our families dogs prefer the trampoline/hammock style beds to others and prefer to be right near the door as well.
u said that he has a warm bed, would that fit in the kennel maybe?
also, our old kennel had a space heater installed in the back wall so that the kennel didnt get as cold but that was under the veranda connected to an all weather switch.
other than that i dont really have many suggestions cos our dog sleeps in her basket in our room.....
You might have to get a moveable kennel and put it closer to where the family is...they like to be close to the rest of the "pack".
The other thing you could do is leave a really juicy treat inside the kennel, hang around and reward with praise, cuddles etc as soon as he steps foot inside.
BTW if he's really timid it's probably a good idea to move him away from DD. Otherwise think about what other spaces you could house him in, our little doggie has a kennel for daytime but when the weather is really bad and overnight he has a condo set up in the laundry, which is a space the kids generally don't go into. We have a plastic bed (to insulate from the cold floor) lined with a thin cushion for softness and an old 100% wool blanket from the op shop for warmth...he does love snuggling down there .
we use rugs on all of our girls. They're called 'PRESTIGE Cosy-Fleece Dog Vests', but they can be hard to find. I bought the last ones off the net. They're great because they have a zipper on the back, and hug quite nicely to keep the dog warm. I also have some other ones that I use sometimes, but can't remember their names.
In the kennel, we use cheap rugs from the opshop (or kmart), and try to put our smell on them before putting them in the kennel. But it doesn't take much to get the girls into the kennel on a cold night!
It is freezing here atm too, my dog is lucky though cause our laundry is a room out the back ofthe house, so we just leave the door open all day so she can go in there and sleep in her bed if she is cold. The hot water heater is in the laundry too, so at night we put her to bed and lock her in the laundry.
I saw those drysabone doggy jackets yesterday, they look great, were a bit expensive for me atm though, my little dog wears a polar fleece jumper in Winter.
I used to get him in the laundry on cold nights but now he refuses to come inside whatsoever, despite the cold. His kennel is very close to us, but instead of sleeping in it, he sleeps far away on the other side of the house.. he's a Guard dog, so I guess he feels he can assess the area better on the other side.
We can't move the kennel, it's a brick built in one.
I've put his bed in the kennel, but he still doesnt use it. I'm going to get some crappy old pillows and chuck them in (after sleeping with them a few nights to get our smell) and I guess I will get a real tasty treat and put it right at the entrance..
I have little faith though, he's not easily bribed and very independant. If all fails, I guess I just hope he's smart enough to use the cosy kennel when ihe can't bear the cold?
Thanks so much for all your ideas, certainly once I've tried all this there's nothing left but for him to decide,
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