heating a doghouse..

[KatDiesel]

Haven't been in the "doghouse" long enough to need heating accomidations yet ; )

 

[Bill Lins]

I took an old cooler and cut a hole at the bottom of one end. I then put a heating pad (the kind you lay on) in the bottom of the cooler and ran the cord out through the hole. I covered the pad with an old blanket and set the pad on "low" at night. The critters love it!

 

[Big MAK]

I purchased a 'heat pad' at Tractor Supply Co that's on the bottom of her doghouse; under a bed of cedar shavings. It's a hard plastic pad that has a wire wrapped cord. Keeps her warm enough; although when the temp drops below about 10 degrees I let her sleep inside overnight (in her kennel). She's always outside all day; I think that's better then making her stay in a kennel for 8+ hrs while we're at work. I have a heated water bowl but she doesn't like drinking from it. It doesn't make the water hot at all; so I don't know why she doesn't like it. For some strange reason she'd rather eat snow and ice. Anyone ever experience this? I put fresh water in it nearly every day.

 

[Power Wagon]

When I used the heated bowl, I had no problem with the dogs not drinking it. In fact, even though it held a half gallon or so, it seemed we had to fill it 2-3 times a day, and it was still totally dry all the time. And no, the bowl did not get warm, in fact, it stayed so cold I didn't think it worked at first, but the water would skim over with an ice ring on the edges in a couple hours if it didn't get drank, but never freeze even at roughly 0 degrees outside.

 

[Doc Tinker]

My dogs new electric pail hasn't frozen, so I guess the heater works. I checked the temperature in it earlier today and its around 40º while the ambient air was 25º.



The dogs have been drinking from it all day long and seem to prefer it to the toilet. Maybe it's the novelty of the thing



I got the pail at Tractor Supply, but I didn't see a pad like the one Mark K mentioned or I would have suggested it.



Doc

 

[illflem]

I have a heated water bowl also and my dog rarely uses it. Seems like dogs like the dirtiest water they can find. Mine's favorite watering holes are in the back of pickups with black plastic bedliners. Sun on the black plastic melts snow and ice then combines with bed debris into a nice brown puddle.

 

[JSoloman]

I wish you the best with your pup. But, if she becomes too much of a handful, I'm over here in Lane Co. I will easily take her off your hands. She can share a 10'x20' covered kennel with concrete floor with my lab by day and the bedroom, where its warm, by night.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Originally posted by Mark Kitchell

I have a heated water bowl but she doesn't like drinking from it. It doesn't make the water hot at all; so I don't know why she doesn't like it. For some strange reason she'd rather eat snow and ice. Anyone ever experience this? I put fresh water in it nearly every day.

That's a good question. Dogs will drink just about anything. Animals are supposed to be colorblind are they not? I have horses that won't drink out of a dark colored bucket.

 

[DBR]

Congratulations on your new acquisition!

Power Wagon,



It is unfortunate that you cannot keep your pup indoors, but your wife's health must take priority.



Ideally, yes, a dog should be raised in the house with a family. They receive better socialization and become well-adjusted, obedient canine citizens. But if you take the time and make the extra effort to socialize your outside dog, it can be successfully accomplished. I'm glad that you are already aware of the temperament of Rottweilers. Please don't misinterpret my statement as a criticism of the breed. There are wonderful Rotties out there, unfortunately many owners do not enforce strict obedience or employ effective socialization techniques. Every breed of dog will have its "bad eggs," it's just that if you own a disrespectful Poodle and it bites you, you might need a band-aid (right after you punt him like a football!), but if a Rottweiler does the same, it may mean a visit to the emergency ward (and a possible lawsuit in today's society). With that said and the statements you made above, I am confident that you will help your son socialize and train his new pet. It is never too early to start basic obedience... I start from day 1.



A good source of obedience and training information is your local library (which seems to be becoming a thing of the past with the introduction of the Internet!). There are more training techniques out there than there are breeds of dogs, so find one that matches your personality/beliefs and you'll do fine.



There were a lot of effective cold weather dog care methods already suggested on this thread. I would caution you on using heating pads and heating lamps as I have seen dogs burned with these when the temperatures were set too high. Never place any blankets or bedding on top of a heating pad as this could be a fire hazard. We actually had a heated dog mat melt and warp when a blanket ended up on top of it. Straw is an effective biodegradable insulator, but I advise against cedar shavings as they can cause allergies in dogs.



Our two Labs live in the house with us, but get outside time when we are both at work. Their doghouse is raised off the ground, the floor of the house is insulated with styrofoam and its surface is lined with foam with a low-napped, rubber-backed rug to cover it. This provides both insulation and cushioning for creature comfort. I would not recommend placing foam, blankets or carpets in a kennel with a dog that is prone to chewing. We covered the door with a slatted piece of clear, heavy vinyl (like the kind that is used as a carpet protector down hallways and stairs). The slats bend easily when the dog enters and exits, but hang nicely to prevent drafts and hold the heat in. We lined the inside of the roof with a reflective bubble insulation purchased from Lowes'. Next, we constructed a series of four lamp sockets on a 1x6 to hold 50 watt rough service light bulbs that we mounted below the ceiling, facing upwards. The insulation reflects the heat back down to the dogs and provides adequate heat to keep them warm. The benefit to this system is that if one light bulb goes out, there are still three more to continue to provide heat as opposed to a heat lamp or mat. Once one of those fail, your pup is in Frostville! Another item that we found helpful was an inexpensive wall thermometer mounted on the back wall. This way, you can peek through the door and easily determine if the doghouse is maintaining adequate temperatures.



I think I'll stop here as my hobby is writing (not diesels!) and I don't want to bore anybody.



The Better Half of DBR, Kris

 

[Fish]

I put a pet door through the back door. The dog I have now, house trained herself in about two weeks. I close her in the family room with a childs gate on the living room door and an old door cut in half in the doorway to the hallway. I installed it with spring hinges so it will close automatically. When I come in from the hall, I can just walk through the door and it will close behind me, but the dog can't get through unless I let her.



A dog's instinct is NOT to foul their nest. If you pick them up a few times when they start looking around for a spot and put them out the dog door, you'll be surprised how fast they figure things out. In the beginning, put newspaper down near the backdoor and in front of the refrigerator, in case they don't make it. The heat coming out of the refrigerator sometimes makes them want to go. As soon as they start going outside, praise them when they come back in. It re-inforces the training. I've never had an outside dog. It would break my heart if something happened to her!



Hope this helps,

 

[DaveN]

when I build my doghouses, i insulate the floor, sides and roof with styrofoam insulation, then cover it again with plywood. (keeps the dogs from eating it) set the house up on blocks to keep moisture from building up, put a flap of carpet on the door, and wire up a single 100 watt light bulb in the peak of the roof. I pile a mix of straw and cedar chips in the doghouse (at least 4" deep). The dog will provide a lot of heat for the box, the light bulb is for when it gets really cold.



I've called my dog out of her box when it's 0 outside, and she's definitely warm. We only turn the light on when it gets around ten... .



remember when you're looking at eletric heaters, etc. that 100 watts is 100 watts. a 100 wat light bulb will generate pretty much the same amount of heat as any special heating pad.



My dad and I have been doing it this way for over thirty years, no problems yet!