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|    DOGHOUSE    |    International Dog Lovers Echomail Confer    |    383 messages    |
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|    Message 32 of 383    |
|    Richard Webb to Bob Ackley    |
|    sad world    |
|    24 Dec 10 14:49:30    |
      Hi Bob,              On Fri 2038-Dec-24 06:44, Bob Ackley (1:300/3) wrote to Fred Burgess:                            BA> Hmmm. If the dog is kep outside the important thing is to keep it       BA> out of the wind.       BA> If the dog has a shelter - even if it doesn't have a door - it       BA> should be OK. I have        BA> five dogs that live outside in a fenced yard. They have a building       BA> they can get into       BA> through an open 'doog door;' the building is only partly insulated       BA> but it IS windproof       BA> (concrete block). Their water bucket is frozen solid - but I make       BA> sure they have        BA> water when I feed them every evening.              I'd agree with Bob here. INsulated is good, but shelter       from the wind, and insulated from the ground are the       important parts.              Another story about Buddy, my Marmaduke lookalike from the       '80's ...              IN 1989 I moved from Des MOines back to my boyhood home town in southeastern       Iowa. I rented the apartment in the house I grew up in from my dad, (the       small upstairs one of course)       and one of mom's insistent points was that Buddy live       outside.       Dad and I built a good sturdy kennel for him, 6 ft. fencing       all round, had a guy who builds dog houses do me one,       insulated, built so as its floor was off the ground. Usual       m.o. was to acquire bales of straw for extra insulation, and place one to its       east.              BAcking up here a bit, dog house door faced east. Bail of       straw was situated east of doghouse to permit him access,       but still provide a wind break. There was some old clothing of mine to       provide some bedding inside, and a blanket I'd       used as well. Buddy had lived in my home until about 3       months before I moved to Burlington, as I was staying with a friend and Buddy       living with another friend of mine who kept him in outdoor kennel with       doghouse along with a Doberman       he'd rescued.              since I sometimes would travel a few days (up to 2 weeks) at a time I had one       of those livestock style feeders mounted to the back of the doghouse which       would provide him a few days' food. dUring cold weather I'd at least bust the       ice out of       his water bowl at morning feeding and provide fresh water.              Back in maybe '90 or '91, can't recall which, we had a very       extreme cold snap for quite an extended period, after some       heavy snows just after Christmas.              Temps got down in double digits minus for days at a time,       and one night temp was going to get quite cold, with wind       chills of around -50 or so. BUddy stayed holed up in his       house, and hadn't been able to get much water during morning feedings last       couple of days. I fought my way inside secon       day of this, and surmised that bedding in the doghouse was       wet/possibly soiled. so after hearing weather       forecast that night instead of watching Johny CArson's       monologue I went outside and got BUddy, provided him bowls       of food and water inside and allowed him to sleep in the       house that night.              Next morning before heading off to work my mother stops by       to talk to grandmother downstairs a minute, hears Buddy bark at something out       the window. That evening I was at local       watering hole downtown after band practice, mom stops by       after some sort of meeting to have one, and see if son needs ride home as I       often stopped by there for a couple beers       after rehearsal . She says something to me about dog in       house in violation on informal agreement. I explained to       her that he was going to get an opportunity to actually       hydrate himself, he'd busted his wind break bale of straw       for some reason earlier, (hence wet/soiled beddding) and until I could put       clean bedding down in the doghouse he was going to spend nights inside       until the extreme temps spell was finished. I then       explained that "I was looking for a place to live when I       found this one."              Another comment I made was that if she wanted to trade him       places and sleep in that doghouse with inadequate protection she could, but if       she wouldn't do it she shouldn't ask my       dog to.              wHen temps moderated I did build snow windbreak with a       shovel, got the bedding from dog house, washed and dried it. Until that       problem was solved Buddy spent quite a bit of       time indoors!!!              Regards,        Richard       --- timEd 1.10.y2k+        * Origin: (1:116/901)    |
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