If you let your dogs wander out of the yard and you find store bought dog houses a bit too pricey, you might want to try your hand at building these dog houses yourself. Any pet care specialist would tell you that dog houses are very important because they provide temporary shelters for your pets while they’re outdoors. Dog house building should be easy with a little common sense and enough woodworking skills. Below are building tips for dog owners who are big DIY fans as well.
It’s all in the planning. To make sure that your dog house won’t be too small for your pet, you have to plan everything well. You should keep the size of your dog in mind, and make sure that the shape and size of the dog house you’re building is big enough to give your pet enough head room while it’s sitting up. Your pet will also be happier if the dog house is big enough for it to move around a bit. Even if you allow your pet indoors, the dog house serves as your pet’s sanctuary. Consider the built of your pet too when you’re making the opening. You may also want to provide space inside the doghouse for you to put a mat or cushion. This is very important if you have an old dog with joint problems. To same time and money, you have to consider the adult size of your dog. If you still have puppies, you may want to wait until they’re all grown up before building them doghouses.
After determining the dimensions of your doghouse, begin the construction. Make sure that you’re using wood that’s strong enough to withstand the climate but isn’t pretreated in places where your pet may nibble on. Pretreated wood, although they’re hardy compared to untreated ones, may poison your pet if you’re not careful. You should start with the frame work of the dog house first, and then assemble the sidings and the roof joists. The last step should be the roof itself. For the roof, plywood sheets with 3/8” thickness (preferably the same ones you used for the sidings) should suffice. Make sure that all nails have been hammered into the wood and none are sticking out of the walls. File the wood well to make sure that no lose ends can splinter your pet.
While it’s tempting to finish the dog house with a bright coat of paint, you have to prioritize the safety of your pet first. A dog house that’s unpainted will look dull and uninhabitable, although the color of the dog house benefits the dog owner more than the dog itself. However, before you set off to buy your paint, you should make sure that the substances in the paint are not poisonous for your dog. Dogs will chew on anything then can find, even their own dog houses. This is especially true if your dog is fairly young. To know if the paint you’ll be using is safe or not, you can contact a poison control center. They usually have a list of paint brands which dog owners can use on their doghouses and other pet toys.