DIY Doghouse
Building a simple doghouse is something that just about anyone can do. Not only will you save some money and gain satisfaction by creating your own structure, you will have a transferrable skill that you can teach others. Once you master building a doghouse for your own pet, work with others in your community who care about animals to build multiple doghouses and donate them to your local humane society or animal shelter for pets in need.
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Things You'll Need
- Pressure treated plywood and two-by-four lumber
- Tape measure
- Circular saw
- Construction adhesive
- Handsaw
- Framing hammer
- Staple gun
- 3-inch outdoor screws
- 12D galvanized nails
Instructions
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1
Measure the width and length of your dog from shoulder blade to shoulder blade and nose to nail. Measure the dog's standing height from its paw to the crown of its head. Write these measurements down and construct your doghouse so that it is one to two feet larger than the dog, so that your dog has adequate room to turn around and stand inside.
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2
Build the base of the doghouse with pressure-treated two-by-fours (or two-by-sixes) so that the doghouse floor does not rest on the ground. Cut four pieces of wood to the length and width measurements you determined for your dog with a circular saw. Nail the four pieces together with galvanized 12D nails by pressing the short side and long side together so that they form an "L" shape and hammering two nails an inch in from either side through the short piece of wood and into the long piece of wood. Repeat this step for other short and long side pieces of wood until all four pieces are securely connected. Repeat this step again for the top frame, which will be identical to the bottom frame you just created.
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3
Create four vertical, corner posts for your dog house to connect the top and bottom frames together. Cut one two-by-two and one two-by-four with a circular saw according to your dog's measurements. Nail these two pieces together in the form of an "L" with 12D galvanized nails or screws. Repeat this step three times until you have four complete corner posts.
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4
Secure the corner posts, one at a time, to the top and bottom frames with three-inch outdoor screws. Set one corner post on the top left corner of your bottom frame. Drill two screws through either side of the post and into the frame. Repeat this step until all four corner posts are attached to the bottom frame.
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Set the top frame on top of the corner posts. Attach one seven-inch angle clip to the inside of each top corner post. Hammer one nail through each side of the top frame and into the corner post.
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6
Cut one piece of two-by-four equal to the length of your dog's measurements to create the middle of your roof frame. Cut two two-by-fours equal to the width of your dog's measurements and cut those in half with diagonal cuts to form four diagonal roof frame pieces. Fit the four pieces together so they form triangles on either end of the center roof frame piece. Connect two pieces to the front of the center piece with two galvanized nails and repeat this step for the back.
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7
Attach the completed roof frame to the top frame frame with 12D galvanized nails, driving one nail through the top of each corner of the roof frame and into the side frame.
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8
Cut carpet to fit the doghouse floor and attach it to the plywood with construction adhesive. Cut two pieces of plywood to fit your roof frame and attach them to the frame with 12D galvanized nails. Cut four pieces of plywood with your circular saw to fit the side frame and attach all but the front with 3-inch outdoor screws.
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9
Cut a square or rounded entrance out of the front plywood panel with a circular saw and attach it with 3-inch outdoor screws to the frame. If desired, attach shingles to the roof to protect it from inclement weather, thereby extending the life of the doghouse.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
