winter dog

For dogs living outside, winter can be a cold, difficult time. This does not have to be the case if these pets are given the necessities to stay warm and safe. Keeping your outside dog safe during winter should be the top priority for all people who own dogs kept in outside kennels and dog houses. There are several simple things all owners of these dogs can do ensuring their pooch weathers the winter in good shape.

The first thing to do is be prepared for the arrival of winter. This will make keeping your outside dog safe during winter much easier once the snow begins to fly. If there are any repairs needed to the dog house or kennel do not wait for winter to arrive before taking care of them. One of the things my father did to ensure our Beagle rabbit hunting dogs were warm during even the coldest weather was install small light bulbs in each kennel house. A simple low wattage light bulb will put off an amazing amount of heat when installed in the ceiling of the dogs sleeping area. Even in brutally cold weather, they stayed comfy.

We also used insulated dog houses, filled them with plenty of straw along with a large wool blanket, and built in enough room for each dog to have their food and water bowls neatly fitted in each dog house. For access to their running areas, which were designed to be three feet off the ground, we used swinging doors with rubber insulating strips around the doors so they were water and wind tight. Dad believed in keeping your outside dog safe during winter and went the extra mile because he loved his Beagles and they were from Field Trial Championship winning parents, although he would have done the same if the dogs were just ordinary mixed breed dogs.

Always change the water twice a day so it does not freeze leaving the dog with a bowl full of ice. Increase the amount of food because your dog will burn these extra calories generating body heat for warmth.

For those dogs living indoors during the winter there are a few things to keep in mind. Many of the holiday plants we decorate can be deadly for a dog so keep these out of reach. Store any winter products like anti-freeze for your vehicles and products used to melt snow off driveways and sidewalks stored where your dog cannot get to them.

Keeping your outside dog safe during winter is not complicated if you prepare before the snow is a foot deep.