How to Build an Easy DIY Dog House Step-by-Step

To be comfortable in your DIY dog house, your dog should be able to stand, turn around, and lay comfortably on their side. To get the size right, you’ll need to build to accommodate your dog’s length and height as a full-grown adult. If you’re building a house for a puppy, you should build the house according to the maximum size the breed typically grows to be.

Use your measuring tape to take two measurements:

• Length: Measure from the tip of your dog’s nose to the tip of their fully extended tail and add four inches.

• Height: Measure from the top of your dog’s head to the ground, or from the tip of its ears to the ground if they have naturally erect ears, and add four inches.

These adjusted measurements are the minimum dimensions you should use. You can opt for a larger dog house to give your dog more room, but keep in mind that dogs tend to prefer a snug interior with low-hanging ceilings that mimic the kind of shelter they might naturally seek out in the wild. A cozy space will also warm up more quickly when the weather is chilly.

Once you have your dimensions, you’ll be able to draw up a blueprint on graph paper that includes seven or eight panels. You’ll need three identical rectangular panels for the base and sides that match your adjusted length and height measurements. The base will be wide enough so your dog can lay on their side. If you’re adding insulation, you’ll need a second base panel.

You’ll also need identical front and back panels with a rectangular portion on the bottom that lines up with your side walls and a triangular portion at the top where your two roof panels will sit and come to a point. The triangular portion can be at any angle, though the steeper your roof, the more plywood you’ll need for your two roof panels.

See if you can fit your design inside of a standard eight-by-four-foot three-quarter-inch plywood panel. If not, you may need to buy a second panel.

With your blueprint laid out, cut your panels from standard three-quarter-inch plywood using a circular saw, or have the cuts made wherever you purchase your lumber. Do the same with the two-by-four and two-by-two lumber, which you’ll need to build a base and secure the frame of your dog house.

You’ll also want to cut an entryway into the front panel large enough so your dog can walk in comfortably. Measure and draw a rectangular opening on the plywood, then trace the edge of a large mixing bowl or another round object to create an archway. Cut this archway entrance out of the panel using a jigsaw. You can also install a dog door as an optional touch.

Your base will be a raised floor, either with a space of air under a single base panel or insulation material placed between two panels. This will prevent flooding from beneath and help keep the dog house cooler in warm weather and warmer in cold weather.

Using a power drill and galvanized wood screws, attach your two-by-four boards in a square- or rectangular–shaped base frame that your base panel can rest square on top of. Place your side pieces inside of the front and back pieces, with the two-inch side of each board resting on the ground. Attach the base panel top by drilling a screw into each corner of the base.

If adding insulation, do so and then seal it inside the floor by screwing another base panel into the opposite side of the base frame.

Using the two-by-two boards you cut to the height of your wall panels, screw one standing upright in each corner of your base. To create a secure structure, screw your side, front, and back wall panels onto the outside of these corner studs at the top and into the outside of your base at the bottom.

There are a variety of roof styles you can create, but for this design, you’ll make a triangular, sloping roof that allows rain and snow to slide off and gives your dog some extra height to walk around comfortably. Your roof panels will rest on top of your four wall panels, meeting at a point at the top, and should lay perfectly if you’ve done everything correctly to this point.

First, attach your remaining two-by-twos so that they run the length of the triangular portions of your front and back panels on the inside of the doghouse. These will provide additional support for the roof and a surface to drive screws through.

Place each roof panel on top of its respective side, allowing an overhang at the top of each side wall. With the peak tight, secure the roof panels to the dog house with galvanized wood screws. With the roof secure, you may wish to cover it with asphalt roofing paper and shingles to make it more sturdy and to keep the wood from becoming saturated with moisture.

Your final step is to customize your dog house! Using sandpaper, non-toxic exterior paints, and a paintbrush, you can sand and paint the exterior to match your own home or choose a fun theme to match your pup’s personality. If you have children or grandchildren, painting your dog house can be a fun craft project. You can even attach a name custom plate above the entrance.

To furnish the interior, you may wish to add a comfy dog bed, blanket, or piece of carpeting. To secure the carpeting, you can simply glue it down with wood glue.