Building A Dog House

[femme.fatale.]

Okay everyone,

I have decided to build my dog Indy a better dog house, one that is more suitable for these nasty winters we get.

Any ideas would be appreciated!

 

[-LadyDirt-]

Femme the ones we used on the farm for the collies that my dad built were literally like little mini houses.. he used some scrap shingles for the roof, leftover siding and insulated them and used a heat lamp as the light. Of course, some big fluffy old blankets as the bed. Can't forget the doggy door to eliminate as much cold air getting in as possible as well, I think my dad used some thick plastic or rubber, but all I know is that our dogs never froze outside in -35

 

[2manykids]

If i were the dog i would ask for one that is heated Maybe inside the house...

But seriously, if it an outdoor dog. Make sure it has room to turn around. And surround it by straw bales, even over the top.. New bedding after a few nights or cleaned. Little bug will also find there way in there. But if you find an old sleeping bag or two just toss them in there the dog will make its own bed. This is what i use to do for my akita

 

[magnet]

you work at a cat dealer and have a dog named indy.... kinda a conflict of interest thing going on there isn't it?:d

 

[RUDY]

i would use square bales to build the house,put some hay for the flooring as well as some kinds blankets for them to make a bed.Put a sheet off plywood on top for the roof,and cover that with hay as well...just make sure the opening isn't gonna be facing the wind

 

[Bogger]

Heres the one I built for my rotti, built the truss's myself it's double walled and insulated including the floor. Damn dogs won't use it, this weekend I'm gonna install a heat lamp then maybe the dogs will go in. If you look in the window you can see the big azz wasps nest...they use it more than the dogs.

Cost me about $200 in material

4 x 8' 2x2
5 x 4x8 1/2 plywood
6 x 8' 2x4
1 bundle of shingles
3 x 2'x8' styrofoam sheets
1 custom cut window

 

[BIGFOOT]

....Good idea to use straw for bedding over blankets & such, they tend to get damp from sweat specially if it is heated, Where as straw will suck it to the bottom & you can change it & or add every couple days...Just what we found worked well for the farm dogs !

 

[femme.fatale.]

you work at a cat dealer and have a dog named indy.... kinda a conflict of interest thing going on there isn't it?:d

Indy was named and had by the boyfriend LOOOONG before i came along... lol


Thanks everyone for the ideas! I will toss em around with my mom and see what we will build!

 

[bigdaddy35]

I agree with the straw - cheap and easy to change.

I'd also suggest foil backed insulation to reflect the pooches body heat back into the house, and some poly vapor barier. This should reduce need for a heat lamp... besides how is your dog supposed to sleep with the light on?

 

[mb1]

Our dog used to loooove the heat lamp. I would worry about him standing up under it and burning himself...

I would leave the door uncovered untill the dog gets comfortable in there, lure him in with a bone then once he really likes it in there throw on a door of some sort later.

 

[femme.fatale.]

I'm not too worried about her burning herself on the heat lamp, its not extremely hot... but she does lick it and it unscrews... thinking about putting some chicken wire around it, maybe that will keep her away??

I went in there tonight after work, and it's not nearly as bad as i thought this morning... the heating pad only heats when she is laying on it... so once i threw the blanket in there and she curled up it was actually pretty decent... going to go in the field with the quad and chain saw and "borrow" some straw off a big bale... hopefully that will be the icing on the cake and i wont feel so dang bad...

Next year we will have the garage built so she will be able to stay in there.

 

[Junior Highmark]

Make sure there`s lots of room.. But not so much that it gets hard to keep warm or heat!

 

[Philster]

A little advice on the heating pad.If it's electric don't let your dog piddle on it.I had a Male dog do that and let's just say I did not have to take him to the Vet to get him fixed.:d:d:d

 

[macronut]

Okay everyone,

I have decided to build my dog Indy a better dog house, one that is more suitable for these nasty winters we get.

Any ideas would be appreciated!

I just built a custom Dog Home for a client, check it out, if you have any questions feel free to ask. I'm a builder in Red Deer, and once in awhile one of my clients wants these types of projects constructed. This Dog Home is 4x8x6, full y insulated floor and walls, wired for heat light with protective cage. You can buy the cage for 6 bucks at your local hardware store, it simply clamps onto the light fixture. Heck this thing even has a lino floor for easy cleanup. It will house the two huge dogs that my client has. The light alone heats the inside area with no probs....

Click here to see all the images which show it finished as well

 

[burndown1]

I used landscape logs. Made it as small as possible and after compleation took the chain saw and made the door. Piled straw bales around it. Alot of old blankets, She loves it.

 

[TheLonelyIsland]

Femme the ones we used on the farm for the collies that my dad built were literally like little mini houses.. he used some scrap shingles for the roof, leftover siding and insulated them and used a heat lamp as the light. Of course, some big fluffy old blankets as the bed. Can't forget the doggy door to eliminate as much cold air getting in as possible as well, I think my dad used some thick plastic or rubber, but all I know is that our dogs never froze outside in -35

just a tip , do NOT use heat lamps!!!! i breed dogs so i know from experience! my female (jazz) had a litter of pups , and she bumped the lamp it fell down and set the blankets on fire soon the hole shed went up in smoke! my dad got a stick , flipped the lock open , she ran out and rolled in snow , when she came out she was actually on fire!!!! all 6 pups died from smoke inhalation! the shed burnt to the ground by the time the fire department got there!! just my 2 cents! that day sucked!!!!

 

[-LadyDirt-]

That's awful, sad to hear that Although, the heatlamps we had in our doghouses my dad built so that they were flesh up inside the roof and he also secured them and put grating over them so that they couldn't break or the dogs couldn't bump them or break them

 

[arff]

Be very careful with electrial in a dog house.
Went to a fire 2 years ago and the wiring in the dog house was the cause and burnt the people house down.

 

[-LadyDirt-]

we didn't have the heatlamps on all the time either, just when it was unbearably cold..they were insulated enough that unless it was -30 the dogs stayed pretty warm

 

[macronut]

just a tip , do NOT use heat lamps!!!! i breed dogs so i know from experience! my female (jazz) had a litter of pups , and she bumped the lamp it fell down and set the blankets on fire soon the hole shed went up in smoke! my dad got a stick , flipped the lock open , she ran out and rolled in snow , when she came out she was actually on fire!!!! all 6 pups died from smoke inhalation! the shed burnt to the ground by the time the fire department got there!! just my 2 cents! that day sucked!!!!

Yes heat lamps bad in a dog house! Use a regualr incandescent bulb with protective cage around it. Also electrical is fine to use in a dog house as long as it's wired to code and is roughed into the walls as it should be! Dogs will chew cords if they see them available to chew on All my works meets code if not better.