The American Beagler Forum

What does eveyone use in the winter to keep a dog house warm?

Hound heater deluxe. We carry them at Plum Creek Kennel Supply. 330-256-0530. Thanks

I use the electro heater pads because of their portability. They cost about $50 each and are made of durable/washable plastic. My job forces me to relocate often and these are easy to move. If I had a more permanent kennel I would consider the Hound Heaters.

I use the hard plastic pad heaters too.
They turn off/on from the weight of the dog, and seem to work well.

The Hound Heater Deluxe does looks like it would work better.

A good bed of hay and the dogs own body heat

Maybe I'm just old school but are you all really serious?? I'm all about taking good care of my hounds.Seeing that they get the quality food they need to keep them in top condition,vaccinations and worming so they can resist diseases,a training/running regimen that enables them to be in top physical shape, housing/kenneling where they are protected from the elements and can be comfortable regardless of the weather and the personal attention that lets them know we're a hunting buddies.
That being said..... these are hunting hounds.If it makes you feel better [ and I'm sure the hounds appreciate it ] then by all means give them heaters.
But, realize that you are doing it to make you feel better more than anything else.The hounds don't need it !
A hunting hound in good physical shape,fed and watered well and housed in a kennel that protects him from the elements is perfectly capable of withstanding and thriving in any of the climates we'll encounter in the U.S.
I've been keeping hunting hounds for 50 years now .I kept coon hounds and beagles in New Hampshire where the temps would drop to -30 below at night for a week. The hounds were kept in tight and insulated coops stuffed with straw with a flap over the doorway.They were hunted hard and often and fed heavy to give them the fuel to go day after day and stay warm in the cold.And no brag intended,but I've never had a quitter.
I've had the opportunity to see hounds kept like hogs in kennels that didn't keep them dry when it rained and where they spent the cold weather shivering and shaking just trying to survive another day.I've seen guys that kept their hounds in pens where they baked all summer in 100 degree sun and had to drink green water out of algae clogged buckets.
Don't expect your hounds to give you everything they've got if you don't give them everything they need to get the job done !
Heaters and air conditioners ??? They're your dogs.
As always,JMHO.

straw and in a house under my barn WORKS GOOD ..

I hear what you're saying Shady Grove, and I agree. With you having over 50 years of experience keeping hounds, it is exponentially more knowledge than what anyone can learn on the internet

And you're probably right, it DOES makes me feel better. My ground kennels are well insulated, have a door flap, AND I put a sheet of Plywood on sawhorses in front of their door to serve as an "overhead porch"...gives them some shade in the summer as well as keeps rain/wind off the entrance somewhat.

A young healthy well conditioned hound CAN tolerate extreme cold. But as they age, the cold can really affect them. Before I started using the heated kennel pads, I would bring my older dogs inside at night when the "ACTUAL" temperatures were below zero. I wasn't real happy bringing in a smelly ole hound when it was cold like this...not to mention the extreme temperature variations the dogs were subject to.

Now that I use the heated kennel pads, I never have to worry about bringing them inside on sub zero nights. It just makes life easier for me. Maybe I'm becoming more of a "softy" as I get older (I only have 40 years experience keeping hounds), but the idea that my hounds are comfortable makes ME more comfortable.

Everyone has their own ideas. That is what makes these forums interesting!

Anyone ever watch the Yukon men and how these sled dog guys keep their dogs in minus 50 degree weather? Now talk about working dogs, how the are housed and even fed tells me folks fall for the ole soft heart that the big pet businesses pray on. Will dogs use all this high dollar feed and housing, YES! Do they NEED IT, NO! I know many will try to say these are Huskies or other long haired breeds and if so I have yet to see one such bred on the show. Most I have seen appear to be some mixed breed of German Shepard and their coat doesn't appear to be much longer than the hare hound bred dogs I see from the northern U.S.

I've got insulated boxes just big enough for 1 dog to fit in. My back yard is fenced and the boxes stay under the deck.
I fill it to the top with cedar chips when the temps are dropping below 20. They dig in and stay very warm.
If its dropping below zero with wind, I'll bring them into the garage for the night with their boxes. Still zero degrees in the garage, but out of the wind.
Also, my dogs are 7, 9, and 10 years old. The old boy I worry about some....

Don't get me wrong,I'm all for keeping hounds as comfortable as possible.What ever set-up works for you is definitely fine with me.
I have two very good hunting buddies in N.H.that keep their dogs in an outdoor kennel during the day and then bring them in the house for the night when they get home from work.They like the companionship of their beagles and it seems to work just fine.And I've seen no ill effects as their hounds hunt/run just as hard and long as mine that have never seen the inside of a house.
I once had an old coon hound that was hypo-thyroid and suffered from the cold.I'd bring him in the basement and hitch him to a post beside the wood stove when it got real cold out.
I keep my beagles each to their own pen but when it gets real cold I often will double bunk them as two are definitely warmer than one.
If you ever wonder what hounds are capable of try reading Del Cameron's book "Call of the Hounds" or "The Longwalkers" by Jerry A.Lewis.Both of these books are about lion hunting in Montana,Idaho and British Colombia.Many a hunt starts with them getting their hounds out of the dog house,loading them in the dog box and go looking for a lion track with the temps often at -20 to-30 below zero.Del relates in one chapter about having to leave two hounds out overnight when the temp. in the mountains plummeted to -40 below.These were Bluetick hounds and their coats are no thicker than my beagles'.
If you really want the low down on keeping beagles in a cold climate you need to talk to Branko.Doubt there's any on this board that keep beagles where it gets colder than where he is in Manitoba.

I just installed a doggie furnace in my second Seneca kennel, so now I have one in each kennel. In some neighboring West Virginia communities, they have laws about keeping dogs outside for more than a short time in cold or hot weather. All it takes is one call from a animal rights person and a person could lose his dogs to the dog warden. I realize that my dogs would be warm enough during cold weather without the furnace, but if a person reported that they thought I was mistreating my beagles, I would have to battle to defend my actions. I guess I look at the installation of the hound furnace as a insurance policy if ever accused of keeping dogs outside in cold weather. Plus I'm sure the dogs enjoy the warmth. I also use heated water bowls in the winter.

Well insulated houses with doors, DRY bedding, kennels have a roof over them with wind breaks, quality food and heated water bowls.
Have never had heaters nor have I ever needed them up here with this kennel set-up.
My hounds live 12 to 14 years.

Barley straw , plenty fresh water & Victor dog feed and best care all year around .

I made a heater for my whelping box. Google homemade doghouse heaters and you can make one out of a unused paint can and light bulb that heat the box or dog house real well! I made mine for under $15. For my kennel I used insulated dog boxes with straw and something for the door to keep the heat in and wind out and if it gets real cold I would kennel them together. I just moved and I have a pen that is about 12'x20'' that I kennel 2 dogs now and will have a 3rd one in with them in the future and will all use 1 house for all