Building a doghouse that is just right for your dog can be fun and rewarding. However, if it is done without a plan and an understanding of how it fulfills its purpose and function, it can be a disaster. When building a doghouse, you must consider the proper size, design, building materials, construction, placement, and bedding for the doghouse.
To fulfill the needs of its canine occupant, the doghouse need not be plush or complicated. A doghouses purpose is to allow its occupant to be dry, out of the wind, cool in summer, warm in winter, and provide him with a place to feel safe.
Make Sure Your Doghouse Stays Dry
The primary function of a doghouse is to keep your dog dry. Nothing can stop him from tracking in some water on a rainy day, but that really is not the main concern. Assuming the house is waterproof, the major problem from water in a doghouse is humidity. When humidity rises, bacteria and viruses can easily become airborne and carried in atmospheric microdroplets. This is obvious in a kennel building housing several animals where there is inadequate air exchange or turnover. It gets stuffy and humid and disease problems increase, especially respiratory diseases like bronchitis. Even parasites are more of a problem with humidity at these levels. Clean this building with a high pressure hose using hot water and it gets even worse. Kennel buildings need a way to get rid of the humidity and replace it with fresh air. Sometimes this can be accomplished by opening windows and doors, but often it is necessary to utilize exhaust fans. It is the same in a single house. Put one dog in the correct-sized doghouse with a tight door and you will see problems caused by excess humidity. The house has to breathe...either through the walls or via a door that is partially open or with some form of louvers. Wood houses because of the properties of this material, usually breathe to a certain degree. Add a cloth or canvas flap-type door or a metal one with vents to eliminate humidity as a problem.
Keep Temperature in Mind
People often do not realize just how well their dog can cope with the elements. Dogs, unlike humans, have their own built-in-insulation in the form of fur. Shorthaired dogs have the same ability to keep warm as longhaired dogs. This is because their hair is different. Take the Doberman for instance. His hair is short but very stout. In fact, it is hollow. In the hair shaft are air pockets, the perfect insulating material. Now look at an English Setter. He has lots of fine, longer hair. His insulation is provided by the air pockets between layers of hair, sometimes referred to as undercoat and outercoat.
All the Doberman above wanted or needed was a place to get out of the cold, and to him that probably meant getting out of the wind. He curls up inside a snowdrift to protect him from the wind and provide insulation, allowing the use of his body heat to stay warm. He did not want to be hot and after becoming used to the decreasing temperature during the fall, he was ready to deal with winter. Unless a doghouse is going to be used for whelping, a heat source is unnecessary.
The Size of the Doghouse Matters
The size of the doghouse is also important. Look at the amount of space your dog takes up when he curls up and lies down. Draw a rectangle around him that is three inches larger on all sides and it is probably the perfect size for the inside of his house (twelve inches on all sides if the house will be used for whelping). Remember, his body is going to provide the heat that will keep his home warm. If it is too large, that cannot be done. For height, four to six inches taller than his shoulders is perfect. He will not mind lowering his head.
Do You Need Insulation?
The insulation, if it is exposed, can be a disaster waiting to happen. If the dog becomes bored, he is liable to eat it and the stiff material consistently forms partial or complete obstructions in the intestines. Insulation is fine, but the best is a hollow wall formed by an inner and outer layer with dead airspace in between. It will help keep the dog warm in the winter and cool in the summer. But most importantly, it will breathe, permitting excess humidity to pass through the walls. Fiberglass insulation can actually trap moisture leading to rotting wood and even sicker dogs.
Should Your Doghouse Be Made of Wood or Plastic?
The materials for the homemade doghouse can be purchased at any building supply store or lumber yard. As the primary constituent, wood is preferred for at least the inside layer. It can be disinfected to a certain degree, but this can be improved with enamel and/or epoxy paints. Some of the new prefabricated, high impact plastic houses possess the same excellent features. They use a double wall thickness, have good ventilation, and are very easy to clean and disinfect. Concrete blocks are not recommended because they are damp in any weather and impossible to disinfect or even clean (even with epoxy paints), as their porous nature allows material to work its way into the surface. All metal houses are easy to disinfect and clean, but can be very cold in the winter. Solid fiberglass liners are sometimes used and they are easy to clean and disinfect, but are expensive. They can also become brittle and break and crack at cold temperatures.
Two last construction points: Whether you make it with single or double wall construction, the outer wall of the doghouse should be metal covered like the heavier material used in travel trailers. It is usually aluminum bonded to wood. It is nontoxic, easy to clean, will not rust, does not need painting or waterproofing, and is fairly resistant to chewing. Also, make the roof, or a large portion of it capable of being opened to facilitate cleaning. Fiberglass shingles can be used, but the metal-covered wood we recommend for the walls is definitely the best. It is strong, waterproof, and easy to work with.
Do not make the doghouse door any larger than necessary to further cut down on draft problems. As a rough guideline, a 70-pound dog should have an opening about 12" wide by 14" high. In really hot areas, it may be a good idea to make the opening larger to increase ventilation. Also have the bottom of the opening 4" to 8" higher than the floor to help keep bedding and newborn puppies inside. Finally, put the door on the side of the house opposite the direction of the prevailing winter winds.
If you think bedding is needed, use blankets or pads that can be washed and disinfected. Straw, marsh hay, or wood shavings are impossible to disinfect and can harbor parasites such as fleas, ticks, and mites.
Where to Put Your Doghouse
Use common sense for summer and hot weather climates. Place the doghouse in the shade. Doghouses placed in direct sunlight can have inside temperatures of greater than 100 degrees on a hot, summer day. For the same reason, white or light colored outer surfaces are recommended. Again, remember to place the side of the house with the door opposite the direction of the prevailing winter winds.
There are many ways to build a doghouse. These methods and designs are aimed at providing the most disease resistant, comfortable environment. One last point is make the roof flat, as your dog will probably spend more time on top of the doghouse than in it enjoying the view.
Article by: Race Foster, DVM and Angela Walter, DVM