Outdoor dog house heater?

[CalG]

put the Kennel of your choice in a pallet.
Put a 50-65 watt bare light bulb under one portion of the kennel between the floor and the kennel. (In the pallet space beneath the kennel)

Fill the kennel with clean straw. Watch to see where the dog makes it's nest. Even that may be too warm.

Protect the lamp chord as though your new dog's life depends on it. It DOES!

 

[Jstpssng]

The shelter wouldn't take her because they didn't reside in the county. Then the dog was found running loose

There's a special place in hell for this type of people.
I get a lot of dropoffs because of where I live; never a dog (yet) but I've acquired woodchucks, cats, and I suspect that's where the rat came from. There's never "one rat", except here.

 

[drssg]

There's a special place in hell for this type of people.
I get a lot of dropoffs because of where I live; never a dog (yet) but I've acquired woodchucks, cats, and I suspect that's where the rat came from. There's never "one rat", except here.

I'm confused. You actually took in multiple "stray" woodchucks and a rat? You somehow knew that they used to be someone's pets?

 

[bmaverick]

I'm confused. You actually took in multiple "stray" woodchucks and a rat? You somehow knew that they used to be someone's pets?

Oh My !

 

[Jstpssng]

I'm confused. You actually took in multiple "stray" woodchucks and a rat? You somehow knew that they used to be someone's pets?

No. People like to take the animals they don't want, or don't want to kill out to "some back road" and dump them. I live on that back road. I suspect the rat was somebody's pet as you never see just one; but I haven't seen it in almost a year.

The worst though, was the time I took a shortcut to a friend's house one cold January night. I saw something in the road, when I got there it was a kitten sitting in the middle of the road, way too young to be alone. He hadn't even been there long enough to get cold so it's likely the dropper was right in front of me.
Probably a good thing I didn't think of that, back then I was might prone to do something stupid.

 

[2manyrocks]

I was driving back home in the dark one evening and saw two baby kittens right in the white line dividing the road that somebody had obviously just dumped. I scooped them up and took them home. They both had eye infections along with giardia. The giardia took about 5-6 months of strong meds to clear up before we found them a permanent home with a little girl who probably is in her 20's by now.

As for the shelter dog, the shelter director and I talked today about them getting the dog spayed to help calm her down and keeping her in their care for permanent adoption, but I will be going to the shelter to give the dog extra attention as a volunteer.

 

[drssg]

No. People like to take the animals they don't want, or don't want to kill out to "some back road" and dump them. I live on that back road. I suspect the rat was somebody's pet as you never see just one; but I haven't seen it in almost a year.

The worst though, was the time I took a shortcut to a friend's house one cold January night. I saw something in the road, when I got there it was a kitten sitting in the middle of the road, way too young to be alone. He hadn't even been there long enough to get cold so it's likely the dropper was right in front of me.
Probably a good thing I didn't think of that, back then I was might prone to do something stupid.

OK, I think I get it now. There are two related subjects. One is people dumping unwanted pets. The other is people trapping and releasing unwanted animals, such as groundhogs, on or near your property. Is that correct?

 

[2manyrocks]

Here is the dog during an exercise run outside at the shelter today.

 

[MossRoad]

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.

 

[bigtiller]

Here is a 3 minute video for a cold weather doghouse.

 

[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.