Best insulation material for doghouse?

Question

I need to build a doghouse pronto--it's freaking cold here, which is very unusual. I found plans that call for styrofoam--is that really good insulation, or would I be better off going with fiberglass insulation or even shredded newspaper? It's in the low 30s, with windchills expected to reach the teens.

Thanks for your answers so far. I should clarify that these plans call for an outer wall, then insulation, then an interior wall--so the dog will not be able to get at the insulation. So. Choices are styrofoam, fiberglass insulation material, shredded newspaper, or nothing--just two or so inches of still air between the two walls. What's best?

Answer 1

Ive got a dog house of the type you are asking about. We built it for our daschund/beagle mix dog.

As with any insulating material, the thicker the better. So the question becomes, how much do you want to spend on your doghouse?

Ideally, you would use 2x6 studs to frame the dog house, and use the thicker fiberglass insulation to get a better R-rating (R-19 minimum, I would suggest) Also, dont forget to insulate the floor and roof.

We built our roof as a "lift-off" .... so we can clean inside the doghouse easily -- its heavy tho... hehehe..takes two of us to lift it off. But the dog stays warm even in the worst weather.

If you have any kind of a slope to your yard where the doghouse is going to be set.... leave the end of it open underneath... it'll actually be cooler under there during the summer. That's something we learned with our dog. She sleeps in the house, but during the worst heat of the day, you will find her under the house, lol.

As someone has already mentioned... line the walls (if using carpet) and not the floor. We actually use a heat reflective material on the inside of the wall. We found that when we put a piece of scrap carpet, or blanket in the house, that when it got the slightest bit damp, the dog would drag it out of the house, lol.

We lined the floor of our house with a piece of scrap vinyl flooring... those are easy to find at any flooring store, or home supply store, and dont cost much. It also makes cleaning much easier. We just stapled ours down.

A good, often overlooked, tip -- is in the door opening -- make it no larger than your dog can enter the house comfortably. And, staple some heavy plastic strips over the opening (preferably clear) to help keep out the wind. Making the door opening no larger than your dog, will help keep it warmer inside.

We actually went one step farther in building our doghouse....we built the frame large enough, so that the roof, and floor, actually extend beyond the "sleeping quarter", creating a covered "front porch". We got some teasing about our "dog condo" -- but it really does help keep the dog comfortable. She can often be found on her "porch" during rainy weather, and during the winter, we can tack a sheet of heavy plastic to the sides, to further block out the wind.

Someone else mentioned a heating pad for pets... these are easy to find, just look at any pet supply store, or web site. They can be purchased in a variety of sizes, and are meant to be slipped inside a pet bed, or under it, usually. They have a thermo-switch, so they turn off when reaching the desired temperature, so they are very safe to use. You can expect to pay $25 or more for one of these. If you want to spend a few hundred dollars...I know there is actually a small heat/air unit made for pet houses, and actually come large enough to take care of small sheds, if necessary.... but those are expensive. Its best to start with a well built pet house.

Again... use thick walls and floors... thick insulation (I used fiberglass), and like you said... line the interior with a plywood or OSB sheathing to keep the pet and the insulation apart. Insulate the roof. (I forgot to mention roof cover... I used shingles to match our home, but you can also use corrugated fiber panels. You can find these at Lowe's, I know... Avoid corrugated steel....be too hot in the summer). Make the door opening large enough for your pet to enter comfortably, but no larger. I suggest an opening about 6" higher than the dog's shoulders, and no more than 6" to 8" wider than the dog. Frame the opening too... to keep the insulation between the walls, and not reachable by the pet there.

Building a dog house like this takes time, (and material).... but its a good investment for your pet's health and comfort. (not to mention bragging rights for yourself, lol)

In the meantime -- let your dog into the garage, if you have one, or if it is extremely cold, a laundry room, shed, or even, if necessary, the bathroom, of a night, to protect it from freezing weather.

I dislike the idea of using a heat lamp, and any kind of burnable material.... too much of a fire hazard in my opinion. I know a lot of folks do it.... just not a risk I'm willing to take. I'd rather use a pet bed heater, or a low heat, heating pad, hung on the wall. (Hang it on the wall, and you wont have the dog dragging it out of the house because it got wet, lol)

One last suggestion... use SCREWS to assemble this... not nails....again, just my opinion, but screws hold better, don't back out on you, and you can always repair, or remodel, much easier later, by using screws, than if you had used nails.

You should also consider a heated water dish.... if its cold enough to freeze water outside where you are at. (It is here) Last year we bought a large pet water dish, that is heated, so that the water will not freeze over, leaving the pet thirsty. We got ours at our local farm supply store, for about $10. It didnt ice over, even when the temperature dropped to below zero. Its important to keep a water supply ready for your dog....it is all to easy to let them dehydrate.

Good Luck and have fun! (Im sure your dog will appreciate the effort and expense)

Answer 2

Insulated Dog House

Answer 3

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RE:
Best insulation material for doghouse?
I need to build a doghouse pronto--it's freaking cold here, which is very unusual. I found plans that call for styrofoam--is that really good insulation, or would I be better off going with fiberglass insulation or even shredded newspaper? It's in the low 30s, with windchills expected to...

Answer 4

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i would think that if they were used as a crumpled filler (not packed too tight) between two layers of material they'd be perfect, but that'd be more a form of insulation you'd use as a barrier against cold rather than heat. If you're working for shade and a bit of protection from heat you need a more heat reflective barrier and a way to allow air to circulate. I guess i am thinking that insulating a doghouse in the summer and not cooling it would be counterproductive.

Answer 5

I'm glad you asked that question, here's what I did. Right after the election I went down to the street corner and confiscated two Campaign signs. they were 4'X8' and made out of that plastic type material that doesn't disintegrate. It is about 1/4 inch thick, and is made up of a top piece and a bottom piece, with little dividers every inch or so.They look like a capital H layed on its side and are continuous . I've heard of people capping off the bottom of the sheets and filling the insides with water to make a great solar hot water panel. If you can imagine.! The year before I found about 12-of these panels in the trash so I got them and they replaced the 4X8' pieces of ply wood that I was going to have to use for the roof of my carport. They can't rot and they worked great. For my roof, I had supports every 2-feet both ways. Anyway I built a heavy duty Dog House last month, and as insulation I used three layers of the stuff on the inside top, bottom, and sides of the dog's house. It worked great as insulation and with 3-layers it is very warm and comfortable to sleep on. You might want to consider them!

Answer 6

I would only use insulation if I were going to "sandwich it" like wood then insulation (Styrofoam)then wood again -

I live in the south and it really doesn't get all that cold - the temps you are talking about are the very coldest it EVER gets here and that doesn't happen often - anyway I use a big plastic dog house (all one piece for no drafts) I made it out of an old plastic watering trough and I put cedar shavings in it - not only does the cedar shavings help "insulate" from the cold ground, the cedar helps to keep most bugs at bay, and also makes the dog smell better - i also have my dog house under a "lean to" type shop with three walls and the dog house faces the back wall to help keep out cold drafts - I have also been told not to use hay that it can cause (or contribute to ) mites

Answer 7

Many people love the idea of owning a dog but one thing that they have to keep in mind often times, is that the dog needs to be trained. While the pet may look heart-breakingly cute when it's in a shelter or at the pound, picking out the dog is only the first part of the relationship between dog owner and the animal. Many people don't understand that they have to put time and effort into socializing the dog.

An unsocialized dog will intimidate others, tear up the home, and will create an environment that can become so bad that the it will have to be returned. Many times when dogs have to be returned to shelters or to other resources, it will end up euthanized, which is very heartbreaking. All of this can be spared if a person learns the various techniques in order to socialize the dog.

One thing that they have to understand is that the he wants to be told what to do. It's in the canine nature to follow a leader. The dog will be more than willing to obey the leadership of its master. Here's a look at some common techniques that are used in dog training:

"Dog Whispering"

This is a technique that has been around for a while, but gained national notoriety over the last 10 years. Some people might hear this term and wonder how in the world whispering to a dog can train it! Whispering isn't meant to be taken literally in this case. As trainers have shown, whispering is a term that refers to connecting with a being or an entity on a very deep and almost spiritual level. When it comes to dog training techniques, dog whispering involves careful observation of the dog's behavior and actions.

It literally entails getting inside the mind and the behavior system of the canine. When a person uses dog whispering techniques, they interact with the dog on the canine level. Again, one the most common mistakes that people make is treating the dog like a small human being.

"Reward Training"

Reward training is very simple and it's one of the older tricks that works. This is a simple method of training the dog by positive reinforcement. Once he does what it is told to do, it receives a treat. How this works is that the dog owner must entice the dog towards the treat. Once the canine develops awareness for the treat, it develops a strong desire for it. When the desire for it is extremely strong, the dog owner pulls back. Then the dog receives a command and when the dog obeys the command, it receives the treat. The object is to make the dog associate a treat with the command.

"Clicker Training"

Other dog training techniques include one that is similar to reward training, which is called clicker training. How this works is that the clicker is incorporated to get the dog's attention. The clicker is clicked as a form of communication with the dog. It learns that there is a command or reward associated in conjunction with the clicker. Many people claim that this is fun, and they actually make a game with the dog by using the clicker for their dog training tasks.

"Ultrasonic Whistle"

Last, a relatively new form of dog training technique is called the ultrasonic whistle. This works because the ultrasonic sound is only heard by the dog. When the owner is trying to communicate a command, or stop the dog from barking, they will blow on their whistle when they want to communicate a command to the dog. The benefit of this is that the humans can't hear this noise, but the dog can hear it, and they will learn to associate the sound with a command.

Dog training techniques aren't hard to incorporate, but they are something that absolutely must be incorporated from the time a dog owner brings their new dog home. No matter how old or how young the dog is, they will need training. Once they are trained properly, they will be a wonderful addition to one's family.

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Answer 8

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After I started training my dog, he became very attached to me and loves to stay by side as long as he can. But just going to them won't help. You have to practice what they teach you outside of the class and you need to keep up with it at least every now and then after the class ends otherwise they'll just go back to previous habits. This course is a really good place to go for dog obedience classes. It get's your dog around other people and dogs to socialize while getting the training you need. As for electric collars, I would say to not get one. In my experience, they're only a negative effect on your dog. I mean of course you're going to need to correct your dog, but being positive and encouraging your dog works a lot faster and easier.

Every dog is different, so unless you have a german shepherd or a really smart dog, it might take a while to train her. You might get frustrated with her, but go easy. She's still a puppy and has a lot of energy. A backyard or somewhere to run will help her get rid of a lot of energy that might cause her to misbehave from boredom.

Answer 9

It is very difficult to train a dog if you do not have the proper dog training equipment. The right piece of equipment, when properly fitted, helps aid in communication between you and your pet.

Leather Dog Collars, Harnesses, and Leashes

Basic training equipment that every owner needs is a leather dog collar and a dog leash. When you are placing the collar on your pet, you will want to make sure that it is snug enough that it won't slide over your dog's head should they balk, but it isn't so tight that it is restricts their ability to breathe.

Every time you put the collar on your dog, you need to check the fit. Puppies grow, and older dogs can gain and lose weight as well, which will also impact how the collar fits. In addition to making sure that the collar fits properly, you will want to check to make sure that the buckle isn't showing signs of strain, that the stitching is good, and that the leather hasn't developed dry rot.

Many people also like to have a leather dog harness for their dog. Many dog owners feel that a dog harness is more secure, and also provides better control than a traditional dog collar. The harness allows you to move the dog's entire torso, as opposed to simply jerking on the neck when you need the dog to stop or heel.

Knowing How to Properly Use Dog Training Equipment

Knowing the type of equipment that you need is only part of the dog training experience. You also need to know how to properly use it. The best way to make sure that you are using the equipment properly is by signing up for a dog obedience course.

The great thing about dog obedience courses is that you will be working with someone who knows how dog training equipment works, and they will also be able to offer tips and suggestions about what you can do when you and your pet seem to be having communication issues. It is important to note that if you have a pet that tends to be aggressive, whether towards other dogs or people, the instructor might suggest that your dog wear a dog muzzle. This will allow the other dog owners in the surrounding environment to feel more secure, and may also prevent the outbreak of a fight from ensuing between your dog and other dogs in the class.

Advanced Dog Training Options

As your pet gets older, you may decide to explore more training options. Once a dog has mastered basic obedience, there are several different options available to you. Some people decide that they want to teach their puppy how to move through obstacles, and then later go on to compete in agility classes.

Some people even decide to learn more about having their dog certified to be a search and rescue dog. If you decide that you want to pursue a specific type of advanced dog training, you will be required to purchase additional dog training equipment that is applicable for your specific needs.

The exact type of equipment that you and your dog will need will depend on the type of training you pursue. For example, if you are hoping to utilize your dog as a means of protection, chances are highly likely that any attack dog training equipment that you will need will be entirely different from the majority of the training tools that you would purchase for agility training.

When you have the proper dog training tools, and have been educated about how they should be used in the proper manner, you will find that training your canine family member is much easier than you would expect.

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Answer 10

don't use insulation in a dog house they will chew on it an it will hurt or worse. A dog has warmer blood than we do I would put hay in an a heat lamp.

Answer 11

Just a 75 watt light bulb will keep your dog warm! You might tack strips of fabric (overlapping) over the door. That way, the dog can come and go without difficulty and the strips will help keep the heat from the light bulb in.