How do I get my six week old puppy to sleep outside?
Answer
A six week old puppy is very young and should still be with its mother. It is best to wait as long as possible before taking ownership of puppies, as they learn a great deal from their mothers. At the age of six weeks, a puppy is extremely young and will not do well when sleeping alone. I am unclear on your meaning of the word "outside," as your puppy should be housed inside with temperature controls. Dogs are pack animals and need social interaction with people on a regular basis. If by "outside" you simply mean sleeping in a crate or independently outside of your bedroom, this takes a great deal of time with some dogs. Golden Retrievers are exceptionally social. While we used the crate for house-training (to prevent urination accidents) as a puppy, our dog has preferred to sleep on the floor next to our bed. He is not regularly crated as an adult dog, though some dogs grow to love their crate as a safe place and as their bed. Be patient and always make sure your dog is not crated for long periods of time, as they need to exercise and interact with people. At six weeks, a puppy's bladder is not mature enough to truly begin house-training and they will need to be taken outside frequently due to the small size of their bladder.
