Shelter For Dogs

Share your advice and personal experiences, post a gear review or ask any questions you may have pertaining to outdoor gear and equipment.
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rlown
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Re: Shelter For Dogs

Post by rlown »

Snowtrout wrote:I do have a few pic's but don't belong to any image hosting sites. edit---didn't realize I could upload pics direct. Thanks :thumbsup:

Two years ago, we thought about having a down version built (warmer and would pack smaller) but the companies I contacted who make custom bags, wanted nothing to do with it, even though they thought it was a great idea :confused:

Sucks because there is no specific bedding products on the market for keeping small or medium sized dogs warm at night that is backpacker friendly: warm, light, pack-able and abrasion resistant. Maybe this is my million dollar idea \:D/
Very cute dogs! They look very comfortable.
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Wandering Daisy
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Re: Shelter For Dogs

Post by Wandering Daisy »

Only one dog, so not quite on topic. Our dog is very furry and needs no bag. We only put her in the tent at night for fear of wild animal encounters. She is my foot warmer. I have taken a small foam pad for her, but she mostly ignores it. I do not think she has ever been cold; quite the contrary, we have to be very careful she does not over-heat on the trail with her thick black coat.

Our issue is protecting OUR sleeping bags! I have sewn a very light taffeta bivy to keep my bag clean. My husband does not mind that his bag smells like a dog.
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Harlen
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Re: Shelter For Dogs

Post by Harlen »

I'm probably in the minority here, but my dogs sleep au naturel. They are tough mountain dogs and don't need to sleep in a tent.
That point interests me a lot, as I go on more snow camping trips than summertime. In Alaska, I cared for 35 sled dogs of a variety of breeds, mostly malamute mixes. We built them all wood sleeping sheds, and filled them with straw, and blankets, but some of the dogs would invariably choose to sleep on top of their sheds, or in the snow outside. One of these was "Satch," who was a black lab mix, who also happened to be one of the "lead" dogs. I was told that the thick inner coat of fur, along with the layer of snow, kept them warm. Coming from Cal, I was both ignorant and concerned, and I still wonder if this was just more of the semi-benign neglect that their owners treated them with. No dogs died that winter, but there were relatively few cold snaps- none below -50 degrees. (This was a cold valley, north of Fairbanks.)
So I know that dogs can sleep out in outrageous cold weather, but is it only when they are outside all the time leading up to winter? How do your dogs spend the fall in Tahoe Jeff? Our concern is that because our dogs spend the nights on our bed or floor here in coastal Cal, they won't be well set up for winter trips should the weather turn real cold. They are always welcome inside our tent, and under the sleeping bag if necessary. We also take a couple of extra ridge-rest foam pads for them.
Our issue is protecting OUR sleeping bags! I have sewn a very light taffeta bivy to keep my bag clean. My husband does not mind that his bag smells like a dog.
On really cold winter nights I open up my bag, and Bear will get right under it with me. We do this night after night, till we smell exactly alike. This is fine, because my wife Lizzie loves the smell of old wet dogs; though I notice that we no longer zip our bags together like we used to.
Properly trained, a man can be dog’s best friend.
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