2006-11-29 06:33:24 · 15 answers · asked by v 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
It really does depend on the dog and the thickness of their undercoat. I use to have a Samoyed and a German Shepard, in the winter they would grow lush undercoats. one night they were out in their kennel and as the evening progressed the temp dropped to single digits. I thought " oh my god i have to bring the dogs in", I went out to the kennel to get them and what were they doing? were they in the dog house? no. were they huddled together? no. they were, in fact, sprawled out on the frosty ground like it was a hundred degrees out. funny huh? we tend to forget that dogs are designed to live in the outdoors, hence the fur coat.
2006-11-29 08:36:44 · answer #1 · answered by thelogicalferret 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Depends on whether or not it's an outdoor and/or cold weather breed like a Husky or a Malamute. My old Husky/Shepherd cross was never happy until the first snowfall of the year, and he would've been perfectly content to stay outside all winter. He had the thick double-coat for it, but some dogs simply can't adjust to the outdoors or the colder temps.
Size also plays a factor: smaller dogs just don't handle the cold as well as a larger dog. They need extra protection even at 30 or 40 degrees that a larger dog doesn't. And even for a larger breed, make sure that the dog house is located out of the wind and snow, so that the dog can get in and out easily,
If the dog house is well-insulated, the water source won't freeze over, and the dog does well in cold weather, then I don't think there's a problem. Just make sure that you have plenty of straw or other insulating material for the dog to lay on. Even the best-insulated dog houses can have a cold floor if not padded, and that's not pleasant or healthy for the dog to rest on.
2006-11-29 14:42:35 · answer #2 · answered by Wolfeblayde 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If the dog house is an appropriate size, and depending on the dog, it might be warm enough. A dog house shouldn't be much larger than the dog; it's the dog's own body heat that warms the house. If the dog house is too large, the body heat isn't "concentrated" (for lack of a better term) and the dog will not be warm.
Bedding should be straw, not a blanket. If it gets wet, the straw won't hold the water and the dog will still be comfy. If a blanket gets wet, it remains wet for awhile and could freeze, making the dog colder and possibly leading to frostbite.
2006-11-29 14:40:02 · answer #3 · answered by melissa k 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To make it warmer for them you need to put straw/hay in the dog house for insulation. Also make sure that the door to the dog house is facing away from the wind - put close to the house or other structure to keep it out of the wind. You might also want to cover the dog house with a blanket or something else to give it a little bit more insulation. If possible, it would be best to bring the dog in the house when it is that cold.
2006-11-29 14:38:56 · answer #4 · answered by lb2006 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Depends on what "them" is.
Your in-laws? Fish? Tropical house plants?
No.
A medium-to-long-haired dog?
If you put dry straw in there, and have the house facing south, with a scrap of carpet over the doorway, that 35 degrees will quickly be warm enough where the dog will be spending time out in the yard.
2006-11-29 14:51:15 · answer #5 · answered by tmlamora1 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No but you can put a 40 watt light bulb in one behind some chicken wire so the dog wont get hert and turn it on for over night this is enuff to keep the dog warm ,you may also want to cover the front with a plastic flap.
2006-11-29 14:41:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dog houses normally just protect the dog from the wind and rain. Dog houses should have a heated floor, when it is that cold out side. By the way dogs loose 67%of there body heat from the pads on there feet.
2006-11-29 14:37:20 · answer #7 · answered by ? 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well I have half a dozen dogs outside playing right now and it is 4 degrees. Dogs are not nearly the wimps people make them out to be. The trick with a dog house is that the less extra space there is the warmer the dog house will be. Dogs (wolf, fox, etc) live outside all winter long, and have done so successfully for about 100,000 years. It is in there genes, they know how to take care of themselves in the cold.
2006-11-29 14:59:36 · answer #8 · answered by tom l 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
It all depends on the breed and the dog house. I grew up in alaska, where we had labrador retreivers. It got down to 20 below. One day I was worried about the dogs, and went out to check it out....they were warm and happy. Of course, we did build our own dog house, and it was very well insulated.
2006-11-29 14:42:55 · answer #9 · answered by Michael N 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on the dog. My Jack Russell can't even tolerate 55 degrees without shivering. A dog house would have to be heated for her.
2006-11-29 14:42:44 · answer #10 · answered by Salami and Orange Juice 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the breed, but yes, most all dogs can live comfortably in a dog house as long as the temperature is above freezing (32 deg F).
2006-11-29 14:36:46 · answer #11 · answered by non_apologetic_american 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋