Why does my 14 y/o BC want to sleep outdoors at night?

[Marlene]

Our Jesse, who is 14, prefers sleeping outside at night. This has started in the past six months or so. During the cold weather (Seattle, WA) when it was under 40-45, we wouldn't let him. He spends most of his day outside by choice even though we are home. Our yard is fenced and he moves from his bed on the covered patio to different areas of the lawn. He gets restless in the house at night, and usually wants out after only an hour or two inside. if we've gone to bed, he comes to get us with a gentle "woof" to be let out. It doesn't seem to be for a potty break, because he will usually just go sit on the lawn or his bed.

 

He had hepatitis last fall and was quite sick, but has recovered now.

 

We'd rather he stay in at night, but then he'd keep getting us up. He has an orthopedic bed in the living and can roam if he wants to.

 

Is it bad for him to sleep outside? He's a big dog, 80 lbs, and purebred BC - looks more like a shepherd or husky though. Why would he want to be outside all the time? There are no children, just two cats who ignore him. He's very loved. Thanks for any ideas or comments you have.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mdaniels]

Really, I do not know--but I wanted to say he is very beautiful. I love the old guys.

[geonni banner]

Since he is an old dog I might suspect breathing issues. If he feels like it's hard to breathe he may instinctively seek the outdoors. If he were mine, I'd would take him to the vet and get him a physical.

[BCjetta]

If its cooler outside than inside he may not be able to tolerate heat as well as he used to (I noticed that with my old dog). He could also be going senile and for some reason just decided that outside is the place to be. Have you noticed any other behaviour changes like staring blankly at nothing?

[Lizabeth]

My beagle mix is an old girl too, will be 15 soon, she is kind of funny like that too, She likes to just go out on the screen porch and sleep she has a bed in there, I do not let her sleep out there at night, I know she would like it but I just would rather she be indoors. I would ask the vet about it, for my old gal I was told shes just old and enjoys the fresh cool air but she has no health issues neither other then half deaf and blind ( reason I wont let her sleep outside )

[rushdoggie]

I had a dog, Ross, who was simply more mentally comfortable outside...though he had been that way most of his life. For him I installed a dog door so that he could seek the outdoors at night or when I wasn't home. He was not a barker in any way so I wasn't too worried about him having outdoor access. He just laid outside and seemed to relax.

 

Is it possible to do this for your dog, maybe a temporary situation (dog door slider panel or add to a back door a dog door in a locked storm/screen door and you leave the main door open?) then he could go out when he needed but could come in too and you can sleep.

 

My dog door now opens to a 6x6 pen with mulch so it can be used for toileting and thats what the dogs have, because the dogs I have now would bark or get in more trouble if given yard access.

[GentleLake]

I agree with a vet check, including thyroid function evaluation.

 

Hyperthyroid (i.e.overactive) symptoms can include feeling warm and/or intolerance to heat.

[skye2014]

Our BC Jasper who lived to be 14 much preferred to be out also, especially as she got older. Luckily we live on a farm and our dogs have never had to be penned or tied up but she never wandered, sleeping in the sunroom which was open to the outside where we had a bed set up all year. Even in winter she would much prefer to be in her sunroom. However we did get her in at night.

I think it might have been the extra peace and quiet as well as she was physically more comfortable in a cool area. As she slowed down and became less active I think she just liked to watch the world go by outside.

Is there a place like a sunroom or porch where she can be outside but safe and secure if you decide to let her stay out at night?

[juliepoudrier]

My oldsters all reached a point where they just wanted to hang out outside. I don't know why, but fortunately I was in the position to let them do so. I just made sure they were in at night or if I was leaving for an extended period during the day.

 

J.

[bcnewe2]

Funny one of my old guys who used to want to stay outside all the time has now decided he wants to stay inside. He never slept outside overnight but would lay on the deck or front porch all the time. Hot or cold. Now he's out for about 5 minutes and asks to come in.

Whatever works as long as he's safe I'm happy to oblige.

[juliepoudrier]

Whatever works as long as he's safe I'm happy to oblige.

^^Exactly. For the last year of her life, Jill wanted to spend her days lying under the deck. I let her because there was no harm in it. Willow just liked to hang out outside--sleeping or watching the world go by. As long as the weather wasn't too rough on them, I just let them do what they wanted.

 

J.

[Marlene]

Thank you all for your thoughtful replies. I did wonder if it could be age-related or heat intolerance. It's good to know that may be normal with old dogs.

 

We have his labs checked every three months now since he had hepatitis. We will ask the vet to check thyroid levels at his appointment next week. I hadn't thought of thyroid problems. I didn't think about breathing issues, and will ask the vet about that next week.

 

Jesse does some staring off into space, but he's done that since we got him when he was 11.

 

He gets a morning walk of a couple miles (at his pace) that includes lots of sniffing and exploring vacant property and fields near us. His evening walk is about the same unless it's dark or too rainy. He still loves his walks.

 

We live in a suburb and have two indoor only cats, so a pet door is not possible.

 

Jesse and Nora, his littermate, were our first dogs, and we're still learning. Nora died two years ago from kidney failure, so we have become very watchful with Jesse (sort of "helicopter parents" with our fur children). Jesse gets vitamins, glucosamine, tramadol, etc.

 

We do know that our next dogs will be older border collies, probably from a rescue. It would be a lot of fun to have a young dog, but I don't think i could provide enough for him/her to do and that would not be fair.

 

Jessie and Nora never got to work sheep - their previous owners got them after seeing a TV show about how smart border collies are, and got them to roam and bark on their four acre suburban property. They had three years of living in the house alone when their owner had to go to assisted living. Then we found them and rescued (stole) them. and that changed our lives for the better.

 

Thank you again, and thank you for listening to me.

 

Marlene