Sometimes it can be challenging to come up with ways to keep your dog warm in the winter, particularly in his or her dog house. Though you may take some easy steps to keep the dog house warm, you might have to adopt some drastic measures if you are in extremely cold regions.

Most of the time the simplest way to heat up pet houses in places where it gets really cold is by adding a commercial heating unit. But what else can you do to keep your furry friend warm in the winter? Below we will take a look at some tips to help you achieve this. Let’s get started!

Understand Your Breed’s Needs

Know your dog breed’s specific susceptibilities to the cold. A few dog breeds are more disposed to the cold compared to others, while other breeds adapt really well to the cold. Those pups that do not respond to the cold should not be outdoor dogs. But, even pups that cope well in extreme cold require shelter and warmth to grow as outdoor pets.

Some breeds that cope well in the cold are Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, and Chow Chows. Dogs that have a harder time coping are toy dogs, Dobermans, hairless and short hair dogs, as well as Greyhounds. The shaven or overly clipped dog falls under this category since thick winter coats are a dog’s insulation.

Change the Location

The easiest way to improve the temperature in your pet’s house might be by moving it to a much warmer location, like a heated garage.

Although you cannot put the dog house indoors, it will remain much warmer when it is placed in a location that is protected from the wind. You might also put it against the house or another heated structure. This will shelter the pup house from the wind and will help increase the temperature slightly in the doghouse.

When the wind is not an issue, you could consider putting the doghouse in an area that gets sufficient sunlight — especially in the afternoon. You can get a solar dog house, but it does not work at night.

Insulate the Dog House

A dog’s natural body heat helps keep his kennel warm. Hence, the better the dog house is insulated, the warmer it stays. Therefore, make sure that all gaps and cracks in the doghouse get covered.

Do ensure that the dog house has a door that can be used to retain the warm air within. Consider raising the house off the ground. Then put a padded bedding material, blanket or pillow on the floor where your dog can sleep.

This will not only provide comfort for your furry friend, but it will also help in insulating both your dog and his house from a cold ground. For your furry friend’s pleasure you might check out Mobile Dog Grooming.

Build a Heating Unit

If you are handy with tools, you could put in a light fixture inside on the ceiling of the pet house. When you fit it with an incandescent light bulb, it helps keep the dog house warmer. You can do this only when the house offers enough headroom to put in the light high enough to prevent contact with your dog.

A ceramic fixture is safer when used instead of the plastic units, then put a fire-resistant guard or baffle around the light bulb to prevent anything from contacting the fixture or bulb. Use only pet-safe, red bulbs as an alternative to white bulbs. That way your dog can get some sleep.

Buy a Heater

There are several commercial, easy to use products available which will help warm up your dog’s house. Some manufacturers make heated mats that can be used on the bottom of your dog’s house.

It is essential that you monitor your dog when such electrical devices are used. Do not use these kinds of devices with dogs who will possibly chew on them. In addition, be sure to frequently keep an eye on the temperature of the heating device to prevent accidents and burns. If preferable, you can opt to start over by purchasing a heated doghouse that will keep your dog warm during cold weather.

Capture Extra Heat

If you want to pamper your dog, you could consider using heat from the house to keep your dog’s kennel warm by connecting a dryer hose. How do you make this contraption? Cut a round hole near the upper part of your dog’s house that can take a connection of the aluminum dryer hose inside your house.

How do you get the heat to reach your dog’s house? Link the dryer hose to the house and your dog’s house on either side. Then to help move the heat towards the doghouse, you can use a small fan for blowing the heat towards the doghouse. There’s actually a video here that goes into some of this.

When It Is Extremely Cold…

When it is extremely cold for long periods of time, bring in all outdoor dogs. Even using a barn is better and warmer than an outdoor dog house. Keep in mind that the more insulation layers you add to the kennel, the cozier it will be. You can cover the kennel using an old duvet, then placing a tarpaulin over it to strengthen the protection.

Be sure everyday to check the dog house to ensure it is dry and has no leaks in the roof. Cold and wet is way more dangerous and uncomfortable compared to dry cold. Do make sure that the bedding is dry and warm. Lying on dirty bedding can cause infected skin patches and sores. Likeable Pets can treat these infections.

Wrapping up

Though some dog breeds can withstand more cold than others, no pet is entirely immune to cold temperatures. Consider raising the kennel off the ground. Then add padded bedding, blankets or pillows on the floor for your dog to sleep on. This helps provide comfort for your furry friend and also acts as an insulating material for your dog and his house.

About the Author: My name is Alice Lee, I am the Co-founder of Likeablepets.com. I am a certified and experienced professional dog groomer. Other than my passion for animals, I also like to blog on my spare time. Most of my stories involve my experiences as a dog groomer, and the everyday tasks that I have to do. I love animals so much, that I have dedicated most of my time to caring and nurturing all animals as if they were my own. As a person of professionalism, I also share some personal tips about dog grooming, and how you can care for your pets at home.

Do you have a highly energetic dog? She definitely needs a way to channel all of that excess energy or else she might find a lot of destructive ways to use it up… like destroying your belongings or digging holes in the backyard.

Does this sound familiar?

Well, it is a good idea to have creative ways to help them burn off energy in healthy, fun and productive ways, while of course keeping their minds stimulated. If you want to learn what these activities are, then please keep on reading below.

Six Creative Ways To Exercise Your Highly Energetic Dog

1. Running Partner

Planning to beat your personal record in the upcoming marathon? Well, why don’t you take your highly energetic dog with you when you train. They can be your best running buddy. Just start slow and run at a pace they are much comfortable with, then you can gradually increase the speed and even the distance.

Or you can just simply run around the yard, chasing each other. This is an absolutely fun way to burn off energy for your dog, and burn some calories for you, too!

2. Keep Waving that Flirt Pole

Highly energetic dogs are much like cats in that they love chasing soft objects that flap and flutter. So yes, this means that if cats can go crazy over wand toys that have feathers or small fluffy things the end, then your active dog will too! In fact, they even have name for these things. They’re called flirt poles.

There are plenty of ready-made flirt poles you can purchase. They are specially and safely designed for your dog, but you can also make one by yourself. You can make one using PVC pipe that is about four to six feet long, a rope, and some stuffed toy

Like what this pole does to a cat, a flirt pole taps into the predatory instincts of your dog and will encourage it to concentrate on, chase and then attack its prey found at the end of the rope as you are flicking the pole around. This will definitely be a game changer for your highly energetic dog.

The main benefit of playing with the flirt pole is that will give your dog physical stimulation as they run back and forth trying to catch the toy. But at the same time, there will also be mental stimulation since they will try to outsmart you and anticipate the toy’s movement.

But what’s even better is that it will exhaust your active dog without exhausting you. Children can also easily stand still and wave the wand. It doesn’t take much. You don’t need to look for a huge yard to play with the flirt pole. You can play with it in your driveway or on a sidewalk outside your home. You can basically do this exercise anywhere and anytime. During rainy days, you can play indoors with a half-sized flirt pole.

I also suggest playing with the flirt pole before you go on walks. Five to ten minutes will do. This is a good way to expend some of your dog’s excitement. The more you tire out your pooch before her walk, the less excited energy she will have during your walk.

3. Set Up Obstacle Courses

Setting up obstacle courses will not only exercise your highly energetic dog but will also train her agility. This exercise provides physical as well as more mental stimulation. It is a fun way to give your furry companion something they can achieve and focus on.

There are professional classes available to instructors that offer obstacle course training for your dog, but you can also do it by yourself. There’s no need to shell out a lot of money. It is actually easy enough to create your own safe and fun home obstacle right in your backyard. All you need are a few cheap supplies or even things that are just lying around your home.

To make things easier for you, Everything for Our Pets will be sharing three common types of obstacles you can easily set up for your dog… these are weave poles, jumps, and tunnels. But just a gentle reminder, safety should be the most important feature for every obstacle course, so always keep in mind your dog’s well-being while you are setting up everything.

Weave Poles: It is very easy to make your own weave poles! All you need are inexpensive PVC pipes. Stick lengths of pipe into the ground, making enough space between the pipes for your dog to safely run or walk through.

Just watch out for any immovable and hard materials that could possibly injure your dog just in case she miscalculates the distance between two poles. Make sure to secure the poles properly so they won’t fall over whenever your dog runs through them.

You can also purchase orange traffic cones rather than PVC pipes if you don’t want any pipes popping out all over your yard. Traffic cones present more of a challenge that the standard weave poles.

Jumps: We will also be using PVC pipes for bar jumps. Set the pipes at different increments and make sure there will be enough room for your furball to comfortably jump over the bar.

Also make sure  that the bar can be easily knocked down so your dog does not hit something solid and injure herself if she doesn’t jump high enough.

Tunnels: It is possible to make an obstacle course tunnel from scratch. But there are a lot of pet owners who find it much easier and even less time consuming to just repurpose an existing play tunnel. If you have kids you can use your child’s old flexible play tunnel, this will make an excellent obstacle.

If you don’t have any, there are plenty of inexpensive ones you can purchase at your local department store or online. Just choose one that is lightweight but is also heavy enough that it will not move when your dog runs through it.

4. Swimming and Water Play

During a hot day, swimming and water play can be just the ticket for your active dog. Take your dog for a dip in your local lake or beach. She will get a great workout, use up some of her energy, and the best of all, stay cool in the heat.

But take note that not every dog is made for swimming. There are breeds that are bad swimmers. Fortunately, there are life jackets designed especially for dogs. This will allow him to still be in the water even if he is not really the greatest swimmer. In this way your dog can get his much needed exercise while staying safe.

5. Catch and Fetch, Balls and Bubbles

You can play this with your dog in the yard or at the park. If you have ample space in your home, you can play more controlledforms of this game. Since balls have always been a favorite for active dogs, it is the most efficient tool for this activity. Just make sure that you get one that is the right size of your dog. A large dog might get choked on a ball that is too small while a small dog might it difficult to handle a large ball and will eventually give up playing. With proper training, your dog can even learn to play a dog form of soccer using large ball.

Another fun way to play catch and fetch is by using bubbles. Your dog should find bubbles to be fascinating, so she will absolutelyhave a great time chasing them all over the yard and trying to pop them.

You can use those with simple bubble wands that can release one or two bubbles at a time, but I one idea is to get a battery-operated bubble blower that can shoot many bubbles at once. This will really get you highly energetic dog running and leaping and generally going nuts. Remember that bubbles might get into your dog’s mouth, so make to use only non-toxic bubble solution.

6. Add Some Weights

Have you ever gone backpacking? Then you absolutely know how exhausting it can be to carry around 25 or 30 pounds on your back while hiking. For your dogs, you can buy a little doggie backpack and add a safe amount of weight. This is a great way to burn that extra energy on daily walks.

How much weight you should use? Just try about 10% of the total body weight of your dog. For example, if your dog weighs 50 lb., insert a 5 pound weight.

Final Thought

As long as you use your imagination, you can absolutely think of different creative activities and games for your dog to burn off extra energy. Take note that a highly energetic dog can get easily bored. They will find ways to relieve their boredom and may end up developing behavior you don’t want them to exhibit. A simple routine of daily exercise will help them remain happy and healthy.

Things to Keep In Mind before Flying with Your Dog

Our furry four legged companions often feel like part of the family for pet owners. As such it is often hard leaving them at home while the rest of the family goes on vacations or trips to another city or to a country setting. Flying with a pet is a possibility, but you are usually riddled with lots of preparation and must have a lot of patience. The friendly skies can quickly become an impediment due to expensive air fares, flight delays and crowded airports. These things can easily take their toll on a even the well-seasoned traveller, and they are only magnified in your pet, which is why most pet owners resolve to leave their pets at home to negate having to deal with these issues. However, seeing as much of the problem can be quickly resolved by adequate planning, we have listed a few things below that you might keep in mind to help make flying with your pet as effortless and comfortable as possible.

Know Your Options

It’s important to know that different airlines have different policies when it comes to travelling with your canine companion. Some airlines are open to pampering your pup in the first class cabin, while others won’t let them into the airplane at all. Aside from limited space, some airlines try to avoid having any liability issues that might arise from allowing your dog onboard. Moreover, while certain airlines are open to carrying pets, they still have certain restrictions against flying certain breeds, such as those breeds with smaller airway passages which can cause breathing problems when flying at high altitudes.

Prepare Your Dog In Advance for Flying

If this will be your dog’s first time flying in an airline cabin or in cargo, it is important to prepare them weeks in advance in order to have a smooth and comfortable flight. The first thing you should do is to crate train your dog. Once you have purchased an appropriate travel crate, ensure that they can stand, move around and sleep in it comfortably. Make sure that your dog is comfortable being alone in the crate, which might possibly be tucked underneath the seat. Train your dog well in advance to be comfortable being alone in the crate for a few hours. Airports tend to be crowded and airplanes tend to be noisy, and that can be a scary experience for your pet. To make the experience easier, you can try to desensitize your dog to loud noises in advance from your own house by playing loud noises of crowded airports or flights taking off.

Monitor Their Water and Food Intake

Some people avoid eating a few hours before their flight in order to avoid an upset stomach while flying. The same principle could apply to your pet companion. Dogs are resilient and can effortlessly handle not eating or drinking for a few hours. This however doesn’t mean that your dog should be dehydrated. Give your pup some just a little bit of water before and during the flight. Be careful about feeding any food to your dog. Should they decide to eat it, their nerves could get the better part of them and they could leave a not so clean cabin or cargo area. Even more serious, they could choke on the food and this could easily go unnoticed for the entire flight.

Take a Walk

On the day of the flight its important to walk your dog or engage them is some playtime so that they are tired and more likely sleep throughout the flight. This little exercise also boosts their circulation, negating the effects of laying down for long hours on a flight.

This article was written by the team at Hair Clippers Club

One reason that mixed doggies were developed was to save people from having to choose one dog breed over the others. But if you’re having a hard time choosing between a Husky and another pooch, check out our top 5 Husky mixes that have the best looks.

What Kinds of Dogs Are These?

Basically, these Husky mixes are the results of the crossing of a purebred Siberian Husky another purebred dog breed. The most common purpose of such mating is to combine the best features of the two parent dogs and therefore create an even cuter offspring.

What we’re going to show here are the most popular Husky-mixes. These mixed puppies are not actually recognized by the AKC due to their hybrid status, so the information available about them is limited.

No one can predict exactly what these mixed pups are going to look like when they grow up, for each can take after mom or dad, or a harmonious combination of both.

Here below are our picks of the Top 5 Husky Mixes that have the best looks!

Top 5 Husky Mixes That Have The Best Looks

#5. Labsky (Labrador + Husky)

They are also called Huskador, Husky-Lab, and Siberian Retriever. And you shouldn’t be confused with the Labrador Husky which is a distinct, specific dog breed. The Labsky makes for an excellent family dog due to their reputation for being patient, well-behaved, yet very vigorous.

Most Labskies have pointy or droopy ears, long legs, a long tail, and hypnotizing eyes. Some will inherit the Labrador’s warm chocolate eyes, while others have their Husky parent’s alluring blue eyes. Rarer still, you’ll see a Labsky with mismatched eyes.

Here are the Labsky’s average measurements:

— Height: 25 inches when fully grown
— Weight: 40-60 pounds
— Average lifespan: 10-13 years

#4. Goldusky (Golden Retriever + Husky)

Also called the Goberian, this is one of the most intelligent and loving crossbreed dogs you’ll ever know! The dog has the Golden’s loyal, eager-to-please nature and the Husky’s playful, mischievous temperament.

Here’re the Goldusky’s average measurements:

— Height: 20-24 inches
— Weight: 35-80 pounds
— Average lifespan: 10-15 years

Note that even though the Goldusky is a relatively large dog, their longevity is just as long as that of their smaller cousins.

If you fall in love with the Husky’s alluring eyes, then you’ll be drowning in those of the Goldusky too! These puppies often inherit their Husky parent’s pretty blue eyes.

#3. Corsky (Corgi + Husky)

Other names for this energetic cross are Corgski, Husgi, Horgi, or Siborgi. These mixed puppies have the trademark short legs, sturdy body, and erect ears. They are basically short-legged Huskies, but with double the energy and affection.

Here’re the Corsky’s estimated measurements:

— Height: 13-15 inches
— Weight: 25-50 pounds
— Average lifespan: 12-15 years

#2. Pomsky (Pomeranian + Husky)

Due to the difference in size between these two breeds — and in case the Pomsky pups end up inheriting the Husky’s bigger size — they will usually have a Siberian Husky dam and a Pomeranian sire. Overall, a Pomsky is a talkative fluff-ball, so you would never get bored with a Pomsky bouncing around.

Specific measurements of the Pomeranian Husky mix are:

— Height: 10-15 inches
— Weight: 20-30 pounds
— Average lifespan: 12-15 years.

#1. Chusky (Chow Chow + Husky)

Also called the Husky-Chow, this is a calm, dignified, and affectionate hybrid. People not only love them because of their lenient temperament, but also for their adorable appearance.

Chuskies actually have a lean body, a pair of erect or floppy ears, a curled tail, and long, strong legs. But these features are all covered under the softest, fluffiest coat, making up the stout and chubby appearance.

Here’re the Chusky’s measurements:

— Height: 18-23 inches
— Weight: 40-65 pounds
— Average lifespan: 10-13 years

Conclusion

These Top 5 Husky Mixes are living proofs regarding no matter what a Husky Siberian’s mate is. And their mixed offspring will wind up with only the best of appearances.
So, found your future housemate in one of these Husky crosses yet?

(Featured Image Photo Credit: Mike Reilly Via: https://flic.kr/p/bAR6FU)