Well, I don't know where you you live, but it gets fairly cold here in Oklahoma and I still like what I use. First off, I have a covered area with 3 walls, much like stable. It's big enough for cattle to use, so that gives you an idea (maybe 10 feet by 8 feet). Inside that I use a 55 gallon plastic barrel with a hole cut in the front. It uses a plastic pvc pipe-constructed cradle to hold it steady. I fill it with pine shavings (not bark or chips, but shavings). My dog stays warm. I know that you can also do this but then bolt down a small piece of sheet metal as an "awning" or overhang over the door. This helps keep water or snow out. Also, cut the hole to where it is a semi-circle, leaving the bottom of the front uncut, so the dog must "hop" into the house, if that makes sense. That way it will easily hold your straw or shavings. In the summertime, I don't use any shavings. Some guys place a plastic 'doggy-door' on these houses, but I don't recommend this, as I believe that will only create a way for the dog's breath to create a perspiration on the walls, which could then freeze or even suffocate the dog. Leave it open. My pup has gone a summer and a winter in his barrel, and it is working out great. I am even considering building a travel box for the truck bed out of a barrel. I know it wasn't the plan you were looking for, but it has worked really well for 1 year old this past year. He has been using it since he was 8 weeks old. Good luck