This may be old hat to y'all, but we recently stacked some old straw bales around the doghouse for insulation purposes. We weren't sure if she (the dog,not my wife) would like the idea - but she loves it! We piled the bales around three sides and the top and left a little bit of an overhang over the doorway. Just thought sharing the idea might help some of you where it has been really cold.

-- Steven in NC (ThicketyRowFarm@Aol.com), December 28, 2000

Answers

Hay is genuinely useful and that is a great idea. We use it for our pigs and let them burrow in it, make temporary walls to act as a wind break for our goats, etc. It also makes great lawn furniture in the summer. When we have barbeques we put boards across a bales and have instant seating for all.

-- Anne Tower (bbill@wtvl.net), December 28, 2000.

If you have hot summers, it will also keep the dog house much cooler. D.E.L.T.A. Rescue makes permanent dog houses out of these with some type of stucco over it and they are extremely durable, pest free (harbor no fleas or bugs), and rot proof.

-- Julie Froelich (firefly1@nnex.net), December 31, 2000.

Don't forget to put a generous amount of that straw INSIDE the dog house to insulate the dog from the cold hard ground, and recheck for "refills" daily.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), January 02, 2001.