Do-it-yourself dog house from improvised materials. A simple do-it-yourself dog house. Do-it-yourself shepherd dog booth, step by step instructions. How to make a do-it-yourself brick dog house

Not every owner can afford to have a dog living with him. Being in their own living space, the pet will have a number of advantages. There he can lie down and rest freely. Thus, the dog will know that the place belongs only to her. The German Shepherd breed also needs special housing. Her booth should be of sufficient size, and the roof and structure itself should be made of suitable material. Dog houses for large breeds are quite difficult to find in the store, so it's easier to make them yourself.

When starting to create a kennel, it is necessary to carefully plan the placement of each zone and internal elements. It should be remembered that this is not only a dwelling, but also a place for a bowl of food and a container of water. Do not forget about the placement of the toilet. All areas should be planned so that the dog has enough space to sleep and walk. At the same time, it is necessary to take care of the functional entrance to the booth. In addition, the dwelling should be placed so that the dog has an overview of the largest area of \u200b\u200bthe property, then the owner will immediately know about the visit of "uninvited guests".

The size of the booth plays an important role for our pets: in small dwellings they will be cramped, and in large ones it will be cold.

The optimal dimensions of a kennel are measured by adding 10-15 cm to the length and width of the dog. There are many formulas for measuring animals, but the most appropriate dimensions are based on the size of the individual dog. Most often, the following calculations are used for the construction of a booth:

dog length + 10-15 cm is the depth,
dog length + 10-15 cm - width,
dog height + 10-15 cm - height,
5 cm below the height and 5 cm more than the width of the chest - a hole in the kennel.

Drawings of a booth for a dog shepherd

Shepherd dog booth can be of two types:

just a bedroom
bedroom + vestibule.

When one roof slope is extended, a covered vestibule is obtained, which gives the dog a view from three sides. There is not much material, but the pet has a wonderful corner for rest and shelter from the weather.

The roof of the kennel is single-pitched and double-pitched. Dog breeders prefer the first type, because. the pet can jump on it and train the muscles. The back wall is made 10-15 degrees higher than the front, so that rainwater flows back.

90% of the buildings are based on one scheme, and the remaining 10% are made according to the design preferences of the owners and their material capabilities.
Collapsible booth. When constructing it, you should pay attention to the correct location of the manhole.

Sometimes a removable roof is made in booths to make it easier to do internal cleaning.

Insulated dog house with removable roof.

Warm booth with covered entrance.

Tools and materials for building a booth for a German Shepherd dog

Wood is the best material for a booth. A board or plywood is treated with a special impregnation against rotting, insects and fire. Enameling a tree can only be done on the outside, it is not necessary on the inside.

Kennel base
The construction of the booth begins with the preparation of the substrate, over which the dwelling will be placed. The surface must be carefully leveled and compacted to protect the pet. For the base, it is not recommended to use cold sleepers, such as concrete. From the constant presence of a shepherd dog on a concrete floor, rheumatism can develop. The best solution from an aesthetic and practical point of view would be a wooden surface. The floor of the kennel is lined with tongue-and-groove boards or OSB boards. The place that will serve as a pet toilet is filled with gravel or sand. This will help keep the enclosure clean.

booth walls
They, like the base, must be wooden. The wooden frame is sheathed inside with plywood or clapboard, and mineral wool or polystyrene is laid between them. This design will make the pet's home especially warm. The inside of the booth should be as comfortable and safe as possible for a four-legged friend. It should not have a rough board and sharp corners.

Roof finish
The roof can be made of wood, metal or plastic. Do not forget that it is set based on the height of the dog + 10 cm.

Laz
The entrance to the building is left in the direction of the long wall. A sill is made on it so that water does not get inside. In cold weather, to keep warm, the hole is hung with a tarpaulin or burlap. If the puppy plays with a curtain, it is better to replace it with a door.

From the tools for building a dog house, a tape measure, a circular saw / hacksaw, a pencil, a chisel, a planer, a hammer and a level are useful.
The economy option for a shepherd dog booth is a pallet building. They are used for walls, floors and tops. The main thing in this case is to strictly adhere to the drawings. One of the sides has already filled boards, so it is good to place insulation between them.

How to build a dog house with your own hands, step by step instructions

Before you start building, make sure you have enough materials, wood, and the necessary tools.

The design of the dog house will consist of pallets sheathed with a board.
Start building from the ground. To do this, the whole pallet is covered with a sheet of plywood for smoothness. It must be exactly the right fit. Then, leaving space for the vestibule, they make the boundaries of the bed and build a wooden frame. It is necessary to hold a tape measure in your hands in order to accurately make all measurements.

The back pillars of the wall should be shorter than the front ones to give the roof a slope. Sloped roofs allow rainwater to drain over the kennel.

Additionally, poles for the vestibule and wooden cross beams are installed. To give the structure strength in the middle of the roof, an additional board is installed.

The pillars of the vestibule are attached to the roof racks with the help of wooden cross beams. To do this, take thicker bars and small squares, since they will give the booth stability. They mark the entrance to the kennel and sheathe it with a board. It should be slightly left of center.

Make sure all parts are positioned correctly.

Then the painting of the finished frame begins. Close the board, removed from the pallets, the sides of the booth. First, the back side, sides and finally the front are sewn up, leaving the space for entry unfilled.

The roof is also made of wood, laying out a herringbone board. Start at the bottom and finish along the front edge. The finished roof and sides are painted.

The boundaries of the roof along the perimeter are sheathed with a board.

Round off the corners of the board, which frames the hole in the kennel.

Install a fence on one side and cover the roof of the vestibule. Boards have joints to each other. The front edges of the roof of the veranda are made in a V-shape, like a wooden fence. This will bring lightness to the entire structure. Details are painted.

Homemade booth is ready. To protect against bad weather and burnout, wooden surfaces are varnished after painting.

Dog house video

Booth from the remains of a cut board with a door. It has special legs so that the structure does not stand directly on the ground.

An insulated booth with an opening lid in three days. Corners and plinth are used for decoration.

Building a booth with detailed drawings.

To protect the animal from the cold, the booth must be insulated. They try to close up all the cracks and eliminate drafts. The base of the kennel is placed on bars or bricks to prevent freezing of the bottom.
Warming of the dwelling is thought over even during construction. Between the board and plywood of the walls, as well as the ceiling, a layer of mineral wool, felt or polystyrene is laid.
Three-layer external insulation along the crate is also acceptable. Here are the layers used:

polystyrene (5-10 mm). Its size is made 1 cm larger than the crate for tight fixation.
polyethylene, the seams pass with mounting foam;
at the finish line, everyone is covered with a board.

The floor of the booth is lined with insulation and bedding. The bottom is sewn up with roofing felt, then glassine is overlapped, the cells are filled with cotton wool or penofol, and a board is stuffed on top. For bedding, sawdust, hay or straw are used with the addition of wormwood and thyme. Some dog breeders put fabric mattresses on the bottom, but their covers need to be washed from time to time.

Electrically heated mats are more suitable for small dogs. You can adjust the temperature in the bedding.

Thermal insulation of the entrance is of great importance for keeping warm. The manhole is hung with tarpaulin or rubber curtains. On sale there are silicone blinds that do not harden in the cold.

Of the modern latest heaters, you can stop at the installation of infrared film electric heaters, film insulation or the installation of a cable floor.

Alternative heaters for the kennel are IR lamps, which are mounted at a distance of 50 cm from the dog or battery-powered autonomous heaters.

Aviary with a booth for a dog, photo

The aviary limits the space for the animal not only on the sides, but also on top. The structure can be street and home. For a shepherd dog, it is better to make the first look so that she can move freely in the air. To protect the animal from the weather, covered fences are built from wood, brick, metal mesh and profile pipes.

The main requirement for such a home is the convenience and comfort of the animal.

Closed eco-aviary made of wood.

Open shepherd enclosure.

Insulated version with a painted frame.
For a shepherd dog, the dwelling should occupy at least 10 m2. A maternity place is provided for the bitch, and a more reliable structure is being built for the male. In the aviary, they definitely plan a place for bowls and a toilet.
When choosing a place for construction, they stop in a crowded place so that the dog does not feel lonely. Ideally, this should be the front of the yard. The fences are located in the shade and try to avoid the southern areas. For their construction, durable materials are used: thick boards, bricks, iron corners. The roof must have a visor made of slate or profiled sheet.
An approximate layout of the elements of the aviary.

It is desirable to put the structure itself on a hill to avoid rotting of the material.

During construction, they try not to save on materials, and also do not use forged parts. Sharp corners can injure the animal.
An approximate plan for the construction of vertical bars and a welded frame.

In the manufacture of dog dwellings, various materials are used, incl. wood, steel and aluminium. The main criteria for their selection is quality, safety and durability.

When buying a finished booth, you need to make sure that it is made from natural materials.

The dwelling should be easy to clean and easy to move. Some models have sliding windows for better ventilation.

The sleeping place of the animal should not be large, because the dog sleeps curled up. A clear example when the owner did not guess with the size.

There are many options and drawings of booths, but only the owner knows what kind of home his pet needs. No need to be afraid of your imagination and experiments!

When a person gets a dog, he thinks in advance about where the animal will live. If the pet moves to a small city apartment, it will be enough for him to build a bed. In a large house or in the yard, a special dwelling is usually built for the dog.

Today, each owner has the opportunity to purchase a ready-made booth for a pet, but a shop house for a dog is unlikely to take into account the individual needs of the animal. Experienced owners are well aware that the best option is a homemade booth. It is not difficult to build it.

What is a dog house or kennel?

A traditional house for a Caucasian Shepherd Dog, Laika, Labrador, St. Bernard or other large dog is a simple structure without additional partitions, which is easy to assemble with your own hands. It has a rectangular shape and a pitched roof. With building skills, the roof can be made gable. It is advisable to enter the kennel or booth from the side. One of the walls or the roof is made removable: this makes it easier to clean and disinfect the room.

Intending to put together a beautiful booth for a domestic dog with your own hands, you need to draw a diagram of the future structure, taking into account its size. This will help to calculate the cost of materials. Determining the size of the house is one of the most difficult and responsible stages of work.

If the house is intended for an adult pet, it is easier to calculate its parameters: it is recommended to add 10 cm to the height of the animal to get the height, the same amount to the width of the chest to get the size of one of the sides, and 20 cm to the body length to calculate the depth. If there are enough materials, it is allowed to make the building voluminous.

Choosing the right parameters for a puppy is more difficult, because the dog will still grow. In order not to be mistaken, it is better to be guided by reference materials when calculating. For large breeds - Great Danes, Mastiffs, St. Bernards - the dimensions of the booth are 1.2 × 1 × 1 m. correctly build a booth with dimensions of 0.6 × 0.8 × 0.6 m.

How to build a dog house?

It is recommended to start work by choosing a place where the booth will be located. Then you need to make a drawing of the future structure, determine its size and consumption of materials. In this case, it is desirable to decide in advance what the house will be built from. The choice of materials is wide, but more often the booth is built from bricks or boards. Having decided on the material, you can begin to implement the plan.

Project preparation, site selection, materials and tools

It is not necessary to make a professional project for the booth at the level of a highly qualified engineer. It is enough to schematically depict the main details of the structure with an indication of the dimensions.

An important point of work is choosing the right place for the kennel. The house where an adult dog or puppy will live should be placed in the yard so that the pet does not suffer from direct sunlight. It is for this reason that the booth is located in the shade of a tall tree or building. It is wrong to put a house in those places where rain or melt water accumulates.

The guard dog house is positioned so that the dog has a good view. Between the owner’s dwelling and the puppy’s kennel, a distance of 10 meters must be left.

The choice of tools depends on what the booth will be made of. If bricks are chosen for the construction, a trowel and a container for mixing cement mortar will be needed. It will be impossible to make a wooden structure without a hammer and nails. Regardless of what the box will be made of, materials will be needed for work:

sand;
Styrofoam;
antiseptic impregnation;
door hinges;
roofing material;
plywood or sheets of chipboard, OSB.

Capital structure of timber, wood, brick

A brick or wooden booth is a reliable structure that will serve the pet as a cozy home where the dog will feel completely safe. There are many models of booths for dogs: you can make a kennel with a gable or shed roof, a two-story house for several animals, a building with a vestibule, a booth with a canopy, an insulated house, etc.

A brick booth will last for many years, but it is impossible to move it from one place to another. More often, for the manufacture of dwellings for dogs and puppies, timber, boards, and plywood are used.

For one and two dogs

Depending on how many dogs will live in the booth, it can be one-room and two-room. If two dogs live in the room, it is recommended to build a one-story building in which two rooms with separate manholes will be located under a common roof. They are separated from each other by an internal partition.

Sometimes one terrace is attached to a house for two residents, but in general the design of the building does not differ from a one-room booth. The compartments in it should be the same. If the pets have different dimensions, the booth must be made in accordance with their individual sizes.

Model with tambour

A kennel with a vestibule is a structure consisting of two compartments - a sleeping place and a room that protects the house from wind, rain and cold. A partition will help separate the rooms.

The assembly process of the kennel is distinguished by the need to attach a vestibule in front of the construction. To do this, it is recommended to use wooden blocks with a cross section of 4 × 4 cm, plywood or OSB sheets, self-tapping screws, insulation material. A frame is made from the bars, corresponding to the width and height of the booth.

Then sheets of plywood are attached to it from the outside with the help of self-tapping screws. Styrofoam or other insulation is fixed over the entire surface of the plywood. Then the remaining plywood is attached to the frame from the inside of the structure. If desired, the finished structure can be painted to protect the material from external factors.

Building with a vestibule is a good solution for a watchdog. Labrador, shepherd, hound, husky will like this option.

Building with a canopy

A house with a canopy is not able to provide the tenant with good protection from wind and cold, so it is installed in a place where it does not blow: behind some outbuilding, behind people's dwellings, a high fence. The roof and bottom of the kennel from the side of the manhole are made protruding.

The size of the canopy depends on the dimensions of the owner of the dwelling: it is important that the dog can lie freely under it. As a rule, the area of the structure is half the area of \u200b\u200bthe booth itself. The house gives a lot of space for imagination: it is quite possible to turn it into a fabulous house, decorating the porch and the manhole with carved details.

A much more complicated option is a two-story booth, in which a sleeping place is located on the 1st floor, and a couch with a roof is equipped on the 2nd. The advantage of the design is its originality. In addition, some dogs like to lie on the roof of their booth, and a two-story kennel takes into account this addiction of the dog.

Booth from boards, OSB, chipboard with insulation for the winter

The main purpose of the dog house is to warm the animal in bad weather. In a harsh winter, a wooden or brick house is unlikely to be able to fulfill this function fully. The dog house needs to be insulated.

For this purpose, the owners can use foam, roofing material or mineral wool. Insulation materials, according to the rules, are sewn inside the structure, the details of which are made of plywood, chipboard panels, boards.

When making a kennel from a bar 10 cm thick, there is no need to insulate its walls, but the floor needs to be insulated in any house. For this it is more convenient to use foam. It is laid between the bars and sewn up with boards. The floor frame is designed so that the part with the protrusions is on top. It is advisable to line the bottom of the structure with glassine, fixing its edges with a stapler, lay the foam on top, then put another layer of glassine and lay the finishing floor.

To keep the house warm in winter, you need to raise its floor from the ground. It is easier to do this with the help of small legs nailed to the bottom of the structure.

The warming measures described above will not warm the house if there is a frost of 30 degrees outside. For a dog dwelling located in the northern latitudes, it would be advisable to make a heating system. It is recommended to do it with electric panel heaters. It is desirable to attach such a device to one of the side walls inside the house.

Another option for heating the booth is to create a warm floor using infrared film. The device is laid during the construction of the booth. Such a heater will be able to heat the bottom of the kennel up to 60 degrees, while there is no risk that the dog will burn itself.

House in the house

No matter how cozy the booth is, dogs like to live with the owner more. If there is such an opportunity, in an apartment or house, you can allocate a place for a dog house so that the pet has its own corner. The design of the building should be in harmony with the style of the room. An exception may be a house built on a balcony: this part of the house often becomes a separate room that belongs exclusively to the pet.

Equipping a dog house right in the apartment is not difficult, because for this there is no need to purchase special materials. You can build a "house in the house" from improvised materials.

Dog "mansions" in an apartment or on a balcony made of plywood, cardboard, fiberboard

A solid construction will be obtained by using reliable materials, such as fiberboard sheets. For a strong connection of parts, it is desirable to use metal corners. In general, the technology for making a dog house in the owner's home does not differ from the same process in the yard.

A warm kennel is not needed indoors, so you can quickly and inexpensively make a small dog house out of cardboard. For this purpose, a box from under household appliances is suitable. The algorithm looks something like this:

Acquisition of construction tools and materials. In addition to the cardboard itself, you will need scissors, a tape measure, a simple pencil, and wide adhesive tape for work. It is necessary to prepare both a construction stapler and pieces of old wallpaper or fabric to decorate the building.
Creating a drawing. First, a reduced copy is created indicating the desired dimensions, then the pattern of real dimensions is transferred to paper, samples of parts are made, which are used to create cardboard copies.
Cutting parts of the product. When working on blanks, it is recommended, if possible, to make the walls one-piece. It will be easier to bend them in the right place than to connect them with some kind of clamps.
Assembly. The parts are connected with a wide adhesive tape. It is glued in several layers at the seams. Using this tape, the edges of the manhole are also made out.
Decoration. At this stage, a stapler will be used. With its help, decorative elements are attached over an unsightly cardboard base - wallpaper, fabric and any other materials. A bed with a removable cover is laid inside the dwelling.

“The winter was very cold, not only trees, grapes and perennials froze, but also dogs,” writes a member of our portal. This article tells how to make a winter booth and an insulated dog kennel with your own hands. Here are diagrams, drawings and photographs of buildings in which even freezing dogs can easily survive the most severe frosts.

How to make a booth for a dog for the winter: dimensions, drawings, workflow
How to make a warm dog enclosure: drawings and photos
Examples of ready-made warm enclosures for FORUMHOUSE users

How to make a doghouse for the winter

Construction begins with calculations. The dimensions of the winter booth should be optimal: the dog will be cold in spacious mansions.

The dimensions of the booth are calculated depending on the size of the dog.

Insulated booth for dogs with their own hands.

When building a warm booth, be guided by this table (dimensions for an adult dog are given):

Warm booth dimensions

The resulting dimensions of the winter booth can be slightly changed upwards, they cannot be reduced.

Internal dimensions for building a warm do-it-yourself dog house

Drawings of a winter booth and a warm enclosure for a dog

Having decided on the dimensions, you should draw a sketch of the booth, observing the following rules:

make a hole in the long part of the booth, and not in the center, but by shifting it to any side;
a gable roof with an attic looks better, but dogs like to lie on the roof, so it is preferable to make a shed;
insulated, but removable roof will allow regular cleaning of the premises;
in the winter enclosure for the dog, protection from the wind is necessarily done;
you need to install a dog aviary on a hill, in a place from where the dog will have a maximum view of the site;
the booth must be placed on a platform that excludes flooding with water.
the floor of the insulated booth should not touch the ground;
so that the wind does not blow into the booth, the entrance from the vestibule to a warm room must be made obliquely from the outside.
the insulation of walls, floors and ceilings must be done in good conscience, “as yourself”.

Alabaev Member of FORUMHOUSE

I have a frame with 100 mm foam without gaps, siding outside, 40 mm floorboard inside, roof - soft tiles.

Here is a drawing of a classic winter booth, on the basis of which many projects of FORUMHOUSE participants are implemented.

And these are drawings of an insulated enclosure for an Alaskan Malamute puppy, built by our user with the nickname Sat-Electric.

The walls of the enclosure are sheathed and insulated in the place of the built-in booth

The drawings were made based on the size of the dog with a small margin for the internal partition.

How to make a booth for a dog for the winter: the order of work

The construction of the winter booth begins with the floor, which is made double and warm. Then they make a frame, walls, ceiling.

Necessary:

saw off two bars 40x40, the length is equal to the width of the booth,
sew a floorboard on them;
turn over the structure, install a beam 100x100 and a length of “booth height + 45 mm” in each corner;
in the place where the manhole is established, put 2 bars 40x40;
fix the intermediate racks on which the roof-ceiling will rest. Their length is equal to the internal height of the booth;
sheathe the booth with lining from the outside;
make a warm removable ceiling: put together a perimeter of 40x40 cm bars and sew on a sheet of plywood. For the ceiling in a large booth, it is necessary to cut intermediate blocks to prevent sagging plywood;
insulate the ceiling with mineral wool, polystyrene or other insulation, sew a second sheet of plywood on top, make a roof;
waterproof the bottom of the booth by treating the tree with a special compound. A roofing material can be fixed to the bottom with a stapler and two pieces of timber 100x50;
insulate the floor, make a finishing floor;
insulate the walls.

Irishe4ka Member of FORUMHOUSE

We made the inside of the booth from fiberboard, which was nailed to a 50mm bar, and PPS 50mm was placed in the resulting niche. Ennobled with lining.

In such a booth, the dog will be comfortable at any time, but in severe weather, the hole should be closed with special curtains.

Ma'am Member of FORUMHOUSE

Any durable material is taken a little larger than the entrance to the booth. It is cut into wide strips, which are fastened together at the top with an overlap. The top is fastened with a bar above the entrance to the booth. Show the dog once that it is not a solid wall, and he will climb in and out without any problems.

Here is a winter booth made by our member Shamilich. There are two rooms in the booth: a “winter road”, the dimensions of which were calculated based on the size of the dog, and a vestibule.

Shamilich Member of FORUMHOUSE

We are ready for the cold weather, which I am personally sincerely glad about. I am sure that the dog will appreciate our efforts!

In severe frosts, a winter booth for a dog can be filled with straw. There is no need to feel sorry for the straw: the dog itself will throw out the excess and arrange an ideal bed for itself.

How to make an aviary for a dog for the winter

When constructing an aviary, the following rules should be observed:

The aviary is made away from the street fence.
Part of the walls of the enclosure should be deaf to protect from the wind. You can make a completely closed aviary with a fenced walking area.
The strip foundation will help to avoid undermining.
Part of the enclosure must be covered with a canopy so that the juice can hide from the rain, and in the summer from the sun.
The aviary is a rather expensive design, it is better to do it right away thoroughly.

The requirements for insulated enclosures depend on the breed of dog. So, enclosures for a Caucasian or Alabai are made on a slab or other massive foundation, with concrete pillars of the frame, and no chain-link for fencing the enclosure - only reinforcement. Enclosures for dogs of other breeds are subject to less stringent requirements.

A member of Sat-Electric made the enclosure without a foundation so that it could be moved to another location if necessary.

To build such an aviary for a dog, you need:

level the surface
overlap and with a margin for deflection spread sheets of waterproofing roll material. Glue the places of overlap with a burner;
make a frame from a bar 150x100.

sheathe the frame with a thick board, bend the waterproofing.

lay OSB on top - a plate (or better a grooved board).

assemble a frame from a bar 100x100.

Attach temporary diagonal braces to stiffen the frame.
Assemble the roof structure, cover with metal tiles.

Sheathe the walls and insulate the area of the built-in booth (the booth is also insulated).

Treat the floor and walls with decorative and protective material.
fasten the net (or lattice, depending on the breed of the dog).

There are many successful examples of warm dog enclosures on FORUMHOUSE. The solid project of our user with the nickname rombikk deserves attention. This warm winter aviary made of bricks is made by hand.

All owners of country houses make sure that it is warm and cozy in winter. But what about a pet - a dog guarding the yard from ill-wishers? Is she cold too? Yes, that's why her booth needs to be insulated. So, today we will tell you how to insulate a dog house.

Do you need to insulate your dog house?

Do dogs have enough hair to keep them warm in winter? Let's make a reservation right away that at this time of the year the dogs are definitely cold, especially if they are not long-haired, and the booth can not only freeze, but also, for example, leak, drafts may appear in it. And if your dog is really your best friend, then treat him properly and make sure that he has the appropriate conditions for wintering.

First, it is checked whether the booth is located correctly, or whether it needs to be moved. The main requirements are listed below.

If possible, the entrance to the booth should be located where there is calm (that is, minimal wind movement).
Ideally, the house should be made of natural wood.
During precipitation, water should not flow inside the booth, so two options are possible: place the structure on a hill or take care of high-quality insulation.
The dimensions of the house should fit the size of the dog: it is important that he does not feel cramped in it, but excessive spaciousness is also inappropriate.
It is impossible that the kennel was unprotected from the sun, but excessive shading is also unacceptable - look for the "golden mean".

How to insulate the hive for the winter

Earlier we talked about how to properly insulate the hive, what materials should be used, in addition to this article, we advise you to read this information

When insulating the booth, you need to act the same way as when insulating other structures: all the nuances are taken into account, including wind protection, protection from moisture and cold. Internal insulation is advisable for structures that can be easily dismantled / assembled back.

Note! If the kennel is already ready, and there is no way to disassemble it, then give preference to external insulation. In this case, you will need a final finish so that the booth looks good on the site.

Finally, for greater confidence in the results, insulate everything at once - the roof, walls and floor.

Basic requirements for thermal insulation of the kennel

First, one important point needs to be clarified: we are talking about a creature that is guided, first of all, by its own instincts. You can't tell him what to do and what not to do. Therefore, certain requirements must be followed.

The walls of the insulated kennel should not be such that they can be easily damaged.

It is better to give preference to natural heat insulators, which emit a minimum amount of harmful substances into the atmosphere.

A great idea is the arrangement of the canopy. It is important that it is very durable, because the dog will most likely want to play with it. Vinyl or a regular tarp, most likely, will not be able to hold out for a long time (more on the canopy in the next paragraph of the article).

Finally, the insulation should be qualitatively isolated from the interior of the kennel. Mineral wool, for example, irritates the human respiratory system, and there is nothing to even talk about a sensitive dog's sense of smell.

Now let's find out how to insulate a dog house and what materials to use for this.

Installing a curtain (canopy) in a kennel

The hole in the kennel should be protected from the penetration of precipitation - this will require a special curtain. Often, tarpaulin or rubber is used for its manufacture. Also, the curtain should be somewhat weighted so that it does not sway from the wind. You can, for example, sew small pockets to the bottom of it and fill them with sand.

By the way, ready-made canopies or curtains are also sold today, they can be found in many specialized stores.

How to insulate a frame house

Earlier we talked about several options for warming a frame house and described the whole process in detail, in addition to this article, we advise you to read this information

Choosing insulation for a dog house

When choosing one or another insulating material, one should be guided, first of all, by what the booth itself is made of (these can be plates, wood, and so on). Consider the possible options.

Option number 1. mineral wool

This is perhaps the most popular insulating material today, which, however, should be used with extreme care to isolate the kennel. This is explained by the fact that the dog can destroy the insulating layer, because of which it will lose its original characteristics. Moreover, it can harm the health of the animal itself. Finally, due to the small size of the dog house, the isolation procedure will be troublesome and time consuming.

However, if you still prefer mineral wool, then use it in accordance with the following requirements.

Never use glass wool.
The insulation layer must be waterproofed without fail.
Finally, there must be a cladding, no matter what the exterior / interior finish is.

Option number 2. Styrofoam

An excellent heat insulator for use in a kennel. First of all, its thermal insulation parameters are not worse, and in some cases even better than those of mineral wool. In addition, the foam is not so susceptible to external influences, therefore, it does not need waterproofing in principle.

If you liked polystyrene foam for warming the booth, then you should know what types of it exist. Here they are:

penoplex;
expanded polystyrene.

Although the dog, be that as it may, will gnaw and scratch the heat insulator, which means that you still have to cover it with something.

Option number 3. Roll type heat insulators

Another option suitable for warming the kennel is rolled thermal insulation materials. It can be, for example, ordinary polyethylene, which is quite easy to fix on the surface even with a stapler (although there are also such modifications of the film that are already on an adhesive basis). Penofol has similar characteristics.

All of these materials have excellent thermal insulation properties, but, again, they need additional sheathing.

Option number 4. Felt

It is a material of natural origin, characterized by safety, affordable price. In a word, for a kennel, this is an ideal option.

We also note that it is vapor-tight, which means that moisture will not accumulate (it will always be dry in the booth). It is not blown by the wind. Finally, it does not need to be covered with something, and ordinary nails can be used for fixing (the main thing is that the caps are large).

Video - Thermal insulation of the pet booth

Instructions for warming the booth

Now let's talk directly about how to insulate a dog house. The procedure consists of several stages, we will get acquainted with each of them in more detail.

Stage number 1. Bottom and floor of the kennel

Step one. First, the floor is insulated and the bottom is protected. To this end, the structure is turned upside down, all surfaces are treated with a special substance (it will protect them from destruction) and covered with roofing material (the latter, by the way, can be fixed with wooden blocks). So, the outer floor protection in the kennel is ready.

Step two. The booth is turned back, the warming procedure continues. First, the floor is covered with a waterproofing film (as an option, you can take the same roofing material for this). The material is laid with a slight overlap in order to avoid the appearance of cracks. The joints are shot through with a mounting stapler. It is also desirable that the film be wound up a few centimeters on the walls.

Step three. After that, a layer of insulation is laid, which, in turn, must be closed. If a soft heat insulator or a large volume is used, then it is preferable to stuff some miniature analogue of lags from the bars so that a finishing floor can be built.

Step four. The finished floor is laid. It can be built from pre-finished boards or, alternatively, plywood, OSB boards.

Step five. It is also desirable to carry out additional insulation work that will protect the kennel from freezing or leakage. Where the structure will be installed, a hole 20 centimeters deep breaks out along its perimeter, expanded clay or gravel “cushion” is poured there, an insulating layer (roofing material or ordinary film) is laid on top with a slight entry to the surface. If the insulation is made from the outside, the film is hemmed under the facing material. When installing the kennel on this kind of base, the freezing of the floor, as well as the flow of moisture inside, is minimized.

Stage number 2. Construction walls

Immediately make a reservation that the procedure for wall insulation depends on the specific material that is used for this. Simply put, you need to act in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Below is just a short step by step guide.

Step one. The walls are cleaned and processed.

Step two. If necessary, a waterproofing layer is laid.

Step three. Insulating material is installed.

Step four. If necessary, additional material for vapor barrier is attached.

Step five. The walls are finished (if required by the type of heat insulator used).

Note! The main condition for thermal insulation of a dog kennel is as follows: it is unacceptable for the structure to have blown areas, as well as for moisture to penetrate inside.

Stage number 3. Ceiling, roof

The ceiling-roof (that is, a single structure, in one design) is suitable for a kennel, which will be located under a canopy in a special enclosure (where water cannot leak), but if not, it is preferable to build a pitched roof for the booth, but in a mandatory detachable type. This is one of the obligatory moments of how to insulate a booth for a dog.

A kind of "attic" of the roof is insulated in the same way as the floor was insulated. First, a polyethylene film for waterproofing is attached, after which - a warming material. An important point: here the insulation installed in the roof does not need to be protected, since the dog will not have access to it in principle. It is also recommended to protect internal slopes from water and wind - to beat them with insulation or insulation around the perimeter floor.

Can a dog kennel be heated?

Let's make a reservation right away that even the highest quality insulating material is unable to properly heat the booth (although there is an exception - if the design has a door with locks and heat insulators). The curtain will protect the pet from wind and precipitation, but it will also not be able to warm it. Therefore, the question arises: is it possible to somehow heat this house? Of course, taking into account the achievements of modern technologies, we can confidently say that this is also possible, but this will require special heaters.

There are three main methods that are suitable for this case:

using a panel heater;
through film;
using the underfloor heating system.

Let's get acquainted with each of the options in more detail.

Option number 1. Panel type heaters

Such heaters, intended for dog kennels, are produced in metal cases and are characterized by small dimensions (thickness - 20 millimeters, length / width - 600/600 or 500/900 millimeters). Such devices are safe and environmentally friendly, they are easy to install, and the surface in them does not heat up above 50 degrees. Such a panel can be fixed both on the roof and on the walls of the structure. There are several advantages to such heating.

First of all, these are the several installation methods just mentioned.

The devices work completely silently, which means they will not irritate the dog.
They don't burn oxygen.
They consume a small amount of electricity.
They do not require special maintenance.

Finally, today there are panels with a thermostat installed inside a protective box (this is required to avoid mechanical damage).

Option number 2. Film type heaters

A unique ultra-thin heater, the principle of operation of which is based on thermal infrared radiation. In fact, this device is a roll of a flexible film, which provides heat transfer of infrared rays. Today, this kind of technology is actively used in a variety of premises, so why not use it to heat a doghouse?

Among the main advantages, the following should be highlighted:

increased efficiency;
the strips are connected in parallel, due to which the ultimate durability of the unit is achieved (even if one of the elements is mechanically damaged, the rest will continue to function normally after that);
film-type heaters are completely safe (they transmit thermal energy, but they themselves do not heat up);
heat in space is distributed as evenly as possible;
models are very economical;
they have a positive effect on the immune system (and this is very important!);

several installation methods are possible at once (same as in the previous version).

By the way, you should know about all this even before you insulate the dog house.

Option number 3. "Warm floor"

If you plan to use a “warm floor” in the kennel, then by doing so you will provide the most comfortable living conditions for your pet. Here you will need to install a heating wire that needs to be connected to the power supply. Tellingly, you can either buy a ready-made design or do it yourself (of course, in strict accordance with the requirements for installing electrical appliances).

Are there alternative heating sources?

There are certainly some. For example, even all convector-type heaters are quite suitable for a dog kennel, it is only important that even before installation you familiarize yourself in detail with the technical characteristics of the selected device (such as safety, heating temperature, and so on). Most of all, the so-called convector-mat is suitable for the booth, the main advantage of which is that it does not heat up to a high temperature during operation, which means it is completely safe for your pet.

As a small conclusion

As a result, it remains only to add that there are a lot of options, as you yourself were able to see. But if you have not yet decided how and how you will insulate the booth for your dog, then we advise you to watch the video below, which has a lot of information on a given topic. That's all, warm winters to you and your pet!

Video - Making an insulated dog house