DIY DOG HOUSE

SINCE WE MOVED OUT TO COLD COUNTRY, WE DECIDED OUR PUPS NEEDED A COZY PLACE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT SINCE THEY ARE OUTDOOR DOGS. I ALSO WANTED A PLACE TO HAVE FOOD AND WATER FOR THEM THAT IT WOULDN’T FREEZE BEING OUTSIDE.

WHEN WE LIVED IN PHOENIX, THEY NEVER WANTED TO GO OUTSIDE BECAUSE IT WAS SO HOT, BUT NOW THEY LITERALLY JUST WANT TO SLEEP OUTSIDE UNDER THE STARS EVERY NIGHT. EVEN WHEN ITS RAINING + SNOWING. I KNOW, I ALSO THINK THEY ARE CRAZY.

SO I DREW UP A ROUGH PLAN FOR A DOG HOUSE THAT WOULD FIT BOTH OF THEM, A BED FOR EACH OF THEM, AS WELL AS THEIR FOOD AND WATER DISPENSERS. I FINALLY DECIDED ON A SIZE AROUND 4 FT X 6 FT BASED ON DOG BED SIZE AND THE AMOUNT OF SPACE THEY WOULD NEED TO WALK AROUND INSIDE.

FOR REFERENCE, OUR DOGS ARE LARGE, BOTH BETWEEN 70 AND 80 LBS.

THIS HOUSE TOOK ME ABOUT 2.5 WEEKS TO BUILD, MOSTLY BECAUSE I WAS ALSO ENTERTAINING CHILDREN, RUNNING A HOUSEHOLD + WORKING IN THE RAIN + EVEN A LITTLE SNOW.

I HIGHLY DO NOT RECOMMEND BUILDING A DOG HOUSE IN THE WINTER LOL.

MY SUPPLY LIST INCLUDES:

-2 X 4 X 8’s

-2 1/2 AND 3 INCH EXTERIOR WOOD SCREWS

-5/8 INCH PLYWOOD SHEETS RADIATA PINE

-BEADBOARD SHEETS

-ALUMINUM DOG DOOR WITH MAGNETIC LATCH

-CORRUGATED METAL ROOF PANELS

-CORRUGATED METAL RIDGECAP

-2 INCH METAL TO WOOD SCREWS

-INSULATION

-WEATHERSEAL ROOF WRAP

-EXTERIOR MDF TRIM

-EXTERIOR WATERPROOF CAULK

-EXTERIOR BARN PAINT IN WHITE

-TWO LARGE DOG BEDS

-ONE LARGE GRAVITY FEEDER AND ONE LARGE GRAVITY WATERER

-HOUND HEATER

-WIFI ENABLED THERMOMETER

-CYLINDER BLOCKS

TOOLS I USED:

-COMPOUND MITER SAW

-IMPACT DRIVER

-BATTERY POWERED DRILL

-DRILL BITS

-CAULK GUN

-JIGSAW

-MULTI TOOL

I STARTED OUT BY FRAMING OUT MY HOUSE WITH 2 X 4 X 8’s AND I CUT THEM TO THE LENGTH I WANTED WITH MY MITER SAW. THEN I LAID THEM OUT, PREDRILLED MY HOLES, AND CONNECTED THE PIECES WITH 2 1/2 AND 3 INCH WOOD SCREWS, USING MY IMPACT DRIVER AND DRILL.

THEN, AFTER MY HOUSE FRAME WAS TOGETHER, I CUT OUT THE FLOOR AND INTERIOR SIDES OUT OF PLYWOOD SHEETS. BEFORE I ATTACHED THEM, I CUT OUT MY EXTERIOR SIDES OUT OF BEADBOARD AND ATTACHED THEM TO THE HOUSE.

NEXT, I CUT STRIPS OF INSULATION AND FITTED THEM UP AGAINST MY EXTERIOR SIDES I HAD ATTACHED AND THEN COVERED THEM WITH MY INTERIOR SIDES. THEN I MEASURED THE SIZE OF MY DOG DOOR AND CUT OUT A HOLE WITH MY JIGSAW. AFTER THAT WAS FINISHED, I ALSO CUT OUT A DOOR HOLE IN THE BACK FOR ME TO ACCESS THE HOUSE AND FOOD DISHES. I USED REGULAR DOOR HINGES AND A LATCH TO CLOSE IT UP WHEN I DIDN’T NEED IT OPEN.

THEN, I ATTACHED MY HOUND HEATER ON THE INTERIOR OR THE HOUSE AND MADE SURE I PLACED IT HIGH ENOUGH THE DOGS WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO TOUCH IT. THE HEAT RADIATES OUT OF THE TOP, SO THE ONLY HOT PART OF IT, THEY WILL NEVER TOUCH.

AFTER THAT, I SEALED MY EXTERIOR WITH WATERPROOF CAULK AND GAVE IT A LAYER OF PAINT. NEXT SUMMER I WILL TOUCH IT ALL UP AGAIN AFTER THE WINTER IS OVER TO MAINTAIN MY EXTERIOR MATERIALS.

LASTLY, I ADDED THE ROOF WEATHERSEAL WRAP. IT IS SELF ADHESIVE, SO YOU JUST NEED TO CUT THE STRIPS, PEEL THE BACKING OFF AND ROLLER PRESS IT ONTO YOUR ROOF. MAKE SURE IT IS CLEAN AND DRY OR IT WON’T STICK. THEN I LINED UP AND SCREWED ON MY RIDGECAP, AND THEN AFTER THAT WAS ON, I LINED UP MY ROOF PIECES AND SCREWED THEM ON. CORRUGATED METAL SHEETS COME IN 2 FT X 8 FT AND SO I CUT THEM DOWN TO 4 FT X 2 FT WITH TIN SNIPS, WHICH WAS TIME CONSUIMING. I WOULD RECOMMEND GETTING A BLADE FOR THE MITER SAW THAT CAN CUT METAL IF YOU WANT SOMETHING THAT CUTS FASTER AND IS MORE ACCURATE.

AFTER THAT, WE LOADED IN THE DOG BEDS, GAVE THEM FOOD AND WATER AND INSTALLED THE THERMOMETER SO WE COULD MONITOR THE TEMPERATURE FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE AND WE WERE DONE!

SO FAR, WE HAVE ONE DOG WHO LOVES IT AND BASICALLY NEVER LEAVES HER BED. THE OTHER ONE, STILL LOVES HIS TALL GRASS OUTSIDE AND WE HAVE TO FORCE HIM TO SLEEP INSIDE AT NIGHT. I THINK MAYBE (HOPING) HE’LL ACTUALLY WANT TO SLEEP INSIDE IN THE COLD OF WINTER, BUT UNTIL THEN, I FEEL BETTER KNOWING HE’S SAFE INSIDE DURING THE COLD NIGHTTIME.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? READY TO BUILD A HOUSE FOR YOUR FURRY FRIENDS?! IT’S DEFINITELY SOMETHING I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD DO, BUT IT WAS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE + I’M GLAD I COULD DO IT FOR THEM.

HAPPY DIYING FRIENDS!

XOXO - TAYLOR