every night after I go to bed they drag all of their blankets out to the yard and when I come to check on them in the morning they are sleeping on the blankets in the yard instead of in their nice warm igloo....does anyone have any suggestions to get them to stop doing this...it really worries me especially as it is getting colder. Keeping them inside is not an option! Please Help.
2006-10-01 05:57:57 · 16 answers · asked by KatieJ 3 in Pets ➔ Dogs
They do not realize it is colder outside...they just sleep on the blankets wherever they have dragged them..even if it's freezing they still do this.
2006-10-01 06:03:24 · update #1
They are (2) short hair...look like small black labs...1 is half whippet..he is pretty small.
2006-10-01 06:04:35 · update #2
they may not like the igloo..or it may be to warm for them..what part of the country do you live in? does it snow?
during the winter..those doggies will freeze to death. even with the blankets and igloo..especially if you live where it gets down to negative temperatures..you will have to bring them inside..do you want dead dogs? leaving them outside in the cold is cruelty to them.
2006-10-01 06:12:39 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Put hay in the bottom of the igloo...they won't drag that all out and it is a good insulator. And make sure the igloo has a flap on the doorway to keep the cold out and retain the heat from their bodies when they are inside. Part of the reason they keep going outside may be because there really is no difference in the temperature in the igloo or outside.
2006-10-01 15:36:57 · answer #2 · answered by Redawg J 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately, blankets really don't keep dogs very warm, they just provide some cushion. When your dogs pull their blankets out, do they bring them to the same place in your yard? or do they just drag them all over?
Sometimes, dogs don't like where the igloo is in a yard, and as one of the posters pointed out, be sure that the opening is not facing windy area. Try re-positioning your igloo to one of the areas that they bring there blankets to, perhaps the wind-flow is different in that spot;
Or, perhaps closer to your home or a fence-line.
Placing a lamp is a great idea, but only if your dogs are not chewers. You don't want them chewing on an electrical cord!
You can also go to your local farm supply store and purchase a thick rubber mat (the type that are used for footing inside horse trailers). They range from 3/4" to 1" thick, and come in different lengths and widths. You can cut this to fit the floor of the igloo for better cushioning, as I think the bottom of igloos are not very comfortable to a dog, and being on the ground, it don't think it's very warm, either. I had left over mats from my trailers, so this helped with my igloo.
To make it even more comfortable, I bought a bale (or you can get bagged) of cedar shavings and stuffed them into "cushions" that I made. They slept in their igloo after that.
Since I have large dogs, I went to my local thrift store and bought some king size sheets. I doubled them up, then folded them in half, and then quartered. They will now be 4-ply thick, and should withstand dog-feet. I passed the three sides through the sewing machine. I made a couple of passes for strength, and put velcro on the open end.
This way I could change the cedar shavings whenever they needed to be changed. Place your cushion inside of the igloo, if it is made large enough it should be to hard for them to easily pull through the opening of the igloo. If you don't over stuff it, the dogs will be able to kind of move the cedar around inside of the pad to make "comfy" spots.
You will then have a nice, fat, warm, cheap, flea-free, cushion for your dogs to sleep on, instead of blankets that they drag out. Of course you can still put their blankets in with the pads...and if they chew it up or destroy it, it won't cost you hardly anything. If your dogs are not really big, you might be able to get away with doubleing up some king sized pillow casses, but they may be able to pull them out too.
I did have one dog that would not have anything to do with an igloo except for stand on top of it! I hope some of my ideas help someone out there if they don't work for you. :)
Good Luck!
2006-10-01 15:50:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Blankets won't keep them warm no matter where the blankets are placed...unless they sleep UNDER the blankets...not on top of them. Like, when YOU are in bed...you are under the blankets not on top of them.
Face the igloo entrance away from the wind, near a solid fence or the house. I also like the idea of the drop light with 40 watt bulb to act as a heater INSIDE the igloo. Dogs know how to sleep with the light on.
2006-10-01 13:07:56 · answer #4 · answered by iCCC 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My dogs don't like the igloo either. Their content with a make shift awning against the fence. Though when it did get very cold they found their way to the igloo. I've also noticed when I brought it near the back door with their food they would sometimes sit in it waiting for me to come out for feeding or when I got home to play.
2006-10-01 13:24:08 · answer #5 · answered by joe s 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
when it gets colder they'll probably realize that their igloo is much warmer than sleeping in the yard. just keep putting their blankets in the igloo at night and they'll figure it out that if they want to stay warm, they have to sleep in the igloo. as long as you make sure the igloo is within their reach, i think they'll be fine.
2006-10-01 13:00:51 · answer #6 · answered by mighty_power7 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Puppies will sleep together to keep warm. If you want them thier house then try putting a lamp over it to keep them warm and draw attention to the house. But i had puppies in January and they all would sleep under the shed in the back yard instead of in the dog house with blanket and none of them died. They are ok they will keep theirselves warm one way or another.
2006-10-01 19:13:15 · answer #7 · answered by crystalyn129 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Instead of lots of blankets try a drop light they are about 5.00 at wal-mart. Hang it in the top of the igloo and it will be like having them a little heater.
2006-10-01 13:07:27 · answer #8 · answered by Heather S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well, don't worry, i think you should get them a real big cage so that they can go in but not out. Leave water and some food for them and blankets, keep them in the shade and make sure they are comfortable. And think to yourself: How would you like to sleep outside with all that bad weather, and dirty floor and air?
2006-10-01 13:04:54 · answer #9 · answered by miajj16 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It must be too hot from them in their igloo. Dogs aren't stupid, and won't be cold if they don't have to. Our German Shepherd would sleep in the snow sometimes, over his warm, insulated dog house because it was simply to hot in it from his body heat. They will move in when they get to cold outside, don't worry!
You could also try straw instead, it's a lot harder to move around!
2006-10-01 13:04:04 · answer #10 · answered by starryhalo22 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋