted companion who requires and appreciates living with and interacting as a member of his family. To reach full potential in any endeavor he absolutely must have a strong personal bond and affectionate individual attention.

 

While Cammii sleeps in the bedroom, Bobby does not.  He will find the coolest place in the house, no matter what the season, to sleep in.  I'm sure if we had a dog door, he would sleep with his head out of it, too, but the rest of his body would be in the house with his people. 

 

Putting a Flat Coat outside away from his people overnight would be to him tantamount to being abandoned.  JMHO. 

 

Mike, why don't you contact your dog's breeder and see what he/she thinks?

 

Marilyn

----- Original Message -----

From: Perfect Paws Dog Training

To: flat...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 8:28 PM

Subject: [Flatcoats] Re: what sort of dog kennel?

[num...@aol.com]

Michael,
Both grrrls sleep with us. It's the way we were reared. Most dogs are very adaptable, but I have never thought of our pets as outside animals...even in a five star kennel. If it's a matter of space you will do what is necessary. If it were a matter of choice, I'll take Gypsy sleeping on my head and Stella with at least one leg thrown over me :)
Bruce

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Corby <michael...@yahoo.com>
To: flat...@googlegroups.com

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[num...@aol.com]

Oh, Gypsy's not the jumper....Stella has a 2 metre vertical leap!!

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Corby <michael...@yahoo.com>
To: flat...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 9:53 pm

[jean.car...@googlemail.com]

Michael, surely no house is so small that a Flattie can't sleep on the
floor of the sitting room or your bedroom floor?

Please don't put the dog outside. They are social creatures, just
need to be somewhere near you. Even a hallway is fine. He will soon
ask you if he needs to go outside.

Please think again.

Jean

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[Jerry]

I hate to just pile-on in agreement, but here I go. My FCR's have
always liked small intimate places to be when I was away from the
house. I am single, so while I am at work, the boy is alone. He
spends the whole day in the areas I am in when I am home. I think it
is because he can smell me there. He likes the spot under my computer
desk alot. If he had to spend the day or night outside without me, I
am sure he would be very sad and confused.

I have a crate (is this just a U.S. word? A large wire-cage.) I
think this is what others here have been calling a kennel. I put him
in it when strangers first come over the house, or when I am having
pizza delivered, or other situation where his overprotectiveness would
be innapropriate or inconvenient. He really likes the crate, and he
often goes in it at will with the door open during the day when I am
home.

If there were reasons that having the dog on the bed would be a
problem (ie: spouse doesn't like it) then he would adapt well to the
floor. They don't need much room. In fact, as I stated at the
beginning of this post, they love small intimate places, like corners
of rooms, but they often do want to face (and see) the bedroom door,
for security.

So please don't make him live outside.

- Jerry Lavoie

On Aug 22, 5:12 am, "jean.carlylel...@googlemail.com"

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