# Keep my dog warm!



## Head_Unit (Jan 26, 2010)

I'm wondering if anyone has knowledge about different types of insulation. 

Right now (i.e. tomorrow!) I gotta get some insulation for a doghouse I'm having built. 

The classic approach would be batts of fiberglass. But numerous sources say that is transparent to radiated heat, like from the dog himself! Then there are new aluminized-looking radiant barrier mats, and from a bunch of Googling it appears that blown cellulose features resistance to both radiated and conducted (convected?) heat. But I couldn't find anything about sheets of cellulose

And I could not find anything about foamboard insulation-yellow hard foam topped by an aluminumish skin. This would be really handy to put on the floor of the doghouse (covered by rug or such), because it can support weigh (I think). 

All I could find was Expanded Polystyrene Insulated Sheathing. 

I'm also not sure what is important to insulate. There will be two heat sources: the 75 lb dog's body, and a 1.5x2' flat heat plate device. I presume it is most important to insulate the floor, as the dog and the heat plate will be on top of that. Then I suppose the walls, as the dog may rest against them. 

Given that one side will have a roughly 1.5x2' door cut into it (maybe with hanging plastic curtain), I'm not sure if it's important/helpful to insulate the roof with scarce funds. Seems like it's more about keeping the surfaces the dog physically presses against warm?

The main thing is, any big panels should be bought and installed before the final side is put on!


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## titanoman (Nov 27, 2011)

When I built my luxury condo for my chow, I had T-111 on the outside, R-13 Kraft faced batts in the 2x4 walls and floor, R-21 in the attic, with 7/16" osb lid and on the inside of the walls. I even had some scrap tyvek I wrapped the whole thing with, and 150 watt bulb in a coffee can for heat, and a doggy door to keep the heat in there.
My kids used it more than my dog.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

If you build a fairly air tight enclosure with a doggie door, there is no need for a hotplate.

Rigid foam (poly-iso with the foil facing) will work very well. I would put rigid foam inside the framing and then cover the entire interior with a rigid foil faced poly-iso.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Head Unit, if you and your dog is in LA, their fur coat will be enough to keep them warm. Yesterday it was 12 degrees outside, and our Golden was laying down on the ground, found some sunshine, and was "hunting". She would not come in, due to she loves the cold, and the snow.

Now some days, she comes in right away if the wind is blowing, if it isn't, she is fine. As for the dog house, as long as it is a structure that allows them to get in from the cold wind, and has a warming mat, or hay on the floor, they will be warm.


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## Blondesense (Sep 23, 2008)

Windows on Wash said:


> If you build a fairly air tight enclosure with a doggie door, there is no need for a hotplate.


Ditto. 
Especially in LA. 
Sealing it from drafts and making it the correct size should be your other two criteria. It should be just large enough for the dog to get in and turn around. No bigger.
Straw in the bottom will also help hold their body heat.


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## Head_Unit (Jan 26, 2010)

Ha ha, lemme tell ya, Albert Hammond sang "it never rains in southern California" but that was also a lie. 

It CAN get cold here; sometimes I have frost on the ground. Not "real" winter, but as we leave the dog by himself outside for a week for Christmas his body heat should be reinforced. It can also blow a very cold rain, getting the dog wet, so a warm house is crucial.

The house needs to be big enough for him to stand and turn around because sometimes he'll be in it all day while we're at work and I want him to have somewhere to keep out of the rain. Ergo the heating pad, and maybe a heat lamp. 

Thanks for the input!

Dog door is a good suggestion, I'll have to consider that. Wanted a somewhat bigger entrance for light and to be able to get inside and clean, but maybe I can adapt just a couple thick plastic pieces.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Cold. The coldest it ever got there, when I was out there in the 80's, with the Navy, was the 30's at night and 50's during the day, in Oct through Jan. If your dog is a outside dog, yes you should provide a place with some warm material/bedding, and a shelter. If they are more indoor, and just go outside for a short period, they will be fine.


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## Head_Unit (Jan 26, 2010)

Aluminum-faced foam insulation: the aluminum should be on the outside?


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## titanoman (Nov 27, 2011)

Blondesense said:


> Ditto.
> Especially in LA.
> Sealing it from drafts and making it the correct size should be your other two criteria. It should be just large enough for the dog to get in and turn around. No bigger.
> Straw in the bottom will also help hold their body heat.


It should be big enough for them to lay down stretched out comfortably. My pit takes up my whole 5 foot couch. They like a roomy house just like we do.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Head_Unit said:


> Aluminum-faced foam insulation: the aluminum should be on the outside?


If you are insulating against the cold, the aluminum should face the dog to reflect the heat back.


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## Blondesense (Sep 23, 2008)

titanoman said:


> It should be big enough for them to lay down stretched out comfortably. My pit takes up my whole 5 foot couch. They like a roomy house just like we do.


If they are in a comfy house, then yes, they like to stretch out. If it is cold outside, and you are building an unheated dog house to keep them warm, they are going to be curled up. I stand by my statement.


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## titanoman (Nov 27, 2011)

Blondesense said:


> If they are in a comfy house, then yes, they like to stretch out. If it is cold outside, and you are building an unheated dog house to keep them warm, they are going to be curled up. I stand by my statement.


The light bulb and my dogs body heat are plenty enough on the coldest days in her 16 sgft condo. If you're going through all the work to build a doghouse why wouldn't you heat it? I hope you don't have a dog.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Dogs pump out plenty of heat in most applications. If the space is properly insulated and air tight, the heat coming off of dog will heat the space.

Running a light burns electricity and is a fire hazard. If dogs can bury themselves in the snow and insulate themselves in the arctic (granted they are huskies and similar) they can probably do okay in every part of CA.


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## titanoman (Nov 27, 2011)

Windows on Wash said:


> Dogs pump out plenty of heat in most applications. If the space is properly insulated and air tight, the heat coming off of dog will heat the space.
> 
> Running a light burns electricity and is a fire hazard. If dogs can bury themselves in the snow and insulate themselves in the arctic (granted they are huskies and similar) they can probably do okay in every part of CA.


I lived in Cali about 100 miles from Lake Tahoe where they get 100's of inches of snow. Not all of the state is any warmer than the Arctic. I know i'm going way off topic, but I get do tired off people thinking California is all sun and surf.


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## Head_Unit (Jan 26, 2010)

Blondesense said:


> If they are in a comfy house, then yes, they like to stretch out. If it is cold outside, and you are building an unheated dog house to keep them warm, they are going to be curled up. I stand by my statement.


Well, I know what you mean, but he won't stay curled up for 24/7. 

I want the dog to be comfy. Doesn't need to be the Ritz, but our visiting relatives is not a survival test either.

Maybe I can build in a DVD/TV combo and play Rin Tin Tin and Lassie on endless loop :laughing:


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## titanoman (Nov 27, 2011)

Head_Unit said:


> Well, I know what you mean, but he won't stay curled up for 24/7.
> 
> I want the dog to be comfy. Doesn't need to be the Ritz, but our visiting relatives is not a survival test either.
> 
> Maybe I can build in a DVD/TV combo and play Rin Tin Tin and Lassie on endless loop :laughing:


Seriously, an ol' boss of mine starting breeding, raising and training bird dogs. And boarding also. He's got like 40 individual units for boarding, and they all have plasma flat screens in them! I sh!t you not! He charges a little more than most (he's making 1/4 mil a year when they're full). Most people that have money will go to extremes when it comes to their beloved pets.


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

Things I learned about dog house construction: 

elevated entry (6-8”) to block the cold low drafts; compartmental quarters- the furthest one for sleeping (as big as dog curled up), behind the larger space for rec. room (no straight shot for wind entry); 

removable lid for easy cleaning; no exposed insulation: foil-faced or foamboard; no OSB due to out-gassing (with their great sense of smell…); smaller entry door to just squeeze through to keep drafts small; adjustable interior higher vent for hot days; 



no steep pitched roof; thick foamboard under 1/4” plywood floor (most body heat loss due to conduction); and no fiberglass- glass fiber insulation if you love your dog- or even like him- tiny shards of glass to continually fall from above getting into/on his eyes, mouth, tongue, throat, lungs to irritate/cut until swallowed in stomach. Just examine the empty insulation bag, or use a flood light/camera while installing……

Gary


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## Blondesense (Sep 23, 2008)

titanoman said:


> The light bulb and my dogs body heat are plenty enough on the coldest days in her 16 sgft condo. If you're going through all the work to build a doghouse why wouldn't you heat it? I hope you don't have a dog.


Four dogs. All large dogs, and all totally spoiled inside dogs!

But let me back up a bit:

Like many of the vague questions posted here, when talking about dogs and doghouses there are a lot of variables to consider.

First, the dog: Should it be outside 24/7? 
What kind (size) dog is it?
Small dogs with little body mass, dogs with health issues, old dogs, certain breeds, etc., should not be outside 24/7 through the winter. 

We have an Australian Shepherd that is going on 13 years. In her youth she wanted to be outside 24/7 no matter what the weather (Oklahoma) and we would let her. She is showing her age, and gets up a lot slower than she used to. We now keep her inside in wet and cold weather (usually against her will).

We also have two greyhounds. They are definitely _not_ outside dogs. In fact they are very spoiled couch potatoes.

IMHO, a medium or larger sized, healthy dog that is used to being outside (yes, an assumption on my part) should be quite comfortable in a well built doghouse going through a L.A. frost.

I have nothing against anyone who wants to heat a doghouse, but I suppose my comments above were as much for other readers who may not have the option/ability to wire their dog house. And an unheated doghouse should be properly built and sized to the dog. They should be able to lay down comfortably, but bigger is not necessarily better.

I have two hesitations over heating a doghouse. First, in a southern climate it is possible to over do it to the point where it may be too warm especially for a thick coated dog.

My biggest hesitation over heating a doghouse is safety. If wired, can the dog chew or damage any part of it?


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## titanoman (Nov 27, 2011)

You are very right about the variables. And I am glad you are a loving dog owner. As far as heat, I ran an underground conduit with 14g Romex, through the floor and inside the gable end wall up to a light bulb socket enclosed in a 5lb Folgers coffee can with several little holes around the base of the can. A 75 watt bulb keeps the can very warm, but not to hot to the touch. Just a little bit of warmth. Totally safe in every respect. 
I love my dog like a child; her safety is my number one concern.


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## Head_Unit (Jan 26, 2010)

GBR in WA said:


> elevated entry (6-8”) to block the cold low draftsno exposed insulation: foil-faced or foamboard


Mmmm, I had thought about that but rejected for ease of sweeping. But your comment spurs me to and idea of a removable piece for that use and also as a rainblock.



GBR in WA said:


> no OSB due to out-gassing (with their great sense of smell…)


Yeah, I had all the wood ventilating for a long time in the garage for that reason. Also to season it for warpage.




GBR in WA said:


> no steep pitched roof


Why not? I didn't pitch steeply anyway, but just curious



GBR in WA said:


> ; thick foamboard under 1/4” plywood floor (most body heat loss due to conduction)


Another excellent point. The walls would get mostly radiated, but the floor, or a wall he's leaning on, would get conducted heat.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Foil faced foam board to the inside as well. It will reflect a bunch of the radiated heat right back at him.


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## Head_Unit (Jan 26, 2010)

OK, 1 roll of Reflectix 25' x 48" Double Reflective Insulation now in hand. And a roll of rope caulk.

Neither HD nor Lowe's had any of the foamboard stuff-what's up with that?

But this should keep him OK. 

Now gotta work on getting him to go in the doghouse by himself...


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

Any steep pitched roof makes for good convective currents. The lower the roof, the smaller the loop. Keep his body heat close to him, use vents during hot weather to keep the "attic" cool.

Don’t leave any insulation exposed to the dog’s claws and teeth from scratching at it because it’s there…. I had a dog. (Dad told me he ran away though he did chase cars......) Leave an air space to the inside sheathing if using foil-faced foam board, otherwise it won't work.

You could use foil-faced insulation in the roof system as WW said, to cut down on the heat from the Summer sun- last one here; http://www.ecohomemagazine.com/ener...ommon-energy-claims.aspx?printerfriendly=true
It does work in sunny CA as other areas: use a light colored roofing for cooler temps inside: http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/publications/html/FSEC-EN-15/index.htm


Gary


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