Insulated doghouse project photos

[Sandlot]

I had planned to go to enough physical therapy to get the hang of it and then finish on my own. We live a ways away and I can save the co-pay. Good or bad idea?

That is my plan also, once he removes my weight restriction. I have enough work that needs to be caught up on around the house, finish patio, cut wood, plenty of therapy as far as I'm concerned. It's 120 mile round trip for me. I can't wait to get at it, but I am following his instructions to the letter. I don't want to start over!

 

[gemini5362]

Hey Dogs,

Great dog house! My two knuckle heads just plain refuse to use theirs, they would rather set at the backdoor and whine or run around in the rain.

I have a little experience in the torn bicep department. I tore both tendons 90% in my right arm at the elbow and had surgery on the 25th of September. I have full range of motion in my elbow but am still having pain, swelling and stiffness in my hand. I guess there is a bunch of nerves and stuff that go thru the incision area at the elbow and things get screwed up. Strength wise, I am at about 40% and am going the physical therapy once a week.

Sandlot I had the same problem. I bought an igloo style doghouse for my doberman and he would not go in it. I bought a pad to put in it for him to be a bit more insulation off the floor. He stuck his head in long enough to pull the pad out and kept warm with some exercise by ripping that to shreds all over the yard. I bought some hay and put in the bottom of the doghouse. (a lot cheaper than buying nice padding) He still was not going in and I just decided that I felt bad for him but if he wanted to sleep on the cold ground then he just would and hopefully not freeze to death. We had some low 20s temps. I was eating some ham and decided to give the dog a piece so I went out to the doghouse and threw a piece in there. He ran in like an arrow and actually stayed in there to eat it. The next morning I looked out and saw him come running out of the doghouse after he woke up. I have noticed that now the hay looks compacted and a few times I have seen him sitting in the doghouse with his head sticking out of it. I have a plastic door that I bought with it. (To me a clear car floormat stuck over the opening would do the same job for a third of the price) After he has been sleeping in it for a month I am going to put that up and that should keep him warm with no problems through an Arkansas winter.

 

[Sandlot]

Gemini,

I too have the big dogloo style dog houses. The smaller female (Shasta) will go in them, but my LARGE dog (Roadie) no longer will. I had to set them on concrete blockes so he didn't have to crawl in but now he just doesn't bother. So, I bought one of these.

Slide-Lid Shed

Now, Shasta has taken over that storage shed and won't let Roadie in. Funny thing is, he out weighs her by at least 75 pounds! Now when it's cold, Shasta is warm and comfy and Roadie is still laying out in the dirt. Sheesh!

 

[wjoerob]

I built a fancy insulated dog house for my Shelties (Shetland Sheep dogs) a few years back, after a really nasty winter the year before. Used styrofoam sheets inside, made two compartments with an entry way, removable lid and all. They thought it was great fun to chew up the styrofoam and leave it out in the yard. Finally had to take it elsewhere so they wouldn't get poisoned by it. We now use the igloo type houses.

 

[sixdogs]

I built a fancy insulated dog house for my Shelties (Shetland Sheep dogs) a few years back, after a really nasty winter the year before. Used styrofoam sheets inside, made two compartments with an entry way, removable lid and all. They thought it was great fun to chew up the styrofoam and leave it out in the yard. Finally had to take it elsewhere so they wouldn't get poisoned by it. We now use the igloo type houses.

For anyone thinking of foam, I lined the inside of mine ---where the foam was--with OSB chipboard. Worked fine aand added more insulation for low cost.

 

[gemini5362]

I have decided hay is the medium I am going to stick with in the future. Especially at the price. My local country store keeps about 100 bales of hay on hand for people that just need a bale for a project or a few bales for some reason. I went to buy a bale from him and someone had found some straw in the road and had picked it up so nobody would hit it. They offered it to the store owner and he said to just throw it in his storage and he would find someone that needed it. When I went to buy a bale of hay he just gave me the straw. That is well within my price range

 

[sixdogs]

Surgery all done on my good arm. Have zero regrets and dogs VERY happy. Me; eight weeks immobile right arm and then therapy.

 

[Sandlot]

Eight weeks in the splint or cast? Ouch! I was in a splint and sling for three weeks then was able to take the splint off around the house and just wear the sling. When I went to work, I had to wear the splint. When I say splint, I mean a fiberglass L-shaped channel that they molded to my arm from wrist to shoulder. It was held in place with 2 big ace bandages. The doctor called it a "half cast". How is your pain level? Are you sleeping well? Sleeping was the big problem for me. I was much more comfortable setting propped up on the couch with a pillow to put my arm on.

 

[sixdogs]

Eight weeks in the splint or cast? Ouch! I was in a splint and sling for three weeks then was able to take the splint off around the house and just wear the sling. When I went to work, I had to wear the splint. When I say splint, I mean a fiberglass L-shaped channel that they molded to my arm from wrist to shoulder. It was held in place with 2 big ace bandages. The doctor called it a "half cast". How is your pain level? Are you sleeping well? Sleeping was the big problem for me. I was much more comfortable setting propped up on the couch with a pillow to put my arm on.

Doc said I had a total separation tear/failure of my right bicep tendons. I have a 100% immobility thing/cast/metal & fiberglass from armpit to fingers plus sling and am forbidden to use my right arm, hand or fingers for eight weeks or he will be unable to repair damage. After that scare, I will comply since I have other projects in mind. Arm will look like a steamed hot dog by then.
Part of the tendons I tore by leaning over to lift a 3PT lift arm incorrectly but the real damage involved the doghouse. Pain was unbearable for two days but better now. Couldn't sleep or even lay still.
My issues could have been fewer if I went to the doctor IMMEDIATELY after hearing the snapping sounds in my arm and had the surgery. Waiting won't make it better and only prolongs the agony and need for even more tests.

Dogs very content so I am happy and dog-owner's girlfriend left me a plate of cookies yesterday with a nice note. Shaping up to be a good Christmas.

So, in imitation of those before me, my 2009 goals are.

1. Do arm therapy correctly

 

[Sandlot]

Hopefully the worst is behind you except for the boredom. I still have the 10 pound restriction. My left arm is really getting in shape it looks to be twice the size of my shriveled up right arm. Here are some pictures one week after surgery. I had removed the brace to put a new dressing on my staples. Looked like a 90 year old man's arm!

 

[sixdogs]

Hopefully the worst is behind you except for the boredom. I still have the 10 pound restriction. My left arm is really getting in shape it looks to be twice the size of my shriveled up right arm. Here are some pictures one week after surgery. I had removed the brace to put a new dressing on my staples. Looked like a 90 year old man's arm!

Wow...I guess that's the steamed hot dog I was talking about.
Yours certainly looks bad and I suppose mine looks worse. And I thought I weighed 10 lbs more after the surgery and I thought this cast thing was unusually heavy. That explains everything. I feel like I have a bag of sugar tied to my arm.
Will you ever feel safe using you arm again or will you always feel the need to favor it? I feel I will forever avoid heavy weights and/or awkward positions. Thanks for the photos--I'll try to get my wife to change the dressing.

On the plus side, dog owner couldn't thank me enough for the doghouse yesterday. Said dogs stay in there at night in a bundle and come out to their old open-air plastic thing during the day. They love it. Or rather they hate being cold and damp.
Big winds and cold outside right now and I know dogs can feel none of it in their new house. Thanks again Sandlot.

 

[chris28]

love the doghouse i am thinking about one for my 2 english setters and my english pointer how much were all of your materials

 

[sixdogs]

love the doghouse i am thinking about one for my 2 english setters and my english pointer how much were all of your materials

$150 or so to do it right. If you superinsulate a sleeping compartment make sure you vent correctly to avoid condensation. For those two dogs i Would maybe make a house that is part insulated winter sleeping compartment and part summer sleeping area. Insulate one half only.
Let me know when you get closer to the build. I have more ideas. You could also just build a large doghouse cover that would just go OVER an igloo doghouse and have an offset door to keep out the wind.

 

[Sandlot]

Will you ever feel safe using you arm again or will you always feel the need to favor it? I feel I will forever avoid heavy weights and/or awkward positions.

Heck, I am even favoring my left arm! The motion that caused the damage was so slight, in my opnion, I still can't believe it caused all this pain and damage. I was just sliding a spare tire under my truck to re-mount it under the bed. POP!

I am now putting together 2 hound heaters for my dog houses. They consist of a new unused 1 gallon paint can, a bulb base, 100 watt bulb, replacement power cords, and some screws. I will mount one in each dog house. The bulb heats up the can nice and toasty and the can blocks the light. It also keeps the dogs away from the bulbs and cord. Cord is routed out of the bottom of can and out a hole in the the wall of the dog house.

 

[schmism]

built a very simular one for my dogs.

Ive used an old mudflap i find laying around on the highway for "door" material.

 

[shane]

A friend of mine who raises bird dogs pointed (pardon pun) me in the direction of straw for bedding. Dogs seem to love it. Being cellular, it holds their body heat very well. If it gets wet, it drys quickly. They won't chew it up. And, it's cheap.