Outdoor dog house heater?

[EddieWalker]

When my brother passed and we brought his Kelpie home, I built a dog house for her very similar to this. She had always been an outdoor dog at his place, so that was the plan for here at my place. My parents live right behind me and once the Kelpie was here, she and my mom bonded on the first day. She never spent a night outside, or in that doghouse. Now my barn cats sleep in it and they appear to love it.

The biggest difference that I did was putting 1 1/2 inch thick foam between the plywood walls, floor and roof. I don't know how big of a difference it mattered, but I already had the foam and it was pretty easy to cut and install.

 

[bmaverick]

I'd be leary of heat lamps and heating pads for an outdoor dog. Only because I have a sibling that put out a heating pad for a cat, and it somehow caught fire and burned the side of their house. 10 minutes later and they would have lost the house. Fortunately, they smelled it and put it out with a garden hose.

Other thing is, I just read an article yesterday about some folks that had a heat source for a pot bellied pig. The pig pushed the bedding up against the heat source, it lit up, and they had extensive damage to their property.

So if you do get a heat mat, make sure it's designed for outdoor use, pet use, water proof, etc.

Almost everyone I knew that ever kept dogs outside just went the ample straw bedding route in a smaller dog house with no supplemental heat source. Block it from the wind well.

Good luck. I admire your determination to help that animal.

Yes, I'm not a heat lamp person nor space heater for an animal. Dangers are likely to happen.

With the heated mat, find one that is MORE than the basic UL rating. UL, NEMA, TUV ... The more on the product, the more tests the product had to meet. Plus, as my post mention earlier, GFCI and the thermo-cube. We are going on 15 years with this setup.

When the temps got below -12F, the dogs never left the heated pads in their crated kennels. Only to eat and do their business outside. We had nearly a week of -20s a few years ago. So, this winter has been on the milder side like 2017.

 

[bigtiller]

The biggest difference that I did was putting 1 1/2 inch thick foam between the plywood walls, floor and roof. I don't know how big of a difference it mattered, but I already had the foam and it was pretty easy to cut and install.

I would too. I was surprised the video didn't do that.

 

[CalG]

My daughter just took in a rescue pup. Might be 6 mos. old. I believe the breed is "kinardly".

It's gonna be a big one by it's paws.

That poor pup has died.....
And gone to heaven. ;-)

She does amazing things with ugly dogs.
Turns them into beauty time after time.

The first one, I could not abide. Conformity had been lost ...
The transformation under her care was an eye opener for me.
But the years are short for dogs. They pass in 10 years.

 

[2manyrocks]

The shelter dog was adopted today. I don't know who the adopter was, but I hope she is going to a loving home. I may be able to find out more about the adoption next week.

 

[sixdogs]

When you have a "tight" insulated, heated or not, outside dog house like that, moisture is created within the house that must be ventilated away or it will make the dog sick and actually colder. Cows will die in a poorly vented barn over winter. Talk to your vet for more.

Best for us was just to find a way to let the dog inside and make it stay near the back door. It was the easiest way out for us and the kindest to the dog that trusts and believes in you

 

[2manyrocks]

I'm glad you brought up moisture and ventilation because too much moisture can also contribute to respiratory illness in dogs.

The whole topic of providing adequate housing in both cold and hot temperatures is more complicated than I realized.

 

[sixdogs]

I'm glad you brought up moisture and ventilation because too much moisture can also contribute to respiratory illness in dogs.

The whole topic of providing adequate housing in both cold and hot temperatures is more complicated than I realized.

On the TBN I did a nice thread on building an unheated, super-insulated, ventilated doghouse but I just searched for it and the photos are gone with the site I used.

I knew of a guy that let his dog in by the back door at night and one night the dog woke them to a smoldering branch on the Christmas tree and saved the house and maybe the whole family.

 

[oosik]

Our first dog here - a very young black Lab. He was outside all day. But even with the nice dog house I built - he preferred being inside at night.

Too many things go BUMP in the night around here.

 

[sixdogs]

Our first dog here - a very young black Lab. He was outside all day. But even with the nice dog house I built - he preferred being inside at night.

Too many things go BUMP in the night around here.

I forgot about the night. Despite being on flat ground with few trees and in the middle of a zillion acres of corn and soybeans, my game cam picks up coyotes and marauding dogs at all times of the day and night.
I saw two 80+ lb type dogs on game cam the other night running with no collars or ID. Don't know the dogs so likely just dropped off (it happens) and would have my 37 lb Springer for a snack. We take dog out on leash late at night and stay by the house.