Straw and more straw...

Thedogspyjamas

It would seem that straw one of the best and readily weapons against these poor dog left out all through winter from freezing to death. I wish I could do something for all these dogs who are just left out at night by their owners in freezing temperatures. even if they are working dogs, why don't people 'think'. don't they love their pets, just a bit?

Cherry Blossom

I think that's a bit of a generalisation . My old lab came from a puppy farm (he was not purchased by us!) He had huge issues with being inside, it was like canine claustrophobia! He lived a long and happy life sleeping in the stables with my horses in a warm bed on top of some bales of hay. He was in the house for a brief period and every morning we were greated with the scene of poo and wee everywhere, up the walls - the plaster on the walls was literally melted off form the amonia, everything chewed that was possible to chew. It was perfectly warm in the stables and he was happy in there as he had a way to get out if he wanted to.

ISDW

My dogs love straw, I've recently changed from vet bedding to straw in their crates in the van and in the dog shed - on top of the futon, on the floor and on some pallets. Only problem is finding the straw, couldn't believe how hard it was for me to get any.

The dogs burrow into it and curl up, happy as larry. Obviously I can't use the heat lamps now though:D

Sigma Force

Hay is better than straw imo anyway, seems to hold the heat better and less pokey and should be easier to come by than straw.

kylith

You can get hay for small animal bedding in Tesco, that's what I use. My pair love it and it makes them smell lovely.

I tried keeping them indoors but there was lots of poo and pee no matter how diligent we were about letting them out before bedtime. One hated being kept in so much that it's only now, 3 years later, that she'll set foot in the kitchen again.

dahat

ISDW wrote: »

My dogs love straw, I've recently changed from vet bedding to straw in their crates in the van and in the dog shed - on top of the futon, on the floor and on some pallets. Only problem is finding the straw, couldn't believe how hard it was for me to get any.

The dogs burrow into it and curl up, happy as larry. Obviously I can't use the heat lamps now though:D

donedeal.farm produce section

Esel

Sorry, couldn't resist...

What does a gay horse eat?




























Hayyyyyyyyyy!

Bearpup

That is one of my all time favorite jokes... still lol at it

homerhop

I had 2 springers that refused to leave any kind of bedding in their kennel, you would go out in the morning to find it all pulled out and around their run.

dollydishmop

I'm slowly coming around to the idea of using hay or straw for the lurcher.

She can't/won't come indoors with the other dogs, for several reasons, and we've no way of safely running power out to her for a heat lamp...but she coped well last winter, with warmed evening meals, a DIY-insulated, raised wooden kennel and copious amounts of soft bedding (blankets, duvet covers, old bitsof vet bed)...but its the soft bedding where we come unstuck with her as she loves to destroy it (tears it into tiny strips) and/or drag it out of the kennel and leave it outside in the run she has access to.
I was at my wits end keeping her supplied with clean, dry bedding during the worst of the weather last winter.
She won't wear a kennel coat, she's a regular houdini (and once she's got it off, she promptly destroys it!)

Last weekend I bought her a couple of big (and cheap!) padded beds for her from the market. I knew they wouldn't last more than 5 mins, but at €5 each I risked it. I was right though. When I put the first one in, by the time it took me to close up the run, and then go straight in to look out of the kitchen window, she had the cover ripped,and and was looking very pleased with herself, up to her ears in all the fluffy innards :rolleyes: (I kept the 2nd one for the indoor dogs after seeing her do that...I might as well have one useable bed out of €10)

However, she hasn't dragged the fluffy innards outside as I expected her to. A few bits have fallen out of the front of the kennel where she goes in and out, but the rest has remained inside..where she's made herself a wonderful looking nest.
In the long run though, there's no way of keeping the fluffy bedding clean...but it did spark up the hay/straw idea. I just wonder if it might work?

I guess the biggest stumbling block will be sourcing it. No way of dry-storing a round bale anywhere, not enough space, and finding small bale hay/straw is less easy nowadays.

Hay always struck me as warmer, but straw will allow water to drain more effectively...hence why straw is used for horse bedding and not hay
Good quality straw is just as soft as hay too, but for those who don't know their straw types...avoid barley straw, and go for oat or wheat straw instead. Barley straw has tiny little barbed awns in it, and will be unbearably itchy for the dog.

Might borrow a sackful of straw from a local stable yard this weekend and see how she goes with it.

Cherry Blossom

dollydishmop wrote: »

I guess the biggest stumbling block will be sourcing it. No way of dry-storing a round bale anywhere, not enough space, and finding small bale hay/straw is less easy nowadays.

You can put a round bale on a pallet and drape a tarp or something similar over in and tie down the sides to something (ground stakes?) not the pallet as its best to leave a bit of a gap This will keep it clean and dry and still allow the air to circulate, you should only need one round bale for the winter.

Hay always struck me as warmer, but straw will allow water to drain more effectively...hence why straw is used for horse bedding and not hay

And because horses are less likely to eat the staw, and there is a lot less chance of mould In the case of the dog straw will keep better for you if you don't have anywhere to store it properly.

.

jap gt

Is there going to be a 'dog sleeping outside in the cold' thread everyday?, id say this is the fourth one in a few days

And yes these people do think and yes they do love their dogs

dollydishmop

Thanks AJ, but I really don't have anywhere to store a round bale, be it inside or outside.

Will just have to keep looking for a reliable source of small bales...or come to an agreement in acquiring a sackful as & when I need it.

ISDW

dollydishmop wrote: »

Thanks AJ, but I really don't have anywhere to store a round bale, be it inside or outside.

Will just have to keep looking for a reliable source of small bales...or come to an agreement in acquiring a sackful as & when I need it.

If you're who I think you are, I can bring a smallish bale down to Portumna in a few weeks? If you're not who I think you are, then sowwee.

dollydishmop

I am indeed who you think I am (I hope!:eek:)...yes please & thank you ISDW

transit260

.Straw is the warmest beding your dog can have.IF its changed regurlarly(and it should be)and not left get wet/damp its the best thing to bed your dogs down in.Last year I had all my dogs in their boxes in temperatures under and around -2 and I couldnt tempt them out of their boxes.LOADS of straw packed in to their kennell and good food and you wont have a problem.Just keep an eye on your animals and look for a deteriation in their condition,weight and energy etc.The horsey people will sort you out with square bales as will farmers." bales will keep a dog warm and cozy for weeks even when changing their beding regularly.

Graces7

Fascinating.. we have family who work with the homeless in Canada, and often they buy hay and give that to the street dwellers so sleep in and on in the snow etc.It has saved many lives.

Collie chews all bedding; snowstorms we are used to now. We get "dog blankets" from V de Paul; bedding that they get in that is not good enough for humans. Having said that, we have a beautiful wool blanket on the bed that came from a sack of dog bedding; it had one spot at one edge is all..

Reminds me that we need to get another sack load ready for the winter..

transit260

As they say ''PREPERATION IS HALF THE BATTLE'',Pack em well with straw you wont go wrong:D