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If you have a dog that spends a lot of time outside, you need a dog house. If you have a little do-it-yourself skill, you may be able to make your own with the help of some free dog house plans.
Making the plans for a dog house is easy. Decide how large you want the dog house to be. This is going to depend on the size of your dog. You want the dog to be able to move around inside and not be uncomfortable.
We will use a medium dog as our example for creating free dog house plans.
First you will need to make a template for the base of the house. This will be the entire floor space, minus walls, that the house will have. We are going to create a house that is 21 inches wide and 24 inches deep, a good amount of space for a small to medium dog.
Next you need walls and a front. The side walls are going to be 24 inches long (since that is the size floor you cut out, and 24-27 inches high, depending on if you have a tall or short dog. as high as you have decided the side walls should be. Remember, one of these pieces needs to have a door drawn in it that is large enough for your pet to climb through.
The pieces of the roof need to be created in a width and length to cover while allowing sloping to the roof. In this case we are going to use one piece that is 21 inches x 32 inches and a second piece that is 21 in inches by 32 inches. That extra half-inch is not a typo, it is going to be the space you need to attach the two pieces together.
Now you can decide how much wood you need to use for your free dog house plans. Add up the measurements from the free dog house plans you just made and decide how much wood you need to make it work.
If you want an extra strong house you may want to use 2×4's to make a frame that fits the shape and attach the pieces of plywood to it.
Put the pieces of the dog house together with decking screws. Make sure to do this carefully. While 5/8 inch wood is a good amount of space to work with, if you tilt a little too much one way or the other you could send a screw end sticking into the dog house, and injuring your pet.
Next put the two roof pieces together. You will attach the pieces at a right angle with the longer piece facing you, as the piece you will put the screws through the top of.
If you want to add a little more strength, you can cut some of the extra plywood into right angle triangles to offer extra support at the angle of the top. You should glue them in first then screw them in place.
You have two ways to put the top on the house. The first is to make it removable, by putting two strips of wood, spaced even on both sides, underneath the long sides of the roof. When it is set on the top of the house, those strips of wood will balance the roof on top of the house frame. If you would prefer to have your roof permanent, nail down from the outside of the roof and into the walls of the house to hold it in place.
NOTES:
It is important to select exterior woods, as the dog house will have to put up with the weather.
You may want to put shingles on the roof to offer an extra layer of protection
Do not use pressure treated woods if your dog is honest to chewing on things. The chemicals used in the wood can be toxic.
Use exterior paint on the outside of the house to offer an extra layer of protection against the elements.
Keep the doghouse off the ground. Either build it on cement blocks or use pressure treated 2x4s to create a rectangular base to hold it off the ground and away from any standing water. Just add this wood to your list of supplies from on your free dog house plans.
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