Kennel Heating

[Dry Rot]

If I was starting in dogs again, I'd choose a kennel like this, but with a bigger over hang at the front to shelter an outside bed to lie on. Note the inside "porch" and baffle with second door to the inside sleeping area. Most make the bed area too big so it doesn't warm up with body heat. A kennel like this will only need the straw changed when it breaks up, as they won't soil it. But each to their own. (I've no commercal interest in the product).

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THERMOPLASTIC-INSULATED-DOG-KENNEL-DOG-CABIN-/132040920516

 

[ns_sheep]

We have our kennels in a barn, about a 3x4m area and a small portable kennel we put a blanket over and inside to keep the heat in. Temps go down to -20 frequently at night this time of year and they don't seem to mind at all. As long as they are well fed, dry and out of the wind I don't see a reason to ad a fire hazard to keep them warmer. I'd bet it's probably actually fairly warm when they are tucked in their little blanket covered kennels.

 

[Keepers]

I find it hard with my dogs

Even though they will be outside working all day and often come home muddy and wet. My older dog has never liked to lie on anything soft, he would rather choose to lie out in the open on concrete than choose to lie on bedding.

The problem is then, at the bottom of the sleeping area it never dries and it gets lined with mud. If I screw carpet down (so he can’t drag it out) or rubber he then will refuse to lie there
The boxes shown above he will choose to sleep on top of instead

At the moment they have nz style kennels but the flooring in the runs is solid rather than slatted, he cannot get ontop of the box, only inside, so it has no bedding and I just have to wipe down the floor

When changing to different style of kennel in a couple of weeks (traditional kennel and run with large sleeping area) he again will have to have no bed or bedding otherwise he will choose to sleep in the run

 

[Keepers]

They do have coats like this though, and they are very self drying/cleaning, I don’t touch them and they always clean off quick.
So I guess they stay warm, it just would be easier on cleaning the kennel if I could remove old bedding rather than having to clean hard flooring

 

[unlacedgecko]

I find it hard with my dogs

Even though they will be outside working all day and often come home muddy and wet. My older dog has never liked to lie on anything soft, he would rather choose to lie out in the open on concrete than choose to lie on bedding.

The problem is then, at the bottom of the sleeping area it never dries and it gets lined with mud. If I screw carpet down (so he can’t drag it out) or rubber he then will refuse to lie there
The boxes shown above he will choose to sleep on top of instead

At the moment they have nz style kennels but the flooring in the runs is solid rather than slatted, he cannot get ontop of the box, only inside, so it has no bedding and I just have to wipe down the floor

When changing to different style of kennel in a couple of weeks (traditional kennel and run with large sleeping area) he again will have to have no bed or bedding otherwise he will choose to sleep in the run

Why are you moving away from the NZ kennels?

 

[Keepers]

Why are you moving away from the NZ kennels?

Normally my dogs are out work all day and only sleep inside the kennels at night

Due to a recent injury at work, I had been led to believe I was going to be unable to work all spring. However after being called back into Drs this week it’s looking more like no work until end of summer, I am absolutely gutted. But at the moment I can’t even walk very far at all, no idea how I’m going to make it to the end of summer without going mad

Which means dogs are in kennels all day apart from being let out, For me these kennels are too small for the dogs to be in all day without proper work. Specially as mine are huntaway size dogs

I had money set aside for bigger kennels one day from selling a collie recently, I am just ending up using it now instead to give the dogs a better space whilst I am recovering

 

[egbert]

A wooden whisky barrel supported off the ground actually makes a very good kennel. Cut a hole in one end with a chain saw and screw a couple of battens to stop the boards falling out. Put your hand inside on a cold day after a dog has slept in it all night and you'll be surprised how warm it is. Dogs love them as the curve fits the body.

...right, I've started to empty this blessed barrel....and I'm starting to lean to starboard a bit, and there's a cold front coming..........better hurry.


Now, about cuttin thish whole....... how shshsharp doesh the chainshaw have to beee?

Dog seems happy nuff anyway............hoos a luvly boy then? Wanna sleep in the nishe barrel tonight boy?
....right, schwitch on, pull the cord.........ooops, ....stand up again.

Bliddy chainsaws....never start when you pishin needsh em.
Besht come in the house ternight Rover...c'mon. Us'll finish that lassssht jug full. hic.

 

[Bopeep1981]

If youyare still looking for a way of heating the kennel, how about something like this, under a raised floor, so it is out of chewing range?

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Produc...qqphzlbw-erMEYgnByHjbngxR1rP245hoCT4MQAvD_BwE

 

[TristanP]

View attachment 757942

This is what we currently have. The run area has an old calf mat so soft but cleanable and keeps a bit of cold off. The box is quite large really too large for a very small collie maybe 10-12kg at best. The box does have a wooden floor to it but is on the floor. Maybe I best get some celotex and then cover it with ply and add a heat mat?

Does anyone put a light in the kennel for them at all?

Or maybe I’d be better off getting something built properly? This is our first working dog that properly works and we’d be lost without her so we now need to reward her accordingly. She’s out all day I should add (5am-4/4:30pm maybe later)

I've been looking at something similar to this and thought the same about the kennel being a bit too big to stay warm in.

As it comes, it's 6x4' kennel area with 30mm insulation but was thinking of halving that and building maybe a 3' wall half way across and putting a lid on making a 3x4x3 kennel inside, bedded on straw. Also gives him the option of sleeping outside of the bedded area but still inside in the other half or on top of the bedded part.

It's not here yet so might be an rubbish idea when I see it, but might help in yours if the kennel is too big as well.

 

[Headless chicken]

I've been looking at something similar to this and thought the same about the kennel being a bit too big to stay warm in.

As it comes, it's 6x4' kennel area with 30mm insulation but was thinking of halving that and building maybe a 3' wall half way across and putting a lid on making a 3x4x3 kennel inside, bedded on straw. Also gives him the option of sleeping outside of the bedded area but still inside in the other half or on top of the bedded part.

It's not here yet so might be an rubbish idea when I see it, but might help in yours if the kennel is too big as well.

After all the replies this is what the solution I came up with. I’ll post some pictures if I manage to make it a tidy job.

My plan is too put some insulation on the floor creating a false floor then put a front inline with the door way between kennel and run but with the opening to the box at the furthest end. Add a heat mat and vet bed should be perfect. Doubt it will cost £100 in materials including getting the sparky to run the cable so make sense to do it.

If the box looks to small though I think I’ll add an insulated floor and a false roof so there is a way for them to snuggle down but not making it too small

 

[Dry Rot]

i'd make the bed fairly deep. After hunting in wet weather, we'd turn the hounds loose in vacant whelping kennels a couple of feet deep in dry straw. They'd soon dry themselves off. Forget about artificial heating, a well fed dog generates plenty of heat, it's just a matter of making sure it isn't all convected away by not having a ceiling over. Insulating the floor is a good idea. My kennels had concrete floors, even in the sleeping area, but there the concrete was laid over insulation so it warmed up and retained the heat. I also put a slight fall on it so I could wash it out.

 

[unlacedgecko]

i'd make the bed fairly deep. After hunting in wet weather, we'd turn the hounds loose in vacant whelping kennels a couple of feet deep in dry straw. They'd soon dry themselves off. Forget about artificial heating, a well fed dog generates plenty of heat, it's just a matter of making sure it isn't all convected away by not having a ceiling over. Insulating the floor is a good idea. My kennels had concrete floors, even in the sleeping area, but there the concrete was laid over insulation so it warmed up and retained the heat. I also put a slight fall on it so I could wash it out.

Hunt kennels are normally concrete laid over insulation like you describe. In the morning they were hot to the touch.

Personally I think in kennel heating is a bad idea. I’d worry the dog would get too hot and then sleep outside.

 

[scholland]

Normally my dogs are out work all day and only sleep inside the kennels at night

Due to a recent injury at work, I had been led to believe I was going to be unable to work all spring. However after being called back into Drs this week it’s looking more like no work until end of summer, I am absolutely gutted. But at the moment I can’t even walk very far at all, no idea how I’m going to make it to the end of summer without going mad

Which means dogs are in kennels all day apart from being let out, For me these kennels are too small for the dogs to be in all day without proper work. Specially as mine are huntaway size dogs

I had money set aside for bigger kennels one day from selling a collie recently, I am just ending up using it now instead to give the dogs a better space whilst I am recovering

Can you not lock them in at night? That's what I do, they spend most of the day out in the run but lock them in at supper time.

 

[simon-0116]

I've been looking at something similar to this and thought the same about the kennel being a bit too big to stay warm in.

As it comes, it's 6x4' kennel area with 30mm insulation but was thinking of halving that and building maybe a 3' wall half way across and putting a lid on making a 3x4x3 kennel inside, bedded on straw. Also gives him the option of sleeping outside of the bedded area but still inside in the other half or on top of the bedded part.

It's not here yet so might be an rubbish idea when I see it, but might help in yours if the kennel is too big as well.

Half sleeping area hight with a propper partition so have storage above for food etc.

 

[Keepers]

Can you not lock them in at night? That's what I do, they spend most of the day out in the run but lock them in at supper time.

Ah yes that’s probably a good idea, didn’t even cross my mind as can’t do that on their current kennels

 

[Dry Rot]

Hunt kennels are normally concrete laid over insulation like you describe. In the morning they were hot to the touch.

Personally I think in kennel heating is a bad idea. I’d worry the dog would get too hot and then sleep outside.

I kept English pointers as some here may know, so thin skinned in the Scottish Highlands and all kennelled outside. If I brought one in the house in wnter it would be panting with the change in temperature (too hot for the dog but fine for me!) in no time. Give them the chance and most animals will tregulate their own temperature.

Even my Highland ponies are outside 24/7 and even the 8 month old foal prefers to sleep outside (8 below freezing) rather than in the field shelter. But they do appreciate shelter from even a breeze. Given the choice, I think dogs would prefer to live in a burrow! My old pal Pat McGettigan's sheepdogs would dig a hole to whelp in and he had to dig the pups out! Another pal's working terriers would whelp in the bale stack and he never knew what he had until the pups emerged!

 

[Longlowdog]

I had a golden cocker who would dig a snow hole while waiting for drives to begin. I think that dog was a lot smarter than me standing in the elements watching bits turn blue.
She was many, many generations of domesticated kennel dog but when the weather turned harsh her genetic memory had her prepared to revert to her wolf roots.