How to Make A Cheap Dog House

Dog houses are fairly expensive. If you are needing a temporary dog house, or just want a cheap, functional dog house shelter for your dog or cat, this article will give you an easy, quick, and best of all cheap fix to take care of your pet.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Plastic storage tub with a lid.
• Marker
• Razor blade knife
• (Optional items) ruler or yardstick or paint paddles, heavy piece of plastic or old vinyl table cloth, nuts and bolts, drill

1. 
   Plastic storage tub.

   Select a plastic storage tub in the size that will best suit your needs. These plastic storage tubs range in size from small enough for a small dog or cat to large enough for most breeds of dogs.

2. 
   Cut out a door.

   Turn the storage tub upside down. With a marker, draw a door on the end of the tub. You can cut a template out of a newspaper to make it neater, then trace around it. Don't cut all the way through the rim that the lid snaps on, make your door bottom about an inch or two above it so it will be sturdier.

3. Using a razor knife, score the lines you made for the door a couple of times, and cut it out.

4. 
   Order of layers for curtain door.

   If you would like to add a curtain door, use a piece of heavy plastic, or a piece of vinyl table cloth. Cut it out large enough to cover the door and leave it a couple of inches longer. Then take a piece of slender wood, like a ruler, part of a yardstick, or paint stirring paddles, and drill 3 holes above the door. Drill corresponding holes in your ruler. Place the ruler on the inside of the dog house with the plastic between the dog house and the wood strip. Bolt this down and you have your door.

5. If you would like to add a heat source, drill a hole in the back of the dog house large enough for the plug to fit through. You can add a heat pad. Just be sure if you use an electric heat pad that your dog isn't in a puppy stage where he might chew it up and get shocked.

6. 
   Dog house.

   Snap the lid back on the bottom. You can add drain holes to the lid if you think you need them. Add some bedding and you are done. Now your dog has a nice dry dog house to seek shelter in.

Tips & Warnings

• If your plastic curtain isn't heavy enough, you can add weight to it with nuts or washers.
• In the summer time your dog might be more comfortable with the lid left off and his house placed in a nice grassy spot.
• You can hold a piece of wood behind the area you are cutting to help cut through it, but be careful not to cut yourself.
• If you have outdoor cats, they might would like one of these as well.
• Be careful not to cut yourself.

[leduncan]

on 10/10/2009 This is a great idea! There is no excuse for your animals not to have homes this winter!

[smartz]

on 5/31/2009 great article!

[elyria]

on 5/4/2009 Very informative and helpful advice!

[Lakota99]

on 4/12/2009 Very nice articles :)

[jenng]

on 3/20/2009 Great article on how to make a cheap dog house 5*