Heating a dog house for the winter?

Question

I would like some suggestions for heating a dog house this winter. I've already thought of putting a heating pad inside of her dog bed right under the top layer and hanging some of that thick plastic mat in front of the entrance to the dog house, but am wondering how warm that will make it. Any other ideas will be welcome on how to heat it. If your idea is to take the dog inside then buzz off, your opinion is not valid or wanted. Taking her inside is not an option. Besides, I've been reading some of these other posts where an owner is crucified for leaving their dog outside. Well, I have an 8yr old lab that goes swimming in the lake everyday in the winter and you can't drag her inside. I'm not worried about her, but my Jack Russell gets cold easily. She'll be just fine though if she has a warm dog house that she can get into whenever she wants. Her house is to big for her body to heat. Have a smaller one, but lab won't fit and Jack likes to switch houses. Thanks.

I'd like to thank everyone who gave me suggestions. The dog house is on my front porch in a corner with a wall on the right and another wall 15ft ahead of it and it's a covered porch. I'm worried that if I put a light in her house she'll get burned. She's not that smart. I have an old comforter that I put in her house and she wraps up in it. Straw is two messy, but thanks for the suggestion and I'm going to put up a door cover as soon as I find some good material. As for the two people who said to bring her inside and that dogs are social animals, 1.) reading more carfully and you'll see my response and 2.) I know dogs are social animals. I have two and I play with them everyday. The Jack Russel is the one who gets cold, the lab is fine.

Answer 1

just let her in the house

Answer 2

Heated Dog Houses

Answer 3

Heat Lamp For Dog House

Answer 4

Get a good sized wool blanket - your dog can burrow in and get cozy warm. Straw on the bottom is a good idea too.

If your dog house sits directly on the ground, think about elevating it around the corners with bricks to create an air pocket underneath. Then use a very heavy plastic to cover up any openings underneath. You could put straw under the house too - anything to create pockets of air that can hold heat close to the dog house.

Maybe relocate the doghouse to the leeward side of your home (away from where the wind blows) and maybe even use a tarp to make a wind break to protect the front of the house.

Good luck


An FYI - anything that sits directly on the ground is in general going to get colder than a structure that sits slightly above. I.E. house on a slab vs a house on a crawl space. - You don't get the benefit of the extra warmth of the earth until you get down to at least a foot and a half. By elevating and filling with loose material you create air pockets that help keep the cold out. That is basically what standard insulation does - it has lots of small holes that the air inside can warm up and create a heat barrier. But - you have to have a good weather proof exterior for this to work.

Not to rain on the parade of those who suggest electronic devices, but I don't like the idea of unmonitored electricity - in my mind that would be a fire hazzard.

Answer 5

Are you any good at sewing, or do you have a friend/relative who sews? Given the particulars of your situation, and that bringing her into the house is not an option, let's work with what you can do. I would get a couple of old blankets or matress pads from a thrift store, and then go to Wal-Mart and get one of the little emergency blankets that they sell in the sporting goods/camping department. They are about $2.00 each. These are reflective foil and they will reflect the dog's body heat back onto her. I would sandwich them between the two blankets or matress pads to keep her from trying to ingest them (not good on the digestive system). Even if they are covered up by layers of other stuff, they will work to keep it warm and cozy in the doghouse. Another suggestion would be to cover the inside walls with the stuff, but again, cover the foil with something else that she is less likely to try to chew on.

I would also get the heavy plastic you discussed to cover the door with as drafts and breezes can be enough to rob a dog's body of lifesaving heat. Good luck, and I hope these ideas help.

Answer 6

Maybe you could relocate the dog house into an area that could block most of the wind, such as a spot not to far away from your house. You could also help keep your dog warm by getting a heating pad or a temperature control bed. Also, I don't know if you are into putting apparel on your dog, but you could put your puppy in a sweatshirt and put some boots on their feet. If interested in any of this, you can check out my online pet supply store at http://APetGift.com/. I'll give you a discount if you are interested. Have a great day!

Answer 7

Is there a way to put straw in the dog house? Is there a way you could hook the drawer vent up in the dog house? This would allow heat inside of the house. Maybe some blankets. Get some scrap batt insulation and wrap the house.

Answer 8

Heres something I did that worked very well.

I took some old blankets and put inside the house for them to use. (My dogs liked to burrow as well). I hung up thick plastic/rubber pieces over the door, but you have to make sure they overlap to prevent wind from coming inside.

I ran an electrical cord to the dog house and installed a 100w light bulb close to the top of the house, in a place where they wouldnt get to it. I kept the light on at night, dont worry about the dogs sleeping with the light on, they can and will.

The light puts out quite a bit of heat and you would be suprised at how much warmer it is inside the dog house with it on.

Straw inside is another option ,but it gets messy if it gets wet or muddy.

Answer 9

I absolutely hate it when people say that people shouldnt have pets or that we dont take care of them. I have a dog that lives outside and thats just where some dogs are happy. Anyways, i give him lots of straw and change it out often. I have thought of building a bigger shed type area that he can just come in and out of when he wants with maybe a heat lamp in there or two. My dog would shred a heating pad, and he loves to chew up his doghouse too. I think if you have a shed its an idea to fence off a lil part and put a doggy door in it where they can go in and out of the warmth. Of course you'd have to monitor the heat lamps too.

Answer 10

You could run an extension cord and a heat lamp to the dog house. Attach it above the dog house pointing down towards the door and hang a tarp above the lamp. My sister does this for her dogs when they are outside in the winter.

Answer 11

maybe you could put an electric blanket inside the dog house with a temp. control. just make sure you put some type of cord covering such as a half in. pvc water pipe. you can cut the pipe down 1 side and push the cord in thru the slit. this way she would stay warm and not chew the cords. good luck.