DIY Dog House – Drawings, Sketches, and Dimensions

For many years, a dog has been a loyal companion to man, or more accurately, a member of the family where it lives. Naturally, it's difficult to have a large four-legged pet in an apartment, but if you're the proud owner of a private home, a loyal guard dog and friend should always live outside.

But to ensure a comfortable living environment for your furry friend, you need to ensure a convenient and comfortable home—a dog house. And to build a simple pet house yourself, you need to understand the plans and design features of such a structure. This will allow you to build a dog house. as comfortable, convenient and warm as possible.

Size and location of dog housing

Before you begin assembling the structure yourself, you need to choose the right location in your yard. This will allow you to transform an ordinary booth into a unique security post that no strangers will be able to penetrate. Furthermore, when placing the structure, The following factors should also be taken into account:

• When installing a dog house, it is important to take into account the wind direction, as the structure should not be blown through;
• the place should be well-lit, but located next to natural shade, where the animal can hide from the scorching sun;
• the dog house should not be located in a lowland where rainwater can accumulate; it is better if the kennel is on a small hill;
• It is better to place the booth near the entrance to human habitation.

It's important to remember that, regardless of the shape of the pet's kennel, its dimensions must precisely match the dog's physical characteristics. Therefore, calculations are based on the animal's height, length, and other parameters, with some allowances.

Based on the breed of the dog, on which its physical characteristics depend, for the construction of the kennel in accordance with the drawings the following dimensions are used:

• for a small dog, such as a dachshund, a house with dimensions of 70 cm in length, 55 cm in width and 60 cm in height is suitable;
• For medium-sized dogs, which include shepherds, kennels with dimensions of 120 x 75 x 80 cm in length, width, and height are suitable;
• For an Alabai or Caucasian Shepherd, which are the largest dogs, a home with dimensions of 140 cm in length, 100 cm in width, and 95 cm in height is suitable.

Since even dogs within the same breed can vary in size, kennels are custom-fitted to individual requirements. To accurately determine the dimensions of a dog house, consider the width of the kennel entrance, which should be appropriate for the animal's chest. with a margin of up to 100 mm, a height of 50 mm below the dog's tail and a depth corresponding to the length of the pet.

Drawings and design features of the booth

Once the location and dimensions of the doghouse have been determined, it's important to transfer the image and precise dimensions to a paper schematic. To ensure a high-quality doghouse is built with your own hands, it's crucial to correctly design the structure based on the dog's physical characteristics and personality.

To make a dog house a real shelter for your pet It is important to take into account the following nuances:

1. The space inside the dog house must be sufficient for the animal to stand up to its full height and lie down stretched out. This means that when taking measurements and calculating, it's essential to leave some allowance.
2. When building a dog house, only materials that meet all environmental criteria should be used. Wooden boards are ideal for this purpose.
3. If the dog's home climate is characterized by extreme cold, it's important to ensure the structure is well-insulated. You can also build a two-room structure with multiple access doors, one facing the street and one closer to the rear of the kennel, protecting it from direct wind.
4. Kennels for large breed dogs are also often built inside a kennel. This is primarily because not all animals are accustomed to being chained.
5. It's also important to decide on the roof shape of the future dog house. A low-pitched roof will provide ample space for a pet, while a gable roof will allow for additional attic space.

Only by taking into account all the nuances is it possible draw up an accurate drawing, dog kennel, based on which the amount of consumables is calculated.

Tools and consumables for the booth

Before building a dog house yourself, it's important to gather your tools and supplies. In addition to the dog house sketches, you'll need:

• a simple pencil and a building ruler;
• a hand saw or a jigsaw for wood;
• shovel and water level;
• construction hammer or screwdriver;
• nails or screws;
• wood impregnation against rot and fungus;
• paint with a shade you like.

The body of the dog house is better make from pine woodThese types of wood breathe well, retain heat, are easy to work with, and have a long service life. If you plan to build an insulated dog house, you should ensure you have the following materials:

• several meters of roofing felt or polyethylene film;
• high-quality insulation – foam or mineral wool.

It's important to sand all the boards used in the doghouse to prevent your pet from injuring themselves or getting a splinter in their paw. Avoid using chemicals with a strong odor or containing toxic components on the inside of the structure. Dogs have a very strong sense of smell, and a strong odor can damage their senses.

How to build a doghouse yourself – assembly technology

After the preparatory stage, you can proceed to assembly DIY doghouse. This project is fairly simple and can be done by anyone who's not afraid of physical labor.

1. The first step is to assemble the base of the structure. 40x40 wooden beams are cut to size, and the resulting blanks are assembled into a frame onto which the floorboards are nailed, as close together as possible to prevent gaps. If the kennel is being built for a large dog, it's a good idea to install several beam crossbars to prevent the floor from sagging under the animal's weight.
2. 10 x 10 cm beams are attached vertically to the finished base. These will serve as the foundation for the walls. Structurally, the resulting system should resemble a table turned upside down. To support the roof, several additional 40 x 40 cm beams can be installed between the supporting vertical beams.
3. The exterior walls of the dog house are best covered with wood paneling, which is highly resistant to environmental factors and doesn't delaminate like plywood. For attaching the exterior paneling, it's best to use galvanized nails or wood screws.
4. After preparing the walls, move on to the ceiling. If the dog house will be installed under a canopy or in a covered enclosure, the ceiling thickness is not critical, and the ceiling surface can also serve as the roof of the structure. If the dog house is located outdoors, in addition to the insulated ceiling, a roof will need to be installed to protect the structure from precipitation.
5. For the ceiling, it's best to use plywood and 40x40 beams. For insulation, mineral wool or foam is attached over the plywood sheet, which is then covered with a second plywood sheet. If an additional roof isn't included in the plans, roofing felt or another moisture-resistant material is laid over the ceiling.
6. The next step is to create a gable roof, for which a frame is constructed from 40 x 40 mm beams. The resulting structure is then covered with clapboard on the outside.
7. The final step is to close the kennel's opening from direct winds. A thick canvas curtain is suitable for this purpose. The top edge of the curtain is secured to the opening with nails, leaving the bottom open so the dog can enter and exit the kennel freely. To prevent the bottom of the curtain from flapping in the wind, hang a weight from the bottom edge.

Once the main structure of the booth is built, all that remains is to simply refine it, coated on the outside with a layer of paint or varnish.

Comfortable, insulated dog shelter

Even if the pet living in the kennel has thick and long fur additional insulation of the booth It won't hurt. Especially since the insulation process doesn't take much time or effort.

1. It's important to remember that a wooden dog house placed directly on the ground will quickly begin to rot due to moisture. To prevent this, additional bricks are placed on the ground, and then the dog house itself is placed on top of them. This will effectively protect the dog house from moisture.
2. The structure should be turned upside down and treated with a high-quality antiseptic. A piece of roofing felt should be nailed onto it, secured with 10 x 5 cm beams soaked in a water-repellent agent. The structure is then returned to its original position, and a layer of insulation is laid, interlayered on both sides with parchment paper, and then the finished flooring is secured on top.
3. A similar technology is used to insulate the walls, but clapboard is used for the interior finishing. This insulation turns the doghouse into a kind of thermos, effectively retaining heat inside.
4. If the dog house was made from thick beams and boards, then insulating the walls is not necessary, but it wouldn't hurt to insulate the roof and floor.

Thanks to such simple measures, you can build a booth with your own hands, which is well protected from the effects of natural factors, which means the animal will be feel cozy and comfortable.

Features of care for the booth

You should clean your dog's home at least once a month. All you need to do is sweep up any food, hair, and other debris your pet has dragged into their kennel. It's also important to regularly disinfect your dog's home.

During the winter, disinfection should be carried out no more than once per season, and from spring to autumn, once a month. It's also important to combat parasites promptly. You can also treat the inside of the kennel. creolin, lysol or formalinDuring disinfection, it is better to move the animal to another room.

If you ensure the kennel is collapsible when building it, it will significantly simplify maintenance later. You can opt for a folding roof or retractable walls. Also, if a part of the structure breaks or deteriorates, it can be replaced without completely rebuilding the dog house.

After some simple construction work, a beautiful and cozy home for your four-legged pet will appear on the property near your home. The dog will surely be delighted with its new home and will be able to feel how much its owners love it, reciprocating their devotion in the future.