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Pitfalls to avoid? Doghouse cshenk 02-24-2008
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Posted by JoeSpareBedroom on February 24, 2008, 10:12 am
> Hi!
>
> We've been settled in fairly well now 5 months after our return from
> Sasebo Japan, and now are getting 2 pets. The local rescue pet society
> has a lovely cat and a perfect for us beagle.
>
> Nothing special needed for the cat except later we might want to build a
> perch. For the dog, though we plan to have him indoors almost all the
> time, seems a dog house in the back yard would be a good thing. As the
> beagle (named 'Cash' BTW) isnt a huge dog, we don't need a huge structure.
> He's 35-40 lbs. He won't use it 'much' but it should be there for him if
> we leave him in the backyard for a short grocery trip when the weather is
> nice.
>
> I'm looking over some googled plans as well as at simple plastic ones.
> The plastic ones look like they might collect rain inside and not drain
> well. Also we are in a hurricane area and 2-4 times a year would have to
> find a place inside to stow such an item (or dismantle, flip both parts up
> and weight with cinderblocks).
>
> Help me out? What pratfalls might I want to avoid here?
>
> Things I am fairly sure of:
>
> - yard doesnt drain fast in heavy rain so needs to be raised 2 inches or
> any wood floor may rot
> - needs to be able to be tied or bolted down somehow?
> - needs to be reasonably watertight but with venting along roof edge as it
> can get quite hot here
> - have plenty of leftover roofing material (tiles, tar paper etc)
>
>


Although I despise dogs, I can be sympathetic enough with the creatures to
suggest that you NOT use treated wood for the floor of the dog house. Use
cedar or redwood, and make the floor easy to unscrew and replace if
necessary.

Someone will now come along and say treated lumber is perfectly safe to
sleep on. Blow me.



AppliancePartsPros.com, Inc.
Posted by cshenk on February 24, 2008, 12:22 pm
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote

>> Help me out? What pratfalls might I want to avoid here?
> Although I despise dogs, I can be sympathetic enough with the creatures to
> suggest that you NOT use treated wood for the floor of the dog house. Use
> cedar or redwood, and make the floor easy to unscrew and replace if
> necessary.
>
> Someone will now come along and say treated lumber is perfectly safe to
> sleep on. Blow me.

No you are actually quite right and we ran into that right away. Thanks
though as had we not known, we might not have thought of it!




Posted by Jim Redelfs on February 24, 2008, 10:17 am
wrote:

> For the dog, though we plan to have him indoors almost all the time,
> seems a dog house in the back yard would be a good thing.

If your experience is like mine, the dog will not use the doghouse. Unless
they are kept outside permanently, they must be TRAINED to use a dog house.
They are dumb enough that they'll stand in the rain waiting for your return.

I bought a new, expensive Dogloo<r> doghouse for my Labrador Retriever when
she was "new". She never used it as she spent most of her time inside the
house with the pack (us). I sold the doghouse.

> He won't use it 'much'

He won't use it EVER unless trained to do so.

> but it should be there for him if we leave him in the backyard for
> a short grocery trip when the weather is nice.

Those conditions are times when a dog doesn't NEED shelter. It's when he's
left outside during inclement weather that a doghouse is necessary.

> Help me out?

You should wait until you see what is NEEDED. If there already exists modest
shelter in the back yard (shade from the sun is most important), you may find
you NEED to do nothing else.

If the dog truly becomes a member of your family (good for you), and there is
enough existing shelter in the back yard to escape the direct sun and wind,
you can save your efforts for something else.

Generally speaking, a dog house should be *JUST* big enough for the animal to
stand up and turn around. It does NOT need (added) ventilation beyond the
entry door. This is important if the dog is trying to stay warm.

If the weather is too hot, particularly if the dog house is positioned in the
direct sun (bad place), the dog won't be inside: He'll dig a hole UNDER the
dog house or lay in its shade if nothing better is available.

You may wish to visit more appropriate newsgroups for more information.

news:alt.animals.dog
news:rec.pets.dogs
news:rec.pets.dogs.misc

I cannot recommend a doggie door enough. I have one and, if we get another
dog after this one is gone, I'll never be without one. Hannah's "dog house"
is our laundry/utility room. More accurately, Hannah has a dog house with a
laundry pair, water heater and furnace! Good luck.
--
:)
JR

No project too small
All projects too big

Posted by cshenk on February 24, 2008, 12:41 pm
"Jim Redelfs" wrote

>> For the dog, though we plan to have him indoors almost all the time,
>> seems a dog house in the back yard would be a good thing.
>
> If your experience is like mine, the dog will not use the doghouse.
> Unless
> they are kept outside permanently, they must be TRAINED to use a dog
> house.
> They are dumb enough that they'll stand in the rain waiting for your
> return.

Hehe could be! We were worried as there's very little shade.

> I bought a new, expensive Dogloo<r> doghouse for my Labrador Retriever
> when
> she was "new". She never used it as she spent most of her time inside the
> house with the pack (us). I sold the doghouse.

;-)

>> He won't use it 'much'
>
> He won't use it EVER unless trained to do so.

The designs I was looking at, all are raised off the floor and have pretty
much open sides with shutters you can close at need, and a roof.

>> but it should be there for him if we leave him in the backyard for
>> a short grocery trip when the weather is nice.
>
> Those conditions are times when a dog doesn't NEED shelter. It's when
> he's
> left outside during inclement weather that a doghouse is necessary.

Or heat? Beagles have too thin of a coat to stay outside when it's winter
so thats not ever been in our minds.

>
>> Help me out?
>
> You should wait until you see what is NEEDED. If there already exists
> modest
> shelter in the back yard (shade from the sun is most important), you may
> find
> you NEED to do nothing else.

Pretty sure there isnt. Also, this is a preliminary check so I appreciate
the 'pratfall avoidance' advice here!

> If the dog truly becomes a member of your family (good for you), and there
> is
> enough existing shelter in the back yard to escape the direct sun and
> wind,
> you can save your efforts for something else.

Not enough shade. I should have been clear that this is the real need.
Well vented for heat conditions but a shade roof.

> Generally speaking, a dog house should be *JUST* big enough for the animal
> to
> stand up and turn around. It does NOT need (added) ventilation beyond the
> entry door. This is important if the dog is trying to stay warm.

Or well ventillated if trying to stay cool right? One design I wanted to
toy with, was a roof with minimal walls and plastic shutters over a poured
concrete (or cinderblock partly buried base). The coolness of the cement
would be good if totally roofed.

> If the weather is too hot, particularly if the dog house is positioned in
> the
> direct sun (bad place), the dog won't be inside: He'll dig a hole UNDER
> the
> dog house or lay in its shade if nothing better is available.

How about if I just dispense with the dog house and put a doggie gate to the
porch? Thats seeming a better idea now that I think about it.

> I cannot recommend a doggie door enough. I have one and, if we get
> another
> dog after this one is gone, I'll never be without one. Hannah's "dog
> house"
> is our laundry/utility room. More accurately, Hannah has a dog house with
> a
> laundry pair, water heater and furnace! Good luck.

Hehe can do that too if I put one in the porch and the laundry door.

What I'm trying to do here is avoid caging tactics at shopping time yet keep
'Cash' happy. Cash, as much as I do not agree with this sort of training,
has been cage trained and isnt very reliable alone outside a cage.
Something that is easily fixed when young, but will take us a bit since he's
now 2YO.

I'd rather not come home to find the stuffings of my sofa all over the house
<g>. Doggie love is more important than my sofa but a few reasonable
precautions arent unwarrented. Besides, I always hated that sofa anyways ;-)



Posted by hallerb@aol.com on February 24, 2008, 1:59 pm
> "Jim Redelfs" wrote
>
> >> For the dog, though we plan to have him indoors almost all the time,
> >> seems a dog house in the back yard would be a good thing.
>
> > If your experience is like mine, the dog will not use the doghouse.
> > Unless
> > they are kept outside permanently, they must be TRAINED to use a dog
> > house.
> > They are dumb enough that they'll stand in the rain waiting for your
> > return.
>
> Hehe could be! =EF=BF=BDWe were worried as there's very little shade.
>
> > I bought a new, expensive Dogloo<r> doghouse for my Labrador Retriever
> > when
> > she was "new". =EF=BF=BDShe never used it as she spent most of her time =
inside the
> > house with the pack (us). =EF=BF=BDI sold the doghouse.
>
> ;-)
>
> >> He won't use it 'much'
>
> > He won't use it EVER unless trained to do so.
>
> The designs I was looking at, all are raised off the floor and have pretty=

> much open sides with shutters you can close at need, and a roof.
>
> >> but it should be there for him if we leave him in the backyard for
> >> a short grocery trip when the weather is nice.
>
> > Those conditions are times when a dog doesn't NEED shelter. =EF=BF=BDIt'=
s when
> > he's
> > left outside during inclement weather that a doghouse is necessary.
>
> Or heat? =EF=BF=BDBeagles have too thin of a coat to stay outside when it'=
s winter
> so thats not ever been in our minds.
>
>
>
> >> Help me out?
>
> > You should wait until you see what is NEEDED. =EF=BF=BDIf there already =
exists
> > modest
> > shelter in the back yard (shade from the sun is most important), you may=

> > find
> > you NEED to do nothing else.
>
> Pretty sure there isnt. =EF=BF=BDAlso, this is a preliminary check so I ap=
preciate
> the 'pratfall avoidance' advice here!
>
> > If the dog truly becomes a member of your family (good for you), and the=
re
> > is
> > enough existing shelter in the back yard to escape the direct sun and
> > wind,
> > you can save your efforts for something else.
>
> Not enough shade. =EF=BF=BDI should have been clear that this is the real =
need.
> Well vented for heat conditions but a shade roof.
>
> > Generally speaking, a dog house should be *JUST* big enough for the anim=
al
> > to
> > stand up and turn around. =EF=BF=BDIt does NOT need (added) ventilation =
beyond the
> > entry door. =EF=BF=BDThis is important if the dog is trying to stay warm=
.
>
> Or well ventillated if trying to stay cool right? =EF=BF=BDOne design I wa=
nted to
> toy with, was a roof with minimal walls and plastic shutters over a poured=

> concrete (or cinderblock partly buried base). =EF=BF=BDThe coolness of the=
cement
> would be good if totally roofed.
>
> > If the weather is too hot, particularly if the dog house is positioned i=
n
> > the
> > direct sun (bad place), the dog won't be inside: =EF=BF=BDHe'll dig a ho=
le UNDER
> > the
> > dog house or lay in its shade if nothing better is available.
>
> How about if I just dispense with the dog house and put a doggie gate to t=
he
> porch? =EF=BF=BDThats seeming a better idea now that I think about it.
>
> > I cannot recommend a doggie door enough. =EF=BF=BDI have one and, if we =
get
> > another
> > dog after this one is gone, I'll never be without one. =EF=BF=BDHannah's=
"dog
> > house"
> > is our laundry/utility room. =EF=BF=BDMore accurately, Hannah has a dog =
house with
> > a
> > laundry pair, water heater and furnace! =EF=BF=BDGood luck.
>
> Hehe can do that too if I put one in the porch and the laundry door.
>
> What I'm trying to do here is avoid caging tactics at shopping time yet ke=
ep
> 'Cash' happy. =EF=BF=BDCash, as much as I do not agree with this sort of t=
raining,
> has been cage trained and isnt very reliable alone outside a cage.
> Something that is easily fixed when young, but will take us a bit since he=
's
> now 2YO.
>
> I'd rather not come home to find the stuffings of my sofa all over the hou=
se
> <g>. =EF=BF=BD Doggie love is more important than my sofa but a few reason=
able
> precautions arent unwarrented. Besides, I always hated that sofa anyways ;=
-)

coral pet with dog door in a single room you could back the crate to
the dog door.

giving a choice in crate or running around yard

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