A House for the Dog...

[Zengineer]

A new puppy in our life as of January 3rd, somekind of mixed breed almost certainly containing german shepherd. Aptly named "Bender" after some wonky looking ears, and as a bit of a nod to Futurama.

Trying to design and build the 15yr doghouse, not knowing whether it will be under cover or in the weather over this period.

Went with 2x4 main frame, with 1x2 sub structure. Hinged lid to ease access for cleaning, etc. 1/8" hardboard (masonite) on the interior surfaces, caulked for air tightness. In the 1.5" thick walls (resulting from the 2x4 thickness) I've put 1.5" rigid foam as a bit of insulation. The outside surfaces are being covered with 3/8" plywood, and I will shingle the roof. Haven't decided what to do for siding, I'm open to suggestions!

One of my first projects in the new garage, even though this isn't supposed to be my woodworking area, it's heated and hard to choose to go work in the cold!

 

[Rockerbox1]

thats a lucky dog, insulated house and all

 

[5lima30]

Why not side it with Hardi-panel, it will not rot, is resistant to insects, and takes paint well. If you were closer I probably have enough left over from another project you could have.

 

[R6 Racer]

Look great! Nice finished inside, insulation & I really like the hinged roof idea. The only idea I could add would be to put a short (maybe a foot) tunnel with a side entrance on it to cut down on wind going straight in.

Steve

 

[MoonRise]

+1 on the "Z" entrance.

Next, if the dog will be 'living' in the doghouse in the cold, then you want to size the space to be just big enough for the dog to fit in. Their body heat heats the space and also (most) dogs generally like their dog house or crate to be like a nest/den and not like a mansion (space-wise).

Also, make it easy to repair or replace parts and especially 'edges'. Also, make the materials mostly 'safe'. So no PT lumber. Puppies chew. When they are teething, they chew even more. YMMV.

Oh, speaking of materials, hardboard/Masonite is not water-resistant. Puppies and dogs get wet (snow, rain, mud, etc). Dogs (may) drool, or drool when chewing on their toys (or the dog house). Wet + hardboard = soggy sawdust or warped (badly) panels.

 

[Zengineer]

Hardipanel may be a good option, I'll check into that. I suppose I could buy some hardiboard to match my garage too...

Given my local climate the vestibule was not warranted, though I did consider adding one for more comfort. Instead, I'm going to use a hanging heavy fabric curtain (ie: denim) to cut down on drafts. A bad winter day here is about 25°F, a normal winter day is about 38°F.

The house is sized appropriately for the (suspected German Shepherd) breed based on the SPCA doghouse sizing guidelines. I'm pretty comfortable using their information for sizing.

No pressure treated anything... and I know all about puppy chew at this point!

On the finished face surfaces, hardboard is quite water resistant. My plan is to paint the interior as well, enhancing the water protection. On top of that, the house will be spaced up off grade, and will not leak. Inside will be a removable heavy pillow to provide additional insulation. This will also keep water from the hardboard.

Agreed if you drop an edge of hardboard into water it will soak it up, but if you pour a cup of water on the finished face it won't soak it up very fast at all. A coat of latex paint turns it into a reasonable indoor surface IMHO.

In 15 years if I need to replace the hardboard, I'll post back.

 

[zwitterman]

What a sweetie! Keep us informed if the ears come up in a few weeks. Oh and nice looking doghouse too! LOL! Congrats!

 

[Zengineer]

Ears are still all over the place! He's at 14 weeks now, not sure if there is much chance of them standing up at this point or not.

 

[Zengineer]

Still going... (a bit slowly while other things happen)

Found out his breed through a DNA test too. Alaskan Malamute, Border Terrier and German Shepherd. Interesting!