Dog House Ideas!?!

[BastienBully]

Hey guys, me and some friends are planning on building a dog house for Bully this weekend.



I would like to get some ideas and/or pictures from you guys.

Bully is a inside dog, but i would like to be able to tie him up in the yard on nice sunny days



I have:

ALOT of 2x4

Some plywood

Shingles for the roof

Carpet for the inside/insulation

Paint



Thinking of making it pretty big 4'x6'



One problem i have is that where i live, there is ALOT of moskitos! And bully gets reaction from them, so i would like to ad some kind or door/screen so he can go inside without beeing attacked by them.



Also i might ad a small window in there so its not 2 dark.



I aslo wanted to make some kind of water dispencer.. Need ideas for this.



I need it to be a bit higher then the ground, so i need ideas for that 2.



Any ideas is good! I have a big blank on how i want to build this.



Thanks.

[Dog Dancer]

Hi Bastien, Bully will love you for building him a house. I take it you don't have a fenced yard though? Be very careful about tying him up outside when you are not home. He is a beautiful dog and of a breed that many people would be happy to steal. Don't want to rain on your parade, but I would not be leaving him tied out alone. Ever. If you are home that's one thing, but otherwise, think twice.

If you search building a dog house on the net you will find lots of sites that have good ideas. Ventilation is very important, as is shade so it doesn't get too hot in the sun.

I know our building supply store always has dog houses outside that you can buy a kit kind of thing for. If you looked around at your supply outlets you may see some as examples to give you ideas.

I think size is very important also, you want it to be roomy enough for the dog to move around, but if he's using it in colder weather you don't really want it so large that he can't stay warm with body heat and such.

My hubby built a couple for our dogs several years ago and honestly, they barely ever used them - they're great dog houses though and heavy as all get out because like you he used serious materials and shingles, etc. Moving them from one site to another is a major effort.

Good luck to you, but please be very careful if you plan to leave Bully outside with nobody home. Now that I think about that, we've actually had people in our neighbourhood posing as SPCA officials and stealing dogs that were left out in yards unattended!

[Etown_Chick]

People are stealing dogs in my city as well. Terrifying.
For the mosquitoes, I found this new garlic-based repellant that is harmless to humans adn animals. It smells strong, but it says the smell disappears in a few hours.
You can spray all over your yard. I'm thinking about trying it.
Good luck with your dog house! Please post pics

[Longblades]

I would never leave my dog tied up outside and alone again, unless I was certain of safety. I would actually prefer to build a run but I do not object to tieing if it's safe. That said, one thing I noticed about our dog and just about every dog I know who has it's own house in the yard.....

They love to lie on the roof. So I'd make sure it was flat enough for that. Or a platform but they seem to prefer the roof of the house.

I wouldn't count on Bully making the connection between mosquitoes and his reaction to them. He's just a dog. Be prepared for him to NOT use the house, GET mosquitoe bites and another reaction.

[Marty11]

My Golden used his dog house! We took a heavy rubber mat and nailed it on as a door and cut slats into it so he could go through his door. It would seal itself after he went in.

[Dog Dancer]

Hey Bastien, you haven't been back yet! I hope I didn't offend you by saying don't leave Bully outside alone. In rereading your post I see it just says to leave him outside, not necessarily home alone. But my advice stands about not leaving him out when you're not home.

I like the idea of him being able to lay on the roof. My two never did because our roof was sloped too much.

[BastienBully]

Thanks guys for all the info! And i agree on not leaving him outiside alone, it would be a couple hours MAX thing.

As for the ventilation, im a part-time roofer so i happen to have a few "vents" at home, ill probably end up putting one on there.

For the dogs going on the roofs, it got me thinking that if i put shingles on there, it might too hot for him.

I like the idea of the rubber mat as well, might go with that.

[jenniferkdiaz]

Wow! Cool. Obviously, you love your dog so much. Cool idea having mosquito screens. You can also create like a bed for him. Add some pillows just to make him comfortable when sleeping. I hope you can post some pictures after you finished it. Good luck!

[BastienBully]

So here is what i did sofar for the dog house... Im planning on doing more to it eventually. Bully goes in it, but not crazy about it lol




Let me know what you guys think.

[Barkingdog]

Originally Posted by Bastien

Hey guys, me and some friends are planning on building a dog house for Bully this weekend.



I would like to get some ideas and/or pictures from you guys.

Bully is a inside dog, but i would like to be able to tie him up in the yard on nice sunny days



I have:

ALOT of 2x4

Some plywood

Shingles for the roof

Carpet for the inside/insulation

Paint



Thinking of making it pretty big 4'x6'



One problem i have is that where i live, there is ALOT of moskitos! And bully gets reaction from them, so i would like to ad some kind or door/screen so he can go inside without beeing attacked by them.



Also i might ad a small window in there so its not 2 dark.



I aslo wanted to make some kind of water dispencer.. Need ideas for this.



I need it to be a bit higher then the ground, so i need ideas for that 2.



Any ideas is good! I have a big blank on how i want to build this.



Thanks.

Have you seen the ads for magnetic screen doors on TV? I wonder if there would been any way to made something like that for the dog house.
How about making some place to put a water bowl in the dog house so it not get all buggy outside.

[thildy]

Looks good. I am trying to think of one too. Now I am not good working with wood, so I need to get someone who can do it.

[Barkingdog]

Originally Posted by Bastien

So here is what i did sofar for the dog house... Im planning on doing more to it eventually. Bully goes in it, but not crazy about it lol




Let me know what you guys think.

Could you made one a little bigger so I could live in it! It looks good to me. I bet when it rain out Bully will be happy to have a dry house to go into. you could put a doggie door on it to keep the mosquitoes out.

[Dog Dancer]

Bastien, does the dog house have any windows or vents for air circulation? That would be my only real concern. Now I'm not talking sliding glass windows either . On our dog houses we put small openings in the rear near the roof line so that air could flow through, we also had a small overhang just like a regular house. And a bed inside! Maybe Bully would like it better if you had some type of bedding in there for him... It looks real good though.

[BastienBully]

Originally Posted by Dog Dancer

Bastien, does the dog house have any windows or vents for air circulation? That would be my only real concern. Now I'm not talking sliding glass windows either . On our dog houses we put small openings in the rear near the roof line so that air could flow through, we also had a small overhang just like a regular house. And a bed inside! Maybe Bully would like it better if you had some type of bedding in there for him... It looks real good though.

Ill probably be going to town soon to buy him some kind of bedding And i dont have any windows, but at the back there is a 2" gap between the roof and wall so the air can circulate.

Thanks

[Barkingdog]

Originally Posted by Bastien

Ill probably be going to town soon to buy him some kind of bedding And i dont have any windows, but at the back there is a 2" gap between the roof and wall so the air can circulate.

Thanks

I would make sure the dog bed has a remover-able cover so it can be wash , I was not able to find a dog bed like this at any store.

[BastienBully]

Originally Posted by Barkingdog

I would make sure the dog bed has a remover-able cover so it can be wash , I was not able to find a dog bed like this at any store.

I was thinking of getting something like this, i know it not excatly made for outside but could work.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...uctId=12807196

Or simply something like this
http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...uctId=12470700

[Barkingdog]

Originally Posted by Bastien

I was thinking of getting something like this, i know it not excatly made for outside but could work.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...uctId=12807196

Or simply something like this
http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...uctId=12470700

I think the bed from petsmart is the best one , it looks like it could be washed easier , I end up using a blanket for my dog. My new dog chews thing up and eat them , so I can't leave anything in his crate when I go out. He eat paper too so I don't think newspaper would work with him. You could made some dog houses and try to sell them. It look good to me.

[BastienBully]

Originally Posted by Barkingdog

I think the bed from petsmart is the best one , it looks like it could be washed easier , I end up using a blanket for my dog. My new dog chews thing up and eat them , so I can't leave anything in his crate when I go out. He eat paper too so I don't think newspaper would work with him. You could made some dog houses and try to sell them. It look good to me.

Thanks, i think i like the 1st one better as well. My dog is also a chewer but only when he gets highper and wants to play.

[Marty11]

What about straw, I used to use it for my golden? Toss it out when u need new stuff?

[mastifflover]

I got a great bed at Woofstock it has a removable cover and it is fleece and nylon on the bottom great for outdoors. I think the company is pet gear it also has a separate foam topper.