Need help winterizing a dog house for a neighbor

[Bohemiangirl]

Hi we are planning on starting next spring. We purchased a pre made chicken coop and have been curious if we need to insulate it for our Michigan winters. Now our neighbor put their dogs outside , we’ve already donated a fog house and now feel we need to insulate it. Concerned about dog biting and destroying out efforts. Blue is a pit bull and we want to help him stay warm and cozy. Any help would be appreciated. I felt you all would have experience in this
Thanks
Bohemian girl

 

[Kiki]

Welcome! Do you have pictures of your coop?
As long as it's well ventilated it probably doesn't need to be insulated but we'd need to see pictures to be sure.

As far as the neighbor's dog... Have you gone over to talk to the neighbor...ask them if they plan on doing anything more for their dogs housing for the winter?

 

[BlueBaby]

Hello, and welcome! Do you have any chicken's for the coop? How strong is the pre-made coop? Will it be strong enough to hold up against any predator's in your area?

 

[Kenneth Zweerink]

Welcome to BackYard Chickens. And a Big Hello from Eastern Nebraska !

 

[Banana01]

A single light bulb inside can make it a heated dog house. Could run a light bulb and cord tp the house and hang it in the ceiling.

 

[Happy hen lover]

Caution led don't put out much heat so test bulb first I scored some older bulbs on sale and they are hot go touch
Just fyi.

 

[Banana01]

Caution led don't put out much heat so test bulb first I scored some older bulbs on sale and they are hot go touch
Just fyi.

Yea, ideally you want the bulb inside an insulated ceiling with enough space around it. I wouldn't want my dog to have to sleep directly under a light, so it depends on the dog house.

 

[swampfox440]

Welcome to BYC! What part of the world do you live in ? Oh! somehow I missed Michigan . Thanks for joining .

 

[addctd2plnts]

Now our neighbor put their dogs outside , we’ve already donated a fog house and now feel we need to insulate it. Concerned about dog biting and destroying out efforts. Blue is a pit bull and we want to help him stay warm and cozy. Any help would be appreciated. I felt you all would have experience in this
Thanks
Bohemian girl

It's WAY too cold there for that dog outside.! It needs a real Winter coat and the good ones are very expensive. In addition, I highly suggest both a heated dog bowl to keep water from freezing, and a Kane Heated Kennel mat. The Kane mat will heat up when the dog lays on the mat and help keep it from freezing to death. https://www.kanemfg.com/products/pets/pet-heat-mats/

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
The dog could rip through a pre-fab coop.
The pre-fab coop is no good for anything larger than a gerbil. I suggest you visit the Coop Pages and research pallet coops and start building one over the winter to be ready by spring. You need LOTS of ventilation and keep the coop very dry to keep the birds warm. DON'T over populate it.
Ensure you have 1/2" hardware cloth and a predator apron all the way around it to keep the flock safe.
The dog belongs in the house. Year round.
Here's how to keep the dog warm during winter...