Dogs who don't live in the house can have an excellent life. Yes, the heating issue needs to be resolved in this case but since the OP doesn't seem to have been back nobody knows whether this is being sorted, how long the pup is left for or what the OP plans to do with the dog on a daily basis. People have just jumped on them for not having the dog in the house at night and while they're not home.

So you should never leave a puppy alone? At this critical stage of socialisation it's crucial the puppy learns to be happy on its own! Hence the OP asking how to make the puppy happy going in there, rather than just forcing it in. Clearly they care about the puppy being happy.

But you appear to be making the assumption that the dog is spending significant periods of time in the shed and that is not what the OP has said.

When my dog was a pup he was alone during the night, he has never slept in our room. And from day 1 i acclimatised him to being left for longer periods during the day, starting with an hour or so and building up to 3-4 by the time he was 6 months, even though i work from home. To me that IS part of owning a well balanced dog.

I had previously had a dog with severe seperation anxiety and that is a nightmare.

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"I am not perfect and i don't have to be, before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean" - Bob Marley

https://sites.google.com/site/blisschalet/

Rainybow I have done exactly the same as you as I too had a previous anxious dog when left...so was definitely not going to go through that again this time around....so I agree with you there i.e not sleeping in the same room as yourself and letting them spend time by themselves so they become used to it....but this isn't quite the same....the OP said the pup is in the shed to sleep at nights. This is the part that I can't get to grips with.

To me; not being in the same building or being able to hear what's going on at all isn't a good thing (for both owner and pup) whilst it's in there alone. Dark, cold and no company nor being able to hear humans from another part of the house as they themselves settle to go to bed of a night makes me feel it's missing out on being included somehow

It is not a decision i would take either tbh but i do think that sometimes we impose too many human emotiions onto dogs and they don't actually think like that

Like i said before i know dogs who were born outside and have been kennelled all their lives and they are no less happy than my pampered pooch

I honestly believe because of the OPs first post that they will have taken the advice on heating/security etc on board and will act on it which is great but i can see why they haaven't bothered to clarify things further. I wouldnt have done if this had been my first post and i haad received some of the responses

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"I am not perfect and i don't have to be, before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean" - Bob Marley

https://sites.google.com/site/blisschalet/

Yes agree with you on all that too...and yes I do hope they'll sort the heating part out at least.

Probably did feel like a torrent of abuse whilst we all tapped away furiously at our keyboards with our various responses but we all feel a varied response emotionally and with own viewpoints I guess and they were aware they'd probably get a bit of 'incoming'. I know the first night I had it on my mind most of the night as I lay in bed visualising the scenario....I mean wtf?!!!

Anyway hopefully as you say they will try and remedy the situation and come back with an update on how the pup is doing and hopefully will be settling better and happier to go in

I agree with you, Rainybow x

The dog would be on it's on anyway when they were out or at night there's no difference between the dog sleeping in the kitchen or in a shed/kennel. The shed can be puppy-proofed much easier so a safer place for it to be and as long as it's kept warm then I don't see the issue. Obviously keeping a dog in shed/kennel 24/7 with no interaction or exercise is cruel but this isn't what's going to be happening. Dogs do perfectly well in kennels some don't like being inside as horrific as some people may find this

I say this as someone who's dog sleeps in the kitchen and spends most of the day on the sofa

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"A dog is not "almost human," and I know of no greater insult to the canine race than to describe it as such."
John Holmes

Owned by Buster cairn terrier mix and Leo netherland dwarf mix bunny