Hammocking with a Short Haired Dog

**Lonely Raven** · 09-27-2010, 10:37

I recently took in an American Pit Bull Terrier. She was abandoned and lived on the streets, and a friend rescued her, I offered to watch her for a few weeks...and well, that was 3 months ago.

So I'm realizing she's getting cold easy. My hammock can handle our weight as I've had naps with her in the WBBB, But I really can't sleep overnight with her on top of me. I really need to plan something warm for her to have as her own den. I don't think just a dog bed will do.

I'm wondering if any of you have some experience with this. I've got a camping weekend set with some friends in the middle of October, and I'd rather spend money on setting the dog up with some warm shelter than board her somewhere.

I'm looking for ideas...inexpensive and/or DIY would help. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking about making something like an igloo out of memory foam and silnylon. Maybe find a rubber material on the bottom so it doesn't slide around on the ground. It would be like a packable doghouse, and warmer than a "dog tent" (which is fine for the long haired dog my finace has).

Thoughts?

**KerMegan** · 09-27-2010, 10:48

teach the dog to wear a fleece vest/jacket of his own?
KM( who doesn't generally think dressing dogs is the best idea ever, but in certain circumstances might be a good idea- esp if you get the safety orange fleece)

**Lonely Raven** · 09-27-2010, 10:50

Originally Posted by KerMegan

teach the dog to wear a fleece vest/jacket of his own?
KM( who doesn't generally think dressing dogs is the best idea ever, but in certain circumstances might be a good idea- esp if you get the safety orange fleece)

I've already picked up a couple dog jackets for her from REI. They were on closeout so I scored them for better than 50% off (but were still expensive).

That's not enough though. It's like asking you to sleep outside with just your jacket on.

**Law Dawg (ret)** · 09-27-2010, 10:50

http://www.rei.com/product/759616

http://www.rei.com/product/803435

Velcro attach a fleece blanket to the pad in such a way to allow her to "borrow" under it (what they do naturally anyway). Place it under your tarp area for wet protection. When things get cold dogs tend to ball up very small anyway so pick a base pad to fit. It could be fashioned to fit in her dog pack along with her kibble and sundries.

BTW not sure her history but with a rescue Pit make real sure you do overtime work with socialization skills (before a hang out)...both people and critters. Folk are so exceedingly cruel with this breed more than anyother and should be drawn & quartered for it.

**peanuts** · 09-27-2010, 10:52

sleep with the dog inside the hammock. my 90+ boxer slept in mine

**Lonely Raven** · 09-27-2010, 10:56

Originally Posted by Law Dawg

http://www.rei.com/product/759616

http://www.rei.com/product/803435

Velcro attach a fleece blanket to the pad in such a way to allow her to "borrow" under it (what they do naturally anyway). Place it under your tarp area for wet protection. When things get cold dogs tend to ball up very small anyway so pick a base pad to fit. It could be fashioned to fit in her dog pack along with her kibble and sundries.

That's sorta what I'm thinking about. A good pad (store bought or DIY), with something she can burrow into. She's already got the pack:

Originally Posted by peanuts

sleep with the dog inside the hammock. my 90+ boxer slept in mine

Not going to happen. I have enough trouble getting comfortable without 50lbs of energetic dog stepping on my man parts in the hammock.

**Law Dawg (ret)** · 09-27-2010, 11:00

She is beautiful (happy, alert, with ears up) but; Are those kennel/confinement scars or fighting scars? There is a special place in Hell for dog abusers and good on you for rescuing her.

WV · 09-27-2010, 11:07

Sounds like you're thinking along the right lines. My dog (lab-pit bull? found in a junkyard) gets cold, too. I made him an insulated hammock with a windscreen on 3 sides. It took him a while to get used to it, because he doesn't like to step into something that's unsteady, but now it's his home-away-from-home. I used to hang it under my hammock, but there just wasn't enough room for him to get up and turn around during the night, so now I look for two trees close together for one end so he can be off to the side a bit. I've also used trail sticks for spreader bars between his hammock and mine to achieve the same thing, but 3 trees is better. To get your dog used to a hammock, hang it so it touches the ground and put a ccf pad under it. Use insulation, so when you pull the hammock up around him it will keep him warm. As he gets used to it, you can try hanging it so he's entirely off the ground. He may not choose to get into it until the weather gets cold. This picture was taken before I started hanging it off to one side. Also, I've modified the sides a bit since then. Now it looks cobbled together - pretty crude, in fact, but dogs are remarkably uncritical when it come to finish detail.

**Lonely Raven** · 09-27-2010, 11:43

Originally Posted by Law Dawg

She is beautiful (happy, alert, with ears up) but; Are those kennel/confinement scars or fighting scars? There is a special place in Hell for dog abusers and good on you for rescuing her.

I can't stand to see animals hurt/abused. This one was "lucky" enough to simply get dumped off by some railroad tracks somewhere in central IL. She was found begging for food and sleeping at the base of a coke machine to stay warm. She's such a sweetheart. It's probably just the crappy camera phone photos (I'm an amateur photographer trying not to be a Nikon snob), but the only scar on her is the surgical one for when she was spayed. She is the dog I never thought I'd have (I'm a cat person), and she frustrates me, but makes me very happy at the same time.

Originally Posted by WV

Sounds like you're thinking along the right lines. My dog (lab-pit bull? found in a junkyard) gets cold, too. I made him an insulated hammock with a windscreen on 3 sides. It took him a while to get used to it, because he doesn't like to step into something that's unsteady, but now it's his home-away-from-home. I used to hang it under my hammock, but there just wasn't enough room for him to get up and turn around during the night, so now I look for two trees close together for one end so he can be off to the side a bit. I've also used trail sticks for spreader bars between his hammock and mine to achieve the same thing, but 3 trees is better. To get your dog used to a hammock, hang it so it touches the ground and put a ccf pad under it. Use insulation, so when you pull the hammock up around him it will keep him warm. As he gets used to it, you can try hanging it so he's entirely off the ground. He may not choose to get into it until the weather gets cold. This picture was taken before I started hanging it off to one side. Also, I've modified the sides a bit since then. Now it looks cobbled together - pretty crude, in fact, but dogs are remarkably uncritical when it come to finish detail.

I really thought about doing a dog hammock, but that's just too much work right now. I think she'll be fine in an igloo. The more I think about it, the more I think an igloo/dogbed a great idea, though it was pointed out to me by an engineer friend that a pyramid would be easier to build than an igloo, and I need to make sure it breathes for her.

So maybe a 24" X 24" dog bed with silnylon base, memory foam insulation, and wool inside liner, with a memory foam and silnylon dome. I could do a drawstring opening on the top of the dome to help it vent if it needs it.

At least, that's the image I see in my head unless someone points me to something off she shelf or a better idea.

**jloden** · 09-27-2010, 11:46

Originally Posted by WV

Sounds like you're thinking along the right lines. My dog (lab-pit bull? found in a junkyard) gets cold, too. I made him an insulated hammock with a windscreen on 3 sides.

WV, that is awesome! I am pretty positive I could never get my dogs to sleep in a setup like that (well, maybe the mini dachshund but definitely not our Walker hound), but definitely cool. I think that may get my vote for neatest hammock I've encountered on the forums so far

I've been wondering what to do with our dogs on camping trips myself... my wife slept in a tent with them on our overnight this weekend, but I'd like to figure out something else. Our older dog, the Walker coonhound, is skittish of just about everything noisy and/or confining and didn't much like even the large 4 person tent, so I'm not sure what would work for her.