what do you use to help the hounds stay warm in the winter?

high ridge joe · Post by **high ridge joe** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 11:27 pm

to all up north or in colder climates..what do you use to help the hounds stay warm when very cold?
i have above ground kennels with enclosed boxes..sealed tight and water-proofed. I have added sturdy doors to help keep wind out and plan on adding carpet to the inside of the kennel to act as a 2nd door ( carpet tacked up with a slit in the middle) for added protection. I have filled the boxes with straw and put up plastic tarps around the outside of the running area except for the side with the door...only other thing i can think of is adding insulation sheets to the inside of the dog boxes...and I also double up my hounds and beef up feedings
any suggestions?? i thought about making the boxes bigger...removing the straw and put an electric heater in each box...but that might be costly and i dont like the idea of roasting my hounds while i sleep...

what do you think??

thanks

joe tomeno

Post by **Bev** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 11:52 pm

Joe, I wouldn't make the boxes bigger. A smaller box will warm up and stay warm quicker than a large box. Sounds like you have a lot of bases covered. I might suggest to you and others that you use grass hay instead of straw for the bedding. Straw never dries out if dogs carry snow or rain in on their feet, and it breaks down much quicker than natural grass hay. I tried this last year and loved the results. They can fluff and burrow in it much longer than with straw. I pay a couple dollars more for the grass hay per bale, but I don't replace it as often in the boxes.

This year I'm going to try doubling up on all the dogs (even the males) as I think that's probably the simplest thing a person can do (besides keeping the wind out) to help them stay warm. I rotate their boxes 180 degrees for the different seasons. In the hot summer months I face them toward the west so they can get the breeze. In the winter months I face them to the east so the wind hits the back of the dog box and not the front.

Another thing is to increase their feed intake and add a tablespoon of cooking oil or some kind of fat to their food each day. They will burn extra calories just keeping warm, and will most likely be running harder in the winter months, so they need it.

high ridge joe · Post by **high ridge joe** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:20 am

i always thought that there was too much dust/pollen andprickly things in the hay...i live on a dairy farm and i can get field hay anytime i want...full barn behind the house...but i thought that straw was better for them....i dont mind being wrong.....i would be the first to admit to being wrong...

as for feed....i usually mix up a stew for them....broth...left overs....noodles veggies served alone or with feed and they love it.....
sometimes i add peanut butter to dry feed and add water...they like that too...boy these hounds eat well...

Incahoots · Post by **Incahoots** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 7:41 pm

If dog box is on the ground put a sheet of plastic under the box. Creates a vapor barrier and helps alot. I also add some cooking oil to their food. I may try the grass I've been using straw but putting it in burlap bags then tieing it off. The bags make it so I can actually stack them against the walls of the box. If we have a really bad cold snap I bring them into the garage at night.

sgc · Post by **sgc** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 7:58 pm

In the winter I put in inserts, which basically create a smaller house within their normal dog box. I then add insulation between the inserts & the walls of their dog boxes. I usually just stuff pine bedding between the walls as insulation, but I've used carpet scraps & newspaper in the past. I make sure that there is a divider so that they have to walk into the dog house & go to the back & then climb into (through a small hole at the back of the divider) the bedding area (which would be to the left in my dog boxes). In the bedding area I use pine bedding. I also add a board on top of the inserts (again, inside the dog box & under the main roof) as an additional roof & then lay carpeting on top of it. This may sound like over-kill but my dogs really seem to like it & stay warm. I no longer add a flap to cover the door; the divider helps block out the wind & I feel the open door helps to let out moisture. I will also double or triple up dogs when it gets below 5 degrees.

sgc · Post by **sgc** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 8:04 pm

Oh, I forgot. I have also always put in an extra sheet of plywood on the floor in winter to have a double floor. This year I had some carpet scraps, so I put them down first before I put the extra plywood floor down. Again I hope this isn't over-kill, but I've noticed that my 13 year old female doesn't seem to want to come out of the box anymore when I let the dogs out for exercise.

beaglercaller · Post by **beaglercaller** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 12:47 pm

i have been hearing about grass hay for a while just wondering were i may find it there is a southern staes close to me but i dont think they have it thanks guys

sgc · Post by **sgc** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 7:05 pm

I believe its probably the same stuff we call swamp grass here in Michigan. I've gotten it at feed & grain stores before.

illinois boy · Post by **illinois boy** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 9:49 pm

the grass hay works great i started usuing it after i read about it somewere adn sence i rais beef cattle i get all i need of it and it does seem to work better than the straw.

and to beaglercaller grass hay is just a grass field or pasture that has been baild into small squar bales they range in price from 1-3$ depending on what cutting but i don't think it matters what cutting it is.

sgc · Post by **sgc** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 7:38 pm

It's been a few years since I've used it, but if I remember correctly, I quit using it because it broke down to readily and too much into a fine dust. I really like the pine shavings (bedding) & a well insulated house, better.

Thunder · Post by **Thunder** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 9:41 pm

I have houses built inside of my shed. Houses are insulated on all sides, top and bottom. I have spring loaded doors to keep the wind out and a inside door with a canvas flap to keep body heat in. I put about 10 inches of wood shavings in for bedding and put 2 hounds per house. If temps go below -20 I bring hounds in for the night in crates.

Keep them running[/img]

DarrinG · Post by **DarrinG** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 8:21 pm

Contrary to most of the south, I live just under the highest mountain peak east of the Mississippi river, and it can get quite cold here at times, maybe not to the extremes that you yankees get, but cold for the south anyhow!

I use cedar shavings, plenty of them too, enough for the dogs to make a dug out bed in. I also put a flap on the door openings when it gets down real cold and windy. I also double up dogs at night in the kennels. I have both wooden boxes and plastic 55 gal barrels and I have experimented a little with them. In my concrete runs, I put a wooden box and a barrel, both with 3-4 inches of cedar chips and flaps on the doors. During the night and each morning, both dogs kenneled in that run come out of the barrel when I called for them. They chose the barrel practically every time, I believe because the barrel is completely windproof and waterproof. Just something to think about!

Briarhoppers · Post by **Briarhoppers** » Sat Nov 27, 2004 11:01 pm

Point your dog houses south during the winter.
-Pete

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Mon Nov 29, 2004 10:42 pm

i use grass hay in my barrels,,,,i put insulation around the box then wrap the insulatui with black plastic,,,,my barrels are on the outside of my kennels and the black plastic serves as a heat attracter when the sun shines,,,,,,

BJK · Post by **BJK** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 8:21 am

I use fresh pine needles. I raked several bags yesterday. They dry quickly and keep the dogs warm. Whatever you use, hay, straw, pine needles, sprinkle it with a flea powder or seven dust (pesticide powder). I've seen hay and straw harbor fleas that are dormant and wake up with heat.

BJK