Choosing your doghouse plan: A comprehensive guide
Selecting the right doghouse plan is a significant decision that can have a serious impact on your pet’s comfort and well-being. This guide will help you choose the perfect doghouse design for your furry friend’s specific needs, your climate, and your aesthetic preferences.
Understanding your dog’s needs
The first step in the doghouse plan selection process is to understand the specific requirements of the dog that will occupy it. Obviously, different breeds of different sizes will have different doghouse space requirements. Age is also an important consideration. For example, puppies need room to grow, and senior dogs may need extra comfort. Regardless of its age, you should take stock of your dog’s unique temperament. Some dogs might enjoy open designs, while others will prefer cozy enclosures.
Square your dog’s needs with your backyard environment. Evaluate your dog’s ability to withstand your local climate and its changing weather conditions. Predict how much time your dog will ultimately spend in its doghouse.
Benefits of a well-designed doghouse
In light of how much dogs do as companion, working, and service animals, they deserve a great space to call their own. The right doghouse can protect your dog from extreme weather conditions and regulate temperature all year round. Doghouses also reduce pet exposure to wildlife and pests, provide a sense of security and personal space for your dog, and serve as a visible demonstration of concern for your pet’s well-being.
Size considerations
The American Humane Society recommends that doghouses offer overhead clearance that is 9 inches taller than the dog who calls it home. The length should be the dog’s length plus 18 inches, and the width should be the dog’s width plus 12 inches. While a roomy doghouse might be best in some cases, it is important to know that larger doghouses will allow more body heat to escape and leave inhabitants colder during the winter months. Consider these key sizing tips:
- Measure your dog from nose to tail for length.
- Measure from the paw to the top of the head for height.
- Ensure the door is tall enough for your dog to enter without stooping.
- The door should be wide enough for comfortable entry, but not so large that it reduces heat retention.
- If you have a puppy, plan for adult size or build an adjustable/modular design.
Climate considerations
Climate control and insulation are vital for the year-round use of a doghouse, ensuring the comfort and well-being of your pet. Proper insulation helps maintain a consistent temperature, keeping dogs warm during winter months and cool during summer heat.
Cold weather considerations
Protecting your pet from extreme weather requires an insulated doghouse with rigid foam sheets and interior plywood walls.
To fully protect your dog in cold climates, consider:
- Elevating the floor to prevent ground cold transfer.
- Choosing a sloped roof to shed snow and rain.
- Installing a door flap to block the wind.
- Positioning the entrance away from prevailing winds.
- Adding a safe heating element for extreme conditions.
Hot weather considerations
A vented doghouse roof can allow air to circulate, keeping your dog cool under hot weather conditions. You can place a hinged door on the roof to release hot air as it rises. By installing screens, you can effectively keep bugs and debris out of your doghouse.
To fully protect your dog in hot climates, consider:
- Providing shade by placing your doghouse in a strategic location.
- Extending your doghouse roof for extra sun protection.
- Choosing light-colored materials to reflect heat.
- Elevating the house for air circulation underneath.
- Installing built-in water features for cooling.
Doghouse styles and designs
Both practical and aesthetic concerns will play into the selection of your fundamental doghouse design. Weigh the various pros and cons of the following styles:
Traditional doghouse
Though they can provide exceptional shelter, traditional layouts often focus on form over function. In most cases, they employ classic A-frame or gabled roof designs that resemble small homes. These time-tested doghouses are generally easy to build from simple plans and are made from wood and other readily available materials. However, they often lack modern features, can be heavy and difficult to move, and typically require regular maintenance.
Modern/contemporary doghouse
Modern doghouses feature minimalist, elegant designs with innovations such as interchangeable side panels for customizable styles and colors. They often incorporate special features such as storage for pet essentials. Contemporary doghouse designs often incorporate innovative materials that are designed for easy cleaning, but these materials can be more expensive. Contemporary doghouse designs often include multifunctional elements, but these elements can require specialized building skills that go well beyond basic DIY plans.
Luxury/architectural Doghouse
High-end architectural dog houses can feature geodesic structures, premium materials such as cherrywood and fine timber, and luxurious interior elements such as padded fabric for comfort. Luxury dog houses come in various architectural styles, from modern designs with large windows and interesting roofs to traditional styles mimicking English cottages, plantation mansions or farm buildings.
Practical/functional doghouse
Practical doghouse designs tend to focus on dog comfort and user utility. They might feature incorporated heating pads for winter warmth or hinged roofs for easy access to change bedding, retrieve toys, or simply check on your dog. Some designs even include a dividing wall to create two rooms within the doghouse. Unfortunately, many practical/functional doghouse designs may be less aesthetically pleasing and require more complex construction.
Material options
Wood
The traditional material for doghouses, wood creates a sturdy structure that can be easily customized and insulated. Consider using 2×2 lumber for the frame and 5/8-insh grooved siding for the exterior. While it is readily available and aesthetically pleasing, wood is quite heavy, can rot or warp if not properly treated, often attracts insects, and requires regular maintenance.
Plastic
Plastic kennels provide good insulation, helping to keep dogs warm in winter and cool in summer. They are also typically inexpensive and widely available in prefab form. However, they may crack in cold temperatures, degrade over time with exposure to sunlight, and are generally not as strong or secure as other doghouse options.
Metal
Metal doghouses are extremely durable and easy to maintain. They also offer a sleek, modern look. Their drawbacks include their poor insulation properties, which can make them too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. They can also be rather expensive.m
Composite Materials
Often designed to resemble natural materials, synthetic composite materials typically offer enhanced durability and weather resistance. Modern doghouses can incorporate sustainable materials such as EcoStar roofing shingles and recyclable flooring options that resist scratching and mold while remaining environmentally friendly.
Insulation options
To keep your pet warm in winter and cool in summer, install rigid foam insulation in the wall cavities of your doghouse. You can use 1-1/2-inch-thick foam or glue together layers of 1-inch and 1/2-inch foam, then cover them with 1/4-inch plywood to prevent your dog from nibbling on the insulation. You can also use spray foam insulation, pink fiberglass, lightweight reflective coil, weather stripping, natural materials such as straw, and even recycled carpet to insulate your doghouse.
Additional features to consider
Roofing options
Consider using asphalt shingles to make the roof waterproof, securing it at the back edge with a weather-resistant piano hinge to make cleaning easier. Adding tar paper and a metal drip edge around the perimeter helps protect the structure from leaks.
Ventilation
Many doghouses include features to promote proper ventilation and temperature control. Some advanced designs even include solar-powered heaters and fans that can keep your pet comfortable in any season, charging during the day and working capably at night.
Flooring
The floor of a doghouse should include insulation, and bedding is strongly recommended. Whether you use manufactured material, such as blankets, or natural material, such as straw, bedding regulates temperature and draws moisture away from your dog.
Doors
To prevent drafts and retain warmth, doghouses should have a flap over the door and/or feature doors that don’t extend all the way to the floor.
Cleaning access
By placing your roof on a hinge, you can gain quick access to clean the interior surfaces and retrieve items from inside your doghouse. Experts recommend aluminum or stainless-steel hinges due to their rust resistance.
DIY vs. Pre-made options
While you can’t beat the convenience of purchasing a pre-made doghouse, it can be quite expensive. Building your own doghouse from customizable plans can save you money, but this is only the beginning of the advantages that the DIY approach presents. By building your own doghouse, you can customize it to fit any sized dog and can include features such as insulation, multiple doors, or specialized areas. Craftcamp’s free plans include materials lists, cutting guides, and step-by-step instructions.
Placement considerations
Where you place your doghouse is as important as its design. Observe how the sun and shade move across your yard throughout the day to select the optimal location. You will also want to position your doghouse to protect it from prevailing winds, potentially hazardous structures/vegetation, and low-area flooding. You may also want to ensure that your doghouse is visible from your home.
Budget considerations
Your doghouse budget must account for building materials, including insulation and fasteners, weatherproofing materials, interior comfort items such as bedding and heating/cooling equipment, the tools required for construction, and your maintenance costs over time.
While you can bring basic doghouse designs to life for under $100 in materials and complete them in half a day or less, more elaborate designs with features such as insulation, storage and specialized ventilation will inevitably cost more.
Final planning tips
In conclusion, you should plan carefully before committing to any particular doghouse design for your furry friend. By following these steps, you can ensure your success:
- Research your dog’s needs, since different breeds have unique temperature and space requirements.
- Plan for the most extreme weather your area experiences throughout the year.
- Design the dog house with extra space if your dog is still growing.
- Make sure cleaning and changing bedding is quick and easy.
- Keep the design simple to start, you can always upgrade later.
It might be challenging, but it is far from impossible to select a doghouse plan that meets your pet’s needs, the demands of your climate, and your aesthetic preferences. A well-designed doghouse will provide years of comfortable shelter, making life better for you as well as your dog.