If you feel this way now, wait till the cold really sets in, would you prefer the dog being inside but afraid of the damage, then a crate is the way to go
good luck
2 years n 7 months, misses nowt pal, if its there, its hers, and brings the bugger back to hand, livestock trained at an early age, if i was a few years younger, id have a feckin shedload of em