Why does my dog sit outside in the cold?

If your dog keeps sitting outside, in the cold, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do about them.

So, why does my dog sit outside in the cold? Possible reasons why your dog has been sitting outside, in the cold, are being too warm inside, liking the feeling of the coldness, being fearful of being inside, or illness.

There are a number of possible reasons why your dog has been doing it and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are a number of things you can consider when figuring out the main reason and there are a number of things you can do about it.

Reasons why your dog sits outside in the cold

Below are a number of possible reasons why your dog has been doing it and what would make each of them more likely to be the main reason.

Too warm inside

The cause could be that it is too warm inside. This would be more likely if your dog tends to go outside more when it is very warm inside but not so much when it is cool inside. In this case, it could help to give your dog a cool room to go into or to lower the temperature inside.

It likes the feeling

The cause could just be that it likes the feeling of the coldness. This would be more likely if your dog is a breed known for liking the cold weather such as a Siberian Husky. It would also be more likely if your dog has not been doing it excessively.

Boredom

Another possible cause is that it is bored and it wants to be more active. This would be more likely if your dog tends to go outside when it has not gotten exercise yet. In this case, it would help to ensure that it is able to get the daily amount of recommended exercise for its age and breed.

Anxiety or fearfulness

It could also be the case that something inside has been causing it to be anxious or fearful. This would be more likely if your dog tends to go outside at times such as when there is a certain person inside or when you are angry.

It doesn’t actually feel cold to your dog

If the weather is not very cold, it could be the case that the weather does not actually feel that cold to your dog. This would be more likely if your dog is a breed that has a double coat and it doesn’t stay outside when it is very cold.

Illness

The cause could also be that it has an illness. This would be more likely if your dog has started doing it suddenly and it has been showing other signs of being ill such as vomiting. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.

It hears or smells other animals

The cause might also be that other animals have been in your backyard and your dog wants to investigate their scents. This would be more likely if your dog tends to go outside and immediately start sniffing things a lot and marking its territory.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.

If your dog always stayed out in the cold

If your dog has started going out in the cold suddenly, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be because you raised the temperature inside, it got an illness or something has been causing it to be anxious inside.

What is different when your dog does not stay out in the cold

It would also help to consider if there is anything special about the timing that it normally goes outside. If it tends to do it more at a certain time, it might be the case that the timing has something to do with it. For example, if it only goes outside when you are outside, it could just be the case that it is following you.

What to do about your dog sitting outside in the cold

Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.

Give it access to a cooler room

As mentioned above, it could be the case that it has been doing it because it is too hot inside. It could help to try lowering the temperature inside and see if that causes your dog to start staying inside more.

Get help

If your dog has started doing it suddenly and you are not sure why, it could help to take it ot a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular dog and to rule out the possibility of it being due to an illness.