Once decided on adopting a dog, the next step to take is the type of doghouse that you will need. The doghouse depends on the dog breed that you want. Dogs grow very fast and allowances must be taken to insure that the doghouse will shelter the dog when it is full-grown.
The Doghouse Type
This is a fine time to practice creativity. There are as many doghouse styles as there are houses for people. For people that want to exercise fun and creativity, doghouse styles could be constructed to look like a miniature single room white house complete with a blue room or just have the blue room instead. It could even look like the basic structure of your house with the inside looking like your room. It could be constructed to look like a chalet, a lean to, a box or a cage. There are a lot of choices. The only must is that the doghouse will fit the dog enough to have him move comfortably and that the roof will not be so hot during summer months. Another very important item is a door. In areas where there are very cold seasons, a door should be opted instead of the usual open hole.
Determining the Size
Determining doghouse sizes are personal choices. You could build the doghouse as big as you want. However, you cannot build a doghouse smaller than this:
Height: to determine a comfortable height that is also enough to insure good air circulation, add 9 inches to the height of a fully-grown dog of the same breed.
Length: to determine the shortest length for a doghouse, add one and one half foot from the length of the dog starting from the tip of the nose to its rump.
Width: to decide the narrowest width of the doghouse that would provide enough space for the dog to move around, add one foot to the length of the dog, this is the narrowest space for your width.
Choosing the Location
The ideal area to be chosen as the location for building the dog house is a level ground that is free from water run-off. Clear the site where the doghouse will be built down to the short grass. Pack the ground tightly before building. In areas where there are extreme changes in weather, you may need to insulate the doghouse or consider air conditioning. This is more important when you have an outdoor dog breed. There are many choices for roofing but often, a wooden roof is sufficiently cool. For flooring you may want vinyl or lumber as these are easily cleaned.
For health reasons, the doghouse is usually constructed a few inches from the ground. This also wards off insects and other small animals from entering aside from insuring that the place remains dry. Then you begin building.
When pressed for time and you would prefer doghouse kits, there are so many varieties that are available that are pre-fabricated and are available in your local pet shops.
Posted in Adopting a dog
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