dog house

In the Dog House
(Or: if you're gonna build a dog house, plan ahead and make sure you've got room to sleep in it yourself, just in case)

How do you say "I love you" to an animal that doesn't speak English? Well, P-nut would tell you that you give him carrots. Jake and Miles would say you rub them, play Sock with them, and feed them smelly stuff. The cats - they'd want you to sit still and be warm. But sometimes you just want to spoil your special friends. So...

I began the "dog house project" in August 2003 and had it done by the end of the month. All told it was about 4 days of work and 6 trips to Lowe's.

The foundation of the dog house is made of pressure-treated 4x6'es lag-screwed together with 2x4 cross-members. I cut notches at the end to allow moisture to escape and to allow 2x4s to be slid underneath in hopes that it might be possible to use the front-end loader bucket to slide it onto a hay cart if we ever need to move it. To make sure everything would last a good long time I painted 2 coats of creosote on the foundation to keep it sealed.

Things I learned at this stage:

• If the foundation of the dog house is not square, you will be hating life later.
• If the dimensions of the foundation are not a convenient multiple of the sheathing sheets you're going to use, you're going to be spending a lot of time lapping sheathing pieces and cursing yourself.

Here the framing and uprights are together. There are stiffeners inserted in the studs kind of at random. The jacks for the front door and windows are partially completed but it's still rough.

Things I learned at this stage:

• When builders nail 2 studs together at each corner of the building of the dog house it's for good reason: it's a lot easier to attach the sheathing when you're aiming for a 4" area than a 1 3/4" area..
• Toe-nailing boards is a big drag. For $.50 you can get metal plates that support the corners. These make life a lot easier and the resulting structure is lots stronger.

Building the trusses was easy. I thought that part would be hard. Basically, you figure out the amount of overhang you want on the eaves, then the angle of the roof, and the length of the ridge-board and compute everything very carefully. Or you build a truss and see how it looks - ask your wife - then iterate. I got it right the first time then duplicated them and everything was great. The trusses have notches cut to support them where they rest on the top boards and I centered them over studs. If this was a real dog house it would not be to code because the trusses are too far apart. There are these little metal brackets that cost $.75 that can attach a truss to a rafter. Or you can spend all day nailing them and trying to get them straight. Your call. In this picture you can also see the jacks and framing for the front windows and door. Someone pointed out that "dogs like dark lairs; windows are not a good idea." I was crushed because I wanted to make cute little windows with curtains for them in the dog house. So instead when I sheathed the interior I didn't cut the holes for the windows on the inside but cut them on the outside. Then I painted the inside black. So it looks like there are windows - which makes me happy - but it's still a dank little cave inside - which makes Miles and Jake happy.

Things I learned at this stage:

• If you're building a dog house, and don't know much about dogs, ask someone who knows what dogs like what you should aim for. The dogs don't speak English so you have to listen to them by proxy.

This is the framing at the door of the dog house. you can see the sheathing is on, now. The exterior is composite barn sheathing that has been primed with epoxy paint. The interior is tile-board set into a routed edge on 1" plywood that is screwed into the foundation. The structure at this point was incredibly rigid. Here you can see the way the windows were done: the back of the tileboard is painted black and not cut, but the sheathing is cut to give the appearance of a real window. The door is large enough that a human can comfortably crawl in. You can't see the roof from here but the roof is done with a double roof system that leaves the eaves open to a ridge vent. This is because the dogs are furry and can adjust better to cold than heat. So the roof is actually an active cooling system to transport the sun's heat from the roof away from the dogs. They have fur coats (and got them the ethical way so all you anti-fur activists better leave them alone).

Things I learned at this stage:

• Design your roofing system appropriately for your objectives. Non-human residents might not need central heat.

Here you can see the sheathing attached and the roof with the vented ridge. The vent is actually a corner piece from an aluminum siding kit - a nice square-edged black piece with angled perforations that are perfect for keeping air out. The inner roof of the dog house runs from the rafter just under the eaves to the center of the ceiling, so the upper roof competely floats on its own. To the right of the building you'll see some square grey things. Those are marble tiles. When we bought the farmhouse I found about 12 square feet of marble composite tiles in the basement, stacked in the corner. Just the perfect thing for a dog house! After all, we can clean it with a garden hose if they drag something really disgusting in there. Also, the cool stone might make the lair more comfortable in the summer. In the winter I will put a piece of carpet down and throw it away in the spring.

Things I learned at this stage:

• Here is where I paid the price for not making sure my dimensions were "convenient" - each of the sides of sheathing had to be pieced together, routed, and caulked. It took me twice as long to complete this stage as it would have if I had thought through sheathing dimensions first and made sure that the divisions were even and there was a stud near where each sheathing splice would be so I could screw the sheathing overlap into a stud for extra strength.

Yes, I added a front porch. I thought "what would be finer than to have a place to lurk where the rain wouldn't hit your ears?" - adding the front porch and its roof was a day-long affair but it really makes the "chateau de dogue" look special. The porch posts are turned railing segments from a human-sized porch railing. The porch is made of 2x4s in a rectangle with a supporting 2x4 down the center, so it cradles marble tiles that I cut with a tile saw to comprise the floor. The roofing is asphalt shingle over tar felt paper, nailed down and caulked, and I dressed the edges up with soffit-like overhangs that encourage the water to run down at an angle instead of dripping onto the porch roof. I'm happy to say that they worked perfectly. The overhang on the eaves seems about right and the eaves make a daylight-shaded lair for the dogs to hang out under during the day. We put a 20x20 foot metal pen around the house so they have a protected area to hang out in. I painted the exterior with 2 coats of red oil barn paint and did all the trim with 4 coats of killz. Then it rained for a week. This picture shows Miles exiting his new dog house the day that they took over ownership of the place.

Things I learned at this stage:

• Completing a fun project is delightful, especially when the residents are happy with the result!
• When I added the porch I had to correct for angular distortion in the dog house. It wasn't hard but it was a lot of fiddly adjusting and sawing off a tenth of an inch here and there until it was right.
• When you're levelling something with a spirit level make sure everything is levelled to the same standard. The porch roof is actually level (according to earth's gravitational field, anyhow) - the rest of the house is not because the yard isn't. OOps. So the porch roof is visibly "off kilter." Several people said I did a good job of making the dog house match typical rural Pennsylvania construction standards. That's a compliment, right? Or have I been dissed?
• The dogs don't care about any of that

.
This is the dog house after a rainy week of occupation by its redneck residents. They got mud on stuff, chewed the porch posts, and generally broke the place in properly. We got a truckload of red hardwood mulch (matches the walls!) and covered the grass in the pen so now it's not sea of mud anymore.

Things I learned at this stage:

• dog house builders should not neglect landscaping

By the time all was said and done it was no longer "the dog house" it was the "chateau de dogue" and the resulting structure weighs about 900-lbs and is the size of your average college dorm room

dog house another easy way

In the Dog House
(Or: if you're gonna build a dog house, plan ahead and make sure you've got room to sleep in it yourself, just in case)

How do you say "I love you" to an animal that doesn't speak English? Well, P-nut would tell you that you give him carrots. Jake and Miles would say you rub them, play Sock with them, and feed them smelly stuff. The cats - they'd want you to sit still and be warm. But sometimes you just want to spoil your special friends. So...

I began the "dog house project" in August 2003 and had it done by the end of the month. All told it was about 4 days of work and 6 trips to Lowe's.

The foundation of the dog house is made of pressure-treated 4x6'es lag-screwed together with 2x4 cross-members. I cut notches at the end to allow moisture to escape and to allow 2x4s to be slid underneath in hopes that it might be possible to use the front-end loader bucket to slide it onto a hay cart if we ever need to move it. To make sure everything would last a good long time I painted 2 coats of creosote on the foundation to keep it sealed.

Things I learned at this stage:

• If the foundation of the dog house is not square, you will be hating life later.
• If the dimensions of the foundation are not a convenient multiple of the sheathing sheets you're going to use, you're going to be spending a lot of time lapping sheathing pieces and cursing yourself.

Here the framing and uprights are together. There are stiffeners inserted in the studs kind of at random. The jacks for the front door and windows are partially completed but it's still rough.

Things I learned at this stage:

• When builders nail 2 studs together at each corner of the building of the dog house it's for good reason: it's a lot easier to attach the sheathing when you're aiming for a 4" area than a 1 3/4" area..
• Toe-nailing boards is a big drag. For $.50 you can get metal plates that support the corners. These make life a lot easier and the resulting structure is lots stronger.

Building the trusses was easy. I thought that part would be hard. Basically, you figure out the amount of overhang you want on the eaves, then the angle of the roof, and the length of the ridge-board and compute everything very carefully. Or you build a truss and see how it looks - ask your wife - then iterate. I got it right the first time then duplicated them and everything was great. The trusses have notches cut to support them where they rest on the top boards and I centered them over studs. If this was a real dog house it would not be to code because the trusses are too far apart. There are these little metal brackets that cost $.75 that can attach a truss to a rafter. Or you can spend all day nailing them and trying to get them straight. Your call. In this picture you can also see the jacks and framing for the front windows and door. Someone pointed out that "dogs like dark lairs; windows are not a good idea." I was crushed because I wanted to make cute little windows with curtains for them in the dog house. So instead when I sheathed the interior I didn't cut the holes for the windows on the inside but cut them on the outside. Then I painted the inside black. So it looks like there are windows - which makes me happy - but it's still a dank little cave inside - which makes Miles and Jake happy.

Things I learned at this stage:

• If you're building a dog house, and don't know much about dogs, ask someone who knows what dogs like what you should aim for. The dogs don't speak English so you have to listen to them by proxy.

This is the framing at the door of the dog house. you can see the sheathing is on, now. The exterior is composite barn sheathing that has been primed with epoxy paint. The interior is tile-board set into a routed edge on 1" plywood that is screwed into the foundation. The structure at this point was incredibly rigid. Here you can see the way the windows were done: the back of the tileboard is painted black and not cut, but the sheathing is cut to give the appearance of a real window. The door is large enough that a human can comfortably crawl in. You can't see the roof from here but the roof is done with a double roof system that leaves the eaves open to a ridge vent. This is because the dogs are furry and can adjust better to cold than heat. So the roof is actually an active cooling system to transport the sun's heat from the roof away from the dogs. They have fur coats (and got them the ethical way so all you anti-fur activists better leave them alone).

Things I learned at this stage:

• Design your roofing system appropriately for your objectives. Non-human residents might not need central heat.

Here you can see the sheathing attached and the roof with the vented ridge. The vent is actually a corner piece from an aluminum siding kit - a nice square-edged black piece with angled perforations that are perfect for keeping air out. The inner roof of the dog house runs from the rafter just under the eaves to the center of the ceiling, so the upper roof competely floats on its own. To the right of the building you'll see some square grey things. Those are marble tiles. When we bought the farmhouse I found about 12 square feet of marble composite tiles in the basement, stacked in the corner. Just the perfect thing for a dog house! After all, we can clean it with a garden hose if they drag something really disgusting in there. Also, the cool stone might make the lair more comfortable in the summer. In the winter I will put a piece of carpet down and throw it away in the spring.

Things I learned at this stage:

• Here is where I paid the price for not making sure my dimensions were "convenient" - each of the sides of sheathing had to be pieced together, routed, and caulked. It took me twice as long to complete this stage as it would have if I had thought through sheathing dimensions first and made sure that the divisions were even and there was a stud near where each sheathing splice would be so I could screw the sheathing overlap into a stud for extra strength.

Yes, I added a front porch. I thought "what would be finer than to have a place to lurk where the rain wouldn't hit your ears?" - adding the front porch and its roof was a day-long affair but it really makes the "chateau de dogue" look special. The porch posts are turned railing segments from a human-sized porch railing. The porch is made of 2x4s in a rectangle with a supporting 2x4 down the center, so it cradles marble tiles that I cut with a tile saw to comprise the floor. The roofing is asphalt shingle over tar felt paper, nailed down and caulked, and I dressed the edges up with soffit-like overhangs that encourage the water to run down at an angle instead of dripping onto the porch roof. I'm happy to say that they worked perfectly. The overhang on the eaves seems about right and the eaves make a daylight-shaded lair for the dogs to hang out under during the day. We put a 20x20 foot metal pen around the house so they have a protected area to hang out in. I painted the exterior with 2 coats of red oil barn paint and did all the trim with 4 coats of killz. Then it rained for a week. This picture shows Miles exiting his new dog house the day that they took over ownership of the place.

Things I learned at this stage:

• Completing a fun project is delightful, especially when the residents are happy with the result!
• When I added the porch I had to correct for angular distortion in the dog house. It wasn't hard but it was a lot of fiddly adjusting and sawing off a tenth of an inch here and there until it was right.
• When you're levelling something with a spirit level make sure everything is levelled to the same standard. The porch roof is actually level (according to earth's gravitational field, anyhow) - the rest of the house is not because the yard isn't. OOps. So the porch roof is visibly "off kilter." Several people said I did a good job of making the dog house match typical rural Pennsylvania construction standards. That's a compliment, right? Or have I been dissed?
• The dogs don't care about any of that

.
This is the dog house after a rainy week of occupation by its redneck residents. They got mud on stuff, chewed the porch posts, and generally broke the place in properly. We got a truckload of red hardwood mulch (matches the walls!) and covered the grass in the pen so now it's not sea of mud anymore.

Things I learned at this stage:

• dog house builders should not neglect landscaping

By the time all was said and done it was no longer "the dog house" it was the "chateau de dogue" and the resulting structure weighs about 900-lbs and is the size of your average college dorm room

A Custom Doghouse

Build a cozy home for Fifi (or Fido).

A doghouse customized with design elements from the owner's house and garden can add visual interest to a yard, while providing a cozy, safe retreat for man's best friend. Landscape Smart traveled to the San Francisco area home of Nikki Vanderdrift and her daughter Katie, who wanted a doghouse that would blend in with their beautifully landscaped yard and provide a haven for their dogs so they wouldn't burrow under the sun porch.

Landscape architect Louise Leff chose a bare, shady corner of their garden, under a canopy of redwoods, for a cool spot for the doghouse. She recommends choosing a location that is not in full sun and that needs some visual interest. Also, look at your house and garden to identify some design elements (such as shingles and window boxes) that you can incorporate into a doghouse design. For the Vanderdrifts, she designed a canine retreat made of plywood painted to complement the house and added whitewashed lattice, a cedar shingle roof, and decorative trim molding. She also chose shade-tolerant, hardy, nonpoisonous flowers and plants to brighten up the shady corner.

Leff estimates that a professional would charge about $800 for the custom doghouse and plants, but do-it-yourselfers can build and plant their own for about $275. This project can be completed in a day and rates a 1 on a difficulty scale of 1 (easy ) to 5 (difficult). It does require some basic carpentry skills but is simple enough that you'll have plenty of energy left over to play with your dogs.

Step One: Cutting the Plywood Panels

Bo Williams, the carpenter, uses CDX plywood for the doghouse; CDX is exterior grade, waterproof, and available for about $20 per sheet. For a standard size doghouse, you will need one sheet for all panels.

Lay the plywood on two sawhorses, and snap a chalk line to divide the plywood into 3 sections. Measure and draw out the panels. The front and rear panels are 24 inches wide and 30 inches high at the peak, sloping down to 18 inches high. The side panels are 16 inches high, to allow for two-inch gaps between the walls and eaves of the roof to serve as air vents. The roof panels are 19" x 30". Be sure that the measurements are accurate and consistent so that the doghouse won't be lopsided.

Cut out the panels with a circular saw (available for rent at about $20/day), starting with the front and back panels and continuing with the rest.

Step Two: Constructing the Doghouse

Lay the front panel of plywood over a sheet of lattice, and trace around it. Cut the lattice with a circular saw. To cut an opening for the doorway, lay the cut-out lattice on top of the front plywood panel, and mark the doorway, with the doorway peak centered under the peak of the panel. For this project, the doorway is 19 1 /2 inches high by 12 inches wide, but you should make sure that the opening is large enough to accommodate your dog.

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

After marking the panel, drill a hole to help start the cut, and then cut out the opening with a jigsaw. Also cut out the opening on the lattice, and cut lattice to go on top of the other panels (figure A).

Predrill the panels, spacing the holes a few inches apart. Line up a side piece with the front panel, and clamp it in place. Attach the panels with deck screws (figure B). Use a countersink drill bit to recess the screws into the plywood.

Attach the other side panel, and then clamp the floor in place and attach with screws. Attach the roof panels, cantilevering them over the sides to protect the doghouse from rain. Remember to leave a two-inch gap between the roof and sides for air vents (figure C).

Step Three: Painting the Doghouse

Paint the doghouse to match the house, using an exterior latex, water-based paint and a sponge roller. Set the doghouse in the sun for 30 minutes to speed up the drying process.

Paint the lattice with whitewash, composed of equal parts of white paint diluted with water, applied with a sponge brush.

Step Four: Adding the Finishing Touches

	Figure D
	Figure E

Using a nail gun, attach three overlapping rows of cedar shingles, one shingle at a time, to each side of the roof (figure D).

Attach the lattice to the front, back, and side panels, using a nail gun. Then cut, whitewash, and nail corner molding to the exposed corners of the doghouse (figure E) for a finished look.

Place the doghouse in a clear, level, shady spot, and it's ready for your furry friend to enjoy.

Planting a Pet-Friendly Garden

To lighten up the shady corner where the doghouse would go, Lett selected an assortment of plants with light-colored, variegated foliage and vibrant flowers. She chose plants that are nonpoisonous to pets and hardy enough to be walked on, including:

Harry & Sal's Dog House

A roof over the head of that four legged family friend is often neglected. Sun, rain, wind and snow can make their life uncomfortable. But here is a design for a simple A-Frame shelter which is easy to put together and could be adapted for all sizes of dogs.

While the method of building this kennel is suitable for all sizes, the measurements given would be satisfactory only for a medium sized dog about 400 mm high.

If you wish to adjust the size to suit your dog, remember that the dog should not only be able to stand upright inside the hennel but should also be able to turn around before he/she curls up and lies down.

TOOLS YOU WILL NEED	MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED
Hammer Saws Measuring tape/rule Carpenter's square and pencil Adjustable spanner Drill and bits 60o/30o set square	TIMBER (For example only) 75 x 50mm, 6 pieces 1.2m* for two A-Frames (use durable timber) 75 x 25mm, Decking, or equivalents, 16 pieces 1.2m* (for flooring) Scandinavian Pine Cladding* in 1.2m lengths (22 lengths should be sufficient for overall height of wall/roof and the end walls). *Consult your TABMA merchant for suitable available materials and how these can be ordered.	HARDWARE 4/125 x 9mm Galvanise cup head bolts, nuts, washers. 100/50 x 2.8mm Galvanised flat head nails. 75 x 75mm x 1.2m length of zincalume angle as ridge capping OR 1.2m length of aluminium dampcourse. 12/12 x 3.2m Galvanised round head, metal thread, screws.

Features of the Dog House

CUT A-FRAME PIECES

From the 1.2m lengths of 75 x 50mm timber, cut four A-Frame legs (A) to this pattern using the 60o/30o set square to mark the angles shown.

CUT FLOOR PLATE

From the remaining two lengths of 75 x 50mm pieces, cut two floor plates (B) to pattern below, using the 60o/30o set square to mark the angles shown.

CUT TWO GUSSET PLATES

From a piece of Scandinavian Pine or other flat sheet material cut two gusset plates (C) to the pattern below using the 60o/30o set square to mark the angles shown.

ASSEMBLE A-FRAMES

Using two of the legs (A) cut in (1), and a floor (B) as in (2) and gusset plates (C), assemble and fix components to make two A-Frames as in sketch below.

CUT FLOORING

From the flooring material cut two short boards for side pieces each 900mm long. Cut two boards approx. 950mm cut remaining floor boards to 1200mm length sufficient to cover the floor plate, allowing boards to be fixed closely together.

FIX FLOORING

(a) Select one of the assembled A-Frames an fix flooring square to floor as shown in plan diagram using two nails at each board - pre-drilling nail holes at end of board.

FIX FLOORING

(b) To the remaining A-Frame fix the floor boards to the floor plate as shown in diagram, similarly pre-drilling nail holes at end of boards.

CUT AND FIX SIDE CLADDING

(I) Cut lengths of cladding to 1200mm lengths. Commencing with top of (A) temporarily fix one board square to (A) legs allowing projection of approx. 100mm both front and back beyond A-Frame. Use two nails on each end of the cladding piece (Note: spacing at top between frames should be exactly the same as that at flooring level i.e. 900mm).

Sarking of building paper/heavy polythene is suggested. Fix this to open side by stapling or light tacking with cut tacks or similar. Then permanently fix a top cladding piece to this covered side, using two nails each leg. To complete this sarked side, continue fixing cladding sufficient to cover exposed ends of floor plates (B).

Remove temporary top cladding piece and fix sarking to second side. Fix cladding to second side, as in (II) above.

(Note: Allow sarking to slightly sag between frames and extend well over the edges of the outer floor boards).

CUT AND FIX END CLADDING

Cut first piece of end cladding to shape given for gusset plate (Step 3). Then continue cutting cladding pieces as required in diagram (See Step 10).

FIX FRONT CLADDING

Fix at least two pieces of angle cut cladding to front of structure. This could be increased so as to reduce height of door, depending on size of dog.

FIX REAR CLADDING

Loosely fix shaped piece of selected sarking to outside end frame, so as to drape outside edges of flooring. Commencing with topmost piece, cut and nail fix sufficient cladding to cover exposed ends of decking floor. Allow clearance between end cladding and ground line of at least 50mm.

CUT OFF, SAND OR SMOOTH

Cut off, sand or smooth to common line the exposed ends of cladding, similarly round off and smooth projecting floor boards.

PRIME COAT DOG KENNEL

Apply recommended prime coat(s) of selected coating system to exposed timbers including under flooring.

CUT AND FIX RIDGE CAPPING

Cut 1200mm length of selected ridge capping. Fix to ridge using zinc plated, round head, self tapping metal thread screws in pre-drilled holes. Prime coat ridge capping.

COMPLETE PAINTING

Apply final coats of selected paint/stain finish and allow several days to thoroughly dry and all odours to evaporate before introducing dog to new residence.

LOCATING DOG KENNEL

Locate dog kennel so that the doorway is protected from the worst of the rainy/windy weather. Place legs so that the floor would slightly slope own towards the doorway. We suggest you put legs on bricks rather than on grass or soil.

How to Make a Dog House Warm in the Winter

Difficulty: Easy

Step1

Purchase or build a sturdy, insulated dog house. The rounded "igloo" design is ideal, because it is shaped to allow your dog to conserve his body heat while curled up in the dog house. A dog house should be just big enough for the dog to sleep in comfortably without any wasted space, as this will best conserve heat.

Step2

Make sure the door of the doghouse is protected from wind. Very often, dog house doors are available as an accessory. It's also easy and cheap to make one using a piece of carpet stapled to the door. This allows the dog easy entry and exit, but protects him from cold wind and keeps the heat in.

Step3

Elevate the dog house so it doesn't get soaked inside with water or melting snow. A simple wood pallet will work just fine. For extra insulation, stuff loose straw under the pallet.

Step4

Don't use fabric blankets or beds in the dog house. When it snows, the dog will track in snow, then melt it as he lies down. It can quickly turn his bedding into a hard icy bed, which will be both uncomfortable and won't keep him warm. The best bedding is a thick layer of inexpensive straw, which can be changed periodically.

Step5

Consider a heated dog bed or dog house heater. These are inexpensive and don't cost much to run. Check the link below this article for inexpensive dog house heaters, or check with a farm and feed or pet store.

Step6

Be aware that some dogs simply are not equipped for very cold weather and if they don't get frostbite or even die, will be very miserable all winter. Toy breeds don't conserve body heat well and can get hypothermic quite quickly. Naturally thin dogs like Greyhounds have little body heat to keep them warm. Single and thin-coated dogs like pitbulls may look tough, but get frostbite easily. Elderly dogs will be more achy in the cold, especially if they have arthritis. If you cannot bring these dogs even into the garage, seriously consider a dog house heater.