dog house size/design

[Ryan_V]

I'm going to build my dog a new house this year. Her old one is a big old well house that is very well insulated and kept her plenty warm. What size should I go?? how should I design it...should I put a middle "wall" for her to go around to escape any wind?? siding?? roofing??? any other ideas/suggestions would be appreciated. she's a German Sheppard, about 8 years old or so. Her house has been good, it's just getting old and rotten so I want to build her a nice one, and then use it for future dogs as well.

[Tom7227]

I stole a design from a police K-9 unit. It is square with one end taller than the other. Simple 4X4 piece of treated plywood for a roof and it's hinged at one end. There's a middle wall that has a door in it that is on the opposite end of the door the dog enters the house. I've used this design for 20+ years and keep my dogs outside year round. The front room isn't insulated. The back room is. I use 1-1/2 inch high density foam in the walls, do the entire bottom, and in the winter I suspend a piece to create a roof inside the bedroom end. I have a sort of design thing if you want to give me your e-mail.

[Ryan_V]

that sounds good Tom, thanks I'd appreciate it!! [email protected]

[crothmeier]

I built a rectangle one wider than deep. made the base out of 1/2" trtd plywood, sandwiched 1-1/2" foam in betweeen. Put the door on the left(looking from outside) and put a divider down the middle. she can go in aroudn the corner to be warm, or lay in the room with the door when its nice. I used 2x2s for studs, and sandwiched 1-1/2" foam in between osb exterior and luan interior sheathing. I wrapped it with housewrap and this spring will put steel or some kind of siding on it. The roof i made to lift completely off (for cleaning). i just ran the exterior sheathing long and it sits on the top plates of the walls. Insulated that as well, sheatehed the inside with luan and put 2 pcs of steel for the roof. The front of the house is taller than the back.

Nice thing is you use short/small pcs and you can get almost all the wood from lumberyard scraps or construction site scraps that are free. (make sure its ok if you take first!)

[Ryan_V]

great ideas so far guys, thanks!!

[Tom7227]

Ryan,

Crothmeier's design sound familiar? Did you get the pics I sent? Have any questions? Write me if you do.

Tom

[Ryan_V]

I did get your pics, thanks again!!!

[kingr]

Tom, will you send me some pics as well. i built one last summer but I think it was too big for him. I'd like to get some more ideas. my email is

kingrmn at yahoo

thanks

[Tom7227]

done

[870Express]

Hey Tom, can you send the pics to [email protected]? I need to build a house for my Brit this summer. Do you have a rough idea what the whole project cost? Been looking at picking up a house off [YouNeedAuthorization] but would rather make one like you described.

[lc pett]

Would you send me them to [email protected] My dog has a house warm with two rooms but it is rotting away and we need to build a new one. Thanks

[870Express]

Thanks Tom!

[Tom7227]

Would you send me them to [email protected] My dog has a house warm with two rooms but it is rotting away and we need to build a new one. Thanks

done. if you know how why don't you post them on this HSOforum - I can't figure it out.

[lc pett]

Ok I will put them up for you.

[lc pett]

Here are the pictures of Tom's dog house.

[Tom7227]

Here's the written info on building it -

Dog House - Brit Size (it can be built bigger for larger dogs)

3 sheets of 3/8 treated plywood, 1 1/4 sheet rock screws, 2 x 2 - 24 lineal feet, 2 barn door hinges

1 4 X 8 sheet of 1inch rigid foam, 4-12 inch pieces of treated 2 x 6

Top/roof is 48 X 48 square

Front is 36 X 36

Back is 32 X 36

Sides are 36 wide, angled across the top at 32 and 36 inches each.

Build the walls by placing 2 x 2's in the corners and screwing all together. The bottom of the 2 X 2 frame should be 12 inches up from the bottom of the walls. The walls all have 2 x 2 frames on all four aspects. Once the walls are assembled and screwed together the floor is measured and cut and screwed in place from the bottom. A piece of 1 inch rigid foam insulation is then cut and put under the floor, and that is then covered with scraps left from cutting out the rest of the house.

The doors are cut at 8 ½ inches wide X 11 inches high. One is cut on the high side of one of the angled sides. A wall is built to divide the interior into two rooms. The wall is about 351/2 wide and 33 1/2 high - whatever you need to get the wall in the middle of the house. The door is cut into that wall as well and the wall is 2 pieces of plywood with 1 inch rigid foam in the middle. The two end walls and the back wall of the interior room have 1 inch of rigid foam installed and then covered with plywood. The door to the interior room is cut so that it is as far as possible and 90 degrees from the front door.

The roof is attached with two large barn door style hinges. The hinges are placed so that the roof can be lifted and the rooms cleaned out. The back room is the one that will have the most straw in it and needs to be cleaned out so the hinges should be placed on the taller end.

I put two pieces of wood about 4-5 inches down from the top in the back room. They are placed on the long walls. In the winter I rest a piece of plywood and some rigid foam insulation on these pieces to make an insulated roof in the back room.

I use carriage bolts attached to the plywood on the bottom to make legs for the dog house. I make the legs 10-12 inches long to keep the doghouse up off the ground and out of water/snow.

It is useful to have a piece of 2 x 2 screwed into the wall to prop the roof up while you’re cleaning it out.

I don’t put any shingles on the roof, just leave it bare plywood. After the house has sat for a year or so and the treated wood has dried the house can be painted.

[Jari Razskazoff]

What you should do is dig out about ten feet down or so below and run three or so pipes that has a solar powered fan that would push the air from outside the dog house, cool geothermically under the dog house, and push the cool air up in to the dog house.

Just like that, easy, cheap and green air condition for your spoiled dog!

... of course there are some bugs to be worked out, but a 1-2 solar powered fans might do the trick.