The American Beagler Forum

what methods are used, using incandescent light bulbs to heat a dog house? What wattage is used? Does the light from the bulb effect them?

I wouldn"t use one. If the house is proper size and dry and pretty airtight his body heat will be enough to keep him warm with some straw or hay. Putting glass into the box is asking for trouble not to mention electricity. If your box is big enough for a light bulb so that the dog can"t reach it, it is way too big.
Thanks,
Bob

I use one on my pups for in the day when its below 50 degrees. I have one now on a 12 week old. I bought the light hood at lowes. Im not sure the size its a smaller one and I use anything over a 60w bulb. Anything below that just doesnt put off heat at all. And if a dog has any since about itself it wont get get into the light. I bring my pups into the garage at night until 5 months old. Unless they are with the mom and I just keep them in the kennel. She and the light is plenty enough heat. And I use half straw and half cedar chips for the bedding. I put 1 bat of straw and about half a 5 gallon bucket of cedar chips per kennel

ridgerunner wrote:what methods are used, using incandescent light bulbs to heat a dog house? What wattage is used? Does the light from the bulb effect them?

If your dog is an adult and the doghouse is tight and the right size they don't need extra heat.
If you are heating pups the light won't affect them. After about a week, and the house is built right, they don't need extra heat. The size bulb will depend on the outside temp and the size and tightness of the dog house.

If you use an incandescent light bulb, use caution and make sure the dog can't chew the electric cord and the bulb can't touch wood or bedding or you could lose your dogs to a fire.

I've been heating boxes with 2 100 watt light bulbs for 20+ years, which are also hooked up to a thermostat. Set it where you want go from there. Top bottom and sides are insulated with 1" foil backed insulation sheets. Roof is removable to load with straw, cedar chips or just bare plywood floor in summer. Where the bulbs and thermostat are they are covered in heavy guage wire so pups cant get at. Back wall of kennel where bulbs are at is covered with metal so no fire starts. Attach a doubled over burlap bag over the hole of the dog box and set it at whatever temp you like. Have had litters of pups in dead of winter, no bedding at all until their older and NEVER a problem. Obviously if you have a 100 watt light bulb laying against wood you could have a fire, a little common sense tho and create your own nice set up for winter. For the older hounds just the insulated box with the burlap cover over the hole is all i use, but when i have pups, the light bulb heat system is used.

I put the Lectro heated pads in my box.. Eliminates the need for bedding which stores unwanted moisture and odor. Dry box will also prevent floor from rotting out. No more ear fungus from damp bedding. Not to mention not having to change bedding which is filthy job I hated. They are thermostat controlled and easily removed in summer. $60 each this is my second winter with no regrets. Added the heated water bowls this year and like those too. 12 deg this morning and went out to bright eyed and bushy tailed dogs with fresh water ready for breakfast....lol

Likemfast, that is about what I have. I've got a litter coming around the first of January.
I put a heating pad in the floor with a sheet metal cover. Then attached a piece of carpet over that. Its a regular heating pad that came from Wal Mart. It has three temp settings. If you buy a heating pad be sure it is one that doesn't automatically turn off in thirty minutes.
I also have a light bulb in the top in case it gets extremely cold. It works.