Hello All,

I have a akita named Sable that I adopted about 8 months ago, she is four yrs. old and lately I've been frustrated with her , she is I believe having some anxieties about me leaving and it makes it hard for me when I come home, she has pooped and becomes destructive even after being walked several minutes before I leave. I'm unemployed and she is soooo very used to me being home with her; I have a yard and the last several days have had to leave her there while I'm gone for several hours. She was very well kept in a outside kennel by akita breeders with about 7-8 other dogs, my question I guess is, how long can she be kept outside safely in Chicago's weather? Today temp is 28 degrees and it has been this way for the last several days, she was ok when I returned home. I really need some advice because I'm attached to her too but, I do not want to be controlled by her antics and not leave home to keep from coming home to disaters.
Thank for any suggestions.

Fontella

A couple of more questions: 1) Please elaborate on "several minutes" walking before you leave-- do you mean you take her for a long walk just a short time before you leave, or do you mean she only gets a short walk of several minutes before you leave? "Several" minutes may not be long enough-- she needs a minimum of 30 to 40 minutes. Also, when you walk her, does she potty on those walks at all, or is she only pottying in the house after you leave? If the walks are too short, she may just not be getting enough time to get her plumbing moving, you know what I mean? If she is getting a long walk, and still no potty, then it would be fair to believe she is feeling insecure.

2) Does she have a dog house or some other wind resistant shelter outside? 28 degrees is probably not too cold for an Akita, but the wind can be brutal, and she needs protection from that.

Hello Mydogiscute,

Thank you for your response. I had walked her about 20-30 minutes and she pooped twice on that particular day, however since the bad weather I have had difficulties in getting her to utilize the yard for pooping, so I must admit that I have upset her routine since the cold front, we would walk much longer during warmer climate. I tried to use a crate in the house, I was gone for three hours and she had made such a mess inside the crate and surrounding areas of the crate that I still shiver at the thought. I do not have a crate for out side yet, I recently purchased the crate for inside for dogs up to 110lbs and the cost was pretty hefty, I will try to locate the igloo version of a dog house for her but for now I will have to make sure my outings are during the day and no more than 2 hours since I not working, but I'm looking for that to change soon.

You could try buying her a crate. My dog loves his, he doesn't mind sitting in it all day and we put him in there at night. Of course, you would have to gradually get her used to it.
Also, come advice for her anxiety, don't give her tons and tons of love right before you leave and right after you come home.

[CorkyMax]

Hi!
JUst want to add a thing or two----If you get an outdoor igloo or whatever---I hope you will add some kind of bedding. A neighbor (who just recently moved) had a chocolate lab and left it outside all the time (boyfriend's dog and she is afraid of dogs!!) I felt so sorry for that dog-tied to a clothesline and pretty much all by itself most of the time. Anyway the doghouse was facing the north and getting all the wind (north and northwest is direction bad winds come frm mostly) so hope you can face to the south with it (maybe east if not able to face south).

Hello,

I will have some bedding inside for her, she will only be outside until I return home, in most cases it should only be for a couple of hours, I will be careful of the direction of the shelter as well. She is definitely a inside dog, I do not want to leave her outside at all but until she gets over my leaving home sometimes this is my only choice.

Thank you all for suggestions and concerns.

[wishbone]

Hope you are keep working on his crate training. May I ask too if there's nobody to see him when you are out?