How to Build a Dog House

• Decide about various factors like the size of the dog, location of the house, climate of the location and your budget, before you start building the dog house.
• Select a size that comfortably houses your dog, without making him claustrophobic. The house should be large enough to provide a comfortable shelter and recreational space for the dog.
• Next, decide on the material that you want to build the house with. Generally wood is ideal for building a dog house.
• You can use 2" x 4" pieces of pressure-treated lumber to make the floor. Cut them to pieces, depending on the size of the floor, and include joists (support) whenever necessary.
• If you are planning to build a large dog house, the joints in the lumber must be included after every 16 inches.
• Next, cover the framework of the floor with sufficient plywood. You can use ½ "thick plywood if your dog is very large. Otherwise a thickness of ¼" will suffice.
• Make sure that the floor is built a few inches above the ground. This will help water easily pass through and also provide airiness to the house.
• Slant the floor a little towards the doorway. This way, rainwater will automatically drain out and not get accumulated inside the house. .
• Use 2" x 2" pieces of lumber to make the sidewalls and the back wall of the house. You can either make a rectangular or a square shaped house with these pieces. Include joists as required.
• Cut a few small holes in the side walls of the house. This will provide adequate ventilation to the house and also deter pests from nesting inside.
• You can also add a partial lumber wall inside the house. The dog can use either the front room or the inner chamber depending on the weather.
• Finally you can decide about building the front structure of the house. You can use 2" x 2" lumber pieces. Place a horizontal piece atop two vertical pieces to make the front porch or simply use a side wall as an entrance.
• Use wood screws, nails and L-brackets to assemble the entire structure. See that you don't leave any loose ends. Carefully fix the entire structure to the floor of the house.
• Lastly, consider the roof. Make it a bit slanted towards the front. See that it sits firmly on top of the walls. You can use plywood of 3/8" thickness to make the roof.
• Once you are through with the construction, you can paint the house with a desired color. See that the color doesn't have any toxic elements that might be harmful for your dog.

• Add comfortable and clean bedding inside the house.
• Always keep the dog house clean.
• Don't use pressure-treated lumber on areas that the dog might reach or areas that are not covered with untreated lumber. It might be very harmful if the dog tries chewing the wood of pressure-treated lumber.
• It is always better not to paint the interior of the house for safety reasons.
• Make sure you use thin carpeting on top of the walls and also between the frame and roof to seal away drafts.
• Paint the house white during summers and go for a darker shade (like black or navy blue) for the winters.
• See that the roof is not too heavy and can be easily lifted and adjusted.