Prime Real Estate Ideas for the Most Important Member of the Family

Where would we be without our faithful furry friends? Dogs are our inseparable buddies, always bounding with energy and beaming with loyalty. What better way to show our appreciation for our cuddly dog friends than by giving them a nice place to sleep at the end of the day. Dogs tend to not care about aesthetics, but they will always appreciate a nice warm outdoor dog house where they can take refuge from thunderstorms, the cold night, and those pesky squirrels. 

Here are some cute doghouse ideas for our cute canine friends to fit any climate, style, and setting. 

Heated Dog House

A Doghouse that's Comfortable Year Round

It’s no wonder that heated doghouses have been skyrocketing in popularity in recent years. If you live in a cold place, a thermally insulated dog house is a great way to keep your doggo comfortable and happy in the dead of winter. Much like us, dogs aren’t huge fans of the cold. If you have an older dog, the cold can even worsen their arthritis. So why leave your dog in discomfort? Heated dog houses come in many sizes and flavors so there’s bound to be one that’s just right for your dog and your backyard. There are simple insulated dog houses that are designed to keep out biting cold winds. Some of these dog house designs include doors that help to keep the cold out even more.

There are also electrically heated doghouses that incorporate a heating element into their design so that your four-legged friend is always toasty warm. For some added cold weather protection, you can even get your dog an igloo doghouse which will keep the rain and snow from blowing into your dog’s abode. 

Themed Dog House 

Picking a Theme for Your Classy DIY Doghouse

A doghouse doesn’t have to be some bland utilitarian affair. For that added touch of whimsy, why not get Fido a themed doghouse? This is a great dog house idea for those loving dog owners that want a quirky shelter for their pets. Bring in some Dr. Seuss vibes with a storybook-themed doghouse, or spice things up with a camper-themed doghouse. Build your dog a cozy “dogzebo”, or a luxury house doghouse. One quick Google search will yield countless fun ideas that will make your dog’s habitat interesting and unusual. Your dog might not notice the magical wonder of an Alice in Wonderland-themed doghouse, but your kids definitely will. We can all use some more color in our lives, and having a whimsical dog house is probably one of the easiest ways to get it.    

Do You Consider Upgrading Doggo's House as Often as Yours?

Doggy Door House

Upgraded Doghouse Design Ideas

Some of us like to let our dogs into our house instead of building one for them. This way our canine buddies get to enjoy air-conditioning and don’t have to stay alone in the yard. But just because your dog sleeps in your house doesn’t mean you can’t give doggo a cool entrance. Why settle for a simple doggy door when you can build your furry comrade an entire doggy door entrance? This doghouse design is connected to your house through a doggy door, and it works like a portal for your dog to come into the house in style. Doggy door houses are easy to design and build and can be stylized to match the look of your house so that they fit right in. Doggy door entrances can also be practical since they give your dog a place to take shelter when it rains without tracking mud into the house. 

Compact Doghouse

Dog Home Ideas for Smaller Pets

Of course, a small doghouse is an ideal solution for a small dog. An even more ideal solution is a modern compact doghouse with fun architecture. Give your small dog house some style that shows attention to detail. Stylish compact doghouses give your little dog a cozy place to unwind at the end of a long day of eating and playing. Compact doghouses are easier to build with style thanks to their small size, and they can be anything you want. You can give a small doghouse sharp straight lines for a modern sophisticated dog. Alternatively, you can make it rustic with a classic wooden dog house look. For our especially small four-legged friends, a cute little indoor dog house might just be all that is needed. 

Indoor Doghouse Ideas that Are Too Cute Not to Make

DIY Dog House Tips and Tricks

A DIY doghouse is pretty easy to build. Sure, you could just settle for buying a basic plastic doghouse for your furry friend and leave it at that. But building a DIY dog house opens the door to all sorts of fun. Building your doghouse means you get to decide how it looks, how big it is, and what features you want it to have. The kids can get involved by coming up with dog house design ideas and even help with building. DIY dog houses are both simple and affordable to build, and most of the time cost less than $100 in total. This is especially true for wooden dog houses. A bunch of 2x4s for the frame along, some 1x6s for floorboards, plywood for the roof, and some shingles are probably all you’ll need for building materials. Everything can be put together with these basic tools:

• Power drill
• Utility knife
• Hammer 
• Level
• Hand saw
• Miter saw (optional)
• Circular saw (optional)   

Tips and Tricks for Building Your Doghouse

How to Build Your Own Dog House

If you decide to build a DIY doghouse, here are some basic steps that will help guide your project to success:

• Take Your Measurements.
  The Length, width, and height of your doghouse should be tailored to your dog’s size. Once you have ensured that your dog house design accommodates your dog’s size, you can begin construction. If you want to get your kids involved in the design process, you can act like their “contractor” by translating their ideas into a workable design.
  

Step by Step to Building a Doghouse Yourself

• Build the Base.
  Begin construction by building the base of the doghouse. A traditional wooden dog house design has a base made up of a 2x4 rectangle base topped with 1x6 sized planks. This design will vary depending on how big or small your doghouse design is and may require additional structural bracing.
  
  
• Framing and Walls.
  When framing the doghouse’s walls, begin with the side walls before doing the front and back walls. For most dog houses, the side walls will be easier to build since you are essentially making the same wall twice. Once you have constructed all four walls with 2x4s, you should preassemble them to make sure they fit together before permanently screwing them in. 
  
  
• Roofing Trusses.
  Your typical doghouse has a gable roof design. This means that both ends of the roof are held up by a triangle-shaped truss. This truss has a horizontal board that holds up two sloping rafters which connect diagonally. This is the same roof design most suburban homes have.
  
  
• Assembling the Roof.
  To make the roof-building easier, it’s a good idea to put the trusses together before installing them. Once you have checked that the trusses come together well, you can install them to the top of the doghouse. Most dog houses only need one additional set of rafters in the center of the roof (called purlins) for structural support.       
  
  
• Installing the Plywood.
  When it comes to your roof, you’ll need a piece of plywood big enough for a roof overhang. This piece of plywood will have to be cut in half to accommodate the gable roof structure. This means it should be a few inches bigger in width and length than the base. You will still have a gap uncovered in the center of the roof which you can cover with the same metal material used for drip edge.
  
  
• Finalize the roof.
  It’s recommended that you also add a drip edge to the overhang since this will keep water from pooling on the roof. Once this is done, you can go ahead and put in some shingles. You can use the same shingles you would use for a house since you won’t need much.

Fun DIY Project You and Your Furry Friend Will Love

Things to Consider

• Make sure your dog fits. We covered this in the howto, but it’s worth repeating here. Make sure to consider whether your dog will have enough space inside once the dog house is filled with things like a dog bed, kennel, etc. Ideally, your dog should be able to stand up and lay down comfortably in the dog house, just like we like to do in our homes!
  

Things to Consider When Building a Doghouse

• Avoid fire hazards. Putting in accessories like electric heating or even lighting is a nice way to create a comfortable environment for your trusty companion. But if you do plan to electrify your DIY doghouse, fire safety is something you’ll need to consider. Make sure there are no power cables that can be gnawed at by your pooch, and that there are fail-safes in case anything shorts out. Something in the line of a ground-fault circuit interrupter outlet (GFCI) is a good solution to keep things safe.    
  
  
• Install purlins horizontally. This refers to putting in the reinforcements for your roof. This will make installing the plywood roof and shingles easier by preventing the purlins from causing an obstruction.
  
  
• Keep your design unobtrusive. Sprucing up a doghouse with a cute little staircase or railings is a nice idea. But you should make sure that these embellishments don’t cramp the space. You wouldn’t want to go through all the trouble of making sure your doghouse is big enough only to make it inaccessible.   
  
  
• DIY Family Fun. If you’re itching for more family DIY projects to do with the little ones, you can’t go wrong with building a treehouse in your backyard.