I'm planning on building my dog a house until i found out how much lumber is in my area(160.00 for vestibule style house). anyhow, i went to petsmart and found a dogloo for 90.00. my question is, should i buy the dogloo or are these houses garbage? my dog is a boxer and we live in southern california (the low here in the winter is about 40 degrees)

I just got a great deal on a dogloo $20.00 at Walmart they were clearing them out to make way for Christmas toys. I have only had it a few weeks and already it is chewed all over the opening. Not real sure how well it works on being warm as that plastic seems to be awfully cold here in Ohio-it was in the low 40's today. I put the door up against the house so the wind would not get in and it is inside a wood fence so the wind is not bad.
We have run off the garage w/a dog door-which was eaten too!-Any ideas on a brand that can not be eaten? has anyone tried the door by gun dog?I liked that the dogs could not get on top of it to go over the 8 ft wood fence. the dogs have a cage inside the garage but since we added the third dog they just needed more room.


any ideas on what to use as chewproof bedding even in their cages?I have a 1 year Rottx that has bad hips but after a week or so will chew the bedding till there is nothing left I have spent move money on material making new covers for beds! I even tried crate mats that did not work it is for inside.

Thanks
Diane

I hear those dogloos are fairly good, they are easy to clean and dont hold smells becaue they are plastic. They are just an eyesore if you ask me. I dont know how well they do in cold weather, my uncles neighbor had one for his dog and he lives in Kamloops B.c. where it gets below zero all through the winter.

As far as the rottie chewing up his bedding, have you tried just giving him some hay, if you pile it up it can be soft and its inexpensive, I have no idea if its good for them to eat or not, its just a type of grass.

I ended up building something similar to what Ed has described on this site....it is actually a little deeper so both dogs can use it if they wish. The roof is flat and will be shingled shortly. The lid is also hinged for easy cleaning. I can actually curl up in the house and it is not too bad. It has a false bottom....raised 4 inches off the ground.....considering it is the first wooden "thing" I have ever built.....it turned out not too bad.......I was more nervous using the circular saw than anything.....everything is still attached thank goodness!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

The total cost I put into it....given it is big enough for both dogs....around $60 with enough left over to build a box style house for the Pit when he is outside.

I also made this one bigger with consideration for a possible whelping box.....from the way Nika has taken to it...I think it was a good idea. Thanks for the input....

It's good to hear you came thru your first "dog- related construction project" with all your digits intact! If you have dogs it is very handy to have some carpentry skills - there always seem to be lots of projects that need them!

Now I just need to get something to cover the edges to keep the dogs from chewing and scratching....any suggestions?

Why not just get metal flashing (comes in different widths) and wrap around the edges.

Maybe they will just stop chewing it on their own, my dog started to eat his dog house, after a day or two he stopped. If you made the dog house big for the two dogs you might want to add a flap to the door so the warm air doesn't escape and the cool air doesnt come in.

I paid a ton of money to get a house built for my dog. He has a large kennel that is half covered to provide shade and protection from rain. It snowed not too long after I created an opening from the shaded part of his kennel directly into his new mega-mansion. I went to the window to check on him the next morning, with visions of him curled up nice and warm in his house. What I found was this moron, not only out of his house, but out from under the covered part of his kennel, and fast asleep on a bed of snow with the wind blowing like crazy. If your dogs can get into the garage, don't waste the money on a dog house. The Pit will spend more time in there than the other one. Make sure they have water available, and they will take care of the rest.

I've got 45 dogs in Dogloo's. They are insulated, easy to clean, there is a "door" that can be attached to block wind. Some dogs prefer the door not be installed and they take immediate action to remove it. I've not noticed them chewing on this particular house any more than they chewed on the wooden ones. I also think the price if very reasonable.

DFrost