ANSWERS: 3
  • I had this problem 1 time and the way I handled it was : First, is there a garage? If so , leave them in there with some old blankets spread out and an out of reach lamp, (or 2), for heat. Keep the lamps close enuff to the blankets so they can feel some heat. The blankets should be close to the door going into the house, cause they will be there whining most of the night. If there is no garage, build a big box for the blankets and lamps,(U can substitute hay for the blankets). Just don't get the lamps to close to the hay or blankets. It's surprizing how much the lamps heat up the box, especially if its like a refrigerator box. This is what I did, and I DID stay up most of the night to make sure there was no fire caused by the lamps. That's the best I can do.
  • Build your animals a draft free well insulated dag/cathouse and use a thick layer of straw for the bedding. I saw this tip on animal police, straw remains insulating when wet, blankets don't. Make sure the house isn't too spacious because that will just be more space to heat. The floor should not touch the ground.When the waether gets really cold you wil have to provide the animals with a little extra food, they'll need the extra fuell to keep their up bodytemp.
  • If you want an outside dog warm in the winter, get a 4x8 piece of black Celotex, cut it into six pieces and put them together in the shape of a dog house, and strengthen the "seams" with 1x2's and Great Stuff foam. Cut the door a few inches off the ground to prevent drafts, and put about 3" of crushed dried leaves in the bottom of the doghouse. Make it a weekend project; the kids ought to have fun with it. You can line it with a sheet of foam board and hang clear plastic down in front of the door (make sure it swings freely) to make it even warmer. You can also build a bottom for it and lay a heating pad down there "in the crawl space" so some heat will rise into the dog house. These other tips are just for interested readers: Ramen Noodles cooked in much less liquid make a good, cheap dog food. So do all those packages of old meat when you're cleaning out your freezer. Hate to see them in the trash while the dog's eating dried food just because a clever ad campaign has convinced you it's the only thing the dog should eat. If you'll bury a large plastic bucket near the outdoor faucet you can fill it w/out even moving it. It will get dirty but IF you forget to give the dog clean water, it will be a backup. Better than nothing, and dust does settle to the bottom of the pail. They say dogs only need fifteen minute of attention a day. Easy to do if you let it in while you're watching television. If a dog with arthritis needs to go up, buy a wide longish board and put a carpet strip on it. If you want the plank not to rest on the top of the bed, buy a shorter board and hinge it to the end of the longer one and keep the two together at a thirty-degree angle with tacks and twine. If you're windsurfing, duct-tape a piece of sample carpet to the top of the board so the dog won't slip off. Bubble-wrap held in place with duct tape works fine for keeping the dog itself afloat.

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