Gun Dog Forum

Right now, I have one of those dogloo style houses. Both of my dogs are using it now. It might be a little cramped for them, especially as Cowboy gets bigger.
I plan to build a nice insulated dog house. In looking around the net I have found several pictures that are similar to what I plan to make.

Key things I like.
-Insulation. 1/2 to 1 inch foam insulation between the walls.
-Hallway entrance. Hard to explain. Look at the pictures. This should cut down on wind.
-Hinged Roof. Easy access for cleaning and adding straw, blankets etc...
-Has to be up off the cold ground.
-Possible heating light? Needs to be indestructable.
-Some kind of door flap. Carpet? Rubber?

Other ideas? Comments are appreciated.

I also plan to put the doghouse outside of my chain link kennel. I will cut a hole in the chain link to give them access. I want my dogs warm this winter! On the coldest of night they will be brought inside anyway. But I want to build them the best warm doghouse I can.

Check out these pictures and you will get the general idea for my plans so far.

I had a dog house that had the door to one side and the dog would go to opposite side to lay down. This dog house also had the removeable top for easy cleaning. If you build the inner wall will it give the dog enough fresh air ?

I have two boxes inside a 8X12 lawn shed idenical to the first pic you show. I also had one outside very much like it only i had the front hinged instead of the top so i could raise it and leave it open in the summer. Dogs really liked the shade in the summer and an open place to sleep. I wouldn't worry too much about heat if you build it like that and insulate it. I never heated a kennel for any of my dogs and had no problems even when it got to 20 below or colder. I am a little concerned though when the dog is inside most of the time if it would get that cold out.

I even had puppies in the winter without heat as long as they were in a good dog house.

Ezzy

I use the plastic barrels but in the past I built some similar to what you have posted. I did not insulate them and I believe I built them a little week for my dogs. Niki dug out the bottom, Clown chewed the sides down.
One thing to think about is don't build it to big. If the dog can go in Stand and turn around you got it. The heat from the dog takes the chill off and is trapped a little in it.
Years ago I used some heating lights, then some heating pads. I had a hard time stoping the dogs from chewing, tearing and ripping the heat source out so I just use straw or wood chips know.

I really like this design. We've got a young pup heading our way in the next month and need a good permanent dog house with insulation and the removeable top for adding and cleaning out the bedding. Do you have specs or a plan with the measurements on this design ? I need to build one soon.

-Thanks.

I have detailed plans and material lists for that house send me a pm with your email address and I will attach then and send them to you.

They are jpeg files, so I cannot PM them they have to be emailed.








Here is a very good economical heater to make.

It works best with a house with a removable or hinged cover like the one described in the Dog House Plans.

Go to a paint store and buy an unused 1 gallon paint can with the lid. Punch 1/16" dia holes on the lid and sides of the can about 1" apart. Keep the holes small enough to prevent much light from getting through yet still allow convective heat to escape. Punch a hole in the bottom about 1" in diameter.

Mount the can, with an electrical box inside with the spot for wires centered over the 1" hole to the wall of the kennel keeping 4" of clearance on all sides to allow heat to circulate. You will need to run the wiring to the correct location first of course. Connect a porcelin lightbulb socket to the electrical box, wire it up and put a bulb in the base, put the lid on and bend the handle to use like a spring to keep the lid in place.

Accessories that can be included (after all it is built by guys) are a dimmer switch to control heat and an indoor-outdoor thermometer to keep tabs on the temperature.

Quite easy to build.

I knew a guy in Alaska that had Gordons. he worried about the dogs getting to cold so built an insulated dog house for them. They slept in the door way, wouldn't go in.

If the house is insulated and bedded well there should never be a need for heat. I wouldn't cover the door ways either as lack of air circulation is a lot worse than the cold. With a house like this the dog should always be able to get out of the wind and as long as its dry they should be fine.

Ezzy

What is the ideal temp that the dog house should keep with the dog in the house and say its 0 to 10 degrees outside ? Basically when is the dog to warm in the house or when is he to cold ?

Does anyone on here have thermometers in there dog houses to watch the temp, what will the dog keep it at and how much insulation is in your house ?

I don't think there is an ideal temp for the air in the house. What you are concerned with is the dog warm and that depends a lot on its coat, lack of movement of the air, and a low humidity. Its much like your bedroom. The temp of the air means little, it is how many covers you are under. With a decent haircoat the dog is pretty insulated when he is curled up and has a deep hole in the bedding to snuggle down in.

Ezzy

The house is similar to what I built for my five.

1) I used 1/4 louan inside with FRP glued to it Makes for easy cleaning and no scratching the sides or chewing. The 1/4" louan heats up faster than the 1/2" Plywood and the benifit of the insulation is realized quicker
2) Painted the floor and ceiling with flat paint.
3) Used chest hold opens like at Home Depot (stanley hardware)
4) Used 1" insulation and glued in place. ( Use the glue for styrofoam as others will eat the foam.
5) Used 1/2 Plywood out side for durablity and covered with white coil stock like you use on house trim. Easy cleaning. Less heat accumilation from the sun. I used Sta-put adhesive to attach the coil stock to the plywood.
6) Finally, used thing aluminum corners screwed to corners to prevent chewing and pressure treated skids on the bottom to raise of the ground and easier to level out.
7) I use straw as it seems to hold heat better and the dogs seem to like it better.

With a decent haircoat the dog is pretty insulated when he is curled up and has a deep hole in the bedding to snuggle down in.

Define decent haircoat Ezzy.....We have new dog boxes just like the ones being described n this thread now and I also have 3 barrels houses. ( the Kennels project has been delayed due to weather and not all of the boxes are finished being constructed yet) I have been making Brian crazy with my worrying about the dogs in this latest blast of frigid temps. Have been bedding with LOTS and LOTS of hay for everyone in the houses but have been worried because there aren't "doors" on the barrel houses.

Everyone seems fine...

The Brits have a single coat...meaning no real undercoat to speak of.

So what you are saying is that I'm being a worry wart and driving Brian nuts for for nothing????

The only dogs I have seen have trouble with the cold were vizslas that had a very short, fine coat that layed close to their skin. It didn't provide even a shallow dead air space next to the skin that a decent coat provides. Animals either have a hair coat on the outside to provide insulation or a fat layer on the inside that does the same thing, ie seal or walrus. That fat layer also helps many of our domestic animals also. I fed 100 Herford steers for years here in Northern IL and didn't have a building for them to get into. Just a timber with a couple of small hills and a couple of ravines where they coul get out of the wind. I never had a sick one and their hair coats were beautiful. I did have to feed a little extra corn to help keep them warm. I finally got to where I could afford a shed and we never made it through the winter without several cases of pnemonia, less than ideal haircoats, and even a death quite often. Seems it all came from the damp high humidity as they all crowded into the shed at night. There in lies the area we all need to be concerned about rather than temp.

Again if the dogs are well fed, are out of the wind and are dry with good bedding they will be fine. Start feeling sorry for them and making a house to tight without indirect ventilation and you are asking for trouble.

Ezzy

The simplest, cheapest, and best design I've seen for cold weather dog boxes is this.

Make a box out of 3/4" plywood just big enough to slide a 40-55 gallon plastic barrell inside with about 3" space all around, and 3.5" space between the barrell and the back end of the box.

Use standard 3.5" fiberglass home wall insulation or loose fiberglass insulation like is blown. Put it on the back end of the box. Fill the void between the barrell and the rest of the box.

for an entrance use a 5 gallon bucket to trace a circular door in the end of the barrell. Then cut a face plate for the house out of plywood with the same size entry hole.

Even in sub zero weather a shorthaired dog will be quite comfortable as long as the door is out of the direct wind.

The 55 gallon size will be quite adequate for two adult dogs up to about 50lbs each, the smaller barrel for one.

CR

I dont insulate my dog houses either, dont add inside wall, dogs chew it up in my case. Use straw for inside the house. They been out all winter and no problems yet. Take em inside and they pant their faces off, want outside where the cold keeps em cool.

Ever see a cow or horse with snow on its back? feel sorry for that critter? Well dont, his natural hide is keeping him warm, there is a layer of fat that insulates his hide so snow is good, no snow means fever. Do not attribute your feelins onto the dog, he isnt a human, he is a dog. They are far more weather able than you or I will ever be.

3 dog night means it is so cold you need 3 dogs to stay warm

Our 3 are house dogs but have kennel/run for when we're not home. We put bales of straw across the back and on the west end to help block the wind, there are gaps between some of the boards. The door faces south and we do not have it covered. We put cedar chips inside and they seem fine. I find it amazing when we are home and they have to go "out" they'll stay out checking things out even when it is 20 below windchill. When they are inside they are right next to the wood stove. Doesn't take much to make them happy!

Sorry to revive an old thread, but wondered if people can answer a few questions.

For people using the thick Blue Barrels as dog houses, what sort of temperature are they ok down to?

They are not insulated, just quite thick.

Are they also going to have problems with lack of ventilation?

If you are going to use a barrel, which many do. This is the way to go. How cold is largely dependent on the dog’s coat, size and bedding. A well fed 40-50lb shorthair dog, housed in a barrel filled with plenty of dry grassy hay, with the K-9 kondo door and vent can handle freezing temps. A common problem with many dog houses is they are entirely too large for the dog.

Whatever dog house you end up with, well fed, out of the wind, off the cold ground, plenty of dry bedding, adequate size/ventilation and fresh water are what a dog needs in the cold winter months if outdoors. Where do you live and what kind of dog are you housing?

Garrison

https://www.k-9kondo.com/k-9-kondo-dog- ... -shipping/

I live in the U.K., and in future I’d be looking to build an outdoor kennel setup to house English Springer Spaniels, and maybe a retriever in the mix (Lab or Golden).

I imagine the retrievers would cope better than the springers.

I am in the Southern part of the U.K. and it’s rare we get temps below 0 Celsius. Although do have some cold spells over winter where it can get below that and water freezes etc for some time.

You're going to make that house so hot, they won't sleep in it. If you have a wind baffle, you don't need a door. No heat either.
I had a kennel in Idaho and designed dog houses like you're thinking of. Metal for sanitation. Insulated with 3/4" sides, top, bottom. Removable top. I filled it with marsh hay in the winter. I had Labs and they'd sleep on top of them even in a blizzard.

gonehuntin' wrote: ↑

Sat May 21, 2022 3:10 pm

You're going to make that house so hot, they won't sleep in it. If you have a wind baffle, you don't need a door. No heat either.
I had a kennel in Idaho and designed dog houses like you're thinking of. Metal for sanitation. Insulated with 3/4" sides, top, bottom. Removable top. I filled it with marsh hay in the winter. I had Labs and they'd sleep on top of them even in a blizzard.

Are you referring to the original post? I was answering the new question about barrels.

Those breeds are cold hardy and agree, they, especially the retrievers would not need a door in those temps or colder if dry or blocked from the wind.

One nice thing about the K-9 Kondo doors is they can be propped all the way open depending on the weather, and the design of the door and vent cover do a good job of keeping rain out if they are not under a shelter. If they were open to the elements I would still opt for the kit. The round shape of barrels tends to collect rain without shelter over the top or some type of brow installed.

Garrison

Sorry Garrison. Yes, to the original post. I've never used barrels.

gonehuntin' wrote: ↑

Sat May 21, 2022 5:48 pm

Sorry Garrison. Yes, to the original post. I've never used barrels.