# doghouse warmers/heaters.



## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

anyone ever use them..

Moved a couple months ago, dogs are outside now in outdoor kennels. The weather here is getting pretty cold now... I have had dogs outside during the winter in this area before without any real issues.it is getting down below 20 F at night here currently

I have some wood, insulated, dual chamber houses (arctic style), with straw in the sleeping chamber.

Someone was giving me shit about having the dogs outside in this climate, and was telling me I should get some dog house heaters.

I am low money guy, not gonna get anything really elaborate or too pricey, but did come across a few different styles of doghouse "warmers" and heaters...any use any of these various types?

I am pretty sure the dogs will destroy anything I put in there if they can, dont think pads would work most likely. THe houses are mounted on the outside of the kennels with only the front face of them inside the kennel, so cords and such wont be an issue.

I have seen a few other types, but it appears that they are just metal boxes with a 100 watt heating bulb/element in them..

anyone use anything to warm heat doghouses that would be applicable to mounting in a wooden house, on the cheaper side of things...

I personally am not real worried about it at all, but the nutty rescue-affiliated hippie tree hugger I am dating now seems to have trouble sleeping at night knowing the dogs are outside.  

screw it, thread is open to any type of heating system to share about, even if it costs 1000$ lol....for the people with money


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## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

knew one guy who bought some of the heaters called "milkhouse heaters" and used them. I think he liked them because they can turn off and on to a thermostat. Other than that most just insulate the house, make sure it's small enough the dog can heat it with their body heat, put down straw or some other insulating nesting medium, and make sure the wind can get in there. Some increase the food to make up for the increase metabolic rate of having to produce more body heat.


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

I have this one mounted in the inside of my plywood dog house:

http://www.gundogsupply.com/hound-heater-dog-house-furnace.html

It is sturdy, reliable (going on 4 yrs now) and my dog hasn't shown any interest in messing with it at all.

Has a thermostat, but I don't usually even keep it plugged or think about it in unless it is below 10 F, especially once the dog is acclimatized for winter.

The dog I am referring to is a short coated mal that sleeps outside. The house is a partially insulated plywood, straw filled house that is too big for the dog's size.


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## Daniel Lybbert (Nov 23, 2010)

i have 3 mals. They all live outside. They stay in a wood dog house with straw. It gets down to -30-40 degrees Celsius. They are still alive even after a few winters here. They have hair and they stay warm enough. I had a dobe and he couldnt handle the cold or wind. They are pretty sh!t when it comes to weather.


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## Ben Thompson (May 2, 2009)

Joby Becker said:


> anyone ever use them..
> 
> Moved a couple months ago, dogs are outside now in outdoor kennels. The weather here is getting pretty cold now... I have had dogs outside during the winter in this area before without any real issues.it is getting down below 20 F at night here currently
> 
> ...


I don't know about a heater unless it was a older dog...I talked to a guy back east who kept hunting dogs outside in kennels and he would feed them at midnight when it was cold. If they didn't come out of the dog house to eat he knew something was wrong.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I know a Presa breeder in Ill that has used the Hound heaters for a number of yrs and really likes them.
I'm seriously considering getting one for my older GSD. At almost ten he's begun to show arthritis. Their dog houses are double walled, full of straw and in the garage but I think a bit of warmth will do his old bones some good.


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## Alice Bezemer (Aug 4, 2010)

Joby Becker said:


> anyone ever use them..
> 
> Moved a couple months ago, dogs are outside now in outdoor kennels. The weather here is getting pretty cold now... I have had dogs outside during the winter in this area before without any real issues.it is getting down below 20 F at night here currently
> 
> ...



I have a frost protection in my kennels but I have to admit I have only ever used it when temps went to -20 Celcius. As long as the dog is out of the wind, dry and from the cold earth he is fine just the way he is. They get straw to sleep in and his inside kennel is completely isolated. -20 outside is -7/-8 inside and same goes for summer, +30 is + 21/22 inside. I hardly use the frost protection since every time I used it, with different dogs, they would go and lay in the outside kennel. Figured it annoyed them and shut it down.

Having said that, a friend of mine has an isolated kennel with a heating pad area in it. The dogs sleeping quarters is devided in 2 equal shut of spaces where one has a heating pad in the floor (raised floor, heating pad shoved inside it) and one area is unheated. The dog can pick where to lay and which makes him more comfortable. Might be an idea for you?


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## David Winners (Apr 4, 2012)

The company Trex, makers of artificial deck material, replaced an entire deck I built and I got to keep the tear off. I built dog houses out of the 5/4 decking with 2x4 frames and insulated the void with 1-1/2" blue board. The entrance wrapped around to block wind.

Even in the depths of northern Ohio winter, -10 to -20 at night, the dogs were fine with straw bedding and no artificial heat source. It was always comparatively toasty inside.

None of the dogs were short hair however. 2 labs, a saint and a samoyed. 

David Winners


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

If you can figure out a way to stabilize this set up? You're not going to get any cheaper way to heat anything.

http://www.realfarmacy.com/how-to-heat-your-room-for-15-cents-a-day/


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## Kathleen Sanderson (Sep 19, 2011)

Has anyone tried this - http://www.sweeterheater.com/ ? Or have any thoughts about how it might compare to the Hound heater?


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## Matt Vandart (Nov 28, 2012)

Sali has an insulated kennel, she chooses not to sleep in it.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

David Winners said:


> The company Trex, makers of artificial deck material, replaced an entire deck I built and I got to keep the tear off. I built dog houses out of the 5/4 decking with 2x4 frames and insulated the void with 1-1/2" blue board. The entrance wrapped around to block wind.
> 
> Even in the depths of northern Ohio winter, -10 to -20 at night, the dogs were fine with straw bedding and no artificial heat source. It was always comparatively toasty inside.
> 
> ...




I hope you never have to move those dog houses. Trex makes a great product but DAMN that stuff's heavy. :grin:


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## David Winners (Apr 4, 2012)

LOL... that's no joke! I did move them once when we were landscaping. I used the forklift from the lumber yard next door. The largest one is 4' x 6' inside, and I bet it weighs 1200 pounds. I used EPDM roofing on them and insulated the ceilings with 4" polystyrene too. They have been standing for 7 years, and still look new aside from some fading on the sunny sides and moss on the north.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Kathleen Sanderson said:


> Has anyone tried this - http://www.sweeterheater.com/ ? Or have any thoughts about how it might compare to the Hound heater?


my dogs would tear that thing to pieces I imagine. might be good for a whleping box, or for a nice indoor dog to heat above its bed or something LOL... 
outside in the kennel, everything is fair game


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## jamie lind (Feb 19, 2009)

http://m.homedepot.com/p/IdealHeat-...t-Floor-Heating-Mat-RSG-20-33-110M/203578988/

Add a bag of self leveling concrete to protect it and as a heat sink. Can be run on a switch or themostat.


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## Kathleen Sanderson (Sep 19, 2011)

Joby Becker said:


> my dogs would tear that thing to pieces I imagine. might be good for a whleping box, or for a nice indoor dog to heat above its bed or something LOL...
> outside in the kennel, everything is fair game


Do you think they are more likely to tear the sweeter heater to pieces than the Hound Heater (or any other heater)? If so, why? They can both be wall mounted...(although I would agree that having something dangle from above would be waaay too much temptation).


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