Dog Shelter
Thursday, April 16, 2020
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Like the human family, the more dogs you have the more acute your housing problem.
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| Dog Shelter |
Shelter comes next to feeding in importance for the dog-owner. It is not much of a problem for the family with a single dog kept as a house pet, since the dog lives with the family in the apartment, in the cellar of the house or outside in the yard. The problem becomes a great deal more complex for the man who intends to keep a kennelful of dogs, whether for breeding, sports or commercial purposes. The building of the large kennel involves as much planning and sometimes as much expense as the building of the average home and will not be dealt with here.
Despite the apparent simplicity of the pet owner's shelter problem, there are some things that must be considered. First, the dog must have his own place. Second, you must decide whether you want the dog outside the house or inside. In either case, you must supply some sort of sleeping quarters. Indoors, pick a place that is free of drafts and one that isn't close to a radiator or a furnace. Give him a bed of his own, raised from the floor four inches or so. It should have three sides with fairly high boards to keep off drafts, with the entrance side much lower, of course. They can be purchased at pet and other stores or you can make one yourself.
Cover the floor of the bed with an old carpet, a piece of blanket, straw, torn-up newspapers or wood shavings. Pine is cheaper than cedar shavings, which are often recommended. Whatever you use for bedding, keep it absolutely clean. Throw what can be thrown out regularly and wash thoroughly what you can't.
If straw is used outdoors, pack at least four inches of it for a mattress during the winter, less during the summer.
Dogs can stand a great deal more cold than most people think and some veterinarians hold that a dog kept outdoors constantly will be healthier than one confined to the house. It is unwise, however, to decide suddenly in winter to make your house dog an outdoor one. The quick change in temperature may be the dog's undoing. Most heavy-coated dogs can, of course, be kept outdoors all year around and their coats will be the better for it. In the case of the thin-coated varieties, discretion is advisable. A safe rule is if your dog is accustomed to the house in severe weather, keep him indoors. If he's used to being out at all times, keep him out.
At any season of the year, make sure the doghouse is free of dampness, sometimes a deadly danger; completely rain-proof and not exposed to the harshest winds. Place the house so the dog will get the sun during a good part of the day. In winter, a burlap bag hung over the doorway may be used as a screen against the elements, although your dog may have an inclination to tear it down once in a while. A door with hinges to allow it to swing both ways will serve the purpose at a little extra initial trouble. During sunny hours, keep the door open occasionally to air the whole doghouse out thoroughly.
To keep a doghouse free of dampness, raise it a trifle on planks or bricks and provide a wooden floor. Seal up cracks in the framework of the house with tar, putty or Plastic Wood. Some sort of roofing material over the house will keep it drier and warmer in winter and cooler in summer. See that the structure has air holes, preferably near the top, which will let the air in but keep dangerous drafts off the dog at all times.