Dog House Plans: Building a Dog House

If you keep your dog outdoors, building a dog house is important, in order to provide it shelter. The dog house will shade your dog in the summer, protect it from the snow or rain, and just be a place where your dog can relax in at other times of the year.

Basic Principles of Building a Dog House

Building a safe and attractive dog house need not be a complicated affair. You just need to be aware of some basic principles:

• The floor of the dog house should be placed at a sufficient distance from the ground, so that water does not get in even on the rainiest of days. A raised floor will also insulate it from the cold ground during the winter.
• Take into consideration the habits of your dog. For instance, some dogs love sitting up on the roof of their house. If that’s the case with your dog, avoid using shingles or roll roofing as the roof, since they heat up in the summer sun. Instead, using an exterior plywood panel, which has been treated with some nontoxic preservative, would be a better idea.
• When building a dog house for your pet, make sure that the size is large enough so that your dog can turn around comfortably inside it. However, it should not be too large, as a smaller one will heat up easily with the natural heat of your dog’s body, which will be an important factor in the winter.

Step-By-Step Guide to Building a Dog House

One of the first things you need to do is have a clear dog house plan. The plan should include factors like the materials, the shape, and the size of the dog house you’re planning to build. And, as has been mentioned above, the dimensions of the dog house is one of the most important things to take into consideration when building a dog house. In case your dog is still a pup, it is advisable to just crate train it until it is grown fully or build the dog house according to the largest size of the breed your dog is.

Once the dimensions of the dog house have been decided, you can start the process of construction. Generally, wood is the best material for building a dog house.

The Structure of the Floor: 2 x 4 pieces of lumber that has been pressure treated can be used for constructing the floor. Measure and cut these pieces according to the required size, including joists accordingly. For example, larger sized dog houses joists may be required at a distance of every 16 inches. Also, pressure treated wood should not be used anywhere that the dog can get at it and chew, since it usually has harmful chemicals. Hence, wherever the dog has a chance of chewing the wood, that area of pressure treated wood should be covered with untreated wood. If yours is a large breed, then you will require thicker sized plywood of about ½-inch thickness. Whereas, a 3/8-inch sized thickness will be quite adequate for smaller sized breeds.

The Front Piece of the Dog House: The structure that will form the front of the dog house will have the entrance. A 2 x 2 piece of wood can be used, which can consist of two vertical pieces for the doorway and one horizontal piece on top of that.

The Back Wall and Sidewalls: You can use 2 x 2 pieces of wood, in order to form a rectangular or square shape for constructing the back wall and sidewalls of the dog house. And, if required, studs can be fixed at a distance of every 16 inches on the structure.

Setting Up the Framework: Once you complete the framework, it has to be assembled on the flooring of the dog house. Each element can be connected to the floor with nails and wood screws and each section can be joined to each other with L-brackets as well as nails and screws.

The Joists of the Roof: To make sure that the rain runs off adequately from the dog house’s roof, it is advisable to assemble the joists of the roof at an angle of 30 degrees. Notch these joists precisely so that they sit securely on top of the structures of the walls.

The Siding and Roof of the Dog House: 3/8-inch thick plywood can be used for the roof and the walls. Ensure that the siding is cut precisely, so that there are no gaps in the dog house structure and that they can be fixed directly with nails on the framework. The roof too can be fixed directly with the help of nails on the joists of the roof. Although wood is adequate enough as the roof, but if you want you can add shingles or any other roofing material.

Adding Finishing Touches: Although the finishing touches that you give the dog house will be according to your personal preferences, but care needs to be taken that none of the materials you use, such as the treatment or the paint, is not toxic for your dog.