# Dogs outside in the cold?



## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

It is down in the 20's overnight and the news said to bring your pets inside. I realize that is nothing to many of you living in colder places, but it is quite and adjustment for my pets.

I have dog houses outside, but I fell for the sad story about dogs being cold outside and brought them in. They slept all cozy on their dog beds at the foot of my bed.

I told my daughter the goats and horse were going in her room tonight! :teehee:

Do you keep your dogs outside in this cold? My dogs are lab mixes so they have short fur. Brrrrrr!


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## GammyAnnie (Jun 2, 2011)

I have a Great Pyr that stays outside, that is her job, but she has a very warm straw bale house that she can go in. Do you keep them outside for a reason, are they guard dogs or livestock dogs, then NO you should NOT bring them in, but instead make sure the have a secure, snug, wind proof shelter!!

Annie


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## Helena (May 10, 2002)

Had a mixed lab years back that stayed in her little dog house up near the barn. I would bring her in during the cold nights but she never really wanted to come down to the house. She was cozy with a burlap bag over her dog house door and lots of straw. The dogs I have now come and go with me outside all day..and are inside of course at night. If they are housebroken I would bring them into the house at least in the cellar or laundry room. I'm a city girl at heart and yes..if a baby goat is born during the cold weather and hasn't been doing well have actually been brought into bed with me with a towel for a diaper. Yep..I'm a sucker..


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

You're kidding right? Bring the dogs in because the temps will dip down into the 20s?

I suppose its good advice if you own a little froo-froo dog. But the guy below, says "Bring it on!"


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

What type of dog is that? Looks like he has a lot of fur and can acclimate well.

My dogs are outside because one of them refuses to become potty trained and they like to be together. I have tried everything but have given up. My kids want the dogs inside, but I am not a fan of poop on my floor!


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## Kris in MI (May 30, 2002)

Our dogs live outside. They grow coats to protect them from the cold (just like the horses do. And the coyotes in the woods, and the deer. . . we don't bring those in the house. . .)

We have a dog area set up on the south side of our house. Two dog houses (one is a double, so actually three 'houses' to choose from) stuffed with straw. On the north side, the house blocks the wind and provides a warm wall. On the west and part of the south we pile straw bales right up tight to the dog houses. The dogs can access their houses from the southeast and east side, which happens to be under the wraparound porch of the house (at that spot, porch is about 5' off the ground and the dog houses are tucked underneath).

If it's horribly frigid, say windchill of -20, we bring them into the basement. But usually then they are too hot and want back outside!

If you provide shelter from the wind and bedding they can burrow into, they should be okay outside at temps below freezing.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

shanzone2001 said:


> What type of dog is that? Looks like he has a lot of fur and can acclimate well....!


That's a sled dog, a Canadian Eskimo Dog. If you have one of these dogs, the authorities recommend that you bring them into the air conditioned house if the temperatures climb above 80Â°F.


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## Jackie (Jun 20, 2008)

Small dogs, wire haired dogs, thin coated dogs, smooth coated dogs, etc... CANT live outside in a brutal winter IMHO. I am all for keeping animals natural, but natural would mean they would all have coats like a wolf. 


I also think its not smart to bring dogs in and out. It's hard on them. In the fall I decide if my dogs are going to live in or out and then they stay that way. Right now i have a dog I rescued off an indian reserve that has a perfectly good coat IN the house for the winter cause I couldnt come up with a good enough reason to make her stay outside. Plus our new yard isnt fenced yet and spending the winter tied up would be really mean.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

Our Great Pyr stays outside in all kinds of cold (down to -20)and used to enjoy bedding down in the snow. 
He's getting older now (luckily, no signs of joint trouble at all) and he tends to sleep in his shed that's deep bedded in straw and shavings with dog beds scattered around. He can go in and our but we've blocked the wind from the doorway with strategically placed straw bales.

We did put a heat lamp in there this year which takes the chill off and we have an assortment of 3X (very hard to find) waterproof dog coats that he wears if the weather is cold and wet or snowy to keep his coat from matting in the wet. If it gets really cold and he shivers, I layer blankets on him till he's comfortable. We have to gorilla tape the blankets around the belly strap to keep them on him.

Since he's older, I also feed him hot meals morning and night in addition to his free-choice kibble. 

We've tried bringing him inside, but he gets hot quickly and starts to pant. Plus...we live in a small cabin and it's amazing how much smaller it seems with a GP inside. Though he's bathed, groomed and fluffed monthly, he still finds the occasional carcass to roll in and whoa! You might not smell it when he's outside but when he comes in....WHEW!


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## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

My pit bull is only outside when the weather is nice. The chihuahuas live inside full-time, only going out to potty. The Anatolian Shepherds are livestock guardian dogs and live outside 24/7. They each have their own dog house but prefer to sleep outside in the middle of the field. I even tried moving their houses out to the middle of the field and it made no difference. They are very hardy critters!


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

My chow says bring it on, too, but he is wearing a long fur sweater. He is an indoor dog, but when it gets cold, he really comes alive outside.

The sheperds do well in the cold, to a point, but my oldest really shivers out there.


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## dogrunner (Mar 2, 2009)

My wife and I trained distance sled dogs for 4 years around interior Alaska. Our pets, one a 25 lb schipperkie mix, the other a 40 lb lab mix mut stayed outside in the dog lot when we were traveling with teams training or racing. They had their own houses stuffed with straw and they were fine, sometimes in weather 30-40 below zero! Neither of them have what one would call "winter" coats but they are smart enough to know when to hunker down. Now when we are home they are inside dogs, but when need be they can survive just fine.


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## CountryWannabe (May 31, 2004)

My LGDs stay out - they curl up in the barn with the sheep. There is plenty of straw bedding, and warm bodies to cuddle up to.

My Toy dogs stay indoors when it is cold. I put them out periodically to potty, but they stare daggers at me for it. Even though I have Pomeranians with heavy coats - they still can't manage long periods of cold because of their small bodies.

Mary


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Interesting my Lab hates being in the house.Looks like they don't have much Hair but they have thick Fur to keep them warm in Icy Water Retrieving Ducks.

I have kept Dogs outside,main thing is make sure the wind is blocked on their Dog House with plenty of Straw in it not Blankets.

big rockpile


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

It all depends on the dog. I have had Huskies and other mutts who would actually cork themselves in the doorway in their hurry to get into the house and sleep next to the fire and I have had Huskies and other mutts who hated being inside at all and would sleep outside at 40 below zero - and not even go into the fully insulated dog houses we have. When I opened the door in the morning they would be sound asleep under the snow, wake up, shake themselves and actually be warm to the touch.

Small and medium dogs and short haired dogs have a much harder time adjusting to the cold so most are better off inside or at least in a heated shelter. And nearly all dogs can use booties against the ice and snow and salt. Even all the dog sled teams wear them.

The only thing about bringing your dog in and out in the cold weather is that it "confuses" their coat. If your dog is an outside dog leave it outside and it will develope a great thick coat. Just provide an insulate, wind sheltered house.


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## mamita (May 19, 2008)

my dogs are welcome in day or night. both always wanted out at night, but now my huskie mix decided she likes sleeping indoors. she then goes out all day. (her choice. she sleeps out on a snow bank if sun is shining) I have always heard it confused their coat also, but both mine still develope the ultra thick coat even when in all day. my shepherd has never been able to sleep indoors. I have no idea why, cause every year I try. he is like caged animal, pacing all night, wakes me up constantly, drools, it's the craziest thing you've ever seen. I can only assume he just feels best in his own house. hub built them both houses that are double-walled with insulation between walls, ceiling, and floors. they are off the ground a bit, then lots of straw, and in winter we add a wooden addition that is like an igloo entrance. I hate to see them out if it's bitter, but it's always up to them. if it gets way below zero, I end up staying up all night with my shepherd just to keep him in. I know...insane..but I love that dog. LOL luckily we don't often get that cold! both their houses are designed to look like our house and built with equal care.


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## marytx (Dec 4, 2002)

Our furry animals live outdoors. I hate the cold, too, but I'm not supposing it's any colder for the dog than it is for the other livestock, and she can go in and out of the barn as she pleases.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

mamita said:


> bank if sun is shining) I have always heard it confused their coat also, but both mine still develope the ultra thick coat even when in all day.


With horses, it's the shorter days that trigger coat growth, not the temps. You can blanket a horse all you like and he'll still grow a winter coat. Show barns keep lights on to simulate daylight to try and suppress coat growth. I would think it's the same with dogs. 
Our animals grew big thick coats in Phoenix just like they do up here in northern Idaho.


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## meanwhile (Dec 13, 2007)

We have Lab mixes too. Chow mixed with Lab. They sleep in the barn inside a box built for them. It is about 4 feet wide by 3/5 feet high by 3 feet deep. It is too big really for just two dogs but they like it. In winter we put bales of pine straw in there. At first we only put one bale, they toss it about, then when it gets colder we add a 2nd bale and they toss it about. Later we will add another bale and by this time it is cold and they make "nests" in it and sleep side by side.

If you have some where for them to be out of the wind and at least have some pine straw, they should be OK. 

But.....I bet they would rather sleep in your room!


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

I wish I had a barn. That would solve the problem!!!


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## bluesky (Mar 22, 2008)

Our lab mixes, the long-haired momma dog, and our Newfie mix stay outside in all weather. They have lots of straw in their houses and we make sure they have plenty of water and food. The two terrier mixes, with their short hair and bare bellies, stay in the house.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Mom's Lab stays outside 24/7, he does have shelter and clean bedding. He likes to play in the snow and gets overheated quickly when brought in the house.

My neighbors collies are outdoor dogs which get put into an unheated garage at night. 

When we lived on the farm we never kept the dogs inside at night. They had the cattle barn to sleep in.


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## J.T.M. (Mar 2, 2008)

Dogs and cats belong outside here .I can remember as a kid going duck hunting with my uncle.That ol' black lab would bust thru. the ice to fetch the drop ,then ride soaken wet in the back of the truck on the way home.brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

Out of the 5 dogs we now have - ALL of them are outside dogs.

The Great Pyr is the only dog I actually went and got - the remaining 4 were all strays or dogs that adopted us.

The Great Pyr is out in the goat / chicken coop. He can go in and out of the coop as he wants.
We have a Black Lab that adopted us. We have had him for at leat 5 years and he has survived the winters.
We have a Pitt Bull / ? mix with short hair that adopted us for at least 5 years. She has survived the winters.
We have a German Shepard / ? mix that adopted us about 3 years ago. He has survived the winters.
Our new dog that adopted us is a little short haired mutt dog. We wanted him to be a house dog but he didn't catch on to going outside to potty. We will see if he survives the winter.

All 4 of the dogs above have their own dog house. When it gets really cold (and I'm talking teens or below) then I add some straw. As long as the dog is acclimated to being outside - it is fine. And by acclimated - I mean it has spent the Fall / early Winter outside. I would never suggest you take a dog acclimated to sleeping in the house and throw it outside to live this time of year.


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## Lizza (Nov 30, 2005)

shanzone2001 said:


> I wish I had a barn. That would solve the problem!!!


Build a quick and cheap strawbale house bedded with plenty of straw, they should be fine.


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## J.T.M. (Mar 2, 2008)

morningstar said:


> Build a quick and cheap strawbale house bedded with plenty of straw, they should be fine.


Agree ,its not the cold that gets them....its the wind.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

shanzone2001 said:


> It is down in the 20's overnight and the news said to bring your pets inside. I realize that is nothing to many of you living in colder places, but it is quite and adjustment for my pets!


I wouldn't be overly worried about labs in 20 degree weather. Chihuahuas? yes, I would be concerned about 20 degrees, or even 50 degrees, and they would be inside. Now if it were below zero the labs should come in.

GP are made for weather below 20 degrees, so they love that weather. If it gets super cold, below zero, I put a heat lamp or two in the goat shed for them or bring them in if it is too windy.


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## cowbelle (Mar 5, 2009)

My Pyr also just loves the cold weather. She does have a house in the kennel (pole barn type with weatherbloc fabric around to cut wind). However, the Austrailian Kelpies don't grow much of a coat. THey have a plastic barrel which I bed with furniture/moving pads that I get off eBay for $7 apiece. Then I drape one of the pads over the top of the barrel so it hangs over the door also. The kennels are bedded with shavings as in a horse stall - so much better than being on the cold cement. The Kelpies curl up in their den. I'm at 7000' in CO, below zero the last few mornings.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

morningstar said:


> Build a quick and cheap strawbale house bedded with plenty of straw, they should be fine.


:clap:


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## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

We built a dog house into the corner of the well house (10 x 12), with a dog door. Above it we built a cat house with a ramp going up to a tunnel with a cat door into the house. We have to heat (40 degrees) the well house anyway to keep the plumbing from freezing, so why not heat the dog/cat house at the same time? Our big G. Shepherd gets too hot in there though, and would rather sleep in the plastic igloo.


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

morningstar said:


> Build a quick and cheap strawbale house bedded with plenty of straw, they should be fine.


I haven't found straw bales for sale anywhere since we moved to Texas almost 10 years ago. In Oregon, it was everywhere. In fact, we used it to bed the horse stalls in the barn.


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

It's quite easy to housebreak a dog/pup. The main thing is to keep on them when they're pups. Adult dogs housebreak much faster. Crate training really helps. Puppies at 8 weeks of age need to go outside every 15 mins then when they turn 3 months old, add 30 mins to 45 mins to the taking them outside time then 4 months old, should be able to take them outside every 2 hours or so. Once they're 6-12 months old, they should be ABLE to hold it for 8 hours and be able to tell you when they need to go. If you're not doing any of the above then they will not get housebroken. Also it depends on what breed too. Asian dog breeds house break really fast. Easily at 8 weeks to 10 weeks of age. Smaller dog breeds like the rat terrier take 8-12 months due to extremely small bladder and high energy, lol.

I kept my dogs outside a lot when they were pups and once they started getting the hang of pottying outside, they earned more time inside. Main problem I have with older pups is chewing!!!!!


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

Our shepherds always stayed outside in the winter unless the temps dipped below zero. They had comfy igloo doghouses. However, as they got older, we would bring them into the basement if the temps got to about ten degrees. We worried about them then because they were in their teens.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Like Ozarks Tom, we built a dog shelter into a corner, in our case, a corner of the enclosed (mostly) back porch. We tried insulating it with some mylar stuff we gleaned from a friend's roofing project, but Scot (an American Working Farm Collie) tore it out. He has straw in there now.

Scot likes to come in for breakfast and supper, but stays out the rest of the time. As he refuses to be housebroken, the only time he can sleep in the house is if he's in a kennel.

Bud D Dawg is an American Bulldog, and he is in the house most of the time once the temps dip into the 20's. Just not enough fur on that big ol' bully body to keep him warm.

It took a long time for me to get used to the livestock being outside in the bitter cold (rabbits, chickens, water fowl, goats). But with accommodations (drinkable water, extra hay and feed, protection from the wind) they do very well out there. The goats are not above milking the situation, though. They love it when I feel guilty.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

TedH71 said:


> It's quite easy to housebreak a dog/pup. The main thing is to keep on them when they're pups. Adult dogs housebreak much faster. Crate training really helps. Puppies at 8 weeks of age need to go outside every 15 mins then when they turn 3 months old, add 30 mins to 45 mins to the taking them outside time then 4 months old, should be able to take them outside every 2 hours or so. Once they're 6-12 months old, they should be ABLE to hold it for 8 hours and be able to tell you when they need to go. If you're not doing any of the above then they will not get housebroken. Also it depends on what breed too. Asian dog breeds house break really fast. Easily at 8 weeks to 10 weeks of age. Smaller dog breeds like the rat terrier take 8-12 months due to extremely small bladder and high energy, lol.
> 
> I kept my dogs outside a lot when they were pups and once they started getting the hang of pottying outside, they earned more time inside. Main problem I have with older pups is chewing!!!!!


With our collie, peeing in the house isn't a matter of a full bladder; it's all about marking. I started working with Scot, but the days are so full, and we're making up for lost time due to illness. Maybe when things settle down a bit, I'll spend a couple of days with him. It would be nice to have him housebroken, even though his job is outside.


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## OkieDavid (Jan 15, 2007)

My Lab wouldn't know what to do inside a house.... She LIVES for trips to the pond to go swimming as long as the ice is thin enough for her to break through.


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

Or buy an insulated dog house.


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## chamoisee (May 15, 2005)

Here's how it works: they have to either be inside dogs, or outside dogs. If they are used to being outside dogs, they grow a thick, warm undercoat that keeps them warm even in below zero temps. I've seen outside dogs birth at -25 below- all the puppies lived. 

But if you feel sorry for an outside dog and bring it inside for a few nights, it will begin to lose its undercoat, at which point it would be cruel to put it back outside. It's better to give it a dry place to sleep out of the elements if the weather is going to be bad, than to bring it in. 

Some dogs, such as my little Rat Terrier, could never be outside dogs at all.


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

My old girl was always an outside dog, but when she got old I started bringing her inside because of her joints...she never once had an "accident". She's gone now and I miss her terribly!

My current dog is a froo-froo for sure (toy poodle) and he stays inside.

In the spring, we're going to start looking for a LGD which will stay outside until time says otherwise.


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## copperpennykids (Sep 6, 2004)

Our Great Pyrenees are outside all of the time - they prefer it and they love their job of guarding the property so win-win for us all.

Have to say, dogs are a lot tougher than you think. We had Great Pyrenees puppies one year that were 7 weeks old (and just waiting to go to their new homes) and the temps dropped to 5 degrees. They had two little doggie-loos with some straw in their pen, but holey moley, that was cold! So at 3 AM I get to worrying about the puppies and get all bundled up and go out to check on them. All snugged up with 1/2 in one house and 1/2 in the other - looked like they were all breathing etc. so I went back to bed (and fretted a bit). At 6:30 AM it is getting light so I go look out the window to their pen - the little pups were out playing in the snow in their pen. Boy did I feel goofy for all that worry!

Also, my DD has a Welsh Corgi (now here is a cool "regular" dog) and he stays out all winter - straw in his doggie loo, but he sleeps in little scrap hay piles most of the time. Of course, he "thinks" he is a Great Pyrenees so must stay "on duty" but he has short hair and does just fine. He does come in from time to time to watch a movie with us, but does great in all of the elements.


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## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

The two twin girls are short haired hounds and they love to run outside but sleep with the old man every night, the stray and her pups have a 12' x 12' '' house that is insulated, heated, and........um yes....A/C.


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## nobrabbit (May 10, 2002)

My Border Collie stays out year round. He has a sturdy dog house that my husband built to his size with an small off-center door to act as a windbreak; we stuff it with hay for insulation that he burrows down into. 

We do bring him in pretty often to hang out with us but after 30 minutes or so he starts getting antsy to go back out. Guess the farm life outside is more interesting than us!


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

copperpennykids said:


> Also, my DD has a Welsh Corgi (now here is a cool "regular" dog)


I love Corgi's! Someday I will have a Cardigan corgi. So cute!


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## farmerDale (Jan 8, 2011)

20 F and the dogs should come inside? 1 question, are they hairless, or do they have fur? 20 F is barely even freezing. Unless they are pampered and hairless, I would think they would be fine.What is not fine, is bringing them in so they never get any toughness.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

My dog's a lab/pit/beagle/only-the-vet-knows-what-else mix. I'm lucky that he lets me live inside with him. 

He comes in and out of the house when he wants but when he's awake he prefers to be outside. It's cold and raining right now and he's outside barking at the squirrels in his shade tree. Growing up we had one dog that had a house outside and that's where he lived. Until the first time mom saw his sad face poking out the door during a rainstorm. He and every dog after him lived in the house.


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## Lizza (Nov 30, 2005)

farmergirl said:


> I haven't found straw bales for sale anywhere since we moved to Texas almost 10 years ago. In Oregon, it was everywhere. In fact, we used it to bed the horse stalls in the barn.


I thought maybe Straw is cheap everywhere? Guess not, hope the OP has access to some cheap straw because they make great shelters for animals, not made to last more then the one year but they are great. Much cheaper and warmer then buying an expensive insulated dog house. 

Right now I think we are buying it for $36 a ton and we bed all the animals with it.


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

morningstar said:


> I thought maybe Straw is cheap everywhere? Guess not, hope the OP has access to some cheap straw because they make great shelters for animals, not made to last more then the one year but they are great.


I can get straw here, but it is $6.00 a bale...yikes!!! I do have a couple of igloo doghouses that I can put straw in. 
They slept with me again last night. One of them has a jingle bell on her collar which drove me nuts so tonight I am putting them in their igloos and adding some straw. 1 bale will be more than enough for both houses. If they chose to sleep on their beds on the porch and be cold then that is their choice.
Even though straw is expensive, I like the idea of building a straw doghouse for goats...anyone do this or are they too small?
Anyone have pictures of a straw doghouse????


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## GammyAnnie (Jun 2, 2011)

shanzone2001 said:


> I can get straw here, but it is $6.00 a bale...yikes!!! I do have a couple of igloo doghouses that I can put straw in.
> They slept with me again last night. One of them has a jingle bell on her collar which drove me nuts so tonight I am putting them in their igloos and adding some straw. 1 bale will be more than enough for both houses. If they chose to sleep on their beds on the porch and be cold then that is their choice.
> Even though straw is expensive, I like the idea of building a straw doghouse for goats...anyone do this or are they too small?
> Anyone have pictures of a straw doghouse????


Pay $10 a bale when you have to buy like 40 bales for winter and then complain! 

Are you dogs to protect your livestock or are they indoor dogs, who just annoy you because you can't be bothered to train them??

Annie


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

If they are normally outside, AND you provide them with a dry shelter, they'll be fine.

The things that really get outside dogs are 1) lack of someplace dry (being wet chills them very quickly) and 2) not having shelter from the wind (even in 20 degree weather, wind can quickly chill a dog).

So as long as your dogs have a dry doghouse/shelter, they'll be just fine outside.


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

GammyAnnie said:


> Pay $10 a bale when you have to buy like 40 bales for winter and then complain!
> 
> Are you dogs to protect your livestock or are they indoor dogs, who just annoy you because you can't be bothered to train them??
> 
> Annie


$10.00 is very expensive. Straw used to be $4.00 a bale not too long ago.

My dogs are not working dogs. They are my kids' pets. The only thing I ever said annoyed me was the jingle bell which has nothing to do with me not bothering to train them. Jeez.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

It does rather depend on the dog. Ours are northern working dogs who prefer to be outdoors - they look much like the Husky shown. See:

http://images.google.com/images?q=site:flashweb.com+dogs -"hot dogs"

They love the snow and the colder temperatures. With their double coats of fur and high metabolisms they're made for winter weather. Keeping them hot would not be healthy for them. It is important to realize that different animals came from different climatic origins and are adapted differently.


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## Oat Bucket Farm (Jul 28, 2006)

We have a BC and two BC/Aussie Shepherd mixes. They sleep inside at night, but like to spend quite of bit of time out during the day unless the temps are pretty cold. Cats sleep where ever they want, when ever they want and come and go out of their cat door when ever they feel like it. 

Katie (one of the BC/Aussie mixes) in my velcro dog and she would be highly upset if I left her outside and went to bed without her. She sleeps in her dog bed right next to my side of the bed. She usually follows me to the bathroom too. I can't be trusted in there you know, I might fall in the toilet or drown or something.


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

Jackie said:


> Small dogs, *wire haired dogs*, thin coated dogs, smooth coated dogs, etc... *CANT live outside in a brutal winter IMHO*. I am all for keeping animals natural, but natural would mean they would all have coats like a wolf.
> 
> 
> I also think its not smart to bring dogs in and out. It's hard on them. In the fall I decide if my dogs are going to live in or out and then they stay that way. Right now i have a dog I rescued off an indian reserve that has a perfectly good coat IN the house for the winter cause I couldnt come up with a good enough reason to make her stay outside. Plus our new yard isnt fenced yet and spending the winter tied up would be really mean.


oldest irish wolfhound on record (can't remember exact age but at least 14) lived outdoors year round in alaska


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

Jack would love NOTHING more then to be allowed to sleep in the snow. He LOVES it. I have to drag his fuzzy butt inside when it's cold. Rules here say you can't keep dogs outside so he has to be a house dog at night. But boy oh boy, the snowier, the better. And he sure gets fluffy this time of year. He has a double layer of fur and hates when it is hot, he will find the floor vents in summer when the air conditioner is on and lay all over them if he thinks it's hot. Now the hound dog, was entirely diffrent. If it got below freezing she would refuse to go outside AT ALL!!! Dragging her out to do her buisness was not easy considering she was almost as tall as I lol! If it was below freezing, she would refuse to walk. She would plop over and just lay there looking pittiful untill we picked her 55 lb self up and carried her back in....yesh.


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## Old John (May 27, 2004)

We have two large Dobermans, that are pets and companions. They spend their time indoors, all year round. They sleep, one on each side of our bed, at night. They have been house trained ever since we got them. We can leave the house for 10 to 12 hours and they are just fine. A few days of crate training when we got them was all we needed.
We got each of them from the Doberman Rescue, I think at about 2 or 3 years old.
Dobermans are really "people dogs" and love human contact & interaction.Kinda like "velcro dogs".
We wouldn't think of putting them outside, in the cold at night.
ETA....We do have a fenced 140' x 140' yard, where they spend a lot of time, in Summer. But they still sleep inside.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

Oat Bucket Farm said:


> Katie (one of the BC/Aussie mixes) in my velcro dog and she would be highly upset if I left her outside and went to bed without her. She sleeps in her dog bed right next to my side of the bed. She usually follows me to the bathroom too. I can't be trusted in there you know, I might fall in the toilet or drown or something.


Jip, my BC/Aussie cross is exactly the same way. Except that he won't sleep in a bed. He has a pillow and blanket. And he follows me to the bathroom too. Darn it, but I'm crazy about that dog.

Do you have a picture of Katie? I'd love to see it!


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## Guest (Dec 8, 2011)

morningstar said:


> Build a quick and cheap strawbale house bedded with plenty of straw, they should be fine.


Righto..


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## Guest (Dec 8, 2011)

shanzone2001 said:


> I can get straw here, but it is $6.00 a bale...yikes!!! I do have a couple of igloo doghouses that I can put straw in.
> They slept with me again last night. One of them has a jingle bell on her collar which drove me nuts so tonight I am putting them in their igloos and adding some straw. 1 bale will be more than enough for both houses. If they chose to sleep on their beds on the porch and be cold then that is their choice.
> Even though straw is expensive, I like the idea of building a straw doghouse for goats...anyone do this or are they too small?
> Anyone have pictures of a straw doghouse????


Before my friends came over and built the dog Taj Mahal house, I did the following:

Got 4 pallets (I had two HUGE dogs)..put them next to the house where the entry was facing the house..that kept wind away..stacked straw bales two high around the pallets..took one straw bale and covered the entire "floor"..at first it looks like too much, but the dogs will rearrange it to their liking..they burrow into it..placed boards on top across the straw bales..put more straw bales on top..I think I used perhaps 10-12 bales at $2 each then..
Then covered it all with a heavy tarp held down by tent pegs..

Cozy, warm, up off the ground in case of heavy rain..covered with a tarp so the straw lasts longer.

IMHO, lots of things can be used to build a temporary winter dog house..out of the wind is key + lots of nice warm straw..


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## Guest (Dec 8, 2011)

For a "real" strawbale critter shelter, there's this:

http://lisakrause.blogspot.com/2011/07/straw-bale-construction-in-ohio.html


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## KnowOneSpecial (Sep 12, 2010)

LisaInN.Idaho said:


> I love Corgi's! Someday I will have a Cardigan corgi. So cute!


I agree!! I got a Corgi from a former member here. Max is half Cardigan and half Pembroke. He's totally awesome. A little on th ebarky side, but that's OK. He gets on the Border mix when she's getting too friendly with HIS kids or when she's doing something he thinks is wrong. I have to keep the Border mix on a leash outside or she'd run off. But the corgi can run loose and not cause a problem. If there is someone walking by he'll run up to them, but he's older now so by the time he gets there he's too pooped to be a menance! He still thinks all delivery guys have a steak in their pocket just for him, though. Instead of barking and being mean he dances for them and tries to look cute! ound:


As for the cold.....my dogs stay in. They're used to it and while the Border would be OK out all night she barks a lot and that won't fly here. And she needs to be on a leash. The cats in the barn, though, have a doghouse IN the barn that they cuddle up in. I've gone out there and seen a chicken, two ducks and about four cats come out of there! It's not very bid, so I KNOW they all had to be cuddled up!


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## Oat Bucket Farm (Jul 28, 2006)

LisaInN.Idaho said:


> Jip, my BC/Aussie cross is exactly the same way. Except that he won't sleep in a bed. He has a pillow and blanket. And he follows me to the bathroom too. Darn it, but I'm crazy about that dog.
> 
> Do you have a picture of Katie? I'd love to see it!


Sure.

Here is a pic of Katie










Her as a puppy is the October pic on the new HT calendar.


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

bostonlesley said:


> For a "real" strawbale critter shelter, there's this:
> 
> http://lisakrause.blogspot.com/2011/07/straw-bale-construction-in-ohio.html


Thanks, Lesley! I will check it out!


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## Lizza (Nov 30, 2005)

bostonlesley said:


> For a "real" strawbale critter shelter, there's this:
> 
> http://lisakrause.blogspot.com/2011/07/straw-bale-construction-in-ohio.html


Cool link. My sister spent some time down in New Mexico helping build Earthships.


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## tikaani (Apr 3, 2005)

my akita and akita/malamute mix prefer the cold and it seems snow nor ice deters them. the chihuahua, on the other hand, i can't hardly get her outside long enough to use the restroom.


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## Txrider (Jun 25, 2010)

beccachow said:


> My chow says bring it on, too, but he is wearing a long fur sweater. He is an indoor dog, but when it gets cold, he really comes alive outside.
> 
> The sheperds do well in the cold, to a point, but my oldest really shivers out there.


My shepherd loves the cold, really loves it.. But she's my burglar alarm also so she is always in the house at night, whether she likes it or not..  She would do fine at 20 degrees just on her dog bed on the screened in porch or a dog house with a bed to break the wind but I will not be awakened in bed by a burglar opening the bedroom door in the night again... That's her only job, to warn me and give me time to fill my hand..

Then again I have only seen the temps drop into single digits here once in my 50+ years, so cold here is relative thing..


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

I agree dogs with heavy coats should be outside, but make sure their house is big enough for them to get in and turn around but small enough for their body heat to warm up


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

I put 2 igloos (with straw) on the downstairs deck and they both crammed into the same one! I guess they love being together and have figured out the benefit of body heat!!!

They didn't use the igloos when they were out in the yard, so moving them to the deck made them happy, I guess. They usually just lay on the rugs in front of the doors, but now they have figured out how cozy an igloo can be.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

Oat Bucket Farm said:


> Sure.
> 
> Here is a pic of Katie
> 
> ...


SHe is adorable!


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## ajaxlucy (Jul 18, 2004)

A straw bale stuffed into a dog house seems so full that there'd be no room left for the dog, but they tamp it down and make a warm nest in the middle. During really cold weather, I'd see just a nose sticking out. When my son was little, he used to join the dog in there to warm up. He could have just come into the house, but that was more fun, I guess.


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