Should we be putting cedar chips in our beagles house in winter?

Question

We have a few outside dogs including two old beagles. They have been together since they were about 3 months old. They are male and female (fixed) and are like an old married couple, grump and ggrrr at each other, but play together and sleep side by side in the same house. In years past for Winter my husband has insisted we put a rug or blanket over their door, to prevent wind from blowing right in their house and cedar bedding in the house. I have no problem with the rug over the doorway, but the cedar chips turn out to be just gross. What they don't flip out into the pen ends up kind of crusted to the house floor and in the house's corners and requires a very good scrubbing in the Spring and guess who does the scrubbing? Not my husband. I just wondered if the chips really do any good? or are they even good for the dogs?

Answer 1

I would suggest straw....cedar chips are good in summer because they keep the bugs out. But in the winter, I would put straw down. I use it in my dog houses. Its a natural insulator, cushion, and keeps them dry. No crusting up!

Answer 2

if you cannot bring them inside for the cold nights, make sure their doghouse is all sealed up and well insulated. i'd use straw and hang a piece of carpet over the door that is cut so it will let the dogs in and out easily while keeping out wind. blankets inside the house are not a good idea they don't stay dry and get filthy. people use cedar because it smells good and keeps the bugs out. like someone already said cedar is harmful. but what you can do instead (spring-fall) is use aspen chips or that recycled paper bedding and in the bottom of the house and throughout their area sprinkle lightly dry purex (yes laundry soap) to keep the bugs away with no negative effects to the dogs or kids nearby.

Answer 3

It is worth getting a dog house with a heater for the winter. They are old dogs and are less able to retain body heat.

If you do not want to do that, you can point the door of the house towards a solid wall, get them a pet bed with plenty of cushioning and a disc that you put into the microwave. Put the disc on top of the bed but under a blanket.

You can remove the bedding every week and give it a good wash and dry to fluff it up.

You can get these at many places:

http://www.petmarket.com/snuggle-safe-heat-pad-p-7.html

Answer 4

The issue is that dogs are poor generalizers - it's not that the dog is "sneaky, greedy" etc, but that they have no intrinsic sense of morality or "rightness" and so only think something is "bad" if it has bad consequences. If it has never had bad consequences except with a human in the room, then how on earth are they to know that the rules still apply with the human out of the room? You need to train in such a way that corrections and rewards occur when the dog does not think you are present - i.e. hiding around the corner. Read here https://tr.im/ompaT

I personally owned a Labrador Retriever (read: chow hound) that could be left 6" from a hot dog in a sit-stay for half an hour and not touch it - the word was "mine" and it meant that you don't touch that, even if I am not in the room, even if whatever, you DO NOT touch that. You could leave a plate of food on the floor for hours and not only would she not touch it, she would also keep the other animals (dogs and cats) from touching it.

In all probability, these dogs studied were just not properly trained/proofed before the experiment. With "proofing" to set them up and catch them in the act to give

Answer 5

I don't think of beagles as outside type of dogs, ( especially since they are older they should be inside) but since thats already the case, my sister uses straw for ground cover and insulation. but have you considered using the straw to cover the ground and putting cedar chips in burlap bags to use as bedding or against the walls of the dog house to futher insulate? its just an idea, a guess really, I don't know if it will work.

Answer 6

Cedar chips other than being contained in like a dog bed, I believe anyway, is hard on any animals lungs and noses.
I also believe cedar chips contribute to kennel cough.
Just to be clear, I said contribute not cause.
I`d go with straw like the other person said.

Answer 7

Definately put a rug (heavy) over the door to keep out the cold as best as possible. I took care of a dog that stayed outside 24/7 and we bought him a bale of straw that we put in his dog house, the front got nasty and dragged out when he went in and out and it got dirty and muddy but the back of his kennel was a nice clean bed of straw that he'd made a nest in.

Answer 8

I would bring them in. Beagles aren't real good at tolerating cold especially when they get up in age. Scratch that if you're in Florida.
My beagle sleeps in her small crate next to our bed, wouldn't have it any other way.
If you can't bring them in make sure they have plenty of heavy blankets and put a blanket up over the entrance. Make sure they know how you go under the blanket in case they have to get out.

Answer 9

CEDAR CHIPS ARE LETHAL!!

Don't use these. The oil in cedar is aromatic and has a pleasant smell, but the fumes can cause upper respiratory infections in your dogs.

I would cut up old towels or blankets for your dogs to nest with, or buy doggie beds.

Answer 10

what u should do is bring ur dogs inside. dogs werent meant to live outside in a pen. dogs r meant to live inside and be companions. how would u guys like to live outside in a little dog house. at the very least at least let them sleep in a heated garage or a laundry room or something. sleeping in the cold isnt fun. trust me i have done it. dont let them sleep out there. what if there was a blizzard in the middle of the night wouldnt u feel bad