The Importance of Insulating Your Dog's House

Not too many years ago, people build boxes made of plywood and called them dog houses. These houses may or may not have had four walls. If they had four walls, one of those walls usually had a large door cut in the middle of it. Insulation, if there was such a thing, was in the form of balled up newspaper or hay stuffed inside the enclosure. Times have changed. These materials are still sometimes used as insulation because they do have fine heat-preserving qualities. However, several safer and more efficient heating and insulating alternatives do exist. These alternatives include rigid insulation, such as structural foam insulation, foam and nitrogen insulation, and thermal insulation. An insulated dog house will be more efficient in providing warmth to Fido.

No matter where you and your pet live, insulation is an important part of your dog's home. Insulation works by slowing the progress of heated air into spaces filled with cold air. If the dog house contains the heated air, then insulation will prevent that heat from escaping into the colder outside air. If the outside air contains the heat, however, the insulation will prevent the hot air from entering your dog's living space. Therefore, insulation does not only protect your dog from the cold during the winter, it also protects him from the heat during the summer. Even without a dog house heater, your dog's body heat will begin to warm the inside air, while the insulation retains that heat.

It goes without saying, of course, that no dog house should be left unheated or uncooled if the climate demands it. No amount of insulation will prevent excessive heat or cold from forming under extreme conditions, although it might serve to slow the uncomfortable temperatures from developing. To ensure your dog's comfort in areas that experience extremes in temperature, a heating and cooling system should be present in his home if he is to spend a great deal of time there. Winter dog house some might call it, will definitely keep Fido warm and cosy with the proper heating pads placed in the house.

Heat mats provide a layer of heat beneath the dog, protecting him from the cold rising from the ground below. Most of these mats are powered by electricity, so access to an outlet is required. To prevent shifting during use, these mats are sometimes secured to the dog house floor by screws. One advantage to heat mats is that they are affordable.

Dual purpose heating and cooling units are also available for your dog's house. These units are similar to those that heat and cool your own house, ensuring comfortable temperatures in your dog's house even during extreme weather conditions. These units come in a variety of sizes and in a range of functionality. Some units can be as inexpensive of a dollar a day to run if used around the clock.

Next article: Criteria Of A Doghouse