Hunting dog question

My fishing partner has a new (9 mo. old) German shorthair pointer. Currently the dog spends the nightime hours inside the house and the daytime hours outside with access to a dog house inside the garage. Question is–With winter on is’t way, Should this dog be strictly an outside dog, or is it OK to be inside at night? Should the dog house be heated for daytime use and the dog brought in at night? If it is best to be outside 24/7, should the dog house be heated or just insulated. He is getting conflicting recomendations and would like opinions of those who have hunting dogs.

luckygog2, I think you are probably setting yourself up for more conflicting information.
GSPs obviously do not have the coat that most of our retreivers do. I have never owned a GSP, so I will leave that one alone.
I grew up with Brittany Spaniels and have had Chesapeakes Bay Retreivers ever since. My dogs are family dogs with tons of interaction. But they were always strickly outdoor dogs. Most retreivers develop a winter coat and do not have much interest in staying inside anyhow!

luckygog2, I think you are probably setting yourself up for more conflicting information.
GSPs obviously do not have the coat that most of our retreivers do. I have never owned a GSP, so I will leave that one alone.
I grew up with Brittany Spaniels and have had Chesapeakes Bay Retreivers ever since. My dogs are family dogs with tons of interaction. But they were always strickly outdoor dogs. Most retreivers develop a winter coat and do not have much interest in staying inside anyhow!

I have a vizsla, which has a pretty similar coat to a GSP. I have my dog with a kennel outside and a doggy door into the garage. I keep the garage heated, but on the lowest setting the thermostat will go. I figure he can take some of the cold weather, but don’t feel right about putting him in the freezing cold nights by himself. You are right about the shorthair dogs not taking the weather like a lab, or another breed, but it is sure nice when it takes me 2 minutes to clean him up after hunting, rather then picking burrs out of his hair for 2 hours.

I have a vizsla, which has a pretty similar coat to a GSP. I have my dog with a kennel outside and a doggy door into the garage. I keep the garage heated, but on the lowest setting the thermostat will go. I figure he can take some of the cold weather, but don’t feel right about putting him in the freezing cold nights by himself. You are right about the shorthair dogs not taking the weather like a lab, or another breed, but it is sure nice when it takes me 2 minutes to clean him up after hunting, rather then picking burrs out of his hair for 2 hours.

I have 2 yellow labs that have always been inside dogs. Not that they live in my house but they live inside my garage that is insulated and heated. My take on this is that the dogs work their off for me and in return I am going to give them a comfortable and warm place to lay their heads. My older dog is now 13 years old and he is still hunting and holding his own in the field, I attribute a lot of this to the fact that I take good care of him and yes…I baby him. Think about a dog that lives outside 24/7, this is hard on the dog and you are exposing him to the elements for no good reason, my dogs are only exposed to the elements when we are hunting. I think that you will get more time in the field with your hunting buddy if you take good care of them and take the extra steps to make sure that they are warm and comfortable. That is my take on it. I guess I look at the fact that the dogs have no problem swimming in freezing water to go and get ducks, and even break ice, on the flip side the least that I can do is make sure that they are rewarded for all of their hard work. A warm garage and a couch is where my dogs spend their down time.

I have 2 yellow labs that have always been inside dogs. Not that they live in my house but they live inside my garage that is insulated and heated. My take on this is that the dogs work their off for me and in return I am going to give them a comfortable and warm place to lay their heads. My older dog is now 13 years old and he is still hunting and holding his own in the field, I attribute a lot of this to the fact that I take good care of him and yes…I baby him. Think about a dog that lives outside 24/7, this is hard on the dog and you are exposing him to the elements for no good reason, my dogs are only exposed to the elements when we are hunting. I think that you will get more time in the field with your hunting buddy if you take good care of them and take the extra steps to make sure that they are warm and comfortable. That is my take on it. I guess I look at the fact that the dogs have no problem swimming in freezing water to go and get ducks, and even break ice, on the flip side the least that I can do is make sure that they are rewarded for all of their hard work. A warm garage and a couch is where my dogs spend their down time.

I can’t speak to the breed. But I have had some great hunting dogs that have been inside at night and on extremely cold days. If the owner keeps up the training there should be no problem.

I can’t speak to the breed. But I have had some great hunting dogs that have been inside at night and on extremely cold days. If the owner keeps up the training there should be no problem.

I have a GSP. He spends a far amount of time in the house but not over night. My dog has a 12 foot run with a doggie door into the garage. His house is insulated in a insulated unheated garage. The garage mostly is above freezing around 35. It does go lower when we have a really cold snap, a few days a year it drops to upper 20’s lower 30’s.

I have never had a problem with him and the cold. He will hunt all day when it snowing, raining or sleeting when most of the other dogs in our group shutdown because its cold.

I do not know what is the best thing for your friends dog but that’s what I do with mine.

Ron

I have a GSP. He spends a far amount of time in the house but not over night. My dog has a 12 foot run with a doggie door into the garage. His house is insulated in a insulated unheated garage. The garage mostly is above freezing around 35. It does go lower when we have a really cold snap, a few days a year it drops to upper 20’s lower 30’s.

I have never had a problem with him and the cold. He will hunt all day when it snowing, raining or sleeting when most of the other dogs in our group shutdown because its cold.

I do not know what is the best thing for your friends dog but that’s what I do with mine.

Ron

I also have a GSP and she never comes in the house. My setup is so that she can go in or out of a non-insulated, non-heated barn in her kennel. She stays just fine out there and have never had a problem and she is now four so it has been working for quite a while. One thing I do is to put a heat lamp on her. Had one from farrowing hogs. Works really good to take the edge off the cold. Also would recommend a heated water bowl so their water doesn’t freeze up. You don’t have to baby them too much, those dogs are tougher than they let on to be. I was told when I started training my dog that you can either have a hunting dog or a house dog, but cant have both in the same dog and I have always followed that. Hope that helps answer your question.

I also have a GSP and she never comes in the house. My setup is so that she can go in or out of a non-insulated, non-heated barn in her kennel. She stays just fine out there and have never had a problem and she is now four so it has been working for quite a while. One thing I do is to put a heat lamp on her. Had one from farrowing hogs. Works really good to take the edge off the cold. Also would recommend a heated water bowl so their water doesn’t freeze up. You don’t have to baby them too much, those dogs are tougher than they let on to be. I was told when I started training my dog that you can either have a hunting dog or a house dog, but cant have both in the same dog and I have always followed that. Hope that helps answer your question.

I don’t feel that there is a right or wrong answer to this question, it is a personal preferance. As far as having a hunting dog or a house dog I just don’t areee with that statement. I have always had my dogs inside and by no means are they house dogs. They see the gun and they know that it is time for business, having your dog trained well and the desire for hunting will not fade if you have the dog in the house. I have had a number of dogs and by no means has one of them ever decided that they did not what to hunt. To be totally honest I almost had to carry my 13 yr old dog out of the field last week becuase he did not what to call it a day, he just wanted to keep hunting, and this is a dog that has slept on a couch in a heated garage for the last 2 years and prior to that he slept in the house on a dog bed. Like I said I baby my dogs and they still hunt hard as hell for me. I have found that the more time I spend with the dog by having them inside they have more personality and they are a lot more responsive. It all starts with training at a young age and bonding with the dog, from there it is up to you.

I don’t feel that there is a right or wrong answer to this question, it is a personal preferance. As far as having a hunting dog or a house dog I just don’t areee with that statement. I have always had my dogs inside and by no means are they house dogs. They see the gun and they know that it is time for business, having your dog trained well and the desire for hunting will not fade if you have the dog in the house. I have had a number of dogs and by no means has one of them ever decided that they did not what to hunt. To be totally honest I almost had to carry my 13 yr old dog out of the field last week becuase he did not what to call it a day, he just wanted to keep hunting, and this is a dog that has slept on a couch in a heated garage for the last 2 years and prior to that he slept in the house on a dog bed. Like I said I baby my dogs and they still hunt hard as hell for me. I have found that the more time I spend with the dog by having them inside they have more personality and they are a lot more responsive. It all starts with training at a young age and bonding with the dog, from there it is up to you.

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and this is a dog that has slept on a couch in a heated garage for the last 2 years

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There is a house that you would not mind being in the dog house.

Ron

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and this is a dog that has slept on a couch in a heated garage for the last 2 years

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There is a house that you would not mind being in the dog house.

Ron

There is a reason that the garage is heated and has a couch and a fridge full of beer

Ron after talking with Dan it sounds like we were neighbors a few years back. I lived in Coon Rapids near the Short Stop….Small world

There is a reason that the garage is heated and has a couch and a fridge full of beer

Ron after talking with Dan it sounds like we were neighbors a few years back. I lived in Coon Rapids near the Short Stop….Small world

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Short Stop

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HUMMMM… Great burgers and alway cold beer

Ron

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Short Stop

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HUMMMM… Great burgers and alway cold beer

Ron

The burgers are top notch, I miss walking up there and having dinner and drinks…..Most likley more drinks then dinner!!!!!!

The burgers are top notch, I miss walking up there and having dinner and drinks…..Most likley more drinks then dinner!!!!!!

I had a Black Lab for 14 years. From spring until hunting season was over, she sleep outside in a kennel attached to the garage and was in the kennel while I was at work. At night I brought her in the house to be with the family until I went to bed. When hunting season was over, she became a house dog and slept inside the house on the floor next to my bed. When spring came, I could tell she was happy to be back in her kennel during the day and at night. Don’t think there is a right and wrong. What ever fits your family.

I had a Black Lab for 14 years. From spring until hunting season was over, she sleep outside in a kennel attached to the garage and was in the kennel while I was at work. At night I brought her in the house to be with the family until I went to bed. When hunting season was over, she became a house dog and slept inside the house on the floor next to my bed. When spring came, I could tell she was happy to be back in her kennel during the day and at night. Don’t think there is a right and wrong. What ever fits your family.

My German Wirehaired Pointer sleeps in the nice warm basement everynight and goes outside all day. He will hunt until his legs fall off whenever I get to go. He would be the most happiest if he could sleep on my bed but my wife won’t go for that.

My German Wirehaired Pointer sleeps in the nice warm basement everynight and goes outside all day. He will hunt until his legs fall off whenever I get to go. He would be the most happiest if he could sleep on my bed but my wife won’t go for that.

Mack,the problem with your dog was that it was a wabbit dog,not a coon dog.
Ryan Hale

Mack,the problem with your dog was that it was a wabbit dog,not a coon dog.
Ryan Hale

I have a 9 year old Female GSP and she is in the house most of the time, she sleeps in the living room on her dog bed and on the couch when I am not looking She does have an outside kennel which is attached to a heated insulated garage and straw for bedding I use to use old blankets but she would always chew them up. She stays in the outside kennel when we are we are gone for longer periods of time unless it is in the winter. IMHO when it comes to most GSP’s you will have a much better hunting partner if your GSP is in the house as they will become a part of the family they are very loyal dogs and are eager to please there owners. You can ask anyone that has hunted with me or anyone that knows my dog she is an awesome hunter and very well behaved inside and out. Now with all that being said keep in mind I did say most GSP’s should be in the house but it depends on what kind of personality they have. I know of a couple of GSP’s that are way to hyper to be in the house and they would destroy the house if they were inside all the time, if your GSP has to be outside I would recommend a kennel like mine or similar.

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an outside kennel which is attached to a heated insulated garage and straw for bedding

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