How To Build A Dog House

Jo says: I tried to teach myself how to build a dog house using materials we had on hand from a picture in my head. I made the cardinal mistake of not measuring Comet (a German Shepherd mix) before I started. It wasn't till I'd completed the bottom that it became apparent it was too narrow. The poor dog couldn't even turn around!

See "Recommended Minimum Sizes" on the Building A Dog House page to avoid that mistake.

From Jo's experience we believe anyone can learn how to build a dog house. There are a lot of steps involved so it's best to take your time. Figure on at least two days for a medium size dog abode, more if you're adding insulation, a wind partition or a deck and porch.

Below are our plans to build one out of two sheets of plywood. To see other plans, go to:

Free Dog House Plans (for smaller dogs)
Dog House Plans For Free(for medium sized dogs)
Free Dog House Plans (for large dogs)
Large Dog House Plans (not free but may be worth checking out for dog house building tips)

Here's Stan's CAD drawing of Comet's dog house prior to painting.

The absolute first step is to read through all the instructions before you start. If you want to practice on a cardboard box first, go to our Cardboard Dog House page.

Want your dog house to be insulated? Go to Build An Insulated Dog House

 

BASIC PLYWOOD DOG HOUSE

ESTIMATED TIME
  • 12 to 24 hours
MATERIALS

Note: Use exterior grade plywood if you don't want to have to prime and paint your dog house every so often*

  • Two 4 x 8 sheets of 3/8 or 1/2 inch plywood
    [Metric: Two sheets 1220 x 2438 of 9.5 or 12.5 mm plywood]
  • Box of wood or drywall screws
  • 12 feet of 2x2's or 2x4's
    [Metric: 3658mm of 50x50 or 50x100]
  • 11.25 feet of 4x4's
    [Metric: 3430mm of 100x100]
  • Drywall or wood screws
    • *Optional: Paint brushes
  • *Optional: Primer and paint to cover 40 square feet
TOOLS NEEDED
  • Saw for cutting plywood and wood
  • Power screwdriver or hand screwdriver with phillips head
  • Tape measure
  • Pen or pencil for marking
  • Straight edge
  • Sander or sandpaper block
COST OF MATERIALS
  • Plywood sheets - between USD 13 and 20 per sheet
  • 2x4s - to be determined
  • 4x4s -to be determined
  • 1 Box drywall screws - to be determined
Remember to take breaks or STOP when you get tired or irritable, no matter where you are in the process. You will make fewer mistakes and there’s less potential for injury. Watch your eyes, your back and keep body parts out of the path of cutting blades...
 
INSTRUCTIONS:
  1. Cutting Side and Bottom pieces and Framing Supports
  2. Putting together the Sides and Bottom
  3. Cutting Roof pieces and attaching to the Roof Support
  4. Cutting the Front and Back Walls
  5. Attaching the Front, Back and Roof
  6. Finishing touches
PART I:
CUTTING THE SIDE, BOTTOM AND FRAMING PIECES:

Click on the thumbnails below to view larger images

      
Plywood Sheet 1      Plywood Sheet 2

  • Mark Plywood Sheet 1 with Side and Bottom pieces
  • Cut the two Side walls, 24" x 40" (600x1015mm)
  • Cut the Bottom piece, 32" x 40" (812x1015mm)
  • Leave the Roof pieces till later if you like
  • Cut four 2x2’s or 2x4’s (50x50 or 50x100mm) 24 inches (600mm) high
  • These will be your Framing Supports
  • Note: If you use thinner plywood, you may need another support in the middle of the long sides
 
PART II:
PUTTING SIDES AND BOTTOM TOGETHER

Note: When putting in screws, try to get them all the way in or even recess them so nothing pokes your dog

SIDES

  • Determine which surface of Side 1 you want inside the dog house

  • You are going to screw two or three Framing Supports to that side
  • Turn the plyboard over so the wrong side faces you
  • Place the first Support under one edge
  • Make sure the Framing Support does not stick out past the plywood edges
  • Use at least five screws in a zigzag pattern to screw Side 1 onto the Framing Support, going through the plywood first
  • Fasten the next Framing Support on the other end the same way
  • If need be, add a Support in the middle
  • Do the same with Side 2
BOTTOM
  • Decide which surface of the Bottom you want facing inside. This will be the Floor
  • Place Side 1 on it’s long side against a chair
  • Take another chair and lay the Bottom piece Floor side down on it
  • Match the long side of the Bottom to the long side of Side 1
  • Screw them together at the Framing Supports (and elsewhere if your plywood is thick enough)
  • Make sure the Supports end up on the inside with the Floor

  • Turn the piece around. Screw Side 2 to the Bottom in the same way
Wow - it's starting to look like you know how to build a dog house, isn't it!


 
PART III:
CUTTING ROOF PIECES AND PUTTING ROOF TOGETHER:

CUTTING

  • Cut roof pieces along lines as shown in the drawings
  • You should have 6 panels 16 x 24 inches (406 x 610 mm) and
    6 pieces 4 x 24 inches (203 x 610 mm)
  • Set aside the narrow pieces for now
  • Take two 2x4s (50x100) fastened together or one 4x4 (100x100) and cut at 39 inches (990mm)
  • This is your Roof Support
PUTTING TOGETHER
  • Place 3 roof panels width-to-width along one edge of this Support
  • Overlap each end by 4.5 inches (114mm)
  • Screw to the Roof Support using three screws per panel in a triangle pattern
  • At a 90 degree angle, screw the other 3 panels to the Roof Support
  • Be sure to cover the ends of the previous panels
 
PART IV:
CUTTING OUT THE FRONT AND BACK WALLS
  • Settle your Roof on the Sides so it looks the way you want it to end up (per photo at page top)
  • Mark the inside (underneath side) of your Roof panels where they meet the Sides, then remove
  • On your second sheet of plywood, mark the bottom rectangle of your Back Wall
  • For the best fit for the peak, stand your roof on end on the plywood
  • Match the inside Roof markings to the top of the Back Wall rectangle
  • Trace the inside of the Roof's upside down V onto the plywood
  • Remove the Roof and saw around the markings = your Back Wall
  • Repeat steps for your Front Wall. Flip the Roof on its other end to get the best match
  • Saw out the doorway
 
PART V:
RAISING THE BOTTOM, ATTACHING FRONT, BACK and ROOF
  • Move your dog house to the final spot you want
  • Cut at least three 2x4s (50x100) or 4x4s (100x100) to fit underneath the bottom of your dog house across the width
  • Space at regular intervals under the Bottom, then screw down
  • Screw the Front and Back sections to the respective Framing Supports
  • Place the Roof back on, making sure it fits well, then screw the peaks of the front and back to the Roof Support ends
 
PART IV:
FINAL TOUCHES
  • Sand the edges of the doorway and the Roof points
  • If your dog house is made of regular plywood, like Comet’s, you'll need to prime and paint any pieces exposed to the outside to prevent rot
  • Make sure to coat the ends of the plywood and also cover the 4 inch wide Roof pieces on all sides
  • When all are dry, take four 4 inch wide pieces and cover the seams made by the Roof panels then screw pieces in place
  • With the remaining two pieces, attach to the Front peak (as shown)

Congratulations, you’ve learned how to build a dog house!

To pad the dog house floor, check out our Dog Beds page. A basic foam pad with a vinyl cover should be easy to keep clean and free of fleas while providing comfort for your dog.

Return from How To Build A Dog House to the main Dog House page.


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