Dog House Planning

Planning

I designed this dog house for Lana and Mavis, who are full grown females of the Rottweiler/Australian Shepherd breed combination. I built my dog house at my old house, and moved it to my new house, six miles away. I mention this as a reminder to keep in mind that it maybe a lot easier to build the dog house in one place (where there is good electricity, lighting, roof, whatever) and move it to another, where it is more appropriately situated. My dog house weighed probably 250 to 300 pounds but was relatively easily moved using a small pickup truck and was hoisted over a four foot fence by four men who will most likely not compete in any of this year's premier bodybuilding competitions.

Function

Get out a tape measure and measure your dog. Measure her standing straight up, sitting on her haunches, and above all measure the full dimensions of your dog when she is in the most comfortable, relaxed, and stretched out position that she can assume. You should build a doghouse where this position can be easily attained by the dog. The dog should be able to look out the front entrance while standing up and sitting. The entrance way should be high enough that she will not have to significantly lower her front shoulders or scrape belly to get in. It should also be wide enough to accomodate the width of your dog. Stand above the dog and measure the width of the widest point of the dogs shoulders. Add at least four inches to this measure and dont forget to consider future pregnancies or the adult girth of that roly-poly mastiff puppy you are adopting. Remember that the roof of the dog house should overhang a few inches for water runoff. Draw a sketch of your dog with the dimensions indicated to help with planning. Click here to view the sketch.

Form

Must be dictated by function (see above). I could (and will at some future time) go off on a tangent about residential architecture theory, but for now just make sure the dog can get in and out safely and be protected from the elements while inside. Never compromise functionality for the sake of style.
Once you satisfy the functional demands, you are free to design the house in style you want. You probably already have an idea of what style you want, or you might just want the classic snoopy style, which is the route I went. My goal was to have the doghouse look like it belonged on the grounds of my home, not to make a miniature version of my house (that could be cool though, as long as functionality was job one). I used a similar roofline, the same shingles, and painted the dog house the same color as the human house.

Site Considerations

Again, functionality is the main consideration. Do not put the dog house in a poorly drained area where rain frequently accumulates. Do not put it near a river or stream bed area where it (and Fido) might be swept away during flood stage. Do not put it on an unstable ledge where erosional or seismic effects might cause trouble. If you have a large dog that can jump, keep in mind the dog may climb the roof in order to leap across a fence to freedom. Do think about site placement as it relates to your aesthetic concerns: do you want it to be prominently viewed or cleverly concealed ? What does your dog need to be able to see out of the door (or window). What might she want to see? Having the door facing towards a prevailing wind is not very smart (or nice). Likewise, a bright light shining in at night will jacklight the dog and reduce her surveillance proficiency to zip-diddly-squat.

Drawing the Plans

After you have:
1) determined your dogs shelter needs
2) considered the site where the house will be situated
3) thought about the style and appearance of the new dog house
you are then able to sit down and draw out the plan for the project with exact measurements. Do yourself a favor and plan on building materials that are readily available close to home. Visit the place where you buy building materials. See what is available, measure boards with a tape measure, see what kind of brackets, nails, etc. are available. Make notes and go back to the drawing board, remember the thickness of the wood figures in when you make the drawing. Use graph paper. Don't get real fancy on roof plans. Unless you are confident that you have the skills to plan, cut, and build that double-hipped, mansard, or victorian-style roof, I recommend the simple gable or shed styles. Click here to see my plans.

A Note on Planning Extra Features

Legend has it that a now defunct televangelist once counted an air-conditioned dog house with a wet bar among his worldly posessions. I have heard apocryphal tales of various heating, cooling, electrical, and plumbing scenarios for dog houses, and I decree that my dog house and my website are not about that.
I designed and built my dog house to be a place where my hounds can seek shelter from the rain and wind, not as a permanent residence. I like to think of it as a pavillion or gazebo. When it gets below freezing or particularly inclement, the dogs come in for the night.
Dogs, especially younger ones, get off majorly on chewing and scratching. Even little dogs can destroy amazing volumes of stuff in short order with their needle-like teeth. That is why I would be really nervous about introducing insulation, live wires, or a beer tap into their midst.
When this doghouse was built, my dogs and I lived in North Georgia , with very mild winters and insignificant snowfall. I welcome folks from every place in the world to let me know how environmental factors have influenced their approach to dog house design and construction.

Function

Form

Site Considerations

Drawing the Plans

A Note on Planning Extra Features

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