Insulated Dog House Plan

Use an insulated dog house plan to build the right dog house to keep your dog(s) comfortable in all weathers.

Types of insulation could be anything that adds a solid extra layer that is a poor conductor of heat. Some ideas are:

  • Foam board
  • Sprayed in foam
  • Batting
  • Used carpeting or carpet pad
  • Layers of newspaper
  • Old quilts
  • Rags
  • Old socks
Most plans for insulated dog houses that we've seen use foam insulation. (For links to plans organized by dog house size see Building A Doghouse

For our Basic Dog House we suggest you add a thin layer of non-toxic plywood over your insulating material. This will prevent your dog from eating the contents! The easiest way to do this would be to add the plywood first then stuff the gap with the insulation. In other words, make a plywood sandwich.

Fasten the extra plywood layer to 1x1s (25x25mm) attached next to your 2x2s (50x50mm). This will give more than an inch (25mm) of insulation while allowing maximum space for your dog. If you want thicker insulation and believe there will still be enough room for your pet, by all means attach the plywood to the 2x2s.

When adding insulation to an existing dog house, it may be easier to take the roof off first.

Remember to insulate all the surfaces, including the roof, back, front and side walls.

Finally, make a front door flap out of heavy plastic or rubber to keep cold air out. Simply staple, screw or nail it to the inside of the front door.

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