You may remember learning in science class about heat flow. If you need a refresher, here's a summary. Heat transfers through radiation, convection, or conduction.

Radiation transfers heat through empty space. For example, the sun's rays heat the earth, or a campfire warms your skin.

Convection transfers heat through movement of a material such as water or air. The heat source warms the water or air that touches it. As the water or air warms, it rises, and the cooler water or air moves under the warmer. The movement creates a current. If you heat your home with a forced air furnace, you heat your home through convection.

Conduction transfers heat directly through materials. Some materials are better conductors than others. Metal conducts heat very well, which is why your cooking pot on the burner becomes hot enough to burn you, but the rubber or plastic handle does not.

Insulation does not stop heat transfer from occurring, but it does slow the rate of transfer. Reflective insulation reflects heat. Heat travels to cooler spaces. As a result, in the summer, the hot air outside wants to get inside. In the winter, the hot air inside wants to get outside. Insulated dog houses slow this travel by reflecting the heat instead of allowing it to pass through. The insulation helps to keep the inside warm during the winter and cool during the summer.

Insulation can also trap air pockets inside itself. This also helps to slow the rate of heat transfer. The air spaces slow conduction by separating materials that conduct heat more easily than air (for instance, the floor of the house and the ground). Air is a poor conductor, compared to other materials. For this reason, an easy way to improve the natural insulation of your dog house is to buy one with a raised floor or place it on a low platform. This traps a layer of air underneath the floor.

As you shop for insulated dog houses, you will want to pay attention to the R-value of the insulation. The R-value communicates the effectiveness of the insulation. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation will be.

Particularly if you plan to use a heating and air conditioning unit, you will want to shop for insulated dog houses and pay attention to R-values. You will use less energy maintaining a comfortable temperature with insulation slowing the rate of heat transfer.

So as you shop for insulated dog houses, remember these things. Heat transfer occurs through radiation, convection, and conduction. Insulation that can combat more than one type of heat transfer will be more effective. You cannot stop heat transfer, but you can slow it. Check for other features, such as raised floors, that also aid the insulation value. If you are not sure how effective the insulation will be in a given dog house, compare the insulation R-values.