Keeping a dog house warm

Dear Jan,

I want to leave my two golden retrievers outside during the day when I'm at work.  They each have a dog house, but every time I put a bed or blankets in their houses, they pull them out and shred them all over the yard.  The weather is turning cold, and I want the dog houses to be cozy for them.  Any idea on how I can keep them from destroying their bedding?

Kristin

Dear Kristin,
My fist advice is to not leave the two dogs alone outside all day.  Bad things can happen to dogs left alone in back yards; someone opens a gate, the dogs get stolen, the dogs get terrorized by neighborhood kids, etc.

That said, if you must leave them out, here are some tips for helping them enjoy their outdoor shelters:

1. Instead of two dog houses, consider just one that's big enough to hold both of them.  If the weather really does get uncomfortably chilly for them, they'll seek each other's body heat just as they did when they were in the whelping box.
2. Insulated dog houses are often TOO warm for dogs, so you probably needn't go that route unless it's sub-zero where you are.
3. Situate the dog house so the door is facing your back door.  That way the dogs can sit there and watch/wait for activity in your home.
4. If the dogs insist on tearing up every bed and blanket, try a dog house floor heater. You can Google "dog house heater" and find everything from a heated floor to a forced-air furnace.

Do be sure to keep your dogs supplied with plenty of safe, "substitute" backyard toys, since they won't have those nice cedar beds to chew up anymore!