dogs stay warmer in gunner kennels during the cold weather

01-06-233 mins read

GUNNER worked with a third-party lab to simulate the conditions of a windy, sub-zero outdoor environment and measure the temperature at several different points in a variety of kennels, including our own. Here are the crazy good results.

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WORKS HARDER FOR YOUR DOG IN COLD

We tested the G1™ against two other options (a leading aluminum kennel and a single-wall rotomolded crate) and the results showed that dogs in the GUNNER consistently stayed warmer when in sub-zero conditions than the other crates:

1. The GUNNER kennel stayed up to 20 degrees warmer than the outside air.
2. The simulated dog in the GUNNER kennel expended 20% less energy to stay warm compared to a single-wall rotomolded crate or aluminum kennel.

In addition, we used the opportunity to test how our Cold Weather Door Cover and All-Weather Kit 2.0 accessories would impact dogs’ warmth in our kennel:

• Results show a dog in a GUNNER kennel with a Cold Weather Door Cover and an All-Weather Kit will expend one-tenth as much energy keeping warm as one in an uncovered GUNNER (in subzero temperatures).

TESTING PARAMETERS

In below freezing temperatures, these differences can make a significant impact on your dog’s wellbeing. One of our engineers and R&D team members, Coleman, spearheaded this test and says there were two main components of this test:

• Variable convection cooling: The air in the test chamber was cooled to simulate the frigid air temperature of a sub-zero winter night, ranging from 32° to -20° Fahrenheit.
• Simulated Dog: A 15 Liter bucket of water was used to simulate the dog, as the water has a comparable heat transfer rate to that of a dog’s body. The water was consistently heated to an analogous body temperature for dogs, and we measured the amount of energy needed for the water to maintain that temperature for the duration of the test.

 

FAQs

See below for more FAQs about the testing and results. We also put the GUNNER against competitors in hot temps and received similarly impressive results. View those results here.

Why did the GUNNER perform so much better than the others?

With airflow strongly reduced by the CWD and AWK, the kennel’s double walled structure is able to hold on to a large portion of the dog’s body heat without letting it escape. A single walled kennel, made of any material, provides an easier path for heat to get out of the kennel, even if it’s covered with a weather cover.

How did you simulate the effects of a dog being in the kennel? 

To simulate the effects of a dog being in the kennel, we placed a bucket of around 15 liters of water in each kennel, which has a similar heat transfer rate to that of a dog’s body. We evaluated how much energy it took to keep the water heated to a dog’s body temperature in each kennel setup to get an estimate of how much energy a dog would expend keeping warm.

How do you know your kennel helped dogs stay warmer than other brands?

We hired a third-party lab to simulate windy, sub-zero weather conditions and measure the temperatures of various locations on several kennels. The results showed that the GUNNER kennel consistently stayed warmer than other brands when comparing both uncovered setups and covered setups, and also required less energy consumption by the dog to stay warm.

Why do you say “an average of” in your results? 

These results are a measure of the average temperature over the entire course of the test. We used the average because it’s a better representation of the entire thermal load a dog would experience while inside a kennel. 

Why don't you fill the GUNNER kennel with foam for more insulation? Like a YETI cooler?

Not only would a foam in-fill seriously harm the crash test performance of the kennel, the difference in temperature from the insulative improvements would be mostly offset by the open air flow through the kennel windows.

How does the All-Weather Kit 2.0 perform without the Cold Weather Door Cover?

The All-Weather Kit 2.0 is great for keeping rain and other elements out of the kennel, but it won’t do much to keep the kennel warm unless it’s used in tandem with the Cold Weather Door Cover. 

Read More: We also put the GUNNER against competitors in hot temps and received similarly impressive results. View those results here.