In the Doghouse

Today

My niece posted a picture a couple of days ago, showing her Cockerpoo sticking her nose through the newly installed catflap. She commented that perhaps the dog thought it was a window just for her.

In My Day

Eventually, we outgrew the house at Mead Close and decided to turn the garage into a kitchen. This left us with the problem of a place for the dog to sleep. Suddenly we had a "lightbulb" moment. A kennel!

We went to the DIY and bought four fencing panels and some corrugated plastic sheeting. Then to the petshop where we bought a dogflap of a suitable size. At home we found an old pallet and an offcut of vinyl flooring. 

Paul set to work and constructed a bijou residence. The pallet floor, covered with underlay, kept it clear of damp. The fence panels made the walls, one of which entirely hinged outwards, like a dolls' house. The dogflap was inserted into the front panels and a pitched roof of corrugated plastic was added. Perfect! A ventilated home with natural lighting and easy access.

We popped the dog bed in. When the evening meal came round we put Cas's food into the kennel and he eagerly followed through the dogflap. The water bowl we left outside because the dog walked into it on a regular basis and we didn't want the inside of the kennel to get wet. We left Cas to it and went indoors.

In the morning I went out to greet the dog and give him his breakfast. He was whining and whimpering inside the kennel. "Well come on, Cas" I called "I've your breakfast here"! He carried on whimpering. The silly mutt had not worked out that the flap worked both ways, so had spent the entire night stuck inside. He was desperate for a drink of water and a pee.

I released him and commenced on dogflap training. It took him over a week to figure it out - cats understand the principle in moments - after which he was very happy in his little house and often asked to go out to it. He wasn't so keen when the cats chose to join him, as they managed to take up the entire bed while he hunched in a corner!

So maybe the solution, Helena, is a personal house for your Cockerpoo. Just be prepared for the person-hours spent on training!