dog house

chris k

chris k

Active member
Have a question about a dog house. i have built plenty of them but im going to build a new one for my dog i want to insulate it i have put foam in the floors of dog houses but never the walls i was also thinking of putting a small vent on it figuring that if i insulate it it would be to hot in the summer anythoughts on this should i just do the floor like i have been? Its for a lab and as she is out side most the day i want her to have a nice place to rest but at the same time i dont want her turning into some house cat. anythoughts would be great.
 
Make it wide enough to provide two areas; winter/summer. Also a front porch is a good feature. You may consider a removable roof to help keep it clean. Finally, do not use pressure treated lumber, cedar is ideal flooring.
 
Heres mine I have 10 of them.
They have inch and a half Dow foam board in the walls,floors and roof.
They are 4x4 and 32 inches high with steel siding and roofing.
I put a dog house heater in them in the winter with a gun dog door.

Our houses stay at 50-70 degrees in the coldest weather -20- to -36 last winter.







This is the dog door I use, its the best Ive found.


 
Have a question about a dog house. i have built plenty of them but im going to build a new one for my dog i want to insulate it i have put foam in the floors of dog houses but never the walls i was also thinking of putting a small vent on it figuring that if i insulate it it would be to hot in the summer anythoughts on this should i just do the floor like i have been? Its for a lab and as she is out side most the day i want her to have a nice place to rest but at the same time i dont want her turning into some house cat. anythoughts would be great.
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Making a dog comfortable or even having a dog in the house does not in any way make them "some house cat".
 
I would also do the roof at a minimum. And, as long as your doing the floor and roof doe the walls too.

Making it chew proof is the next challenge.

Tom
 
I oversize the flat roof then put a hinge on it. I open it in the summer which allow hot air to excape and still have a dry house if it rains.
 
thanks i never thought of making the roof open. i think i will put some sort of door on it as well.
 
I call this my "30-below" dog house. I used to live on the Tug Hill Plateau of NY, with some rough winters. The house worked just as well in Tennessee when I was in grad school there. This is the basic floor plan, sized to fit your dog...I have setters. Its good to remember that dogs can make themselves pretty small, and the less volume of "house" they have to heat with their body, the better.

The walls, ceiling and floor are 2X2 framing, with insulation sandwiched between T-111 on the outside, and smooth plywood on the inside. I use carpeting for the swinging interior door. My dogs have always thrived in this house.
Gary
 
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