I may have never seen my wife so upset as the time when I came through the door with an old stray dog I found. She wasn’t too happy that I took it upon myself to make the decision about our newest family member. With the right words I managed to get her to agree to keep him but only as long he stayed out in the backyard. I didn’t like the idea my new pal being subject to the harsh conditions of the outdoor while I slept nice & cozy indoors. I knew right away it was my new job to build him a place to live and I began looking at various dog house plans.

I was in utter shock at how many different directions I could go with my four legged friend’s new home. I made sure to pick out the best dog house plans. With all of that in place I put my tool belt on and got started.

When building an outdoor home for your pet it is very important that it is built with high standards. The right selection of materials will play a huge role in the life expectancy of your dog house. You really need to put your heart and soul into this and build it the right way. I’m sure you’ll at least be putting a few hours if not a few weekends into this and it couldn’t be any more painful to walk outside and see your dog house in ruins. You’ll know deep inside that you’re the one to blame, that is why it so important to do a quality job. If you can afford pressure treatment, I wouldn’t go without it. You would be surprised at how fast the weather can tear up untreated lumber. Building with pressure treated materials will give your dog house a much longer life time.

With a dog you never know what it’s going to get into next. I used to have a dog that would chew up anything he could get a hold of. It is certainly something to consider when selecting the right material to use. Yes pressure treated wood is the best option but if your dog likes to chew the chemicals on pressure treated wood pose a dangerous threat to your dog. If your dog is a chewer I would highly recommend that you find a different means of building material.

You really want to be sure that your dog house can stand up to the seasons as well. Not just structurally but internally too. If it is getting hot outside it’s a sure thing that it’s getting hot inside the dog house as well. It is important to use a design that incorporates an air flow to keep your dog cool during the summer. With the colder months you won’t want your dog freezing to death either. Put a blanket or two so he can snuggle up and keep warm.