# Dog House Conversion ??



## VBgecko (Dec 14, 2014)

Does anyone here have experience converting an old wooden doghouse into a tort shed for 1?

I'm trying to brainstorm ideas. I was looking at craigslist for a cheap house that I could convert into an insulated safe place for my Red Foot, so I don't have a repeat of this year where he dug in somewhere and was missing for 3 nights when the weather turned cold. I can do without the vet bills and all the crying on my part 

Does the house need to be insulated? This isn't a winter house this is to protect from cold snaps under 60º (anything lower than that and I always pull him in).

How could I secure a heating element inside the house without burning the little house down? 

What ways have some of you created a tortoise only door that helps keep out cats? (we have a real problem with dumb neighbors letting their cats run around the neighborhood and I'm constantly chasing them out of the yard)

I know others have suggested those little Igloo dog houses, but I would looking for something a little more sturdy and I'm obviously blind, because I can't find any info on dog house conversions on here.


----------



## newCH (Dec 15, 2014)

Try changing your search to "insulate house" that shows a
few posts.
No ideas about those cats. I totally enclosed Sheldon for
his outdoor place since hes a little guy and there's more
than cats to worry about.
I've heard people mention hog blankets, do you have an electrical outlet availble where Scotters at ?


----------



## Maro2Bear (Dec 15, 2014)

This kind of pig blanket heating pad could be secured inside your tort's house.

http://www.osbornepetsupply.com/heat-pads?product_id=50

Osborne has several sizes to suite your needs.


----------



## ZEROPILOT (Dec 15, 2014)

My dog (primary) dog house is a traditional shape, but made of very heavy plastic. I placed hinges on the lid on one side so that I can flip it partially or completely open to either get a tortoise or to clean the thing. I have a rubber flap over the front that covers about 70% of the opening to stop rain and drafts. As for cats...I use a $10 "driveway motion detector" from Harbor freight. The tortoises are too slow and don'r give off a heat signature. However, when a cat crosses the beam, the alarm sounds and they FLY out of there. I have it set on low. High is MUCH louder. I installed a wooden pole placed front to back inside the house. (Not attached to the roof portion.) and on the pole is a timer and two heat lamps dangling from it. The whole thing is toasty and water proof. Now, I realize that it isn't AS cold here. It never gets below the 40s. So you may need to use CHE and thermostats to control your heat. Even here I tend to bring my three torts inside the house if it gets below 60 degrees. However, I know that they would be just fine left outside in the house, however, they always wander outside.


----------



## N2TORTS (Dec 15, 2014)

They can work well for summertime....although not nearly well enough insulated for winters. Here was a neat concept for a Desert Tort I used to have , this was an extra large Dog loo (like you have mentioned) but was buried 4 feet down . This provided and excellent winter /hibernation hide for the DT as well as check ups for the keeper. Along with throwing natural rocks abroad , it made it look very natural within the surrounding settings.






Here is one exposed for other torts summer time hide.




Solid core doors work well and do provide more insulation .......plus it can be designed with a ramp for the torts, hinged lid for the keeper as well as being locked up when need be ....





This multi- set up all contained with "green wire" Lath house ....




Other versions ...is build a small mini hut -well insulated , pre wired and plumbed...and again different access size doors for growth ...all which can be locked up at night ....










JD~


----------



## ZEROPILOT (Dec 15, 2014)

Very well done. I like all of it!!


----------



## Tom (Dec 15, 2014)

Dog houses don't work well. They are designed for dogs, not tortoises. The doors are too big and they can be difficult to seal, insulate and retrofit. Much easier to just build your own. Like this:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/


----------



## ZEROPILOT (Dec 15, 2014)

As you can see, I've used both styles. The one in the background has a smaller custom door with a rubber flap. That is the heated house. I'm assuming that VBgecko either can't or doesn't want to make one. I agree that in a colder climate it might be best to custom build one that is MADE for the purpose.


----------



## N2TORTS (Dec 15, 2014)

Well Tom....I have to disagree with you there ...Notcie I said " summer time " hide.....The Dog Loo's work just fine ...to escape the sun and or bunker down ....or you can go the full Monty of course'......


----------



## Jacqui (Dec 15, 2014)

As you can see, it all depends on what your starting out using, as to if a dog house would work. Plus if I understand correctly, your saying this is for temps above 60. That on colder nights he comes in, right?


----------



## N2TORTS (Dec 15, 2014)

I've built several types .....from converted Play houses to .. insulated rubber maid sheds ....Heated hides are no big deal ....
Depends on your budget , skill level and temps .....or course species involved is a major factor as well. But with good planning that's not a problem either ... * example " A sick bay"



Heated Hide within an insulated Play house ...







Insulated Rubber maid shed ..







Double stacker for young...





Mist systems ...







Little apartment patio gardens ...




Heated Hide Boxes ...










Tunnels to Nest boxes ...

[URL='http://s755.photobucket.com/user/N2TORTS/media/enclosures/TC12hol8.jpg.html']







[/URL]


----------



## N2TORTS (Dec 15, 2014)

The idea of the dog loo buried for the DT .....was a much easier option , warmer and safe and worked very well. Of course this was quite a few years back .....


----------



## VBgecko (Dec 15, 2014)

Okay, let me back the truck up here to give you guys some more visuals:

Scooter obviously only lives outside in the summertime. By suburbia standards I'm pretty much an urban farmer LOL. Scooter is beginning to grow in size where he might start to get noticed where he usually hides at night, and the weather can only be described as _Bipolar_ in this state. 

I mean, c'mon … It's almost Christmas and we went from -15º to 45º in a week. 

I'm just trying to provide him a secure place he knows he can retreat to in severe weather (if I am not home to retrieve him, we had A LOT of hail this past summer and I don't think an old wheelbarrow is going to cut it anymore) as well as a warm hide if he decides to give me the slip again like he did this year (3 days below 50º, me bawling about murdering my tortoise, and $400 in vet bills later? Yeah, not doing that again).




_Just excuse how dead, barren, wet and depressing it looks right now, I took this today _… 

This is Scooter's summer home, fully fenced-in, the fence is buried in the ground 18" to prevent burrowing of any kind (even though RF's aren't big diggers), there is smaller gauge wire going around the bottom of the fence to prevent any heads or stumps getting stuck (I had to retrofit a lot of this from existing, so try not to yell at me too much), along the outside/inside of the fence thick vegetation is planted to prevent him looking out on the sidewalk or people looking in (all the A frame trellises are not pictured and the vineyard is hard to see), but it becomes a thick jungle in the summer months where he can browse and pick and choose anything he feels like eating.

I'm looking at something cheap like this: http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/dak/for/4801762707.html … The removable roof would be a must. 

I think it would be more than adequate for Scooter's needs. There's a Koi pond just off frame on the right that has electrical outlets, so power is not a problem in that corner (plus there's more grape vines over there so the house would be concealed from anyone on the sidewalk). I'm also pretty handy, so it's no skin off my rear to retro fit the doorway with a closing ramp and/or an adapter piece with a low slot like I've seen in the pictures posted above. 

Suggestions? Do you think a ceramic heater would be okay or should I stick to those mats?

*EDIT: *_I should add that the whole reason behind asking about heating elements and insulation is so I don't have to be worried about pulling him in during cold snaps when the night time temps dip towards the low 60's for 2 days and then bolt back up into the 80's. _


----------



## ZEROPILOT (Dec 16, 2014)

I'd be most concerned about a kid walking past, seeing your tortoise and grabbing him in this set-up.


----------



## N2TORTS (Dec 16, 2014)

Here at the Cove' even with heated hides and no matter what time of year/temps ....ALL the torts are rounded up every night... NO Excuses what -so-ever.....and that's just the Adults - 24 of them ......then you have the babies ,along with Radi , Galap , ect ......"all of them are my kids" !  Besides security systems and cameras there is also a wireless Temp/thermometer that sends me accurate data of highs and lows thru out the 24 hour day of what the outdoor temps are and their indoor heat hide temps. This can be viewed from my Home office and Master Bedroom.


----------



## keepergale (Dec 16, 2014)

Ha Ha. I also have remote temperature readings from my tortoise quarters that I can read from my bed. I wake up check the temperature and go back to sleep.
Repeat


----------



## N2TORTS (Dec 16, 2014)

keepergale said:


> Ha Ha. I also have remote temperature readings from my tortoise quarters that I can read from my bed. I wake up check the temperature and go back to sleep.
> Repeat


^5.....only way to fly!


----------



## N2TORTS (Dec 16, 2014)

Well.....if ya have lots of friends and torts you could use this plane ....
How is this for a size comparison? Somewhat startling.
This shows an Airbus A380 and a Boeing B737 flying parallel approaches into LAX ( Los Angeles , California )



(sorry OP for off topic plane shot ....was just too cool not to share)


----------



## Jacqui (Dec 16, 2014)

LOL I had to look twice at that picture of the planes.


----------



## VBgecko (Dec 16, 2014)

ZEROPILOT said:


> I'd be most concerned about a kid walking past, seeing your tortoise and grabbing him in this set-up.



That is my biggest fear, but I've never advertised to any of my neighbors about having a tort and the reason for the thick vegetation on both the inside and the outside of the fence. The only people who ever stop to admire the garden are octogenarians on a walk. 

Scooter has one thing going for him, he's very hard to spot even when you are looking for him …


----------

