# Metal Dog Houses



## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

How many folks use metal dog houses and what are the feelings on them? Igloo brand has its points but I need something with strength. Are there any brands which are better for the buck?


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

I dunno Howard. I have the igloo myself and hate the thing. Hard to clean and to many places where the rocket bitch can chew on it. The metal ones I've seen that I like are the K9 Kondo. Their dog den 3 should be big enough to fit your bouvs. http://www.k-9kondo.com/product_Super-Den-3-Large_22_0.html Not really that more expensive either compared to the Igloo.

But then since you are handy I'd just build one to the Ontario SPCA specs out of whatever material you want. http://www.ontariospca.ca/docs/Ideal_Doghouse.pdf


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Thanks Geoff. This is a pain in my a$#. I know there are models that are dog proof, but with Rock, shoot, he could eat a forest and crap toothpicks! I need something and figure that with the tax return I can buy it.


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

I hear you. If I could do it all over again I'd be doing the K9 Kondo Dog den or do a custom with those SPCA plans with plastic lumber and plastic plywood like this http://www.northbrookfarms.com/catalog.asp?prodid=524576 and then get a metal fab shop to frame the door in stainless steel. If he breaks that ... well maybe you should sleep in the dog house and Rock in the house with the missus!


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## Guest (Dec 1, 2008)

I have 5 Dog Den II's. They are the best house I've ever had for any type of dog. They last the most desctructive of dogs and hold up in all weather. I've had mine for over 3 years and they still look new. The dogs love getting on top of them as well. I have nothing but good things to say....other than the price when comparing to an igloo I guess.


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## jack van strien (Apr 9, 2009)

Howard,
How cold does it get where you are?Are the doghouses inside a kennel,a dry area?


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

jack van strien said:


> Howard,
> How cold does it get where you are?Are the doghouses inside a kennel,a dry area?


 Jack it gets sooo cold, I carry a stick when I need to take a leak. 16 degrees o/s now. Houses are i/s the kennels but the male Bouvs, he eats everything!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Guest (Dec 1, 2008)

Howard Gaines III said:


> Jack it gets sooo cold, I carry a stick when I need to take a leak. 16 degrees o/s now. Houses are i/s the kennels but the male Bouvs, he eats everything!!!!!!!!!!!


 
Wouldn't eat the dog dens!! You can keep te doors open in the summer months and down in winter months. When mine come out in the AM, you can see the steam come off them, it stays nice and toasty in there. 

They are not huge where the dog wouldn't stay warm either, they are the right size! With the door cowl it stops the elements, rain, snow, wind from getting in there as well.


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

All of our houses are the Igloo brand. They seem to do us a good job. I've replaced one or two over the years, but generally they seem to hold up.

DFrost


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

David Frost said:


> All of our houses are the Igloo brand. They seem to do us a good job. I've replaced one or two over the years, but generally they seem to hold up.


David are yours this one .. http://www.petmate.com/Products/Dogloo-KD-Pro__25961.aspx 

or this? http://www.petmate.com/Products/Indigo__25944.aspx 

I have the 2nd one and am not that happy with it. It is hard to clean and bulky to move around, plus there is a lots of places for a dog to chew. I bought their flap door for it and it lasted one day it that before it was chewed in pieces laying on the floor of the kennel. Without the flap the wind blows snow and rain into the dog house. Overpriced plastic is all it is. The only thing good about it that I like, is the shape allows the dog to heat it up pretty quickly, easily and evenly.


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

Mine are all the first one. 

DFrost


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

I have the igloo in the second link above. They are definitely chewed on a bit, but not to the point that it affects their use. I didn't bother buying the door flap, pretty much figuring it would be destroyed. My dogs sleep inside at night, so the house is just there to keep them warm and provide a place to get out of the elements during the day. I filled the igloos with cedar chips and straw too. I have them arranged with the door opening facing south to protect the dogs from the wind or blowing rain.

I always wondered about the metal dog houses. Seems like a great idea, but isn't the metal cold? I know some are insulated, but it just seems like it would be tough to keep warm.


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## Guest (Dec 1, 2008)

Konnie Hein said:


> I have the igloo in the second link above. They are definitely chewed on a bit, but not to the point that it affects their use. I didn't bother buying the door flap, pretty much figuring it would be destroyed. My dogs sleep inside at night, so the house is just there to keep them warm and provide a place to get out of the elements during the day. I filled the igloos with cedar chips and straw too. I have them arranged with the door opening facing south to protect the dogs from the wind or blowing rain.
> 
> I always wondered about the metal dog houses. Seems like a great idea, but isn't the metal cold? I know some are insulated, but it just seems like it would be tough to keep warm.


 
The dog dens are metal but have insulation in them...initially they are cold but warm very quickly and stay warm. They also hold the heat better!


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

I have a couple of these








Made by Doskocil, mine are older and slightly different, I don't think the top of the door has that flat spot but is rounded. I like them. Easy to clean out and sanitize. Since my dogs are indoor/outdoor they aren't in use all the time, but I've had them for years and they have held up well. The dogs have chewed on the edges of the door a little, but not even close to what they did to the other dog houses I had which they eventually tore apart. It's a solid/thick/heavy plastic material, I think they give it a little chew then decide there are better things to chew on.

Since the edges of the door are really the only chewable spots on the dog house, and it's a very basic design (not a lot of fancy edges and stuff) it wouldn't be hard to beef it up with a strip of metal to protect it from an aggressive chewer.

The only thing I don't like about them is the lack of lip along the front to keep the bedding in the dog house, on a few of them I ended up cutting a board to the right length and screwing it in along the bottom to make a "lip". I also keep mine up on a pallet or other raised area because of the lack of lip, helps keep the interior dry.


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## jack van strien (Apr 9, 2009)

Howard,
For my dogs i had to get inventive,i went out and got a few big tires.They came from farm machinery and were about 2 feet wide and large enough for a rott to curl up inside.
I cut one sidewall out and placed that on the ground.The dog enters from the top and you can put as much straw inside as the dog needs,it won't spill out.The first one i had over 15 years and not even a toothmark on it.Oh and they were free.Got cold also but the dogs just crawled under the straw.Worked for me!


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Jody Butler said:


> The dog dens are metal but have insulation in them...initially they are cold but warm very quickly and stay warm. They also hold the heat better!


Jody how hard are they to clean? Do they fade and get ugly by weather exposure? How easy are they to move around and or transport? Are they easy to dissemble and reassemble say if you needed to put them in a back of a hatchback?


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## Guest (Dec 1, 2008)

Geoff Empey said:


> Jody how hard are they to clean? Do they fade and get ugly by weather exposure? How easy are they to move around and or transport? Are they easy to dissemble and reassemble say if you needed to put them in a back of a hatchback?


Easy to move, I have the white plastic on the outside rounded edges (DOG DEN II) steel everywhere else. They haven't faded yet in 4 years at all, just high pressure hose to clean. They have holes beneath the floor for drainage, not to mention the floor slides out when you pull off roof. Easy to partial disassemble roof comes off, but to go more than that, it rivets and stuff, I wouldn't but they would fit in back of hatchback complete! Not a dog den II though. 

I will never buy another dog house again after using these, no matter the climate! 

I have a friend who was afraid of the steel rusting, which mine didn't in four years so far, but he used rhino liner from TSC and painted the roofs, and they look good and are lasting! But its black and gets hot in the summer time.


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

Ooh I want those metal ones. I can't stand the igloos, have had many and they don't hold up, let in too much cold air and don't keep the rain out. I don't have to worry about the dogs freezing here in CA but when I move, I'd love those metal ones with the doors. 

Right now I have what I call "ice cubes" not sure if they are made by igloo, I can't find them online anywhere and no one I know has ever seen them before. The GSD rescue I worked for gave me 2 and offered me more, I should have taken a couple more. I like the flat roof, the dogs lay on them in summer but as you can see they are slowly being chewed on and will need to be replaced one day.

http://www.WorkingDogForum.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=2723&c=newimages]http://www.WorkingDogForum.com/gallery/files/2/4/5/2/dog_house_002_thumb.jpg

[URL]http://www.WorkingDogForum.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=2722&c=newimages][/URL][img]http://www.WorkingDogForum.com/gallery/files/2/4/5/2/dog_house_001_thumb.jpg


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## Megan Bays (Oct 10, 2008)

Jody, how are those houses in the summer time?


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

I was looking at the K9Kondo site and this: http://www.k-9kondo.com/product_K-9-Kondo_19_0.html looks like a super cost-efficient option.


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## Craig Wood (Dec 9, 2008)

Howard Gaines III said:


> Thanks Geoff. This is a pain in my a$#. I know there are models that are dog proof, but with Rock, shoot, he could eat a forest and crap toothpicks! I need something and figure that with the tax return I can buy it.


Note to self never buy tooth picks from Howard


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## Guest (Dec 1, 2008)

Megan McCallister said:


> Jody, how are those houses in the summer time?


 
You can hold the door open with a pin, no issues. It keeps them nice and comfortable, cool. Honestly most of mine sleep on the roofs in the summer and enjoy the breeze.


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Kristen Cabe said:


> I was looking at the K9Kondo site and this: http://www.k-9kondo.com/product_K-9-Kondo_19_0.html looks like a super cost-efficient option.


Does look pretty awesome. I wouldn't want to use a barrel in really cold climates is my gut feeling though. There can't be much R value with a plastic barrel. I'd think it would be hard for a dog to heat it when it was really cold outside.


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## Mario Fernandez (Jun 21, 2008)

Geoff....the plastic barrels in winter are not as bad as you think. Especially if you use something like straw in as a bedding for the dog. My buddy lives in Minnesota and has Plastic barrels in his kennels as houses. 4 plastic barrels cost him $60 compared to buying igloos. The Barrels are an eye sore but kept the dogs warn in the winter. He did make a nice cosmetic quick fix by making a plywood box frame to hide the plastic barrels and lined the inside of the with styro-foam sheets as extra insulation.


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

Geoff Empey said:


> I wouldn't want to use a barrel in really cold climates is my gut feeling though. There can't be much R value with a plastic barrel. I'd think it would be hard for a dog to heat it when it was really cold outside.


Can't be any worse than a regular plastic dog house, which is what I have now. **shrug**

I wouldn't even begin to know where to get barrels, though.


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## Andy Larrimore (Jan 8, 2008)

K9 Kondo dog den 3, Very durable and I highly reccommend it to anyone.


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Mario Fernandez said:


> Geoff....the plastic barrels in winter are not as bad as you think. Especially if you use something like straw in as a bedding for the dog. My buddy lives in Minnesota and has Plastic barrels in his kennels as houses. 4 plastic barrels cost him $60 compared to buying igloos. The Barrels are an eye sore but kept the dogs warn in the winter. He did make a nice cosmetic quick fix by making a plywood box frame to hide the plastic barrels and lined the inside of the with styro-foam sheets as extra insulation.



That's basically what I do with my bitches Igloo, I'll take the snow from the kennel and pile it upon the dog house until it is blanketed with an insulating layer. Here is a pic to prove it! 










Yes there is a Malinois in there! 



Kristen Cabe said:


> Can't be any worse than a regular plastic dog house, which is what I have now. **shrug**
> 
> I wouldn't even begin to know where to get barrels, though.


Yeah you are probably right. Plastic is plastic .. Just the igloo shape with the dome by nature heats easier that's all I was thinking. 

You can get used barrels here at salvage places or at places that sell bulk soaps and such. Pretty cheap too under $20 a barrel I looked into it today. This is my local place. http://www.cohenandcohen.com/site/barrels.htm


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## Meghan Rabon (Feb 10, 2009)

I have a Dog Den II in one of my kennels...I got it in the fall and it's worked nicely. My dogs aren't kenneled full time but are out there enough that I wanted something warm for the winter.

I also built an insulated wooden house over the summer for one of my kennels. It cost a fortune to make and was a lot of labor. It's got about 1.5" of insulation all the way around, a shingled roof, and the sleeping area is separate from the entrance. It's HUGE and being wood, I wasn't sure if the dog I made it for would chew it or not. She does chew, but luckily she hasn't touched the house.
My only complaint is that she's ripped a bunch of the shingles off the roof. Not intentionally, but she likes to sleep up on the roof. It's got to be 3-4 feet tall and when she hops up there, she'll catch them with her feet and they snap off. In the spring I will figure something else out for the roof...

I did have Dogloo's before these houses, but I never felt right about leaving the dogs out there in cold weather. Now I don't have to worry, I don't leave them out if it's exceptionally cold, but otherwise they seem happy enough and I've never seen them shivering.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Geoff this is what I'm doing with our snow. What a pain! And those toothpicks, real neat color selections to choose.


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Howard Gaines III said:


> Geoff this is what I'm doing with our snow. What a pain! And those toothpicks, real neat color selections to choose.



What I do is push the majority of the snow on the dog igloo with the blower and then clean it up by shovel after. Snow is a great insulator so might as well use it .. it's free! 

Are you in the brunt of those 2 storms in Delaware? Up here we haven't had any meaningful snow since Christmas or so. I'm starting to worry that the fuel in the snowblower is going to go bad from lack of use!


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

All jokes aside, that gas could go bad. I had issues with bad gas in my Rhino UTV, motorcycle, lawnmower, and chain saw. All different batches, it's the additive. Yep the storm sat right on top of my house, if it didn't it was close. I'm going to get a tractor and mad some mad money. These guys are making $65-100/hour just to sit and move snow. A great job for me, drink WaWA coffee and get paid!


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## Rick Mattox (Dec 8, 2008)

The plastic barrels were already mentioned. I used to use these when I had a kennel full of dogs. The R VALUE is actually great. I live in a cold climate and all, short haired, dogs were fine. I packed it with straw in the winter time and when the dogs would come out you would see the heat radiate off of them. 

I just cut a round hole big enough for the dog to fit through in the top of the barrel. Laid the barrel on it's side. For a nice base I laid a P/T 4x4 on either side of the barrel. The 4x4's were cut 21" longer than the barrel. This made it possible to attached 1, 2x4, on the flat, to the 4x4's behind the barrel and about 5 2x4's in front of the barrel. This locks the barrel in on all 4 sides as well as giving the dog a bit of a deck to sit/lay on. (keeps them off the dirt or concrete whichever you have.) If you want the deck bigger just cut your 4x4's longer and add more 2x4's to the front. Remember when cutting your 2x4's to cut them just long enough so that when the base is all put together that the barrel does not make contact with the ground. So as to not transfer the cold from the ground to the barrel. 

The dog will settle in and push straw over the entrance hole and you'll be amazed at how much stream rolls off them when they come out for feeding time.


Rick


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Frost lives in Tennessee so got to take that into consideration. LOL Not as cold as Canada.


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

I don't know about that...here lately....


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Kristen Cabe said:


> I don't know about that...here lately....


Just having snow doesn't mean it is really all that cold though. -2c/30f is perfect snow making temperature but should we consider that cold? Cold is when you can get frostbite on exposed skin from being outside in 2-3 minutes. -30c or -25f is what I'd consider cold then add windchill! We trained last winter in a indoor horse arena at those types of temperatures we were out of the wind but really it was to freaking cold. As you can see with the breath from both dog and training decoy this day.


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

I can appreciate that, Geoff, but it's been colder than 30 degrees here, and with the wind the past few days, it's felt more like 0 (Fahrenheit). That's freaking cold, especially when you aren't used to it.


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

It's ok Kristen .. by July all the snow should be gone!


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

and that is why I could never live above the Mason Dixon line. I hate the cold!!!


I e-mailed the owner of K-9 Kondo. I'm hoping he will consider giving me a discount since I would need 5 of them and be using them for the rescue. Right now I have three different brands of plastic houses with varying degrees of damage from chewing or jumping up and down on the roof, etc. The Dog Dens would really be nice, and take up less space in the kennels, too.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Geoff was that Red Ridinghood and her basket for grandma?


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

This is the coldest winter we've had in many years. We've had single digit temps and periods of 3 and 4 days when the temp never got above freezing. Relatively speaking to places like SD, Montana etc, agreed we aren't that cold. Here it's miserable. That said, if a dog can get out of the wind, dry in a small insulated place they'll do very well. Have you seen the dogs sleep on the Iditirod (sp?). Kristen, are we allowed to move north of the M/D? I'm not exactly sure of the visa requirements and all.


DFrost


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

David Frost said:


> Kristen, are we allowed to move north of the M/D? I'm not exactly sure of the visa requirements and all.


Hmm. You do have a point, there! I'm not sure. I do have a passport, so I could probably squeak through if I wanted to, but I think I'll stay my butt right where I'm at, thank you very much!! :wink:


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Stack some cheap bales of straw around and on top of the dog house. Problem solved and you don't have to wait for snow if that's a problem in any particular area.


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

What's a cheap bale of straw? Here straw goes for $4 a bale.


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## Ben Thompson (May 2, 2009)

Won't the dog be kept warmer if the igloo is set on top of a pallet so its not directly on the ground? I've seen some guys screw in a board along the bottom so the dog doesn't drag the straw out of the house so easily. I guess with the longer furred dogs its not such a big deal. 




Geoff Empey said:


> That's basically what I do with my bitches Igloo, I'll take the snow from the kennel and pile it upon the dog house until it is blanketed with an insulating layer. Here is a pic to prove it!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Claudia Chance Nicosia (Apr 22, 2008)

I purchased 8 of these a few months ago... my dogs are hard on houses and were chewing up their dogloos like they were made out of chicken! So far only one has some damage to the flap door, slightly bent from the dog trying to rip it off. 

http://www.deer-creek.org/page7


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Ben Thompson said:


> Won't the dog be kept warmer if the igloo is set on top of a pallet so its not directly on the ground? I've seen some guys screw in a board along the bottom so the dog doesn't drag the straw out of the house so easily. I guess with the longer furred dogs its not such a big deal.


Pallets are just another thing for the dog to chew on especially when there is nails involved, bad idea. In my dog igloo there is a shaped pad for insulation on the floor she chewed it once and I got the local tailor to repair it and so far it has lasted 2 years. 

Claudia those Deer Creek houses look nice. I like the idea of the vestibule as it follows the recommendations of the Ontario SPCA for cold weather outside dogs. Though the Dog Den II is probably more than enough especially since they have that nice door for keeping the rain and snow to a minimum.


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