Hubby wants to make Bullie haven??!

Adorabull

New member
Oct 30, 2012
70
2
Bulldog(s) Names
Tonka truck and new puppy
Hubby is wanting to build our bullies a bullie house outside that is heated and cooled and has doggie doors with outside runs connected to them. He seen this set up at several breeders houses. He wants it for like when the entire family is gone on a all day shopping trip and the dogs are inside their crates longer than we feel they should be...we have to rush back to walk them. He wants to make it like a doggie heaven inside and out complete with insulation, electricity, heat and cooled, running water, sink, doggie beds, and even a food storage area. This will strictly just be for times we feel we are gone too long and would be in there crates more than a couple of hours.

My concerns..... Well I am use to them being in their crates in my house safe while I am away. I feel we can make the inside the doggie house safe the way he designed it with each dog having their own separate area ( little bigger than crate size) connected to their own separate doggie door. I am scared about access to the outside runs. We live in Alabama and it gets hot. I am worried they would go outside the runs too long not come back in the air conditioning. Hubby thinks I am a worry wart as several breeder friends have never had this happen. He says they will go back inside where it is cool. He even said we can put doggie pools in the runs for them, build it under shade tree, and put shading material at top of runs. I don't want him to spend all this money and then not use it if I don't feel it's safe. I love the idea but want other opinions.
 
Last edited:

LariP

..........
Aug 4, 2010
8,293
452
Milwaukee, WI
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
(HRH) Her Royal Highness Princess Gracie & Princess Amelia Pond (Amy)
I'm with you. I'd be concerned about them going out. lying in the sun and getting overheated. And even though the option to go in, or go in the kiddie pool was there I'd be afraid it might not happen. Just too risky, and I would be worried.
 

JAKEISGREAT

.................
Mar 25, 2011
14,802
1,155
Southern California
Bulldog(s) Names
Jake
There are many many examples of Bully's going out their doggie doors to sunbathe and not coming back where it's cool. They die. They don't know that Bully's can die in 70 degree weather too. That fear alone would make me say no. And there are more concerns too but this one most might not understand.

Heck..I've had my dawgs get overheated sunning themselves INSIDE the house through a window! They will lay there and pant like crazy until I shoo them away! No way can they handle outside!
 

LillyNBruin

New member
Community Veteran
Mar 22, 2010
738
28
Central Mass
Bulldog(s) Names
Bruin & Lilly
This would make me very nervous also. Honestly, if my bf was saying that he wanted to do that my exact words would be "Absolutely not, no way" I've found that they don't move when they overheat, they just don't realize it. As [MENTION=2092]JAKEISGREAT[/MENTION] said, mine will be laying in the sun indoors and they start panting like crazy and I have to MAKE them move. Plus I would absolutely fear that someone would steal them if they were out in the run. Unfortunately there are just some scummy people out there that would do that.
 

mcraven2

Bonnaroo bound in my bulldog batmobile
Community Veteran
Jan 16, 2012
1,503
80
Boston MA
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Giovanni, Princess, and Diva (Frenchie)
As nice as the house he wants to build for them sounds, I agree with the others. Bulldogs just don't know when too much sun is enough. All 3 of my bullies would lay outside in the sun all day if I allowed them, they would literally lay in the sun until they died. They just don't know enough to cool themselves off. I would be worried too having them outside while no one was home.
 

Baconator

.........
Apr 12, 2012
2,969
127
Northern NJ
Bulldog(s) Names
Bacon
We have a setup for Bacon where he has an inside day pen that has a doggy door on it that goes to an outside kennel. The outside kennel has a roof on it, is under our deck, and is next to a gigantic holly bush, it only gets about 5 minutes of sun a day at most. Bacon uses it as his bathroom now, he doesn't stay out there. Even with that being said once it warms up I'm going to be putting misting tubing in the outside kennel so when it gets hot during the summer I can turn that on and there will be a constant flow of mist in there for him. Also we have a fully fenced in yard with an 8 foot ceder fence around the yard so nobody can even see that there is a doggy door and a kennel back there. And I have a webcam on both the inside and outside setups.
 
OP
A

Adorabull

New member
Oct 30, 2012
70
2
Bulldog(s) Names
Tonka truck and new puppy
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #7
What everyone had said was all my fears. Hubby just wanted to make them more comfy while we were gone to run errands or shopping. He will be heartbroken bc he literally wanted to make them their own dream house:( As looking for pups we went to like 10 breeders and most had a similar set up... How do they not loose dogs to he heat? Oh we'll back to the drawing board. Potty breaks is the only thing we are always looking to improve on....always rushing home to walk the dogs. Interrupting a night out to say I'm sorry my dog had to go potty I need to leave..... But we love them to pieces so will continue to do just that!
 

JAKEISGREAT

.................
Mar 25, 2011
14,802
1,155
Southern California
Bulldog(s) Names
Jake
What everyone had said was all my fears. Hubby just wanted to make them more comfy while we were gone to run errands or shopping. He will be heartbroken bc he literally wanted to make them their own dream house:( As looking for pups we went to like 10 breeders and most had a similar set up... How do they not loose dogs to he heat? Oh we'll back to the drawing board. Potty breaks is the only thing we are always looking to improve on....always rushing home to walk the dogs. Interrupting a night out to say I'm sorry my dog had to go potty I need to leave..... But we love them to pieces so will continue to do just that!


Awwww..we know he only wanted the best for them. I'm sure he can come up with a great alternative...and I don't really think Bully's mind sleeping most of the day! :)
 
OP
A

Adorabull

New member
Oct 30, 2012
70
2
Bulldog(s) Names
Tonka truck and new puppy
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #9
Awwww..we know he only wanted the best for them. I'm sure he can come up with a great alternative...and I don't really think Bully's mind sleeping most of the day! :)


Thanks! Maybe potty brakes will get less frequent as they get older.
 

hnhammond

New member
Aug 20, 2012
470
33
Los Angeles, CA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Matilda (Tilly)
This sounds wonderful in theory, but just like everyone else says, I wouldn't let them outside or near a pool (kiddie or otherwise) unsupervised! It's just too risky!

Maybe build it anyway for fun times when you are home?
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
Staff member
Community Veteran
Jul 28, 2011
48,581
3,673
Gilbertsville, PA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Chelios (Frenchie), Nitschke (2004-2011) Banks (2005-2014) and Lambeau (2014-2024)
Great idea, but not for bullies. I would be terrified. I always have to bring Banks in from sunbathing... she will lay there until she baked!
 
OP
A

Adorabull

New member
Oct 30, 2012
70
2
Bulldog(s) Names
Tonka truck and new puppy
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #13
Thanks everyone. Don't think we will build it.. Will spend the money on them in another way. They love out basement nobody uses... Might just make them a doggy haven down there and spoiled them that way. Won't help with potty brakes. Anybody with potty brake ideas please chime in. We are just manually walking them on a leash every potty brake as I feel this is the only safe way. Love to hear if anyone knows of another safe way. I am even scared to let them out in a chain link yard. We live on a 20 acre farm off the road incase you are wondering our set up. Don't have chain link fence now. I'm just so scared of the heat!
 

Davidh

Head Pooper Scooper
Staff member
Mar 21, 2011
13,407
848
Katy, Texas
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
BeBe, Hazel, Lucy Lu, JLO, Hillary, Henri, & Katie
I'm happy you changed your mind on this, as being outside unsupervised is never a good idea. The basement is a good idea I think. There is a company that makes litter boxes that look like grass, maybe a couple of them may work. Also there have been people that have trained their bullies to use litter boxes as well and they use the litter made from recycled newspaper as it is less harmful if they eat some of it. You can Google the litter boxes with the fake grass on them, they seem like they might work.
 

LariP

..........
Aug 4, 2010
8,293
452
Milwaukee, WI
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
(HRH) Her Royal Highness Princess Gracie & Princess Amelia Pond (Amy)
:idea: Hmmmm wonder if a flush able potty area in the basement could be an option????
 

Most Reactions

📰 Latest posts

Staff online

Members online

Top