Outdoor Puppy Training

Question
Hey,I just got an adorable Alaskan Malamute,7 weeks old and very active.Really,the question Im asking is is it okay to have a puppy outside overnight?I want to train him as a outdoor dog.He is safely fenced within our deck,and I think he has alot of room to play.I live on an acreage so I dont think space is a problem.Sometimes I worry if he gets cold or scared because when we go to sleep he usually scratches on our door whimpering and whining.Is it okay for puppies to sleep outside overnight?

Answer
Your puppy is too young to be outside by himself. If he were a wolf cub, he would still be spending most of his time in the den with his littermates, with brief excursions outside under his mother's supervision. Puppies need to have lots of socialization with people, and need the opportunity to "learn how to learn". They don't learn much on their own.

Yes, he could be getting cold at night, depending on where you live. We had a touch of frost here last night from the looks of a couple of my plants. That is way too cold for a baby. Most states and/or towns have laws regarding shelters for the keeping of outdoor dogs; we certainly do here in Minnesota at any rate.

Since you live on acreage, I would worry about predators... coyotes, foxes, hawks, eagles, owls, raccoons. You surely have some of those wherever you live. We have all of them here, and my biggest concern is the large birds we have coming through here both night and day. Mine aren't left outside for any length of time until they reach three months of age, and even then I have them with a couple adults since mine is a smaller breed.