winter bedding for dogs kennelled outside.

My outdoor dog kennel has a wooden floor that is raised off the ground by about 4 inch, on top of this is a section of rubber stable mat and then a bed of barley straw on top. The back of the shed is bigger than the “bed” so there is a board to keep the straw back from the door way.
 
I use shavings but if it gets really cold then straw,if it gets damp then it needs changing,but I won’t put a wet or damp dog in a kennel and after a hard days graft they will always be fed before me,w
 
Tried everything over the years and have settled on blankets, the grey kind of woollen ones that they use for furniture removal , inexpensive ,warm and comfy, the dogs like to scrape and sort them into a kind of nest, got them online and can be washed or changed , helps prevent sores and kind to their joints
 
I think it was Guy Wallace who pointed out that the bedding often just gets wet, and then the dog ends up sleeping in wet / damp bedding all night.

Having no bedding usually means the dog and the board he’s on dries out and the dog then sleeps all night dry and warm.

I think all these different beddings make us feel better can as noted by Guy can actually make It worse for the dog.



Personally I’d try and make sure the dog is totally dry and warmed up / fed before going into the kennel; that way if you do want it have bedding it stays dry and the dog stays warm and cosy.


Having a kennel sleep box that is the right size for the dog (so their body heat can warm up and keep the space warm) is important IMO. Seen lots of ‘kennels’ and the sleeping box is enormous, no good for keeping the warm in.
 
The First winter for my chap in his new kennel outside he has a rather nice sleeping area just wondering what to bed him on.

Lots of straw at hand but I imagine this would need regular changes to keep it dry, do shavings work well?

Would be interested to hear your thoughts on the subject.a
My outdoor dog kennel has a wooden floor that is raised off the ground by about 4 inch, on top of this is a section of rubber stable mat and then a bed of barley straw on top. The back of the shed is bigger than the “bed” so there is a board to keep the straw back from the door way.
A Cordura type dog bed from pets at home etc. Easily wiped if dirty or damp with a cloth or antibacterial wipes if freshen up is needed. Gives padding, warmth & a side to kerb draughts
 
Many thanks for everyone's input, dust extracted shavings at the moment he seems to like them, I like the look of the vet bed too.
 
Personally I’d try and make sure the dog is totally dry and warmed up / fed before going into the kennel; that way if you do want it have bedding it stays dry and the dog stays warm and cosy.
^^^^

This is the way to go for me... my shooting chums often take the p**s while I wash my 2 labs down and put their drying rugs on before heading off home or into the pub for a swift one! By the time we are home they clean and dry... mine sleep indoors but I think if they're sleeping out it'd be even more pertinent! Keeping joints and muscles warm will only give your dog a longer, sounder life surely! 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
My Kennels are purpose built each with an inner sleeping compartment via a 2x2 hatch fitted with a draught curtain, sleeping in an oval plastic dog bed with approx 9” sides and a couple of layers of washable ‘Vet Bed’ this has worked very well and had no problems with being outside all year.
Its been my experience that a dog kennelled outside grows a ‘seasonal’ coat which is noticeably thicker during the colder months.

Willowbank
 
Our dogs have always been kenneled outside. We've tried virtually all the systems suggested over the decades. Admittedly, our dogs are getting (like their owners!) to be a bit 'high mileage', so it could be argued that we are over protective.
Here's what we do.....they all have a fleece coat to put on at the end of a long/wet day's work. All three go in the truck kennel, and typically, when we get home, they're toasty warm and largely dry. They do come into the house once they're dry and have some 'fire time', but, as someone else mentioned, when they've had enough they let us know and off they go. Outside they have draught free quarters (important!) and in their individual boxes they have vet fleece inside and a 'door curtain'. Their pallets in the run are a wood base frame, covered with StokBoard. The StokBoard is easily power washed, as is the vet fleece (or it goes in the coveralls washing machine!) This has worked for a lot of years now and we're confident that it protects our dogs well.
 
I've used straw, shavings, blankets at different times, on wood and stockboard but when the dogs got older found that a short tube heater under the bed (not accessible to the dogs), definitely helped them.
 
18 month old lab pu here and i have K&M do box shes in..... bugger keeps chewing the pvc strips covering door to stop weather / drafts getting in :-|

result wide open hole/door and assocaited drafts


paul
 
Vet bed and blankets for the spaniel, but the Labrador is a pain in the arsed and folds the vet bed up into a tiny little square so straw for her
 
18 month old lab pu here and i have K&M do box shes in..... bugger keeps chewing the pvc strips covering door to stop weather / drafts getting in :-|

result wide open hole/door and assocaited drafts


paul
I fitted aluminium U channel sections (B&Q) to all the chewable edges to solve that problem.

Willowbank
 
Nothing chewable in the Mitton hall kennel anything chewed will be replaced FOC.
using dust-free shavings at the moment he's happy enough, quite like the look of the vet beds as well.
 
Nothing chewable in the Mitton hall kennel anything chewed will be replaced FOC.
using dust-free shavings at the moment he's happy enough, quite like the look of the vet beds as well.
The good thing with the vet bed it's drawers the moisture so the dogs stay dry. When they get damp just take them out and replace it with a dry one 🦌
 
Im Another happy customer with mitton hall kennels Ive had heaters
Fitted in mine on a frost stat which is set at 5 degrees plus an override switch so I can turn them on at will when the weather gets cold they all get left on 24 hours the dogs earn their warmth as much as anyone
 
I fitted aluminium U channel sections (B&Q) to all the chewable edges to solve that problem.

Willowbank


the kennel itself is not the issue nothing chewed on kennel itself ...its the PVC strips / curtains that hang down over the entrance to kennel that has been chewed

paul
 
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