# Need Suggestions on Dog House Floor



## sdwoodworker (Jan 26, 2008)

I built a nice dog house for my 85lbs Rhodesian ridgeback but for some reason he always pulls his blankets outta there. I'd like to figure out a way to keep something in there that is soft and will keep him warm and install it in such a fashion that he can't remove it.

Any ideas???


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## bbqking (Mar 16, 2008)

I'm guessing that if he wants it out of there, whatever you put in there will be removed one way or another. When I was growing up, we always kept Boxers for pets, and had nice doghouses for them. They always slept under the porch in the dirt. Go figure. As always, bbqKing.


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## ropedog (Mar 26, 2008)

tack down some old carpet scraps that should make him happy.


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## marcb (May 5, 2008)

Until he rips the carpet out

Straw is the old doghouse standby.


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## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

The problem with tacked down carpet is that it gets smelly, full of hair and is hard to remove for cleaning. Had a black lab once who thought her mission in life was to eat her house and anything inside. I finally nailed a 2 inch lip across the bottom of the door and filled the floor with wood chips and replace the ones she kicked out. Another thing that might work is to buy a truck mud-flap from a farm supply store and cut it to size. If the fit is tight he probably would have a hard time getting his teeth on the edges.

As bbqking said, some dogs are clueless in this regard, but it's nice to have something that is resilient so they don't get caluses on their elbows.


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## jim1953 (Nov 18, 2007)

if it is a outside dog use straw


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## motthunter (Dec 31, 2007)

If he wanted it in there, he would keep it in there.


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## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

With due respect, wood chips are better than straw as they are easier to find, don't mat down like straw, and don't have weed and other seeds mixed in. If you can find cedar that's even better 'cause bug don't like it and fido will smell better if he is allowed in the human house once in a while.


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## sdwoodworker (Jan 26, 2008)

Yeah I tried to tacking down carpet and like a good demo man he had that stuff out by the end of the day. The straw is an idea but I can see my patio looking like a barn yard the second i turn around. He's an outside while were not around dog and mostly inside when were around.

The cedar is a good idea and I've heard that before but does it stick to him?


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## Tinyshop (Sep 1, 2007)

I have tried cedar, dog hated it. I tried carpet and it came out as well. Now all we use is straw. I think my dog was tring to pile it up in front of the door like a little cave. I just kept stuffing more in and now she has a ten inch hill built up in front of the door and a little "pocket" she sleeps in behind the hill. Looks awful cozy actually.

My girl, a vet tech, says wood chips and cedar chips can be bad as many dogs will have a reaction to it. She apparently has seen many dogs come into the emergency hospital she works in with 'hot spots' and rashes. After a few days in the hospital it goes away only to return when the owner takes the dog home. They found little splinters in the dogs skin that turned out to be wood, one of her genius Dr friends finally put it together anbd now they recommend not using wood at all.

A Lab is a different story though, they will eat anything, roll in anything and hump anything. I get to hear stories of Labs that have eaten everything from 27 rocks to 8 pairs of underwear, then have surgery to have it all removed. Labs rule!!


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## ND2ELK (Jan 25, 2008)

When I had my dogs I lived in North Dakota where it got very cold. My dog houses were elevated so they did not sit on the cold wet ground. I had 1/2" double plywood floor and walls with 1 1/2" sheet insullation and framing between the sheets. My dog house was 4' X 4' X 4' and had a door way in the front left corner so I could put a inside wall to create a narrow hallway. The dog would come in and go down the hall and turn back into a room on the right side. That way no wind could get at the dog. The top lifted off for cleaning and getting unwanted items out of the dog house. What makes a dog cold is being wet and in the wind. If you put carpet, straw or chips in the house more than likley it will be removed one way or the other! If you want a sketch and cutting list just let me know.

God Bless
tom


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## Larry (Nov 14, 2006)

Brad - you did not say that after your dog removes the items that your putting on the floor - if he will go back into the dog house and sleep there? My dog ( in doggie heaven now) just liked sleeping on a very hard surface. She was quite happy on a concrete floor - the only thing she did sleep on was a *cedar filled dog bed* - that we had in our trailer when we went camping. Some animals just like hard surfaces.


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