Dog House Door?

[SKIN052]

Being a responsible dog owner I built the mutts a insulated dog house. We are all gone throughout the day so they need a place to get out if the weather. Even added a heater, 100w light bulb covered by a coffee can, works great. The issue is that the new addition to the dog family, a one year old Husky mix chews the heck out of darn near everything and she has destroyed the flap I had installed, pic below. Looking for your advice on a Chew proof dog door. I seem to be stumped on this one. As for training the dog, trust me we have tried. My 13 year old and myself are very good with dogs, if I do say so myself but the minute our back is turned, something is getting eaten. We have curbed the habit in the house but the back yard is the the dogs domain and they are usually on their own when they are out there. This is last years pic. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
(broken image removed)

 

[fossil]

I had a Husky/Shepherd mix (adopted at ~age 2 as a rescued stray). Had her for ~5 years before we had to have her put down (epilepsy and related complications/injuries ). Anyway, that dog never ever stopped chewing. I've had a lot of dogs, including a couple I raised from pups, and they all outgrew the chewing except the Husky mix.

 

[SKIN052]

Lol, not good.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

can you put something on the door flaps that will deter? Kind of along the lines of using bitter apple spray but in a more permanent way. Is there anything that your dog doesn't like in its mouth?

 

[SKIN052]

I was thinking maybe a Lexan sheet?

 

[mithesaint]

You're gonna loose this battle. Badly. Once a chewer, always a chewer. Bad tasting stuff usually doesn't deter the chewing. Instead, the bitter apple spray will end up on their coat, and then on your hands, and then you'll wonder why your sandwich tastes like bitter apple.

Harder, more difficult stuff to chew usually ends up with broken teeth.

Lose the door flaps. It's not worth the battle. Lose the light bulb. It's a fire hazard and/or an electrocution hazard if your dog somehow gets ahold of the cord.

As long as the opening isn't facing into the prevailing wind, your dog should be just fine. Nice dog house, btw.

 

[SKIN052]

Gee, thought you guys usually have solution for everything, lol. Light bulb is an outdoor heavy duty one that is protected by a coffee can, she cant get to it. As for the cord, she chewed that off this summer when it was not plugged in thankfully. It is now rerouted and inaccessible. This is the day brought her home, I should have known.

 

[blades]

Geezs starting on the leash from day one. Chewing is a boredom reaction, then gets to be a habit, dang near impossible to stop. Had a female lab many years ago- nothing was safe. Ended up giving her away and starting over. It is possible it could be related to some sort of gum or tooth problem as well.