What Should you Look for in a Space Heater?
Start by looking for the following four features:
If you use a fireplace for heating, ensure that you have a stable grate or screen that completely covers your fireplace so that stray embers cant pop out and land in your dogs fur. Check to be sure that bumping or jostling wont cause it to tip over. You should never leave a fire unattended in the first place, but you should always have the grate in place just in case you fall asleep by the fire. If youre one of those folks who use a wood, pellet, or heating oil stove to warm your house, heres a creative idea. Consider repurposing the fencing panels from an indoor dog fence or pen to block your dogs direct access to the area where the stove is located (this idea can work for fireplaces, too).
Wherever you live, you can just about bet that your dogs are more likely to want to come back inside after a walk or a quick comfort break outside in the winter months than in the summer months. Although there are certainly dog breeds with double coats that are more-or-less comfortable outside in the winter (good examples would be Huskies, Malamutes, Samoyeds, Akitas, and Chow Chows), an average Beagle, Golden Retriever, or Rottweiler doesnt care to spend all its time outside in the winter. And you shouldnt leave them there, either.
Dogs, just like humans, are warm-blooded creatures, and as such, it is more energy-efficient for both to make our environment warm in the winter. Shivering from a winter chill is one method mammals use to keep their body temperature up in cold weather, but shivering uses up a lot of energy. However, that energy can be saved and put to other use if they can make (or find) a warm place to take shelter. Stoke up a stove, start a fire, or turn on a heater, and you make the environment more comfortable. You also make it possible for yourself and your dog to expend less energy. Moreover, dogs have a higher basal body temperature than humans do (about 102F/39C compared to 98.6F/37C for humans), which means that they prefer and can tolerate higher temperatures than humans can. So if youre setting your central heating thermostat for 68F in the winter, your dog would probably prefer you turn it a bit higher. Like 72F. Or 76F. Or even 80F, if you dont mind. Given this, you might find your dog getting what appears to be dangerously close to heat sources like space heaters, wood stoves, and hot-air registers. If you use any of these means to heat your home in winter, be sure to follow all the manufacturers safety warnings and (in the case of central heating), ask a qualified HVAC technician what precautions you can take to avoid injury to your dog or damage to your home.
If you have lived in a cold climate with dogs during the winter months, youve almost certainly noticed – canines of all ages love to huddle up to any sources of heat when it is frosty outside. And theyll learn the signs and signals quickly, too; when Mom comes home and touches the box on the wall (adjusts the central heating thermostat) or when Dad messes with the box on the floor (switches the space heater on), Bandit and Daisy know that there will soon be welcome, comforting HEAT. And theyll quickly start jockeying for position, both with each other and with their humans; they want to find and secure the best position for both maximum heat exposure as well as maximum closeness to the humans, although maybe the humans take a back seat to the heat source.
There are things you can do to give positive encouragement to your dog as regards supplemental winter heating. Instead of telling him no, dont sleep next to the fire or the space heater, consider setting up an appealing dog bed at a safe distance and encouraging him to use it. Sweeten the deal with a toy or blanket that you know he really likes; show him that the toy or blanket are in the new bed. You can also use psychological means – positive reinforcement – to help model the behavior you desire. Whenever your dog goes to the new safe bed on his own, give him a treat. With a little persistence, your dog will soon be making use of the new bed on his own and youll no longer need to monitor him closely.
Why Is My Dog Not Scared Of The Heater?
This is a strange one, sometimes it seems like a dog is afraid of everything but these machines that can often be quite noisy and don’t look very friendly and they aren’t scared off at all.
This is most likely because they felt the warmth (which they very much want) before they noticed any of the otherwise quite scary aspects of the machine.
They have weighed out the pros and cons of the machine and decided that they quite like it!
Best Dog House Heaters 2022 (Top 3 Heaters for Dog House Reviewed)
As temperatures drop, most dog owners are looking to keep their pets warm and cozy by buying them heated beds or pet heating pads. It’s especially important to keep your dog warm and comfortable as he gets older or if he has health conditions that may affect his comfort levels. The good thing is that there are plenty of heated beds on the market to choose from according to your dog’s age and needs. As with many pet products, owners may have some reservations when it comes to purchasing a heated bed for their dog. They may question the safety hazards of it or if it’s even worth investing in. The truth is heated dog beds are an option that can benefit some dogs and for others, it’s not as necessary.