Build your own insulated dog house

The basis for a happy, contented dog's life in the open air is a hut protected from wind and weather. Craftsman-talented hobby gardeners insist on building the retreat for their four-legged family member with their own hands. This is not only fun, but also creates plenty of scope for individual, creative design. In order for functionality and aesthetics to go hand in hand, various factors must be considered for an optimal construction. The following instructions explain how to build an insulated dog house yourself in 7 steps.

The right size

Before purchasing the materials, the decision should be made about the ideal size of the kennel. The better the dimensions are adapted to the dog's stature, the more comfortable it will feel in its own four walls. If the hut is too small, the animal will get too warm. Condensation forms, threatening rot and mold. If you choose the dimensions too large, the body temperature of the four-legged friend is not sufficient for a warm climate. Even with professional insulation, it gets too cold in the wooden hut in winter. The following rule of thumb should serve as a guide:

• Height of the wooden hut = 1.2 times the shoulder height
• Length of the wooden hut = 1.2 times the length of the dog (from the snout to the tip of the tail)
• Width of kennel = 1.2x turning width
• The shoulder height of the animal defines the height of the entrance.

Material and tool list

In a garden that is in touch with nature, we recommend using high-quality garden wood as a building material, which has been treated with an ecologically harmless impregnation. In addition, plates made of concrete plan, also known as screen printing plates, provide additional stability and insulation. A 4-8 mm thick quality made of birch through and through or a combination of eucalyptus with a birch deck is ideal, which, however, is more difficult to work with as hardwood. The following materials and tools are required if you are making your own insulated dog house with a decorative curved gabled roof for a medium-sized dog:

bottom plate

• 1 concrete plan in 966 x 656 x 4 mm for the underside
• 1 concrete plan in 900 x 590 x 4 mm for the top
• 2 wooden strips in 900 x 35 x 20 mm for the long side
• 3 wooden slats measuring 530 x 35 x 20 mm for the short side
• 1 wooden strip in 320 x 33 x 24 mm for the threshold

front and back wall

• 2 BFU 100 panels in 695 x 638 x 9 mm for the outsides
• 2 concrete plan in 695 x 590 x 4 mm for the inside
• 4 wooden strips in 590 x 35 x 20 mm for the sides
• 4 arch strips in 350 x 35 x 20 mm
• 2 wooden strips in 325 x 35 x 20 mm for the door sides
• 2 arch strips in 210 x 35 x 20 mm for the door arch

side walls

• 2 BFU 100 panels in 966 x 55 x 9 mm for the outside
• 2 concrete plan in 948 x 55 x 4 mm for the inside
• 4 wooden slats measuring 448 x 35 x 20 mm for the long side
• 6 wooden strips in 481 x 35 x 20 mm as cross strips

Roof

• 1 BFU 100 in 990 x 760 x 4 mm for the top
• 1 concrete plan in 900 x 670 x 4 mm for the underside
• 3 concrete plan in 635 x 140 x 18 mm as a roof rack
• 2 wooden strips in 900 x 35 x 30 mm as edge strips

In addition, 4 plastic corner strips and 4 galvanized slide hinges as fittings.

tool list

• cordless screwdriver
• orbital sander
• Hand saw and jigsaw
• caulking gun
• Paint brush
• pointed drill
• table saw
• Force

Instructions in 7 steps

Installation of the base plate

Screw the longitudinal and transverse strips of the base plate and the side walls to the smaller one Betonplan slab for the top and the two Betonplan slabs for the side walls kennel. To prevent the material from tearing, all holes are first pre-drilled. The screw clamps make it much easier to position and fix the individual parts.

The isolation

Insulation is essential so that your dog feels comfortable in his small home in all weathers. Double-walled sides and floors create the ideal conditions. Materials such as Styrofoam, Styrodur, wood shavings, sheep's wool or another cold-resistant material come between the inside and outside. Styrofoam plates are used in these instructions.
To do this, place the side parts and the base plate with the wooden strips on top in order to line them with the styrofoam plates. The outer sides that have been sawn to size are then fixed with PU adhesive.

Build entrance door

Proceed as follows so that the decorative door arch and the gable shape are a success:

• Make an auxiliary hole in the Betonplan panel for the inside of the front wall
• Construct a simple compass consisting of a wooden strip with 2 holes 500 mm apart
• Screw one hole to the hole in the front panel
• Line the other hole with a pencil to mark a 500mm radius
• Do the same with a radius of 205 mm to mark the door arch

The roof arch and entrance are now cut out with the jigsaw. This method can then be easily transferred to the rear wall.

Saw out the gable

For correct processing, both gable walls must have exactly the same contour. For this purpose, both parts are braced to grind a round roof shape. In addition, the two door side rails and the two door arch rails are positioned and marked on the door opening.

Prepare the strips for the roof structure as follows:

• First align the top angle on the 4 side rails with the 4 curved rails
• Precisely position and mark all parts in relation to each other
• Make sure that there is a closed edge under the round cut

Only cut the length of the strips when they join together without a gap below the arch. The side rails are flush with the edges of the front and back. This is where the saw is used last for this work step.

Assemble the gable

Following the accurate preparation in step 4, you can now glue the gable. To do this, align all the strips individually, which is easy to do thanks to the marked markings. Gluing to the gable interior walls is then child's play.

Styrofoam is again used for insulation so that the outer walls of the gable can be glued on. After the drying time, a correction with the saw may be necessary so that the inside and outside match.

build roof

Now that the gable ends are complete, the gable arch can be transferred to the 3 roof beams to saw them into shape. At the same time, it is now possible to determine the exact angle of the roof edging strips and also saw them to size using the circular table saw. In order to position these end strips precisely, the roof racks must be adjusted. To do this, transfer the dimensions of the end strips and shorten the corners of the roof rack accordingly. Then the roof rack and strips only have to be glued and screwed together.
To glue the roof framework to the roof top BFU board, a helping hand is now welcome. In this way you avoid that too long a time elapses between applying the glue and tightening with the clamps.

final assembly

Now the construction of the kennel is almost complete, because only the underside of the roof has to be screwed on. Before that, mark the positions of the hinges, which will be screwed to the side walls at the end. These are used to open the roof without tools by pulling out the hinge pins. The profile strips on the outer corners act as additional protection.

Conclusion

For the experienced do-it-yourselfer it is a matter of honor to build an individual wooden dwelling for your dog. With these instructions, the project succeeds in 7 steps. The result is a decorative dog house with a round gabled roof and a correspondingly shaped door arch. The walls and floor are insulated so that the four-legged family member feels comfortable in their home in any weather.

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