This isn't a complicated project by any means. For small dogs a simple house like this can be made from a single sheet of plywood. My larger dogs require a bit more room to stretch out so they require a bit more material. I forgot to take that into account while I was buying materials in town the other day.
Here is a photo of the houses.
This style of dog house is very popular among dog mushers in my region. The legs allow the house to sit up above a moderate accumulation of snow. The raised threshold of the doorway helps keep bedding material contained within the house rather than scattered about the yard. The frame around the door discourages chewing and helps protect the interior when male dogs life a leg against the house. The flat roof of the house provides a platform on which the dog can sun itself and an elevated surface on which the dog can stand for husbandry and veterinary procedures. Although not evident in the photos, the floor sits on braces and is not fastened down. This allows the floor to be removed when changing bedding or other maintenance tasks.
The sheathing for these houses was left-over T-111 siding that has been leaning up against my house for at the least the last three years. I figure if it's going to weather away it might as well do so by keeping some dogs warm and comfortable. Purchased materials included plywood for the floors and roofs, 2 x 4 and 2X2 boards for the legs and framing, and a big box of sheet rock screws.
These types of doghouses in this size are sold by a local mushing supply company for a bit more than $85.00, plus the cost of fuel to drive the 50 mile round trip. My cost for these houses, not including the salvaged sheathing, was about $32.00 each, and of course some of my time.
Now, if the weather will settle down a bit I'll give each of them a coat of paint, and they should last at least a decade or more.
Today's project is to take down fencing in preparation for Sunday's dirt work.
Swanny
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