Dog Houses - Movin' On Up!

When you brought your new puppy home, you looked that sweet puppy in the face and promised to always love and protect it as part of your family for all its life.  You can keep part of that promise by providing it with a place to live and call its own, a dog house.  Dog houses are great protection against the elements when your dog is lazing about outside.  It is instinctual for your dog to want to be outside as much as possible, so even if you have an indoor dog, you will find yourself letting your dog outside a lot of the time.  It is preferable that your dog not have to be on a leash when outside, so sometimes outdoor dog kennels are used or even a fenced in yard would suffice.

Either way, if you have to tie a dog out on a dog lead or they roam free in the back yard, it is essential that you provide them with some sort of protection against the climate. Even if you keep a good eye on your pooch and let him inside if the weather is bad, a dog house can provide him with that much needed feeling of comfort they get when they have their own "den". Dog houses provide a place where your pet can feel safe and sound, just like a den would provide out in the wild. It is important for you to remember that you dog lives by instincts and they should be treated like dogs and not people. You must provide for their instinctual needs in order for them to live a happy life.

The purpose of a dog house is provide protection against the elements and to provide comfort to your dog.  There are many different available dog houses on the market today and there is always the option of building your own.  When thinking about buying or building a dog house there are some things you would need to take into consideration before doing so and those considerations will lead you to which type of dog house will suit your puppy and his needs.

When we think of dog houses, many of us probably think of Snoopy's dog house first and all dog houses become wooden dog houses in your heads. Wooden dog houses are a great option, but have their own special considerations. For instance, the quality of wood used in the construction should be of the highest quality, cedar is often the wood of choice for dog houses. Wooden or not, dog houses must withstand the elements and your dog! Some dogs have a penchant for chewing on wood, so keep that in mind when purchasing a dog house. A cedar dog house with finished interior and finished edges will also help keep chewing down to a minimum.

You might wonder why wood is such a popular choice for dog houses and the answer, besides being the most readily available resource, is that wood is by nature an insulator. Wood helps keep the interior cool, much like wood house for humans does, so this makes it a wonderful choice for dog houses.

Plastic dog houses, often called igloo dog houses have found their own niche in a market dominated by wood dog houses. Plastic is a very durable material that is well suited for the elements. Many of the plastic dog houses are insulated with foam to help keep dogs warm or cool depending on the weather outside. Just like their wood cousins, you have to keep in mind that some dogs love to chew and chewing plastic is no exception. My dogs love to devour anything plastic, so special care must be taken when choosing a plastic dog house for one that is especially designed to withstand an aggressively chewing dog. Believe me, you do not want to have the surgical bill for getting foreign objects out of a dog's stomach!

Well who would have thought that a dog house can come with upgrades? Seriously, a dog house is a dog house right?

Wrong.

Believe it or not, you can get an air conditioner or a heater or both for your dog houses! Talk about the ultimate in comfort, a heated dog house, sheesh! You would never have to worry about if it is too warm or too cold out for the dog because the dog will have it's own temperature controlled house! These upgrades are pricey and can range from $89 to $459 for a combined air conditioner/heater unit!

Of course there is always the dog beds that can be placed inside the house, many of which are also heated and/or cooled. This option is the cheaper of the two even though they start at around $89 you get the benefit of both a heater and cooler in one for that price.

Below is a great video about one of the awesome upgrades you can do for your dog house.  Check it out to learn more about heaters for dog houses.