Winterize your outdoor pets

Dear Paw’s Corner: I read your article about keeping pets warm when temperatures drop. This was good advice for folks who have indoor pets, but you never even touched on those of us who have outdoor animals.

Here in rural Indiana, a lot of us keep hunting dogs and your basic 100-pound dog outside all year. It is not feasible to bring these animals in the house for months, especially when we work during the day and they are not “house trained.”

My beagle runs free during the day in the woods around my house. At night I kennel him to keep the coyotes from eating him. I have a nice doghouse within the kennel to protect him from the elements. It is surrounded with straw for warmth and comfort. Recently, someone told me that cedar shavings make a warmer insulator within the doghouse. Is this true? — Sheila W., Aurora, Ind.

Dear Shiela: First, mea culpa! You’re right, I only considered indoor dogs in my article and didn’t think of pets kept outdoors. As you indicated, dogs that stay outdoors year-round should still have a warm place to sleep that’s well-insulated from the elements. On very cold nights, outdoor pets need to be checked on frequently and, if showing signs that they cannot keep warm, moved to a warmer place immediately.

As to cedar shavings versus straw, I’m not sure that one is better than the other. Straw has been used as an insulator in homes and farm structures for thousands of years. However, straw can get packed down over time, reducing its insulating qualities (the air pockets between scattered straws are as important as the straw itself). Cedar shavings may be more resistant to packing-down and not need to be changed or re-scattered as often. You could give the shavings a try and see how they work and how your dog likes them.