Anyone have Dobes that get too cold at night?

Ravenbird

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I really hate the thought, but Asha gets cold at night, so wondering about pajamas for her or a non-electric ways to heat her bed. I've never liked heat on in my bedroom at night - I like it cool to cold and pile on blankets. Start out with a warm room, turn the heat off at lights out and in the winter it can be really chilly by in the morning. Trying to find a way to enjoy my cool room without making my dog miserable.

I've looked at things like this, but I can't see how this would do any good:

Her bed is a large dog-bed cover with 3 goose-down pillows in it and a heavy flannel sheet on that, so only her exposed side gets cold. When she's asleep I can put a blanket over her, but eventually she has to stand up & turn around, so it falls off.

Thinking about pajamas, but I've never liked the idea. Maybe if someone told me how happy or unhappy their dogs were wearing them? Or other ideas?
 
Glory runs cold always....we keep blankets down for her, and she "snow plows" it until she can get under it. She has recently "been invited" to sleep with us in the bed, and will plow my comforter up, until she can get under, and run her cold nose along me, then plops down. Never moving throughout the night. I honestly don't know how she can breath under there! Clarke on the other hand runs real warm, and gets up and will lay against the wall. His ear tips are always warm, and hers are always cold! I would try pj's on her....she will let ya know if she does not like them. Mine will wear coats outside no problem, and Glory would probably wear pj's!
 
Ragnar and Freyja like to plow/dig at the blanket to lay on it but neither one will tolerate a blanket over them. When I wake up at night, sometimes I get up and check on the girls and Dobermans. Both Dobermans are curled in a tight ball on the couch with their blankets pushed to the floor. I will pick up and cover the Dobermans with their blankets and all seems well. Then in the morn, I see both blankets on the floor.

We rarely use the heater, even if it gets down in the 30’s, so this year I am going to put 4-5blankets strewn on the couch as to make a nest they can hunker down in. I think they will be okay with that.

I think pajamas would work once she got use to wearing them.
 
Dauntless will rarely need or tolerate a blanket over her. Candor on the other hand wants her "woobie" over her all the time and if she can't get it to cover her to her satisfaction, will whine until Bryan or I get up and cover her again! I never thought of pajamas, but I might give them a try for Candor.
 
I notice Ripley shiver at night too. She will fluff up her blanket just so to make a nest but doesn't ever go under them. If she doesn't stop shivering I typically put the fleece "jammies" on that she has. I figure no sense in having her waste and burn energy just to stay "warm" sleeping.

Euro Dog Designs is where the one I have now came from but I'm thinking about getting a Made by Meadowcat jammies for some cute patterns and to have a spare to alternate when Im washing one she still has a clean one to wear.

She wears it like it's not even there. And she seems really comfy with no shivers.

*Edit to add, pic wouldn't upload earlier.* Other bonus is that it fits under her harness for nosework or free sniffing sessions ( I like to use sniffing as a reward for training. They like it and it helps tire them out way more than only walking.) I'm sure it would fit under a winter jacket with a shell coat too for really cold temps but Ripley is moving around enough I haven't had a need just yet to layer up that much.

Last winter, she's grown into it since but it does still cover her tail some which I'm sure she appreciates lol.
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PJs are a cute idea if you can find ones that have enough 'space' for them to pee without getting the clothes wet.

We keep a cool house at night too. As much as I would love to have Kaiser looking all cute and cozy in his blankets, he prefers to suckle them and then use them for 'support' under or around his bed instead of keeping himself warm. I regularly cover him with a blanket while he's on his bed and he'll allow it for about 10 minutes, then he always gets up to take it off. He also has a pattern of getting up every 2 hours during the night to walk around the house so there is no way he would remain under a blanket unless he learned to make it work for himself. I have thought about a doggy tent/cave like this, but I think this idea is more likely to be successful with cats:
 
Yeah, along the canopy idea, I think Rubie being in a covered crate helps her create her own little sauna. She can't have have too many plush things because she eats them so she's got a holey blanket under a barely there crate pad on top of a chew proof, cot-style bed. I've never noticed her being too cold in her crate but she may argue otherwise :rolleyes:

Do you still have her crate up and would she go in there if it was warmer? The covers I bought for ours were off Chewy for like $30.
 
Our dogs have the fleece jammies from Made by Meadowcat too and they're really nice for indoors. Like @Rits said, they don't even notice they're wearing them and I don't see them shivering when they have them on. Albert never used to need a blanket over him but this year both him and Phoebe appreciate blankets over them and the jammies or fleece jackets (same thing) have the same effect, except they don't fall off if they stir at night.
 
Awesome reports, guys! Thank you! Yeah, Ashas bed is an airline crate, but the top is off & nested. There's an X-pen around it which is usually open, but *every now & then* I have to shut her in for various reasons. That's another topic :whistle: though. BUT it makes a good way to keep the drafts off - I hang her extra quilts and blankets over the sides of the pen leaving the side next to my bed open so she can see me. I padded the sides of the plastic crate so it doesn't feel cold when she leans on it, and as I said, the cushion she sleeps on is made of goose down pillows, so I thought I was doing OK. Sometimes she doesn't mind a blanket and sometimes she stands up to get it to drop off. I wish I could teach her to pull a blanket over herself when she wants one! I got a cheap $5 dog sweater (no arms, like a vest) and she didn't mind wearing it around the house, but it fit terrible, not made for the deep chest. I'll check out the Meadowcat & Euro websites! Thanks so much! Here she is in the office bed on a cold evening (I got the bolster pillows for $1 each at my favorite thrift shop) :

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There are 2 Dobes in the picture. Candor burrowed under the blanket herself, Dauntless just looks resigned to the fact that mom tried to cover her again.

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These are our Made by Meadowcat ones
Those are really nice! So are the Euro brands like @Rits has. I may get one, but they look like they would be too heavy for all night long. Nothing is urgent, but I've sure got a load of ideas now! Always makes you feel better when the good reviews come from you guys here!
 
Both Dobermans are curled in a tight ball on the couch with their blankets pushed to the floor. I will pick up and cover the Dobermans with their blankets and all seems well. Then in the morn, I see both blankets on the floor.

I have been worried that Jasper has been cold at night because I see him curled in a tight ball also. But his blankets are always pulled away from his dog bed. So last night I gave him like five blankets. He bunched them all up and he was curled up next to them. I just don’t know what he wants.

Then again its not like we aren’t offering them blankets to be warm. I would like to say Jasper would cuddle up in them if he really was cold. So I feel bad forcing him to wear pajamas if he really doesn’t need them. A hot sleep is worse than a cool sleep imo. How can we truly know if they are comfortable?
 
I have been worried that Jasper has been cold at night because I see him curled in a tight ball also. But his blankets are always pulled away from his dog bed. So last night I gave him like five blankets. He bunched them all up and he was curled up next to them. I just don’t know what he wants.

Then again its not like we aren’t offering them blankets to be warm. I would like to say Jasper would cuddle up in them if he really was cold. So I feel bad forcing him to wear pajamas if he really doesn’t need them. A hot sleep is worse than a cool sleep imo. How can we truly know if they are comfortable?
To me, I don't think they understand blankets. Well, SOME do... But a lot don't seem to lol. They don't have thumbs so even more of a challenge to grasp as the blankets are hard to manage. Ripley will pick up her blanket in her mouth and fuss and make the blanket just so, but to lay on top of. Never underneath unless I open the blanket for her, but then like others mentioned, they get up to get comfortable and the blanket falls and is under them again. I think if they were too hot, well, you would see them pant. Shivering, too cold. I feel like she has a ways to go to get too hot to where it would be uncomfortable, especially with that single coat. Unless the heat is towards 70. And it's not like she is exercising in jammies when it's 62 in the house. She's sleeping so very little heat from her muscles. Her shivering is her trying to create heat!
 
Hm that is another perspective. Now I am worried Jasper is cold at night. He does seems to like the warmth if we ever throw on the electric oil heater. Hm.
 
To me, I don't think they understand blankets. Well, SOME do... But a lot don't seem to lol.
Exactly. Obviously there are some burrowers amongst us, like Candor. Asha has a moan/groan noise when she wants something - not a whine, but a deep moaning in several low pitches. If it's chilly I put her blanket over her and she tucks her nose under it and stops moaning. She's so vocal about everything - drama queen. She does shiver sometimes. And right now she's a little too thin, in heat, very needy, and I'm trying to solve it all at once. :pullhair:
 
Asha has a moan/groan noise when she wants something - not a whine, but a deep moaning in several low pitches.
Jazz has a specific low moan that means she needs her blanket put on. Moan, wait a few seconds then moan again a bit louder. This continues until I respond. Who has trained who? I feel her ears to get an idea of her temperature. If they are nice and warm she's comfortable.
 
Jazz has a specific low moan that means she needs her blanket put on. Moan, wait a few seconds then moan again a bit louder. This continues until I respond. Who has trained who? I feel her ears to get an idea of her temperature. If they are nice and warm she's comfortable.
LOL, that's the moan alright! I hate letting her train me like that, but the moan is such a pleasant sound compared to whining & whistling... Yes, I often feel the ears when I can't decide if she's really cold or just feeling sorry for herself.
 

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