Thread: the dog house

PHIL
How many dogs and how big are they?
Gerard

For you or for the dog?

Cheers,
Joe

As an architect I always talk to my clients to see what their needs are and where they plan to build and go from there. Function comes first.

I suggest you ask your dog if it want and needs a house. I am sure they know what they want. Does your dog like having its tail out so it can be wagged? If so you would want to make a tail window. That sort of thing.

Does your dog want a walk through? If so you might want an opening on both ends so your dog does not need to turn around.

Does your dog like a nice view, or like looking at cars going buy. Location, location, location. You got to know your dog mate. Then you can go from there. Oh, by the way does your dog want a second floor bedroom with a view? That would be nice as well. You could put an outside stars or ramp to it depending on how well your dog does steps. So much to think about other than 4 sides and a roof.

The floor would be optional. If you put a floor in is your dog willing to pay more rent? Does your dog have enough collateral to get a lone for the new house? There is just so much to think about.

One last thing. Is it cold where you live? If so it will need windows, heater and a door so doggie can close it and open it. If it is hot will he want central air as well? Are you going with Brick stucco or wood siding. Your dog might want a field stone siding. You just never know what is in a dogs mind these days. For all you know your dog might be thinking of a big cardboard box with a couple of cut outs . He may want to go homeless style. Then again he might be the outdoor type who likes to rough it. It's a doogs life mate.

I designed a 22 thousand dollar dog house once for a client of mine. I could have live in it. It had a water bowl that drained and filled automatically. It had central air and heat and automatic lighting. I kid you not. The dog die 3 months after it was built.

You can find dog house plans. Just look up dog house on the web and look at the pictures. I am sure you can figure out how to build it. There are no earthquake guidlines for dog house the last time I checked. I think you will do just fine.

Originally Posted by Hobo

As an architect I always talk to my clients to see what their needs are and where they plan to build and go from there. Function comes first.

I suggest you ask your dog if it want and needs a house. I am sure they know what they want. Does your dog like having its tail out so it can be wagged? If so you would want to make a tail window. That sort of thing.

Does your dog want a walk through? If so you might want an opening on both ends so your dog does not need to turn around.

Hobo,

Yet another way you guys are leading the world.Having been an owner of Australian Cattle Dogs for most of my life, I can report they are loyal, hard working and reasonably intelligent. Try as I might, I can't get them to talk with me.

Perhaps there is an opportunity for us to cross one of your talking dogs with one of our Cattle Dogs.......always wanted to know what they are thinking!

All the best,

Anthony

Phil, my dog house sits under the rear patio, so I made a box for him out of ply, long enough for him to lie down nose to rump without having to curl up too much, wide enough for him to fit when lying on his side and feet extended( ie basically the height of the dog when standing), and high enough for him to crouch in and turn around.

I didn't need a pitched roof, but in hindsight that would be better, and added just a couple of coats of leftover paint to weather-proof the outside.

I put a board across the front about 1/3 height to stop drafts and keep the bedding in, and mounted it on a steel frame off the ground. The frame was actually the one that came with the original dog bed we purchased, but he kept eating through that bedding when a pup

He sleeps in this summer and winter, preferring to ignore the bedding we put on the ground near the kennel in the summer months. It is small enough to keep his body heat in during the winter months, provided the front opening is turned away from the prevailing winds

hope this helps