Heating a dog house is especially important in winter when temperatures can drop significantly below freezing. As the saying goes, “In such weather, a good owner won’t kick their dog out.” Strong gusts of wind literally penetrate the little house of the unfortunate animal, forcing it to mournfully lament its hard canine fate. If you don’t have the opportunity to let your dog into the house, you should carefully consider the issue of heating the dog house.
Insulating the Dog House
To avoid wasting electricity by heating the outdoors, you should insulate the dog house well. Ordinary felt or modern insulation materials like polystyrene or mineral wool are often used as materials. It’s important to understand that the insulation in this case only protects against the wind – cold air will still blow in through the open door. This problem can be solved by installing a special curtain or flap.
When insulating a dog house yourself, you should follow these rules:
- All materials should be mounted externally. Firstly, this will significantly save space inside the dog house; secondly, the dog will not be able to destroy all your efforts, as out of boredom animals often start gnawing and tearing everything that comes into their teeth.
- Choose curtains made of strong material, such as tarpaulin. Otherwise, the dog will inevitably turn them into “non-functional rags”.
- Use natural materials for insulation that do not emit harmful substances. Remember: a dog’s sense of smell is 50-100 times stronger than a human’s, if it doesn’t like the smell, it will simply avoid being in the kennel. Never use fiberglass!
- If your pet has thick long hair, you can do without additional heating. But breeds like Doberman, Rottweiler, Boxer, Cane Corso, Labrador need warmth in their house. Therefore, you need to choose a suitable heater. It is advisable to install the dog house closer to a power source. The smartest thing is to settle the animal near the house. This preserves security functions and facilitates the installation of the heating system.
Heating Panels for a Dog House
Infrared panels are very popular – these electric heaters are safe because their surface does not heat up very much. Most often, they have a high degree of moisture protection IP66 and are available in various sizes. Low-temperature panels are silent, do not take up much space (thickness only 20 mm), and can be attached to both walls and floors.
Such devices for heating a dog house are treated with a special anti-corrosion compound, which allows them to be used in damp rooms. Thanks to their fireproof properties, they can operate around the clock without constant monitoring of the dog house, which, of course, has its advantages. Installation is very simple: the panel is attached to the surface with screws, the wire is brought out through a small hole and connected to a socket.
Underfloor Heating for a Dog House
Heating cables and infrared film are the best types of underfloor heating for a dog house. The cable is cheaper, but the installation will be more complex.
Whichever method of heating the dog house you choose, always carefully hide the wires. This will preserve the health of your pet and will not cause problems in the general electrical network of the house.
Heating a dog house located outside the house is quite important for the health of your pet, so you should carefully choose the methods of its implementation. Therefore, when installing special devices yourself, consult with specialists in the field of heating and electrical equipment in more detail.