Opinions on dog house/ tethering questions

What does everyone think of this insulated house? Plan on making it this weekend, anything y'all would add or change

Free Dog House Plans - How to Build A Dog House


Does it seem to be a good size, expecting current pup to top out at 50-58lbs or so

Are shingles a must?
Do I need add any finish to the wood? Or would I need it if I plan to paint it, which for now I don't

would putting the house / chain setup close to a fence be a bad idea?

Thanks

 

built two of these 8 years ago -

Dog House Blue Prints

with wood and hardware (I opted for wood screws instead of nails) it was under $100 per house, using 3/4 inch plywood. in the winter I slide pink board insulation from lowe's into the walls. Also have them raised above the frost line (about 16 inches above the ground).

the entrances are worn for the worse due to the chains dragging over them, but I'd rather have that than using metal flashing that could cut the dog or wear down the chain faster.

Just make sure the dog won't be able to clear the fence and hang themselves!!!

 

I use this plan which is some what simular to your plans just a few differences. I keep dogs in some pretty awfully cold conditions and have never lost one to the cold.


Having a house by fence isn't an issue as long as you place the anchor of the set up where the dog can't reach beyond the fence. They can and will hang themselves possibly if they can reach the top of the fence. Shingles are not a must but anything you don't stain or cover, the weather will break down the wood at a much faster pace than without doing it. I use 1/4 rubber matting on my roofs instead of shingles usually because some of my dogs like to lay on their houses. Because the roof has the most likelyhood of being exposed to the elements you shouldn't leave it unprotected or it will wear much quicker than not putting something on the wood to protect it from moisture.

 

Thanks AGK think I am going to go with that rubber matting for the roof

 

You honestly don't need anything for the roof, your just giving something for your hound to destroy. Simply use quality pre treated wood and seal it one time. It will last years.

 

they work very well especially in the winter. In the summer most dogs wont go inside them at all though because its so hot in there. You can just use a lean to on the side of the house for shade though or just swap them out for a different house in the summer. It gets really cold here so I always have a bunch handy

 

and yes singles aren't anything but chew toys and a mess to clean up later lol

 

I built 1 of those like AGK's plan. My boy seems to love it. I had to extend the chain to make sure it would reach in the back. I would also cover the wood, if not it probably in up like those worn out privacy fences. I like the idea of the removable top for cleaning also.
My boy is a pup now so he fits front and back. He should be ok as an adult. Hard rain he is tucked back..

I placed the dog house on a couple of 4x4's to keep it & him off the ground.
My only concern was the top, unless I read it wrong there's no tilt to the roof.
I'm thinking this is bad for the roof so I'm adding a slope to the roof. I like the plan you have with the slope.
I need to build 2 more, but I have one female that's totally spooked by the new houses...rain and all wants nothing to do with them.

 

Yea same here very cold in the winter / very hot on certain summer days, this house is going up between the garage and 6ft fence and it has a tree above it so should protect from drafts and direct sunlight


@thunder this particular plan has a slight tilt to roof and I'm going to end putting that rubber matting AGK recommend

I'll post pics this weekend once it's mostly done

 

4x4 in front, 2x4 in back still give roof some slant

Sent from my 306SH using Tapatalk

 

Most important piece of information on this entire thread right here.

 

i customized mine, if i remember later I'll take some pictures. I put hinges on the roof that make cleaning easier and angled them as well. The roof is the first thing to go on these dog houses and they last probably 5 years with the original design. I just used regular paint once. I'm sure with better maintenance they could've lasted longer.

 

Felt pretty good to see my boy tucked away in the back as it was kinda chilly this morning in my neck of the woods.... My female on the other hand is not buying it. Stubborn..

 

Slight update , house is 3/4 done. Put about 15 hours worth of work into it including staining the wood etc, those plans i posted in the OP are kind of off and WOULD NOT recommended them i , ended up need more 2 x 4 than i thought and scraped having the divider wall inside to make it two rooms would have left no room for the dog to be in there never mind even lay down , i did put double insulation in the all the walls. The plans @ AGK posted are actually better being as its half a foot bigger

Here some pics

Pic of the bottom and two side walls



Pic of what eventually became the back wall



Pics of some the ply wood and insulation



needed 4 extra 2 x 4 x 14's



Lastly pic of the mutt in the house 3/4 done , tomorrow adding the front wall/entrance and the roof, since i removed the middle "wall" had to do some modification so it still comes out slanted

 

Looking good. Stuff it with straw and it'll work. I've used the plans I've posted for a long time now and my 50+ pounders have plenty of room to sleep in either chamber. Building one currently for a new one coming in a couple weeks. The more you build the easier and faster it will be for you. Nice job so far on what you got going.

 

Done







Took 20 hours worth of work, did go with shingles on the roof was able to get them for free, the roof has hinges so it opens car hood style for easier cleaning, wood is treated with deck stain and will eventually paint it. Total cost about $120 in materials


Overall very solid should last a few years but again I recommend going with AGK plans since it is bigger and will allow for the double room setup

 

I only notice one major flaw in that design. If your in a northern state the winter air is very likely to blow right in the house due to the roof not having a sealing lip around the edge. When you show the picture with the roof open it looks like when you close it, there isn't overhang around the top of the dog house. I would think wind will blow in thru the small crack inbetween the roof and top of the doghouse. Shouldn't be too big of an issue since I've seen folks up here with some pretty rickety looking single walled houses. Price wise, the plans I posted up will cost about the same to build. That's with 2" insulation board inbetween the walls. Good job and believe me, the second one gets a lot easier and faster to make...

 

Small suggestion,
I would put something like a skid or even bricks to get the house up off the ground a little. Don't want the dog dragging in snow into the house when it comes and goes from it. With no lip on the bottom of the doorway you might be having to replace straw very often. Nothing to keep it in the box. All in all though that's a good job for a first time build. Congrats!