Hunting-dog Dog-House

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I have a question about a hunting dog that will be kept
outdoors (backyard) most of the time. It is the short-haired
variety (e.g., rabbit-dachshund or German short-haired pointer).

I am presently looking at the CRB Dog Palace with "central heater" with
the fleece bottom bedding. (See below link.)

Will the dog be ok if it is 20F outside? How about 0F outside ?

The company lied and said the doghouse would maintain 58F inside
when it is 0F outside. For example, I tested the empty doghouse by measuring
the air temperature at the floor of the doghouse. And so far I get
50F when the outside temperature is 26F. (with "set-point" set at 80F.)
Based on that, it is not going to be anywhere near 58F inside when it is
0F outside; I will be lucky if it is 30F in the doghouse when it is 0F
outside.

I am considering/planning on adding wheat-straw inside the doghouse
and maybe a heated pad for the dog to lie on.

Is the dog going to be ok when it is 0F outside if I do all of the above ?

Edit: I also have wifi temperature monitoring and wifi cameras, including
one inside the doghouse. So, I can monitor things and have a neighbor
come help if something goes wrong and I am out of town. (Also a gps
collar on the dog that I can monitor when out of town.)

 
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A windproof, dry doghouse filled with straw will keep a puppy happy.
I built an insulated doghouse that served our bird dogs well. Three Brittany's.
Most hounds, bird dogs, beagles...short haired hunting dogs live their lives without benefit of a heat source. Im not being cruel.
Well fed, well watered, dry and clean bedding.

We have a pet door into our garage, and a dog bed next to our furnace. The garage stays 50ish throughout the winter. Our dog sleeps on the patio lounger except on the coldest nights.
 
I just added a cheapo Walmart heater into the dog-house. The temperature rocketed upward by 24F
in only 12minutes.
Before Walmart heater added: doghouse = 44.8F (21F outside) (23.8F differential)
After Walmart heater added: doghouse = 67.3F (19F outside) (48.3F differential, 103% higher) (10% humidity in doghouse)

Maybe the ASL heater is defective or inadequate wattage.

Walmart heater is not chew-proof or any of those things...
 
Like it’s been said, keep them out of the wind and dry and they will be fine. My kennel stays at about 50F in the winter. My short haired Jagdterriers are happy and comfortable.
 
A windproof, dry doghouse filled with straw will keep a puppy happy.
I built an insulated doghouse that served our bird dogs well. Three Brittany's.
Most hounds, bird dogs, beagles...short haired hunting dogs live their lives without benefit of a heat source. Im not being cruel.
Well fed, well watered, dry and clean bedding.

We have a pet door into our garage, and a dog bed next to our furnace. The garage stays 50ish throughout the winter. Our dog sleeps on the patio lounger except on the coldest nights.
I could make a pet door into my garage. But, I have routinely seen my garage in the 20's Fahrenheit.
Just double-checking: If I use the doghouse in post #1 and keep it filled with dry wheat-straw and do
not even turn its heater on, will the single dog be ok if it is 0F outside during the night ?
(My doghouse electric heater is only making the doghouse about 23 degrees F warmer than the outdoor air.)
 
23F is too cold for a small dog. It’s got to be in the 50’s at a minimum for a little guy. Something like a mini dachshund or a teacup poodle is not going to be able to retain heat like a bigger dog.

You could also get him a sweater to wear, they do help.

Just me but I wouldn’t keep a mini outside in those conditions. It’s the wrong kind of dog to be a cold weather winter time outdoors dog.
 
23F is too cold for a small dog. It’s got to be in the 50’s at a minimum for a little guy. Something like a mini dachshund or a teacup poodle is not going to be able to retain heat like a bigger dog.

You could also get him a sweater to wear, they do help.

Just me but I wouldn’t keep a mini outside in those conditions. It’s the wrong kind of dog to be a cold weather winter time outdoors dog.
What about a German Short Haired Pointer ?
(if not a Rabbit Dachshund).
 
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A GSP is an entirely different story, and even then I’d spend the money on a decent kennel with a robust heating system for the temps you’re describing.

I’ve got a Spinone, a Brittany and 5 Jagdterriers. I built them a 12x18’ kennel with inside and outside runs with dual heaters. I insulated and sheet rocked the entire interior. At 50 deg probably even 40 deg out of the wind it’s fine. At 20 something degrees you’re going to have some health issues eventually.

What is the issue with letting the dog into an inside kennel at night?
 
A GSP is an entirely different story, and even then I’d spend the money on a decent kennel with a robust heating system for the temps you’re describing.

I’ve got a Spinone, a Brittany and 5 Jagdterriers. I built them a 12x18’ kennel with inside and outside runs with dual heaters. I insulated and sheet rocked the entire interior. At 50 deg probably even 40 deg out of the wind it’s fine. At 20 something degrees you’re going to have some health issues eventually.

What is the issue with letting the dog into an inside kennel at night?
Even in the daytime, we see 0F outside. It's not really a night vs day thing per se.
I just can't afford to have house-destruction occurring. I don't have an indoor
'nanny' to watch him in the house. It's a big enough financial risk that he might eat
the siding on my house or eat my shed.
Do you mean keep him in a crate or pen, inside the human-house, when it's lower than 40F in his doghouse ?
(Minor thing: potty: This particular dog has always been an outside dog his whole 2years of life; that's another complication
as he has not been potty-trained, but I suppose I should be able to train that into him.)
edit: I do not have a stay-at-home wife who could act as a 'nanny'.
 
Sounds like quite the conundrum, good luck with whatever you decide.
I wouldn't be a conundrum if the ASL doghouse heater worked like they promised. Then he would
mostly be a backyard dog at my house and a crate-dog indoors only in extreme situations. He
would get to watch squirrels in my backyard, chase the rabbits that live under my shed, watch birds,
use his nose, etc, versus a lot of time indoors being bored... Running around the backyard he would not get cold
very fast, and when he got tired or cold he could just warm up in the doghouse. That was the vision that I originally
had for him.
And of course the most fun part, rabbit hunting with me. :D
 
Dogs have hair for a reason. They evolved that way for thousands of years and are just fine in an unheated doghouse down to 45 /50 degrees. Temps in Florida rarely get below 35. As long as the house has a good door and a raised floor, the dog will do just fine at temperatures down to 45.

Zero is a different ballgame. Insulated walls and floor plus good bedding is needed. A good heater is probably necessary.
Hunting dogs are tougher than you think, they can get by in conditions that would make us miserable.
 
Look at the Akoma Hound Heater and put a dog door on the doghouse if it doesn’t have one . I am down to 1 beagle now . He is a hunting dog and has always been kenneled outside with another beagle . But with the temperatures at night that we have been getting I bought a crate and bring him in at night . He took right to the crate . I walk him at 8:00 o’clock and he sleeps all night without a peep and hasn’t had any accidents yet .
 
Can a German short-haired pointer hunt in (35F, 10mph) conditions ? If not, my rabbit hunting plans may be largely-foiled from the get-go.
 
Look at the Akoma Hound Heater and put a dog door on the doghouse if it doesn’t have one . I am down to 1 beagle now . He is a hunting dog and has always been kenneled outside with another beagle . But with the temperatures at night that we have been getting I bought a crate and bring him in at night . He took right to the crate . I walk him at 8:00 o’clock and he sleeps all night without a peep and hasn’t had any accidents yet .
This guy at 19:00 says he is only getting a 20F degree difference with that Akoma heater.
(The ASL heater is giving me a 24F difference; ASL lied to me and said I would get 58F difference.)
(The CRB doghouse already has a door as shown in the pics of post #1.)
 
Not that I trust google's AI engine but :
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This guy at 19:00 says he is only getting a 20F degree difference with that Akoma heater.
(The ASL heater is giving me a 24F difference; ASL lied to me and said I would get 58F difference.)
(The CRB doghouse already has a door as shown in the pics of post #1.)
My nephew is using the Akoma heaters in 3 doghouses . He is happy with them . I can’t tell you how much it raised the temperature in them because he told me about it over 5 years ago . He also doesn’t have a dog doors on his doghouses .
 
Live in NY where it’s pretty cold. My GSP likes being outside. Below picture is from fall. Today it’s about 36 outside and snowing. He could come inside, but he’s not. He has a house that is wind proof And insulated. Heater for the water bucket. I have a heating pad in his house. It’s warm when on but not hot. When it gets single digits he comes in more, but not much more. As always he sleeps inside. We have more than a few jackets for him, this one lighter for fall use. They also help keep him dry.

IMG_1307.jpeg
 
The first night that I brought my beagle in the house he was panting . The temperature in my house is only set at 66 degrees . Last Sunday night was the first time that he had been in the house in 6 years . I don’t know if it was nerves , or the heat and being use to the cold . He is doing good since . It took him about 4 days to get use to the TV . He didn’t like it . IMG_3059.jpeg
 
Look at the Akoma Hound Heater and put a dog door on the doghouse if it doesn’t have one . I am down to 1 beagle now . He is a hunting dog and has always been kenneled outside with another beagle . But with the temperatures at night that we have been getting I bought a crate and bring him in at night . He took right to the crate . I walk him at 8:00 o’clock and he sleeps all night without a peep and hasn’t had any accidents yet .

I’m on my second beagle, neither would stay in a crate without a peep. Actually it’s more of a blood curdling moan that goes right to my wife’s sympathetic soul and out he comes.
 
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