Brittany outside in doghouse

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Novice123
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Brittany outside in doghouse

Post by Novice123 » Mon Dec 09, 2019 7:15 pm

I will pick up my 8 month French Brittany next week, Dec. 19 or 20. It is below zero here right now. I have built an insulated dog house with a 'Heavy Duty Dog House Door' installed. I have mounted a 'Hound Heater Plus' in the inside of the insulated dog house. My digital thermometer reads +23 degrees F, inside the dog house. I just ordered some foam rubber stripping to insulate where the dog house roof meets the sides of the dog house. I want to install that to reduce heat loss. The doghouse roof is removable and right now I am loosing too much heat. I plan to keep my dog inside our house at night in a metal wire-sided crate. Is +23 degrees F. inside his doghouse too cold for a 20 lb. Brittany? I want to keep 'Toby' outside to run around in our fenced in yard during the day. Of course, I will take him for walks and play with him inside the house when I get home in the evenings. If I can get the inside temperature of the doghouse to +35 - 40 degrees F., is that good for him being outside all day?

birddogger2
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Re: Brittany outside in doghouse

Post by birddogger2 » Mon Dec 09, 2019 9:30 pm

Novice -

Keep in mind that your new dog will generate some of heat all on his own. If the house is sized correctly and buttoned up, I would say the dog should be fine during the day, especially if there is nest making materials, like long leaf hay, inside.

The smaller the cubic footage that the dog has to heat with its body heat...the better. A 20 lb. dog really does not need a lot of space to curl up into.
It is important to keep wind and drafts out of the dog's sleeping area. Drafts, steal heat. Many cold weather area kennels have a short wall panel built into the interior of the kennel to create an entry"hallway" to block wind from the separate sleeping chamber. If your kennel does not have something like this i would consider installing one.

Also, keep plenty of fresh water and feed available. In cold weather dogs need both, especially water. I use heated buckets and my dogs all have self feeders with a high protein, high fat kibble in them. Dogs need fuel to make heat and food is that fuel.

RayG

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Dakotazeb
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Re: Brittany outside in doghouse

Post by Dakotazeb » Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:30 am

Is anyone home during the day when you will have him running around the yard? If not, I would have him kenneled inside. Dogs will find a way to get out of most any fenced area. A friend of mine has a heck of a time keeping his male Brittany in a fenced yard even with an electrified fence. And my female Brittany can climb out of a 6' chain link fence with no problem.

Novice123
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Re: Brittany outside in doghouse

Post by Novice123 » Wed Dec 11, 2019 1:13 pm

Sirs, thank your for your responses. If it gets too cold outside, I am just going to keep Toby in the basement wire kennel and walk him in the morning, afternoon and evening. Above all, I want to do a good job of caring for him. My wife is home much of the day, so that will help for keeping an eye on him when he is outside.

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bobman
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Re: Brittany outside in doghouse

Post by bobman » Thu Dec 12, 2019 11:15 am

IMO yes 23 degrees F is too cold for 20lb pup

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DonF
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Re: Brittany outside in doghouse

Post by DonF » Thu Dec 12, 2019 11:44 am

Don't use hay as bedding. It will work if it's all you can get but straw is a better choice. Straw is in hollow inside and hay isn't. Straw holds heat better. I've had dog's out in -10 degrees over the years on straw and min size house and they were fine. I think the best house will be a 55 gal drum berried in dirt. Had one place on the property that was really easy to do that and I loved that house. Dirt insulation straw bedding and door facing away from the normal wind.

About the wind I should also say I did have some wood house's I'd made and the door on them was made off to the side. Dog's could go in and get behind the wall next to the door.

polmaise
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Re: Brittany outside in doghouse

Post by polmaise » Thu Dec 12, 2019 4:21 pm

Don't Shoot the messenger.
Just for curiosity ...where was the dog housed for the last 8 months before you get it ? ..Different state like Florida to Chicago in a day , or what ? ..In December .
That aside ...no matter ...It is not Cold ambient temperature that is any problem with any breed (including a Brittany) ..whether it is French or any other type. ! It is ''Draught'' ! ..

Riverking
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Re: Brittany outside in doghouse

Post by Riverking » Fri Dec 13, 2019 8:27 am

I am on my third American Britt, all of my Britts lived to 13 to 15 yrs. My current Britt came from a kennel in Iowa. I guess I better say I live in Mpls, MN and have been here all of my life. My current female is 11 months old 30 lbs. She is out side now in her Kennel /Doghouse. The temp is 11 F. On extreme cold below 0 I do bring my dogs in at night. I have a insulated dog house with straw (lots). and a partition the dog has to go around as a wind break inside of her house. The dog house has a two way door. I keep water and food available at all times for the dog. I check the straw often and refill since straw breaks down. I have checked my dogs by feeling their bodies when they come out of the dog house and they are toasty warm. I do agree with one of the posts to keep the house as small as possible since the dogs bodies put off heat. They also put off moisture which creates frost some times. But also you need to think of summer heat about the dog house use they need plenty of ventilation. Like any thing else just a lot of good common sense. I think Toby will be just fine with your set up. Dogs house need some air and circulation for the moisture there bodies put off. don't make everything to tight. Also if its to warm there not comfortable either. Hope this helps . Jon

Novice123
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Re: Brittany outside in doghouse

Post by Novice123 » Tue Dec 17, 2019 10:48 am

Everyone, for those that what a dog house in colder climate I want to share what I learned about the Hound Heater Plus product. Now that I added weather stripping to the ceiling of my insulated dog house, the Hound Heater Plus is doing the job. I had installed the 'Heavy Duty Dog House Door' and the Hound Heater Plus. Last night the ambient temperature was 11 degrees F. With the Hound Heater Plus turned to a setting of 'medium' the temperature inside the dog house was 41 degrees F. The dog was not in the dog house so I would expect it to warm up even more with the dog inside. This is a very nice result for me as now I can keep my dog outside during the day to run in our yard and warm up in it's dog house. I hope that when it is well below zero outside, that I can just turn the heater all the way up to the 'High' setting. My dog will be inside the house at night. I have a large amount of wheat straw in the dog house. The dog was bred in North Dakota and has been acclimated to ND. Hope this helps someone else.

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dog dr
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Re: Brittany outside in doghouse

Post by dog dr » Tue Dec 17, 2019 11:50 am

As long as the dog has a DRY spot, out of the wind, with something to insulate him from the cold hard ground or concrete, he should be fine. Small dog house with plenty of hay/straw will do the trick. And like someone said, good food and water.

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kninebirddog
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Re: Brittany outside in doghouse

Post by kninebirddog » Thu Dec 26, 2019 8:05 pm

A little heated house the dog will be more then just fine.
Foxes do well in holes and dens with out heat or straw
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bobman
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Re: Brittany outside in doghouse

Post by bobman » Fri Dec 27, 2019 3:32 pm

I have a set of dog house plans from gun dog magazine in the 80s They are designed to Minnesota standards

They are on jpeg files and have to be sent as an attachment

If anyone wants a copy pm me a email address to send them to

They are free of course

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