Cold weather with outside dogs

[Longline]

What is everyone's thoughts on what is to cold for your dog to stay outside. I have a 3 1/2 yr old lab and decided last night and tonight are to cold to let her stay outside. I have a insulated doghouse for her but no heat. Wondering what everyone else does or thinks.

[Redlantern]

I keep all of my dogs outside. While most of them are hairy sled dogs, some are shorthair crosses that look more like the esp than the husky. These I put a bunch of extra straw in their houses, add a lot of warm water to their kibble to keep them hydrated and feed them more than usual twice a day. I think if it got really cold I'd put them in the dog truck and park it in the barn. Some folks I know add extra fat to their dogs food to help keep them warm. Corn oil is commonly used.

Nothing wrong with bringing your buddy in the house, either.

[leechlake]

longline, my labs used to stay outside all day in their kennel. I used zero as my limit. They had insulated houses with straw in it, I was comfortable with that and had no problems at all. I ran an electric water pail for them also.

[marine_man]

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I ran an electric water pail for them also.

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What do you guys use to keep the water from freezing outside? I'm a little leary about using the plastic dog dish with the cord as I'm pretty sure my dog would chew through it, and then attack the element or cord... which would not be a good thing...

Thanks!

marine_man

[DOAducks]

I would bring the dogs in for the weekend, Seriously these dogs put in the work for us during the hunting season and a little love from their owner by letting them inside on a very cold day is not a bad thing. Worse case scenario you have to use the vaccum to clean up some hair. Just my 2 cents

[Longline]

Thanks for your thoughts, kind of fun having her in here too. Makes a nice pillow after she calms down. I do use the plastic dish and cord. I run the cord out of under the bottom bar of the kennel and between the fence and the house to the outlet that way she can't get to the cord.

[winniewalleye777]

I use an electric water dish for my lab also. The one I bought had the last foot of the cord wrapped in aluminum wiring so the dog cannot chew through it. If you have a lab with an insulated kennel with the door covered with something so the wind cannot get through, the dog can withstand just about any cold temperatures. When I used to bring my dog inside when it got too cold, she would whine all night long because she was too hot. Now I leave her out all of the time.

[glenn57]

i have an 8 year old black lab and a sheltie, they stay in hot or cold. man there family what can i say.

[CaptainMusky]

Quote:

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Quote:

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I ran an electric water pail for them also.

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What do you guys use to keep the water from freezing outside? I'm a little leary about using the plastic dog dish with the cord as I'm pretty sure my dog would chew through it, and then attack the element or cord... which would not be a good thing...

Thanks!

marine_man

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I have an electric heated pail that I use, but like you I was worried about chewing and the dogs tipping the pail over. I made a box with an opening in the top the size of the pail top. I put the pail inside the box and attach the box to the fence of the kennel. THere is no chewing or tipping of this bad boy.

Only problem my new pup likes to sit on the box and he had crapped in there a couple times. [PoorWordUsage] is that about!?

BTW, I have a GSP and have had them for years. There has never been a night that I was too afraid of the dogs being outside in the elements. They have an insulated dog house, walls and ceiling (most important is the ceiling) and there is about 2 bales of straw in there. As long as the wind doesn't blow right in the door there will not be any problem with any breed.

BTW, they WILL chew throw the cord even though it is guarded by the wire around the insulation, I just removed the temptation by building the box. A cheaper solution instead of buying those heated dishes is creating a box with an opening on the top for a 5 quart pail (any metal will do) and put two 40 watt bulbs in the box. These will be more than enough to keep the water from freezing. I did that for a few years before buying the heated dish.

[Longline]

Why are you confused about the puppy crapping in the water dish? I don't know about you but I would rather [PoorWordUsage] in a toilet with water the [PoorWordUsage] out on the grass. hehehe. hope the puppy didn't drink the water after that.

[stayman79]

I worried about my yellow lab outside in the bitter cold nights, too. Until I came home one day when it was minus ten and there he was sitting on TOP of his house, just hanging out like it was a nice day. If it's not 10 below or colder, he stays out because like other people have said, he whines to go out because the house is too hot! Agree: make sure the house is insulated top, bottom and all sides with a door flap and some type of bedding is in there (straw, cedar, blankets). When I stick my hand in his house in the morning right after I wake him up I can feel he's built up some good body heat, even the last couple of mornings.

[lawdog]

I have a couple thoughts. My dogs are outside on all but the very bitterest of cold nights and then they only go to the garage in the truck topper. -10 is about my cut off, but if its one of those long spells where it never gets above zero they'll get in even if it doesn't get down there. DON'T BRING AN OUTSIDE DOG INTO THE HOUSE OVER NIGHT!If you think about it, an outside dog this time of year is not at all equipped for being in your 70 degree house. Don't believe me? Keep your stocking hat, long johns, overalls, parka, gloves and boots on inside all night and see how you feel. They can't take those fur coats off fellas!

As to the water dish, the very best I've found is the Canine Canteen. Its a solid well built pale and one of mine is about 10 years old, while the other I just got last year. They won't chew this or move it and it keeps water liquid long after the cheap pales have frozen over. Not a bit of ice after -12 or whatever it was the other morning... They are about $115, but they work and they last.

[2 DA GILLS]

I agree with not bring outside dogs indoors during cold weather. It is way too hot for them. During the last cold spell I brought the dog in the garage one night (dog crate with insulated cover). I think he prefers staying outside. I built a large house that has a divider so he can go in and tuck back behind the divider to really get out the elements. Of course it has insulated ceiling, walls and floor. The dividing wall is even insulated. Filled with bedding and it has to be pretty toasty. Another thing that I did was get his house off the ground. Not sure if it is needed, but that cold ground has got to suck the warmth right out of his house.

[Cootz]

I see no problems, at least with my dogs, with bringing them in at night and outside during the day. They don't seem too warm when in. And don't think anything about leaving him outside at any temp during the day. I put a high/low thermometer in my dog house (1/2" plywood sandwiching foam insulation) all walls, ceiling and floor and a metal door and my 95 lbs. lab brought the temp up 35 degrees on a below zero day. I built it big enough for two dogs that size so what I do to take up the extra space is about 3/4 bale of straw. In my own situation I feel I'm gone long enough in the day that when I'm home I want to be around my hunting partner. He deserves more attention then just the twice a day training sessions for an hour or so. Just my opinion, not for everyone...

[2 DA GILLS]

I think your situation is different. It sounds like your dog(s) come in regardless of weather. If you take a dog that never comes indoors and bring them in the house only on the coldest days of the year, I think it will be too hot. Even during a late October hunt my dog whined all night when in the hotel room. I did not feel comfortable leaving him the truck - not secure enough. So he suffered through the night (so did I).

I would love to have my dog inside the house more. He pushed the wife over the edge as a pup and got himself banned from the house. He is only 14 months old, so as he matures I will work on getting him back in the house more. I think most guys would love to have their dogs in the house, but there other factors that make doing so impossible. That is if they want to remain married.

[Cootz]

Ya you are right. I guess if they are outside all the time, bringing them in occassionally would make them uncomfortable. My mom had two sheep dogs. Even up in Warroad at -30 they still preferred being outside.

Here's what I did to get my dog inside all of the time. Get rid of the wife! (or vise versa in reality) Makes for more time hunting and fishing as well.