housing question...

what do you guys think of this house setup? is it cost effiecient? do you think its really "all-weather" even somewhere south (va or nc)? is insulation even needed in these places during winter? what do you guys think is the best, cost effective house setup and if you could give instructions that would help alot...thanks

 

sorry forgot the link

http://www.dunkelkennels.com/index2.php

its under yard tips on the left hand menu...the first house setup

 

If you only are gonna have one dog, why not just let it inside with you? Your house is already insulated..lol. Then the dog will have a choice of sleeping places...the floor, your couch, your bed, your favorite chair. Also it will be handy to have the dog right there every time you open the refridgerator in case you don't want to "waste" any leftover food.
And a house dog is better than TV for entertainment. For exercise you can pick up the dog's shredded toys.
Also in the cold winter, nothing makes a better foot warmer than a nice warm pit bull under the covers at your feet.

 

if i have one dog then it will be able to come inside when i am at the house but i was wondering what kind of a setup would be the most cost effective for a yard of dogs in a place with mild winters and hot summers

 

I was just kidding around. I have never had enough dogs that I had to "house " them outside. They have all been housedogs.(pets)
Hopefully some experts that have more than ten will answer your question about setting up housing for more.

 

I have a similar house that I build I use insulation. I live in central Arkansas. Insulation also works to limit the heat transfered from out side to inside. It serves a purpose both summer and winter.

 

Save money and use a plastic 55 gallon drum outside all year and in winter PACK it with straw like a mofro...in Iowa we get below 0 plenty during the winter and I have personally went out on super cold ass nights and stuck myself in there with a dog in the straw and all...and I swear with body heat fillin up the hollow straw and the well insulated plastic drum...it was down right toasty...and a old carpet or something helps too over the door...I never use plastic for doors because thay crack in the cold and get chewed and dont cover the door well like a carpet or towel..but old welcome mats work great to cover the door etc...thats all u need and in under 20$ to set up everything and thats a liberal quote...I get drums for 3 bucks...straw bales for 2

 

I'd have to agree. Just screw the barrel onto a pallet and stuff it with straw. It's very cheap, it works, and it's an all-weather house.

 

I think if u want the cheapest solution definately go with the barrel, but if ur set on making a doghouse i think those plans are as good as any. Actually i've built a house like that in the past, its actually quite easy just takes a few hours on a weekend. Now if ur plannin on havin a bunch of dogs its really not that practical because it costs a lot more plus u don't have the option of moving it around if u need to.

 

dang that sucks the plastic barrels are two dollars more here and the straw is 3.75 a bale. If I brought my 16 foot car hauler and one ton truck I probably would break even. dang the bad luck. I just load up on scrap that construction companies toss in the dumpster. I am cheap.

 

I dig that house a lot...what you might do is adjust so that the second wall (the interior wall) is perpendicular to the main door...that way you don't have two dog doors right in front of the other. Having the other door sideways to the outside door will cut down on drafts...just overall better insulation...kind of like a "wind screen" I think they call them.

I actually like that house A LOT. I'm looking into getting one for my friend's foster dog who probably ain't going anywhere cuz she's crazy. Crazy Kya, I call her. My problem? I hardly know a hammer from a screw driver. I am NOT mechanically inclined and do not own much past that as far as tools go...so...I wonder TRULY how easy this thing is to make. LOL

Also...can they (they being Home Depot or wherever I'd buy the plywood and such) cut the stuff to shape for me? Or is that something I'm supposed to do? No laughing now...

 

yeah im cheap too..but lucky..... here in my stinky town we have ADM industry factory for corn sweetner and also Nation Bi Products they make wonderful smelling dead animal stews and sell them to purina down the road for dogfood...so I just love the pungent cornsweetner dead animal dogfood morning air when I sip my coffee......I better get the barrells cheap for smelling the crap....and I have an old man who sells me straw for cheap because he grows it on his farm and always has waste that he leaves out to just decompose...so he hooks me up..
So welcome to the Armpit of Iowa~

 

Ah we have some of those protein plants here. I did a used to work shut downs with a construction company on the weekends I had off in the Army and on leave. Those are some very nasty places. I would through my cloths and rubber boots away after the job. and I never took my truck any where near those places. My stomache turns just thinking about that glop. Remind me not to come have coffee with you lol. I am at least 70 miles from the closest one here. I would rather pay the extra three bucks not to go there. lol

 

where in iowa i might have been there when i was working there a little while back i remember a purina plant and it stunk really bad lol

 

yeah the only time its real bad here is when its wind towards the north...and on still overcast days it just lingers on teh whole southwest side of town...im right on the edge of where it stops smelling but sometimes I get a whiff....lol but one morning when It is noce I will call u for fresh air and then we can have coffee with the dogs...lol

 

When we bought a bunch of plyboard from Home Depot -- or was it Lowes? can't remember -- they cut it to our specifications. Took a while to get somebody over there to do it, but they were more than happy to cut it exactly how we needed it.

 

Lol. Sounds cool to me. I just can't imagine what it would be like to live right next to one of them. I set a small crain with a bucket loader on it in a stanless steel room full of that crap. I tell you it cleaned me out I think I gagged on my toenails then my socks I vomited so hard. Some of the helpers would take breaks and eat stuff they packed or from the cafeteria. I reckon they had been in the business a long time. I was just a part time iron worker and milwright during shut downs. I know one thing there are certain brands of dog food that have that familiar smell to them that is for sure. My half brother used to eat that stuff when he was a kid. Heck he may still do for all I know. I wonder if that is the same crap they make McDonalds chicken nuggets from lol. :eek:

 

Please Attila, I am trying to eat my breakfast while reading this forum. You, too. mister dogman. have your "worst stink" contest in pm..lol

 

Cool. Then it might be do-able. LOL...thanks Lindsay

 

Clinton Iowa