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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:29 am 
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How come no one I know puts there dogs in at night. It gets as cold here as it does just about anywhere else. A good dog house and lots of straw is all they need. If you go stick your hands in any of my houses they will be warm. Its about -8 right now and the dogs are toasty. Also, to the guy who puts his houses off the ground, you're making it worse. I hope you insulate the floors of your houses since you are allowing the cold air underneath as well.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 7:11 am 
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coonscry wrote:
Also, to the guy who puts his houses off the ground, you're making it worse. I hope you insulate the floors of your houses since you are allowing the cold air underneath as well.


No. having the house on the ground is a bad idea.I know thousands of people who preach getting the doghouse off the ground....now your telling me they is telling lies???


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 7:50 am 
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Loose Mouth
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I found this on line.. for what its worth...
Let’s Build A

Dog House

By

Larry Parr



Let’s start off here by stating that the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) strongly urges dog owners to allow their pets to live indoors with the family.



If that isn’t always possible or practical then the next best thing is to provide your dog with a properly-constructed dog house which will provide a comfortable place for your outdoor dog to get out of the elements.



One of the first things you should keep in mind when designing your dog house is that a dog house should never be built directly on the ground. There needs to be an airspace underneath your dog house. Many people find that a pallet makes a good foundation for a dog house. Concrete blocks can also make a good foundation. The idea is that the floor of the house is off the ground and that plenty of air can circulate underneath your dog’s house.



The door of your dog’s house needs to face away from the prevailing winds. This is especially true in the winter but is also good for your dog in the summer as well. If possible your dog’s house should be moveable; place it in the sunniest location possible during the winter and in the shade during the summer.



The roof of your dog house should be slanted to facilitate the runoff of both rain and snow. A layer of tarpaper can help waterproof the roof of your dog house.



Your dog house needs to be designed to the size of your dog. Most people think that bigger is better. After all, humans like big houses so dogs like big houses, too. Right?



Wrong. Dogs are descended from wolves. Deep down, on a cellular level, dogs crave the comfort of a small den. A small space is more easily protected than a large space. Instinctively dogs feel safer and more secure within a small space. This is especially true of puppies and small breed dogs.



Your dog house should be wide enough for your dog to turn around in and long enough for your dog to stretch out comfortably in, but not much bigger than that. Not only does your dog feel safer and more secure in a smaller space, but during the winter a smaller space is easier for your dog’s own body heat to keep warm.



Your life will be so much easier if you hinge the top of your dog house so that you can lift up the top for easy cleaning. This is especially true in areas with fleas and ticks, but you will find that it is a tremendous help no matter where you live.



If you live in an area where winters get cold you should plan on adding insulation to the walls and the roof of your dog house. Build the walls from 2X4s or 2X2s and place a good insulation in the hollow of the walls and the roof. Not only will this help keep your dog’s house warmer in the winter but it will keep the house cooler in the summer.



You may wish to consider an interior windbreak for your dog house. This is a wall that extends in from the door of your dog’s house, almost like an entry hallway for your dog. At the end of the hallway your dog will make a turn and then be in the interior portion of the dog house. This hallway helps keep out drafts and gives your dog an even greater sense of security.



The bedding you use in your dog house is important. NEVER use hay as a bedding material. Hay may contain a fungus that can cause severe respiratory problems for many dogs.



Cedar chips are good. Cedar chips naturally help to repel fleas and are inexpensive and easy to find at pet stores and even garden centers. Newspaper can be used, but keep in mind that some dogs can be allergic to newsprint.



If you wish to heat your dog house (an especially nice idea during the coldest winter months) one of the simplest ways to do so is by using bedding material that is especially designed to be heated in a microwave and then placed in the dog house. Many microwaved pads can stay warm for up to 12 hours.



You can also install an electrically heated pad.



In the winter it is a good idea to hang a piece of burlap or other heavy material over the doorway to keep out cold drafts. The burlap can be removed for the summertime.



To sum up, if it is at all possible you should allow your dogs to live indoors with the family – but if that’s not going to be the case then you should take the time to either build a proper dog house for your pet, or buy a good dog house and make any changes or additions necessary (such as adding insulation).



©2005 by Larry Parr

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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 7:55 am 
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Here is another one...

Article Title:

Dog House Building And Buying Guide

Author: Paul Graham

Dog owners have to consider several factors when buying or building a house for their pets. As a true member of your own family, providing your pet with the best home possible is of the utmost importance.

1. Size

A German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Rottweiler and other large dogs should have large houses, while the Chihuahua and smaller breeds will need smaller houses. The door of the house does not need to be based on the height of the dog from the ground to the top of its head, or even taller, as it will lower its head to be able to enter the house. The width of the door should be just enough to accommodate the dog. These height and width measurements can be adjusted if there is a physical requirement to do so. The house should also be large enough for the dog to stand at full height inside, move around and lie down. Owners should remember that a larger-than-needed home will compromise the dog's retention of body heat during the winter or colder months.

2. Weather Conditions

Some dog houses are made with hinged roofs, a feature that allows owners to raise the roof during hot and humid weather. This flexibility provides adequate air flow to flush out warm air and allow fresh or cool air to enter. In some cases, these roofs can also be lowered, creating a smaller space for the dog and enhancing its ability to retain heat during rainy or cold weather. Asphalt shingles should be used only if there is an adequate insulation barrier separating the roof from the main area of the house. Many house models also come with slanted roofs, ensuring that water drains away during rainy days. Owners should avoid building or buying houses with barn-type or peak-style roofs, as these would attract hornets, wasps and other insects and prevent heat retention. Another option is wind walls, which can be inserted into the dog house to break the wind and keep the house warmer. The house should also be a reasonable distance off the ground to keep it dry. For owners with bigger budgets, some house manufacturers offer provisions for heaters and air-conditioners. These climate control systems help ensure comfort for the dog regardless of weather conditions.

3 Doors

The front door of the dog house should be located to one side instead of in the middle. This will prevent the dog from being directly exposed to extreme weather conditions and other harsh environmental elements. Some models are designed with removable doors, or with no doors at all. Using a door will help keep the dog house warmer during cold months. An awning type cover can also be used over the opening for added shade and protection.

4. Easy To Clean And Maintain

Removable or adjustable roofs - Doors, partitions - Wind walls - Flexibility in cleaning - Restrict use of paint, stains, or water sealers for the outside of the house

5. Use Wood

Plastic and metal houses are not a good idea, as they are either too hot during summertime or too cold during the winter. Some market experts say that houses made from natural western red cedar wood offer the best insulation for dogs during winter while making them cooler during summer. Red cedar wood oils are also natural repellants of ticks, fleas and termites. Houses made from this material are also maintenance-free on the outside, although owners have a choice of finishing it to complement their property. Sprinkling red cedar wood chips or shavings in the bedding also helps prevent infestation. Owners should also remember that wooden roofs help cut down heat build-up from the sun while helping to maintain reasonable heat retention levels.

6. Keep The Dog House Elevated

For legless houses, the owner must remember that having it directly on the ground increases the likelihood that the pet would be exposed to cold and wet weather. This also raises the possibility of infestation from flea eggs that hatch in the soil. The owner can use bricks, rocks or stones arranged in a level and stable manner to elevate the house. The elevation will allow air to flow beneath the house and prevent moisture from forming at the bottom.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 11:11 am 
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Techno wrote:
coonscry wrote:
Also, to the guy who puts his houses off the ground, you're making it worse. I hope you insulate the floors of your houses since you are allowing the cold air underneath as well.


No. having the house on the ground is a bad idea.I know thousands of people who preach getting the doghouse off the ground....now your telling me they is telling lies???


Wow techno, I don't think I know thousands of people, Much less thousands who are passionate enough about dog housing to preach about it. As it relates to cold air in non insulated dog houses. I'd say all of your thousands of people are wrong. You can have them of the ground. You need to insulate the bottoms as well if you do though. Lets think about it like this. If you were stranded in the mtns and it was -20 like it gets in alot of places. What would you do to keep warm? Would you climb a tree and get up off the ground? Or would you build an ice shelter and get as close to the ground as possible? I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that the guy who builds his shelter on the ground will live longer. I will grant you there are places where dog houses NEED to be up off the ground. In south texas where it can rain alot and never gets cold. Chances are way higher of your dog house filling up with water then the temp getting below 35 degrees. Probably should have those off the ground. Washington where it rains 24/7 should have those off the ground. As far as keeping the dogs warm when its 20 below. I think the ground is the best insulation.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 11:24 am 
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OH Boy Coonscry... Lets think about this in a little Bigger picture... Do you put your Trailerhouse on the ground.... or do you put it on blocks and skirt it??? The dog house doesnt have to be a foot off the ground.. just an inch or two... That is why good dog house are built with frames and the floor is off the ground.....That is why when people use Barrels they attach them to Pallets... its to help insulate.. and to prevent rolling.. Anything off the ground is ok!!! You do things your way.. and let others do things there way... I got mine off the ground... right now the windchill here is -35 and my hounds are all toasty warm.. and the dog houses are about 2 inches off the ground... That is how i do it.. and if you do it differently thats your choice.. Good Luck... As long as the hounds stay warm.. its all good!!! :D


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 12:11 pm 
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Thats fine if you skirt your pallet. Didn't your list say to avoid plastic? I don't think plastic barrels are good dog houses at all.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 12:30 pm 
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coonscry wrote:

Wow techno, I don't think I know thousands of people, Much less thousands who are passionate enough about dog housing to preach about it.


Sorry.Maybe you should start talking to more folks.

coonscry wrote:
As it relates to cold air in non insulated dog houses. I'd say all of your thousands of people are wrong. You can have them of the ground. You need to insulate the bottoms as well if you do though.


Uhh yeah.By keeping the doghouse an inch or two off the ground your doing the same thing...keeping the cold earth away from the dog.


coonscry wrote:
Lets think about it like this. If you were stranded in the mtns and it was -20 like it gets in alot of places. What would you do to keep warm? Would you climb a tree and get up off the ground? Or would you build an ice shelter and get as close to the ground as possible? I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that the guy who builds his shelter on the ground will live longer.


I sure won`t be sitting right on top of the cold ground I can tell you that.I will have some type of bedding between me and the earth,thus keeping me up off the ground.


coonscry wrote:
I will grant you there are places where dog houses NEED to be up off the ground. In south texas where it can rain alot and never gets cold. Chances are way higher of your dog house filling up with water then the temp getting below 35 degrees. Probably should have those off the ground. Washington where it rains 24/7 should have those off the ground. As far as keeping the dogs warm when its 20 below. I think the ground is the best insulation.


But you just told me folks who told me their doghouses need to be off the ground were wrong.You never asked before you made the judgement as to what conditions folks were in.

You also need to understand what kind of bugs can live under something sitting on the ground during spring/summer/fall.

If I can stop those bugs by simply keeping the doghouse off the ground a bit.Then I will absolutely do it.


Then again I know people who tell me putting straw in a doghouse is not needed."They" have been doing things "their" way for this long and now "they" are experts cause thats how "they" do`s stuff.....


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:26 pm 
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Techno, the post is about keeping dogs warm in winter. Not about how you keep bugs from under your dog house. There is at least 6 inches of bedding and a floor between my dogs and the ground and like I said. Tonight when its -10 you can come stick your hands in them and they will be warm.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:35 pm 
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We use cedar chips AND straw for thier bedding, and, we have placed some thick rubber/canvas from an old factor belt line (that is cut to door size) which was picked up at an auction. I would think some lumber/building supply store would have some strong/sturdy material you could cut to size for the door to block the wind. This christmas we bought one of those larger size dog box pillows, and she seems to come out of the dog house less since we added that. But, young dogs we found have a tendency to chew on them. As far as keeping the water from freezing that depends on how much money you want to spend, and, of course how many dogs you have....In farm country, some folk buy gas water heaters ( some tanks are as small as a gas grill tank) and there is an element that cant be chewed up that is placed in the water tank, it runs a very low heat that keeps the water from freezing....this is often done with those who have big animals such as horses and cows, and is usually used in the big 30-50 lb. water tanks.....I'm not sure if they sell them for smaller water tanks or larger metal buckets....you could check at some farm supply store on that one. I liked the idea of putting the water inthe dog house...that is if you have a dog house big enough??! Good luck finding a good way to care for your dogs!


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:06 pm 
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It seems to me, comparing cedar chips and straw that Straw has more insulating value. Dog house should be off the ground, not on the ground. Put the house on the ground eventaully it gets wet, stays damp, is generally bad- then the floor rots before the rest of the house. Not practical and my dogs are warm as toast three to four inches off the ground. So why create more headaches for myself needlessly.

Sorry no heating pads for my dogs 1. they don't need em and 2. I'd like my own home to be warmer than it is in winter but were on a budget. We keep it just warm enough and not any more- same for my dog houses. houses.

Heck saying a dog ain't secure in a bigger house is hog wash- it takes more body energy for a hounds body to stay warm in a bigger house plain and simple. Wild animals rarely have winter dens where they can strech out- not the best for survival and that guideline is purely emotional and not fact driven. In the summer my hounds strech out atop thier flat roofed houses. If weathers bad thier curled up inside.

You've got to build a house where the dog can be comfortable and a house that will last. That's one with a big slanted roof so water doesn't pool on top and the roof takes the brunt of the weather, not the dog houses. one that's off the ground so the bottom doesn't rot out. I buy the 5 dollar paint cans at Home depot that folks returned for whatever reason and take my time paintin the houses. Let each coat dry well before the next and let the whole thing dry entirely and harden before trying to put it to use - paint will last longer and so will the house. Good luck, Paul Conway .


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:08 pm 
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It seems to me, comparing cedar chips and straw that Straw has more insulating value. Dog house should be off the ground, not on the ground. Put the house on the ground eventaully it gets wet, stays damp, is generally bad- then the floor rots before the rest of the house. Not practical and my dogs are warm as toast three to four inches off the ground. So why create more headaches for myself needlessly.

Sorry no heating pads for my dogs 1. they don't need em and 2. I'd like my own home to be warmer than it is in winter but were on a budget. We keep it just warm enough and not any more- same for my dog houses. houses. Dogs are nice and toasty in the coldest weather we get and I know cause I get up and check on them during the coldest nights and check the condition of the dog houses, amount and condition of the straw etc, before a cold spell comes through.

Heck saying a dog ain't secure in a bigger house is hog wash- it takes more body energy for a hounds body to stay warm in a bigger house plain and simple. Wild animals rarely have winter dens where they can strech out- not the best for survival and that guideline is purely emotional and not fact driven (I know they were guidlines being thrown out there for consumption). In the summer my hounds strech out atop thier flat roofed houses. If weathers bad thier curled up inside.

You've got to build a house where the dog can be comfortable and a house that will last. That's one with a big slightly slanted roof so water doesn't pool on top and the roof takes the brunt of the weather, not the dog house. one that's off the ground so the bottom doesn't rot out. I buy the 5 dollar paint cans at Home depot that folks returned for whatever reason and take my time paintin the houses. Let each coat dry well before the next and let the whole thing dry entirely and harden before trying to put it to use - paint will last longer and so will the house. Good luck, Paul Conway .


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 7:43 pm 
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coonscry wrote:
Thats fine if you skirt your pallet. Didn't your list say to avoid plastic? I don't think plastic barrels are good dog houses at all.


Actually.. Both articles I found on line.. I was giving you exsamples of what others do.. I use Barrels on Pallets for my Indoor Kennels.. they work wonderful.. Fill them up with Grass hay.. and the hounds love it.

In the warmer months.. I use Plastic Dog houses and Wooden Dog houses and they are about 4 inches off the ground.. They work well also!!

Heck with all the hot air were blowing here our hounds should never get cold.. :lol: :lol: :lol:


Last edited by Susie on Tue Jan 01, 2008 9:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 9:13 pm 
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In terms of keeping dogs warm, I'm not sure having the house off of the ground (concrete in my case) is the best way. I may be wrong on this but I just keep thinking of those road signs that say "bridges may ice before roadway".

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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 9:33 pm 
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I have in the past, put my doghouses on tires. I fill the tire up with straw before I set the doghouse down on it.. Don't know if it helped or not to tell you the truth.. Dogs always seemed to be comfortable and it helped keep some of the Oregon wet out....

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