An update for those who may still be losing sleep at night wondering if our livestock guardian dog, Bronte, has adequate shelter or not. I had originally built her an A-frame style house. I find that usually dogs prefer a cozy, den-like space for sleeping, as opposed to spacious ones, so I made it just her size. Dogs in my house will often cram into a cat crate or squish under a desk to take a nap, rather than choosing the broad, cushy beds I lay in the middle of the floor for them, or even the couch. There is just no accounting for their tastes, but I suspect it’s due to some long-harbored instinct to snooze in a protected space that conserves heat. Or something.
I also chose an A-frame design for Bronte originally because I didn’t want it to have a flat roof that would provide opportunity to do undesirable things, like launch at me from four feet in the air, or vault over fences.
But Bronte would have nothing to do with the A-frame.
With a constant eye towards public perception, I was hoping to find a house she’d use, so that everyone could feel better about her welfare. So I presented her with an architectural alternative- the three-sided oaken box with roof overhang and fluffy straw bedding.
I see her laying in it now and then. She scratched almost all of the straw out of it, apparently she doesn’t agree with Anonymous Sign Lady that a bed is required, or our definitions of the word bed differ.
She seems to like the bed she made for herself better. I had made a raw dirt spot in the field when I dug a few tractor buckets of soil out of a mound to fill some holes elsewhere. Bronte has further excavated this spot, and this is the place she usually chooses to sleep during the day. And her pants are very dirty because of it.
So, I give up, I’ve tried to make her comply with our humanly definition of a comfortable and dignified sleeping place, but she insists on having things her own way and living like some kind of filthy animal. Hmph!
roflol, hilarious, filthy animal!! I like Bronte, she’s not going to let the PC thing influence her. She knows her character and is content with such.
Poor you, having to find a balance between public perception and the nature of the dog. I still think you should get a real bed off craigs list and leave a note saying she has a bed, but it’s not your fault she won’t use it!!
My girl, Zoro, has settled in pretty well, I built her a cave like enclosure with a scrap bale in the front for a wind break and she seems to use it. She can also get on top for a birds eye view which she loves. I have found that she loves to race around and explore, but then when she is ready to settle down, if shes wet, she will start to shiver. Dunno if I should concern about that or not?
Hi Doris, I like the idea of straw bales as a house, maybe I could try that, though it’s not very glamorous! I’m surprised she would shiver, I don’t see even our short-haired house dogs do that outside unless they are very, very cold from swimming in the ditches (but we make our biggest swimmer wear a neoprene “swimsuit” for swimming in winter). Maybe she is late growing coat to keep up with winter? Shivering is one way to keep warm, I suppose, but would burn a lot of energy if she was doing it all the time?
Michelle
Well she seems to pant all the time if she’s dry. She came from eastern OR, so it’s both colder and dryer there, so I guess it’s a pretty big change. I understand she’s Akbash/Anatolian and her coat is long but not all that thick like a Pyr would have. She seems to be fine now, maybe she’s had to learn the fine art of not getting soaked to the bone while running wildly around in the rain and dripping wet grass? lol
Doris