Wooden dog kennels for winter.

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Passionflower

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Hi all

I currently have 2 dogs in wooden kennels similar to this http://www.bettabuildings.co.uk/images/related/full/Delux-kennel-and-run.jpg whilst we are at work during the day but they are more open. Does anybody have any ideas on how i can keep them warmer for winter? Ones a lab and the others a little chihuahua/yorkshire terrier mix. I was thinking of a heat lamp but not really that keen on the idea.

Thanks in advance.
 
I'm not going to get into the indoor /outdoor debate..but it does look rather small for two dogs,one larger breed.It looks more like a hen enclosure to me.If you haven't yet bought this,I'd consider a bigger enclosure ,purpose built for dogs. My bet is the lab will chew a hole in this in no time at all.
...just to answer the question, I'd suggest

....you position the door way to face out of the wind.
......Re -cover the two grilled sides,so as to block the wind and any driving rain.
.....Inside the kennel,you can add a thermal mat for the floor
....put a dog bed with a vet fleece inside it ,inside the shed ,so they can cuddle and stay warm.
 
When i had my staffy outside i had the kennel lined with carpet and a duvet in it and a coat on her. If they get along the lab will keep the smaller one warm too. If not then id probably not leave the smaller one outside, it would get sick. In the house in a large crate would be better for it maybe.
 
my dogs have spent time in outside kennels-it was that or get rid of the dogs, The kennel I had was 8x4 with a 3x4 inside area, the outside bit of mine was only open along the front and I insulated the floor and put a heat lamp in, I was going to put a false roof in and insulate the sides too but I found it would have been too hot.
When I moved somewhere the dogs could come indoors the older 2 did not want too so they spent 4 years outside day and night-they were welcome indoors and would sometimes come in for a cuddle but I think that in their older years being able to be somewhere there was no human footfall possible felt safer when they slept-they also used to wander round the garden a lot during the night because the last 3 years they had the kennel open and the run of the garden all the time-the lurcher used to be shut in the kennel if she was wet and she would dry off under the heat lamp before coming indoors.
 
The smaller a kennel/house is for a dog the better when it comes to heat conservation. Why? Because small houses encourage them to curl up, body heat keeps a low house warmer than a tall one. So, whilst WE like the look of a nice roomy house for them, it isn't the best for them in the cold. Look at the way sled dogs are kept (yes, I know the climate is colder and drier than the UK, and that they have coats designed for sub zero temps) A smaller house (or two ) could always be put under a roofed section, that way the dogs have a choice.

My dogs live outside permanently, always have, they have a stone outhouse with boxes here, but previously they thrived in an open shed with a calf hutch filled with hay.
 
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Make sure the area in the part in which they sleep is off the floor; maximize the insulation in that area; feed well; provide a variety of good bedding -vetbed and straw works well for me; heat lamp as your back up in extreme weather, otherwise they will be fine, assuming you have positioned the entire contraption in a sheltered, as opposed to exposed, position.
 
Passionflower said:
Hi all

I currently have 2 dogs in wooden kennels similar to this http://www.bettabuildings.co.uk/images/related/full/Delux-kennel-and-run.jpg whilst we are at work during the day but they are more open. Does anybody have any ideas on how i can keep them warmer for winter? Ones a lab and the others a little chihuahua/yorkshire terrier mix. I was thinking of a heat lamp but not really that keen on the idea.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

we have rubbing matting on the floor of the kennel also the walls and the dog wears a coat
 
I agree with gunnerdog. However, little chihuahua mix may need extra. If it were a purebred, I'd advise to keep it indoors as they really aren't "outdoor" dogs then neither are Yorkies really. If happy to curl up together this maybe ok but with the heatlamp as an option for them to go under if they feel cold. If they'll use it, a piece of carpet tacked along the top of the small opening much like a cat flap may also keep out most of the cold.
 
the kennel with the heat lamp for my dogs was warmer than my house, not sure why any could not live with that. my dogs had beds inside the kennel and outside in the run and would move between the 2 if the weather was warm enough.
I would not put a coat on a dog if left unsupervised (I don't leave collars on or allow dogs to run loose with collars on) due to the risk of getting caught up-my lurcher managed to get caught up on a few things in her coat and also if they get hot they cannot do anything to change that but they can move away from a heat lamp as long as things are arranged to allow that.
 
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I have kept thin skinned working dogs outside in the Scottish Highlands for over forty years and have given this sbject a lot of thought!

One of the best DIY kennels is an old whisky barrel. The staves at the end are held in place with two battens screwed across the boards, then a section cut out for the door. The barrel needs to be placed off the ground. Dogs love them because the curve of the barrel (about 45 gallon capacity) fits to the natural curve of a curled up dog! Put your hand side on a cold day and it always feels nice and warm. Anyway, that's an aside.

First, the opening into the inside kennel is usually too large on a commercially built kennel (to suit all sizes) so I'd restrict that to the smallest a dog can easily pass through. Obviously, face away from the prevailing wind. Fit a flap which I've done to all my kennels using a piece of redundant quarry conveyor belting (free!) on a couple of hinges to keep out draughts. Next, the sleeping box inside the kennel also needs to have a small door opening and the inside bed area should be just large enough for a dog to curl up in plus perhaps another 1/2 (max). The floor, particularly, needs to be insulated. That can be done cheaply and easily with a piece of 50mm expanded polystyrene with some 6mm marine ply on top. The roof/ceiling of the sleeping/bed area should be just BELOW normal head height with the dog in a sitting position. Dogs like to raise their heads when defecating and this will encurage them not to foul the bed. My bed areas have insulation on all six sides -- floor, four walls, and top -- with that same polystyrene/plywood construction. Theyalso need a dry bed outside to sit on in the sun and out of the rain where they can see things going on.

Modify your kennel on the above basics and your dog will naturally generate enough heat to keep itself as warm as toast over winter, assuming it is also well fed. Dogs adjust their body temperature to the ambient temperature and may even show discomfort when brought into a warm house from freezing conditions outside. Dogs are social animals and will uualy snugge up to each other to keep warm. Pups have bare bellies for exactly that! I known several kennels to be burnt down using heat lamps, especially when hay or straw was used as bedding. If you do use a heat lamp, make sure there is enough room for the dog to move out of it's heat.
 
Just to clarify, the kennels is alot bigger than the picture shown and i have also had both of my dogs in kennels during winter days whilst im at work for 5 years but they were stone built before i moved. The wooden ones are temporary until we get them built again.

Last year i had the chi cross in a jumper and they were on straw with lots of blankets. Im thinking of maybe plying the floor and sides putting carpet, heat lamp, bed and blankets in there and see how it goes for now. Thanks all for the suggestions.
 
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