Igloo doghouses and rambunctious dog

Ozark-Dew · #1 11/30/06, 05:14 PM

Our dog will tear down his igloo house every time we put it back together for him. He is a large breed and really does not mind the cold, but he needs shelter from this sleeting rain. My poor dh is at his wits end putting the doghouse back together time and again just to have it torn apart and strewn about. The dog treats it as a play toy. We have had no success in training the dog.
We do not have the funds to purchase a heavy duty chain link kennel - which would be nice if he wouldn't knock it over and drag it about the yard! as we could just attach some plywood or heavy tarps for protection from the elements.

I thought maybe we could use the igloo as a mold and put cement over it. But, I reckon one or two things would happen - either the weight will crush the igloo - or the dog will knock it over somehow and it will crumble (not even sure if cement would adhere to the plastic dog house) I could put him in the coop - but he would probably destroy it too! not to mention the poultry.

dh is heading out again to fix the dog house. He is going to see if he can't bolt it together with stronger bolts tomorrow. Hope it will stay in one piece over night! if it doesn't I guess I can make him up a bed in the bathtub. might not have a bathroom door come morning, though!

Little Quacker in OR · #2 11/30/06, 05:22 PM

Hi! My suggestion would be to give up on that igloo. It's obviously not suited to your very bored dog. Build him a heavy wood dog house. They are better for the dog anyway. They are warmer and breath better. You have the advantage of making one properly with two rooms so he really will be protected and fell safe.

Igloos do not offer that mental or physical protection.

Then get your dog out for serious exercise every day. Exercise his brain and his body. I bet you will see a difference. You really can't beat wood. It's the best.

Good luck with things and happy holidays!

LQ

Ninn · #3 11/30/06, 07:13 PM

It sounds to me like you have one very bored dog on your hands. Try some play that will exercise his brain-any dog can be taught to recognize certain words and associate them with objects. Teach him to identify several toys, and then how to "find" one from a row of many different toys. His brain needs to exercise, too. If he has other stuff to think about, he won't get bored and tear his house apart.

Bloodwolf · #4 11/30/06, 07:23 PM

thats funny first thing that popped into my mind was drill a hole in the plastic doghouse and fill it with concrete

I agree with the ya got a bored doggy diagnoses, but no dog is untrainable, I'm sure you or your dh have a way of training dogs that for some reason is just not working with this one, a great read imho is "The Koehler Method of dog training" written by William Koehler.. like any good dog training system it will take some small amount of time each and every day. This is the guy that trained the Danes from the movie swiss family robison, if ya remember the movie. And while it has been a few years since it came out , dogs really haven't changed much 8)

AlaOutlaw · #5 11/30/06, 07:47 PM

Igloos are crap. I spent over $1000 on igloos one year when I moved and set up a new dog yard. They didn't last six months. I now make concrete dog houses that cost less than $50 to make but are virtually undestructable. Very well insulated, easy to clean inside, and weather proof. The only down side I have seen is the fact that they weigh 800 lbs. You need a large food grade plastic drum, a five gallon bucket, 10 80lb. bags of concrete and a sheet of plywood for the form. You build the form just large enough to fit the drum in with a couple of inches of space on the front and back. Then you take the bucket and trace around it on one end of the barrel. The bottom of your circle should be about 4 inches from the edge of the barrel. Then trace the bucket on the end of the form about four inches from the ground. Cut the form and the hole out of the barrel. After you set your barrel in the form place the bucket through the hole you cut in the form into the hole in the barrel. Then you mix up your concrete and pour it over the barrel until it is completely covered. Let it set a couple of days then pull the bucket out and take the form off. Make sure the house is where you will want it for a long time though because moving it is almost impossible. Here's a link to one I have used for several years.

http://apbtpedigrees.com/pedigree1/p...recordID=39839

morrowsmowers · #6 11/30/06, 08:23 PM

We build one of those chain link dog kennels for our dogs. It is 10' x 10' and 6' high made of chain link fence. We bought it on sale at Lowe's. When we assembled it we put pieces of 4' rebar at each place where one of the fence posts rested on the ground -- about half into the fence post and half pounded into the earth. We put them into the ground leaning just a little off straight to make sure they rubbed against the inside of the fence post to help hold a little better. After the kennel was assembled we ordered a roof kit on ebay which was much harder to assemble than the kennel was. It works really well except the tarp used for the roof allows rain to puddle in several places. We're thinking about removing the tarp and using some of those corrugated plastic panels from Home Depot screwed onto the frame instead. At this point we don't have dog house in it as both the dogs sleep inside but the kennel is nice for putting the dogs out when you don't want them running around a yard full of guests.

Ken in Glassboro, NJ

TedH71 · #7 11/30/06, 08:59 PM

Try looking thru bird dog magazines. They build metal insulated dog house that is trash proof and dogs can't chew metal. Good luck. Dogloos aren't a good idea.

Ozark-Dew · #8 11/30/06, 09:16 PM

thank you for the suggestions so far. You are probably right about his being bored. Though I think he would tear apart the doghouse irregardless. We only get out to play with him twice a day for 30-60 minutes. he needs to run and is extremely strong. We free range poultry and he loves to chase them, catch them etc. needless to say, we do not give him much freedom as far as that goes. He does have a 20 ft cable which we need to get another line up to tether him to. My beloved and children did the big no no and fell in love with the animal at a swap meet. The owners said that his parent dogs were very good around their poultry and they never had a difficulty with them. They were taken at their word, and DH thought it would be a good dog to protect the birds from predators (we have bobcat, coon, fox, coyote, possum - etc) he slept in the coop in the beginning - but after later reading about the breed we determined it was not a good risk to keep him in there. Impulse purchases are rarely a good idea, especially when it comes to critters. He is a really sweet animal, however, and we are well attached to him, shoot I don't think dh would go out into this weather busting up his knuckles for me, LOL.

Pony · #9 12/01/06, 07:04 AM

Heh... I'm in a smarty mood. When I read the first line in the post, I thought, "Don't rebuild the house for him. Make that dog put it together himself-- he won't be so quick to tear it down THEN!"

The snow is making me stir crazy, and it's only been a few hours. LOL!

You've had some great suggestions. I also like the Koehler method of training, and used a modified version of it with my American Bulldog. (Stubborn blockhead breed -- I love them so!)

Just curious, what breed is your dog?

Pony!

anniew · #10 12/01/06, 07:23 AM

Get a second dog that will play (exercise) with this one, and keep him from being so bored.
He obviously thinks of the igloo as a toy, not a shelter. I have two of those 10 X 10 kennels that I put together and it makes a 10 X 30 since only two ends are needed. My two Akitas (both over 100 pounds) stay in there during nice weather. They have a "tree stump" house, made like the igloos, and have NEVER been in it, even when they were smaller.
I put a tarp over part of the kennel to protect them from sun in summer, and wind at other times.
They never run loose, as I am only 75 feet from the busy road, but I do walk them individually twice, sometimes 3 times a day. Inside when they are bored, they go and find their nylabones (the really hard ones that last for months) and gnaw on them for awhile.
If you can handle a second dog, that might help the situation a lot, but if he likes the cold, I wouldn't worry about a dog house if you keep him inside at night and also bring him in during really cold/windy weather. Put a tarp on top to keep sun off him, and one on the side where the prevailing winds are strongest, then he can choose what is most comfortable for him.
Good luck...a good dog is great to have around and you sometimes have to make some concessions for that greatness!
Ann

sullen · #11 12/01/06, 09:22 AM

My goat was having fun tearing her igloo apart and DH tied it together with rope...but then goats aren't able to chew something like rope....

MarleneS · #12 12/01/06, 10:29 AM

We have an Australian Shepard mix, Jo-Jo, that we received from some kind soul who dropped him off at my neices property complete with little food and water bowl...anyway. He has three other dogs to exercise with, a 50' x 50' fenced in backyard to run in, a wooden dog house, an iglo dog house, 1/2 of a solid saddlelight t.v. dish also used as a shelter, and to play king of the hill with the other dogs. In addition to an assortment of tennis balls and one dog toy he so far has not figured out how to chew apart.

Husband had a upright plastic water storage tank, cylinder shaped that caught rain water, which is still does except Jo-Jo chewed off the hose and emptied it. I'm not sure how he did it but the other day I noticed the tank was unclover and lying on it's side out in the yard....then later before I got around to righting it, he was inside the tank walking it like those barrels at some playgrounds for kids. Since he destroys all his bedding, except for some industrial strength carpeting which he likes to carry around and leave out in the weather, on cold and rainy nights he sleeps inside next to the back door.

He also herds anything that makes it into his yard...most of the time it's leaves...on several occasions he has herded the guinea fowl who sometimes misjudge their landings and end up in the backyard. Two of the other dogs have killed a couple when they were out there, but not Jo-Jo - he herds them up under the dish and he has to be put inside so that they can be freed.

Husband thinks we need to find him a good home with goats or sheeps to care for, and he's probably correct but I've grown attached...

Hugs
Marlene

Ozark-Dew · #13 12/01/06, 11:32 AM

He is (okay be gentle with us here) a Husky/Shepherd mix.
We do have 2 other dogs - and the big dog does like to play with them, about the same way he plays with the dogoloo *yikes* the other dogs are medium sized lazy lumps.

Maura · #14 12/01/06, 11:33 AM

Bring the dog in the house. He doesn't have to be there all day. I think he will work out so much better for you if he is inside at night. Some dogs do really well as outside dogs, others don't. Your's falls into the second category. You should also enroll him in an obedience class. An objective knowledgable person will be able to assess your dog and to help you use what will work with him.

What do you feed him. If he is on a corn based kibble it may be causing him to be more hyper. Some dogs become hyper on corn, others sluggish.

Ozark-Dew · #15 12/01/06, 05:22 PM

thank you Maura for your suggestion.

He really does not like it in the house so his visits inside are short durationed. He much prefers his people time to be outdoors. I will look into the corn issue you mentioned, but I do think the Husky in him really is an outdoor kind of dog.

mikeyfireman · #16 12/01/06, 05:43 PM

Check this dog house out. http://www.deltarescue.tv/video/straw/150

Mountaineer · #17 12/01/06, 05:50 PM

Another thing- you can't train a dog unless exersized. Too much going through their heads than to pay attention till after the walk!
Sounds like your poultry need to be fenced in, at least sometimes (maybe mornings) so that the poor dog can have a good romp and stretch his legs. Dogs need a heck of a lot more exersize than your hens.

holleegee · #18 12/01/06, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlaOutlaw

Igloos are crap. I spent over $1000 on igloos one year when I moved and set up a new dog yard. They didn't last six months. I now make concrete dog houses that cost less than $50 to make but are virtually undestructable. Very well insulated, easy to clean inside, and weather proof. The only down side I have seen is the fact that they weigh 800 lbs. You need a large food grade plastic drum, a five gallon bucket, 10 80lb. bags of concrete and a sheet of plywood for the form. You build the form just large enough to fit the drum in with a couple of inches of space on the front and back. Then you take the bucket and trace around it on one end of the barrel. The bottom of your circle should be about 4 inches from the edge of the barrel. Then trace the bucket on the end of the form about four inches from the ground. Cut the form and the hole out of the barrel. After you set your barrel in the form place the bucket through the hole you cut in the form into the hole in the barrel. Then you mix up your concrete and pour it over the barrel until it is completely covered. Let it set a couple of days then pull the bucket out and take the form off. Make sure the house is where you will want it for a long time though because moving it is almost impossible. Here's a link to one I have used for several years.

http://apbtpedigrees.com/pedigree1/p...recordID=39839

Wow! I bet your dogs would be safe during a tornado! Forget the basement....head for the doghouse!

Ozark-Dew · #19 12/02/06, 01:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mountaineer

Another thing- you can't train a dog unless exersized. Too much going through their heads than to pay attention till after the walk!
Sounds like your poultry need to be fenced in, at least sometimes (maybe mornings) so that the poor dog can have a good romp and stretch his legs. Dogs need a heck of a lot more exersize than your hens.

those are the two times a day that he gets his freedom - 30-60 min. prior to letting the chickens out, and 30-60 minutes after putting them up.

Wolf mom · #20 12/02/06, 11:28 AM

Just wait until he has to be inside some day and learns how to open drawers!

One of my boys does that constantly so I've bungy corded the drawers all together, but he still manages to pull them all out at the same time. He opens cabinet doors too. Children safety things don't work as I have very cheap cabinets & the wood splits.
My next idea is to sprinkle red pepper in the drawers. The kitchen looks like I've got kiddo's in the house.

Give the igloos to the chickens. Mine love 'em.