How To Build Dog Boxes:
Planning Is Important

So you want to know how to build dog boxes?

You’re tired of carting around a loose pack of hounds or sled dogs and want to know how to build dog boxs that will keep them safely in their own space in the back of your pickup or van.

To build a set of boxes that last and serve your dogs well requires some measuring and planning.

Measuring is first of all useful for figuring out how much space your vehicle will accommodate as well as how much space each of your dogs will need. Once you have determined your dimensions and quantities needed, you will need to measure your materials and cut them accordingly.

Planning helps you design dog boxes for dog comfort, safety and your convenience. An important thing to remember is to avoid obscuring visibility from the driver's rear view mirror(s).

Things to decide upon:

DIMENSIONS

• How many boxes will you need?
• How big does each dog's space need to be?
• How do you want to align the boxes? (For example, along the sides or across the width?)
• Where do you want to place the doors?
• How high does the door threshold need to be?

MATERIALS

• What will you use for the exteriors of the boxes - metal, wood, plastic or a combination? Be sure to consider your area's weather conditions.
• What will you use to fasten the doors?

COMFORT

• How will the boxes be ventilated?
• How will the boxes offer protection from rain, wind and snow?
• What kind of padding and/or insulating materials will you use?

FASTENING

• How will you fasten the dog boxes to the vehicle to prevent them sliding around - bolts, latches or strapping?
• Do you want to be able to remove the boxes to serve double duty as doghouses or to be able to use your vehicle for other purposes?

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