Kennel heater

[Will mac]

Looking for recommendations for kennel heater.

 

[Red Dragon 2]

Think the K9 heater has some good writeups but a bit expensive, is it for 1 or more kennels?
I made my own with some 3" aluminium water pipe and a fan heater for 4 kennels with a thermostat in each kennel, took some working out but the dogs stay warm and dry.

 

[Will mac]

For one kennel, 8 by 4 interior.

 

[Johno2486]

Have a look at Ceramic Heat Emitters (for large snake enclosures) as an option / with either pulse proportional thermostat (constant heat will not drop),
or on/off thermostat ( Habistat are one of the best makes of either these stats.)

 

[VSS]

Genuine question: Why would you want to heat a kennel (unless perhaps you've got a litter of pups due in the middle of winter, in which case a temporary heat lamp will do)?
I have always believed that exposing working dogs to constant fluctuations in temperature was bad for their health, and that while the kennel should provide shelter and be dry, it shouldn't be warmer than the outside temperature that they're expected to work in. Nice thick fur is all they need!

 

[Will mac]

Well one of the dogs is getting on in years now and getting a bit arthritic so thinking it would help and maybe I'm just getting soft in my old age too and have a bit of sympathy now that winter is approaching. Not that I'm thinking of sharing the kennel with them, of course the Mrs may have other ideas!

 

[Dexter]

When it does get cold you can always tell which dogs live by the fire and which ones live in kennels on shoot days. My kennels are insulated but not heated. The dogs do very well on it. Their kennel is always several degrees warmer than outside and heated by their own body heat. I was always told that it simply needed to be kept dry and draught free. Nothing more is required for working dogs as it will ruin their coat.

 

[Norfolk Horn]

I found the heat pads worked well with an aged JR and they are cost effective to run. My JR loved it and kept him toasty.

 

[Coddy]

I use a K9 heater in winter for a kennel with 1.5m x 1.5m internal size.
Adjustable and once set up, i had mine set at 15c.

 

[willowbank]

Looking for recommendations for kennel heater.

Have you thought about tacking some insulation board on walls/ceiling and possibly lowering the ceiling inside the sleeping area, warm in winter and cool in summer. I have block of three and did this when newly erected. I had suspended a heat/brooder lamp in each one but have never needed them. Dogs snuggle up on 3 layers of vetbed in an oval plastic dog bed.

Willowbank.

 

[sauer]

Greenhouse tube heater on wall with bit of wire mesh : cage round it to stop chewing etc

 

[countrryboy]

Funny I was thinking of starting a similar thread.

As others have said making boxes smaller and insulating will help

I've just built a new kennel block, I tiled the sleeping boxes floors and walls, I did put electric underfloor heating under them.
But don't think they'll work as can't put anything on box floor or it creates heat spots and fries wiring.

At moment dogs are on cow matting with a plastic bed with shredded paper.

They do ok and are warmer to touch than the bare tiles.

My next idea is a tube heater as mentioned but instead off covering weld mesh ( was told they get quite hot so possibly even a fire risk with dry paper/hair etc)
I was thinking of surrounding the tube heater in concrete making it more like a night storage heater
I think I'm going to try pouring concrete inside a 4" waste pipe with a small pipe in the middle so tube can still be removed. Meaning to have a go at it this wknd.
Dunno if anyone can see any flaws in this idea?????

Wot I'm wanting is a heater to dry the dogs after there morning walk, spaniels esp seem to get soaked just looking at wet cover, would be great to have some sort off heater just to dry them off be warm for a short period of time

 

[willowbank]

I think you will be disappointed with a tube heater, greenhouse models are hopeless and designed to ward off a frost.. just that and no more. Hate to think you worked on the project only to find the heater underpowered.

Willowbank.

 

[Coddy]

Wot I'm wanting is a heater to dry the dogs after there morning walk, spaniels esp seem to get soaked just looking at wet cover, would be great to have some sort off heater just to dry them off be warm for a short period of time

Wife has a Blaster dryer. Got enough poke that it is used on minimum setting. Heat from it is warm, not hot but fairly blows the water out the coat. About 2m of hose.
2 dogs push each other out the way to get to the dryer when it is on.

 

[Cumbrian 1]

I put underfloor heating in mine but only use when they are wet to dry them and the beds off before they come into the house.

My kennels were built to the same spec as the house I.e insulated cavity, insulated slab, triple glazing in the veluxs and pop holes.

Without any heating in the winter the kennels maintain a temp 15-18 Celsius with just body heat.

 

[Dazb1967]

I think you will be disappointed with a tube heater, greenhouse models are hopeless and designed to ward off a frost.. just that and no more. Hate to think you worked on the project only to find the heater underpowered.

Willowbank.

I put one in my dogs kennel years ago and it works fine, thermostat controlled and comes on when the temp drops during the winter, great bit of kit for not a lot of money.

 

[oggie]

I went down the underfloor electric heating route, works brilliantly, only use it when the dogs are damp, they appear an hour or so later dry and happy! Two kennels cost around 3 pence an hour to run.

 

[John Gryphon]

As mentioned above I see no need for any heating for any dog kennel.
A stout wooden box sized for the dog,IE twice size,lined with second hand carpet,floor and walls including the ceiling,screwed and battened as some like to tug on any loose bits.
I use a couple of sheets of second hand roofing iron over the top of the box with an 18" cantilevered section over the door way.
A piece of carpet nailed over the inside of the entrance dropping inside that has a split in the middle for the mutt to go through, stops draughts and it closes behind the dog.
A small bale of cereal straw (not hay) is as good as it gets,the dog makes a deep nest and is warm as toast and the straw takes a lot of schitt off their coat too.
One bale will do 1/2 a doz boxes.
Empty the box in summer of the chaff and set again.

 

[Kjf]

As mentioned above I see no need for any heating for any dog kennel.
A stout wooden box sized for the dog,IE twice size,lined with second hand carpet,floor and walls including the ceiling,screwed and battened as some like to tug on any loose bits.
I use a couple of sheets of second hand roofing iron over the top of the box with an 18" cantilevered section over the door way.
A piece of carpet nailed over the inside of the entrance dropping inside that has a split in the middle for the mutt to go through, stops draughts and it closes behind the dog.
A small bale of cereal straw (not hay) is as good as it gets,the dog makes a deep nest and is warm as toast and the straw takes a lot of schitt off their coat too.
One bale will do 1/2 a doz boxes.
Empty the box in summer of the chaff and set again.

This is what my dog lives in, but I'm a soft git and he's got a washable bed in it,
I like the carpet over the door idea John, that's a little job for me to sort out over the weekend

Nice idea

Kjf

 

[John Gryphon]

Yes K it really makes it cosier for them.

hey I have to say that you are possibly feeding your dog too much if he is sitting in his kennel and there is an untouched bowl of dry tucker waiting.