Registered: Jan 2010
Location: Greene County Ohio
Posts: 1264

I have seen the hound heaters in magazines and heard them mentioned on the site. For anyone who has them, how do you like them? Which one do you have? I see there is the hound heater 1 and 2, one uses a light bulb, and one looks sort of like a space heater that has a thermostate on it. Which one is better? Or do you use a heat lamp, if so, any pics of your set up would be appreciated.

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Registered: Mar 2007
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 133

I just bought one for my Redbone and it seems to be working just fine. I have the new version of the Hound Heater with the thermostat in it. I know there is an older version but I never tried it. We mounted this new one in an Igloo dog house and the only thing that was aggravating was that they do not send you any hardware to mount it with. You have to figure out the correct size screws, bolts, etc yourself and go and buy them..
Also for some reason, they put one of the holes for a screw right under the housing unit that holds the on/off temperature switch. So you can't really put a screw in that hole! But as long as you get screws in the other holes, it works out ok.
I haven't put a thermometer in the dog house to see how warm it is, but when I put my hand in there, it feels warm. I have an Igloo house (Dogloo II) with a door and also I put some bales of straw in front of the door to block the wind even further. From all the reviews I have read online, most people like this heater for their dog house. It's been bitterly cold here in TN lately so I'm glad I got the heater when I did. I would recommend getting one for maximum comfort for you dog. We're still sort of evaluating ours but so far, I like it.
Rocket 88

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I have a friend who purchased some of those heated mats you can buy for dog beds. They aren't cheap. I think he found a good deal on them at about $50 a piece.

He had built his own insulated dog houses and then ripped one of those heated mats apart and removed the guts and wiring from it. He then placed all the wiring and guts on the floor of his dog box on the inside. He got some sort of epoxy resin, quickcrete type stuff and poured that over the wiring probably a 1/2 inch thick or so. The bottom feels like smooth concrete or tile. He hardwired the wiring on the outside of his boxes with a thermostat.

Basically think "in-floor" heating, inside a dog house. He did all of his boxes that way.

The floor of his boxes are 40' degrees.

Probably the nicest, warmest, driest dog houses I've ever seen.

If I wanted heat inside my dog houses, that's the route I'd go. Probably not real cheap, but better off in the long run.

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Registered: Sep 2010
Location: New Paris, Indiana
Posts: 7076

I would think heating a dog house in the winter would be about the worst thing you could do for a dog unless you are sure the dog will not be turned out until warm weather arrives.
Dogs are not like humans. They do not dress in layers when they work and then strip down to their underwear when they go to bed. I think some of you are going to love them to death. Literally

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Last edited by JiM on 12-08-2010 at 11:42 PM

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Registered: Jan 2010
Location: Greene County Ohio
Posts: 1264

quote:

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Originally posted by JiM
I would think heating a dog house in the winter would be about the worst thing you could do for a dog unless you are sure the dog will not be turned out until warm weather arrives.
Dogs are not like humans. They do not dress in layers when they work and then strip down to their underwear when they go to bed. I think some of you are going to love them to death. Literally

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Last edited by Matt McKinney on 12-09-2010 at 01:04 AM

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Registered: May 2010
Location: NW Ohio
Posts: 529

It's gotten pretty cold here in Ohio over the last week with lows in the teens, my dog still won't sleep in his house. I have a kennel with a doggie door into a pen in the shed and a dog house inside that pen. He was sleeping outside until it got under 25 degrees, now he sleeps on the floor of the shed but not in his house full of straw. The cold does not bother dogs like it does us, so unless it's a real old dog, or little pups I think you do more harm then good by heating their house.

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Registered: Aug 2007
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 439

Lots of straw, good feed and protection from the wind and hounds can survive in temps that would kill us owners in a couple hours.

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I agree as well. A decent box, dry bedding, good feed and kept out of the wind, a healthy dog can handle nearly anything.

Going in and out of the warmth isn't a good idea.

As far as heated boxes, even if I had them I can't imagine needing them until it is entirely to cold to hunt anyway. If it got to the point where I'm that concerned about my dogs where I'd turn on heat in they're box, I sure wouldn't be going hunting.

My only point was that before I'd put in one of those hound heaters or heat mats, I'd go with that idea my buddy used. With his set-up, I can't imagine any ill effects for his dogs.

Might be a good idea to experiment with for a whelping set-up as well. I know I've got a female with 1 solo pup right now in an outdoor whelping box with a heat lamp. Its doing good, but having a heat source like my buddy has would sure give me more peace of mind opposed to checking on it every few hours like I'm doing now.

Last edited by on 12-09-2010 at 01:33 AM

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Registered: Jan 2010
Location: Greene County Ohio
Posts: 1264

quote:

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Originally posted by ahinsch
It's gotten pretty cold here in Ohio over the last week with lows in the teens, my dog still won't sleep in his house. I have a kennel with a doggie door into a pen in the shed and a dog house inside that pen. He was sleeping outside until it got under 25 degrees, now he sleeps on the floor of the shed but not in his house full of straw. The cold does not bother dogs like it does us, so unless it's a real old dog, or little pups I think you do more harm then good by heating their house.

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Registered: Jul 2006
Location: Turtle Mountains, ND
Posts: 1023

I've seen no evidence that adding a little heat to the interior of a dog kennel is harmful to dogs. I've done it for years and have seen no ill effects. Why would anyone do it otherwise? I keep the kennel between 35 and 40 degrees. Even if I take the dog out at 0 degrees, and how many of us coon hunt at a lower temp, that's only a temp range of less than 40 degrees between the kennel and the woods. During the summer months where I live, the daytime low to high temp on about any day is more than 40 degrees. My dogs are comfortable and active no matter the temp in their kennel and I bet those old dogs do a lot better in the long run.

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Registered: Jan 2010
Location: Greene County Ohio
Posts: 1264

quote:

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Originally posted by Rick Ennen
I've seen no evidence that adding a little heat to the interior of a dog kennel is harmful to dogs. I've done it for years and have seen no ill effects. Why would anyone do it otherwise? I keep the kennel between 35 and 40 degrees. Even if I take the dog out at 0 degrees, and how many of us coon hunt at a lower temp, that's only a temp range of less than 40 degrees between the kennel and the woods. During the summer months where I live, the daytime low to high temp on about any day is more than 40 degrees. My dogs are comfortable and active no matter the temp in their kennel and I bet those old dogs do a lot better in the long run.

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Registered: Dec 2009
Location: Furnace Branch Creek, East Tn.
Posts: 575

One question....

Do some of you guys put sweaters on them when you cast them in a hunt? LOL!!

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Registered: Dec 2009
Location: Furnace Branch Creek, East Tn.
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quote:

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Originally posted by Rick Ennen
I've seen no evidence that adding a little heat to the interior of a dog kennel is harmful to dogs.

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LMAO!

Heat in the winter, A/C in the summer... it could be yours for $549.00!!

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Registered: Jan 2010
Location: Greene County Ohio
Posts: 1264

quote:

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Originally posted by Traxx Addict
One question....

Do some of you guys put sweaters on them when you cast them in a hunt? LOL!!

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Registered: Mar 2009
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 2005

quote:

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Originally posted by brogy



LMAO!

Heat in the winter, A/C in the summer... it could be yours for $549.00!!

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Registered: Dec 2009
Location: Furnace Branch Creek, East Tn.
Posts: 575

quote:

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Originally posted by Matt McKinney
Mine prefers a sweater vest in the hunts, she is okay with a regular sweater if we are just pleasure hunting though..LMAO

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Registered: Jul 2006
Location: Turtle Mountains, ND
Posts: 1023

quote:

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Originally posted by Traxx Addict
I have. ..Maybe not "harmful" to their health, but it affected their performance and ability to be acclimated to cold weather.

I know someone who had the fanciest, heated kennels you have ever seen. The concrete runs were heated so they wouldn't freeze over with ice or snow. Houses were heated as well. He even had a heated dog box in his hunting rig. On really cold nights (under 20 degrees here in Tn.) his dogs would huddle up and shiver and shake when he would turn them out of the box and wouldn't hunt out too far, if any at all. One cold night they ran a couple of circles around the truck and jumped back into the boxes on their own.

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Registered: Dec 2009
Location: Furnace Branch Creek, East Tn.
Posts: 575

quote:

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Originally posted by Rick Ennen
I'd wonder if that dog was simply out of shape and had some other issue that kept it from hunting. I doubt it was the kennel that made the dog soft. We had a warm day here a couple weeks ago where the high temp reached a little over 20 degrees, so I went hunting. Man, you should have seen the fan of snow flying up behind my dog as he left into the woods. He'd go all night on a tepid night like that.

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Registered: Jul 2006
Location: Turtle Mountains, ND
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quote:

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Originally posted by brogy



LMAO!

Heat in the winter, A/C in the summer... it could be yours for $549.00!!

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: michigan
Posts: 2573

quote:

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Originally posted by Rick Ennen
No that's a dog house I wouldn't mind being sent to when I've been bad. Hang a dish on it and it's a second house.

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Registered: Nov 2009
Location:
Posts: 293

I find it hard to believe that a heater is going to affect a dog hunting...here in NH one night could be 42 degrees and the next could be 10 degrees out...or even lower. If a dog circles the truck and jumps back it the box cuz it's too cold, it's either 100 below zero or your dog is lacking in the GO department LOL. I only hunt for maybe 2 or 3 hours at a time, sometimes a lot less and these days if it's 10 outside I'm sitting by the woodstove with a beer instead of walking around in the dark freezing my nutsack off!

Some pictures of your heater installed would really be handy, I'm thinking about buying a few Hound heaters this year. It's not just the heat they create, it's how dry they help keep your bedding.

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Registered: Mar 2009
Location: ILLINOIS
Posts: 599

Maybe some dogs do not do well being warm most of the time and then getting out in the cold. I have 1 dog and about 60% of the time he is inside. I have been coming home for lunch and leaving him out untill quitting time. I hunted with bluecole and his buddy Mon night. My dog was swimming a creek with the temp of 11 outside. That was on the first drop. We made a few more with the last drop being a loooong track... again having both dogs in a creek. Mine never once quit due to him being cold.

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Registered: Sep 2010
Location: New Paris, Indiana
Posts: 7076

I guess my main point here is that these efforts made to heat doghouses does alot more for the owner than the dog. It makes the dogs owner feel good. The dogs themselves? I doubt they much care one way or the other.

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Registered: Nov 2009
Location: East TN
Posts: 256

Dogs have survived for hundreds of years without heaters. Why start heating houses now?

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