heating a doghouse..

[Power Wagon]

We have a new addition to the family, about a week before christmas, younger son got a puppy given to him. We need to keep her out of doors (rottweiler, mostly) and I've almost finished a decent doghouse for her. What suggestions do you have for warming it, or whatever?



She's just a pretty small pup, and I'm sure she needs some warmth in it.



I was thinking heated bed... but at nearly 100 bucks for bed and control, I'm having second thoughts...

 

[Doc Tinker]

Come on now Power Wagan - Do you really want that poor dog to stay outside? Be a good guy and make a house dog out of her, not a dog house for her. The boys won't mind sharing their beds with her.



Doc

 

[JLinder]

If you do decide to keep her outside, a heat lamp should do the trick. Farmers use them to keep all kinds of little animals warm. All you need is an extension cord, light socket and the bulb. You should be able to pick any of this stuff up at a hardware store. Just make sure the lamp is high enough above the pup that she can't get burned when she stands up.

 

[bigkid59]

Any small puppy, even one that will grow up to be a big dog, will have a hard time it's first winter. If at all possible she should be kept indoors, maybe a storage room, garage, or whatever.



I went overboard in building a house for my malamute/shepherd a few years ago. The floor, roof, and all walls are 1" styrofoam sandwiched between 1/2" plywood. I figured that I would at least try to retain all the dogs heat as well as possible. If I ever build another one I will build the floor with copper tubing in it to circulate hot water through.



If the dog must be outside a few things that can be easily done will help. Put the house where it is sheltered from winds, especially the opening. Place it where the dog can enter without walking through mud or water. A good thick layer of clean, dry straw will help, as the dog will burrow into this. I used straw about a foot deep and changed it a couple of times each winter. Keep the dogs water near the house and remember that it will be frozen a lot of the time.



I now have a rottweiler and a minature doberman and they sleep cuddled up together and they make it through the winters fine. Another thing to remember is that dogs need more food during cold weather.



Good luck with the new pet!

 

[emarsh]

In our insulated doghouse, I have a heater that screws into a light socket at the peak of the roof, with a wire guard. I think the element is about 300 watts and will not burn out like a heatlamp. I can't name where mine came from, but I believe they are the same as the "goldenrod" units that you would use in a gun safe to keep moisture out. I have this one on a photocell with a manual shut off for summer. This way it only comes on at night when it is really cold and the dog is inside; depends on your climate, may want to run it 24 hours in the winter. Anyhow, when you are an electrician it is expected of you to have wiring going all over your property to impress the neighbors and friends!

 

[Todd G]

For my 80lb desert tortoise I have a DogLoo with a reptile heater ( looks like a flood light but doesn't put out light ). It has a cage around it to prevent burns to animals. I modified the flap system on the door to seal better and keep out the cold.



I can't believe I did this for a turtle.

 

[Bob Wagner]

you need a dog board

it's a low watt density heater imbedded into a 3/4" thick piece or partial board (differing sizes- typical 24" x 24") its runs about 100 watts and the dogs love it.



It's the same concept as hondronic floor heating. Why heat the air? The dogs love laying on a heated surface.

 

[Power Wagon]

small radiant heaters, eh? I've never seen such things, but I guess i'll go looking tomorrow. There's well more than enough room inside for a heatlamp, too. At least, for now.



The dog's the size of a small housecat, and the doghouse is 3 feet at the peak of the roof



And yes, the dog has to be outside. It gives the wife allergy fits... she can't breath without her inhaler sometimes, so out she goes ASAP.

 

[Power Wagon]

Re: you need a dog board

Originally posted by Bob Wagner

it's a low watt density heater imbedded into a 3/4" thick piece or partial board (differing sizes- typical 24" x 24") its runs about 100 watts and the dogs love it.



It's the same concept as hondronic floor heating. Why heat the air? The dogs love laying on a heated surface.

Where do you find these things?

 

[Bob Wagner]

ok

My friends own www.processheating.com



Shoot an email to -- email address removed --



I have a 36" x 36" that I no longer use but it would be a pain to ship, If you get over this way stop by a pick it up

 

[Power Wagon]

Re: ok

Originally posted by Bob Wagner

My friends own www.processheating.com



Shoot an email to -- email address removed --



I have a 36" x 36" that I no longer use but it would be a pain to ship, If you get over this way stop by a pick it up

Would be cool, but I gotta have something tomorrow. Dog's gotta live outdoors while i'm at school to prevent serious problems... So... I'll find something

 

[socal_rattler]

Keep in mind that puppies(and some dogs) love to chew... make sure that any wiring you do cannot be chewed on/up.

 

['956Wheel]

Ahh come on now, you chose to have him... . let him in the house, dogs and kids have always gone together! Besides, the pup will lower your heating bill!



Mike

 

[Power Wagon]

darn mutt raises my heat bill 'cause we gotta let her out and back in every little while... . and then she STILL makes messes.

 

[illflem]

If you want cheap floor heat just do it like the dairy farmers in Montana do it for their cows, pile about a foot of fresh manure in the doghouse. It will cook for a couple of months. BTW my dog sleeps in the house mud room, but if he wants to take a nap in the outside in the winter he usually burrows into the manure pile. I've also used an old electric blanket set on low in the doghouse works great as long as the dog is beyond the chewing stage. When I tried a heat lamp the dogs slept on top of the dog house. A long screen door type spring(s) wrapped around exposed cords will stop any chewing

 

[paccool]

Mark,

I was going to say the same thing that social rattler did about the electrical cords. Make sure they are out of reach. Had a dog once that did this. Burnt her mouth real bad and caused a little droop to one side of the mouth for a while. I felt real bad once I figured out what happened.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Originally posted by Power Wagon

We have a new addition to the family, about a week before christmas, younger son got a puppy given to him

There is something to be said for not giving pets at xmas. A couple of months and that fluffy ball ends up a slobbering monster destined for the pound.



That said, regardless of how you provide heat, don't forget a source of water. Unfrozen water in the winter can be a problem.



By the way, drawing from my only Rottweiller experiance (We have a female I rescued at three, now five), they need a lot of human contact. If this dog is left alone, tied, confined, ignored, whatever, expect to have problems.

 

[Power Wagon]

Re: Re: heating a doghouse..

Originally posted by QRTRHRS





That said, regardless of how you provide heat, don't forget a source of water. Unfrozen water in the winter can be a problem.



By the way, drawing from my only Rottweiller experiance (We have a female I rescued at three, now five), they need a lot of human contact. If this dog is left alone, tied, confined, ignored, whatever, expect to have problems.

I've found a couple pretty decent "no freeze" water solutions. One of them is a heated dish, the other is a "constant flow" waterdish. Both work, but the heated one works better. Tried both before.



I'm aware of the problem with rottweilers and thier propensity to become mean if neglected... But we just can't leave her in here 24/7, she's going to be too big, chews too much, and doesn't seem to be able to make any length of time without being let out. So, while I'm at school, outside she goes.

 

[Doc Tinker]

I can't help you with your question on the doghouse heat, but today I bought a 2 gallon electric water pail for the dogs and a stock tank heater for my goldfish.



Usually the stock tank goes in my heated garage for the winter, but I can't carry the darn thing around anymore so I figured I'd leave the fishies outside. After it started turning into a solid block of ice, I thought better of it and decided to get the heater.



Oh. . Maybe I do have a suggestion for you on the doghouse. My son has a snake and he gets heat from an unit that lays on the bottom of the tank. I think they make them in larger sizes and it could be placed under a dog bed and make enough heat to keep the pup from freezing.



If our suggestions cause the doghouse to catch fire, at least you'll end up with a hotdog - LOL



Doc

 

[Leon R]

I don't know how much room you have in your yard but I made a small pen inside one of our sheds (three enclosed sides) out of pallets on edge and laid a base out of pallets as well and then stacked hay bales onto the base to make dens that they get into inside the hay bale house. Two dogs- two dens. They love it and no extra heat needed, but both of our dogs have longer hair. Get your dog used to being penned up when he is young, they are after all a denning type of animal. It is nice to know that when we want to go away in the evenings we can put them in their run and they are happy. Another way to keep your dog happy is for him to have a friend like another dog