Built my first dog house today

It was so damn nice yesterday and today here where I live, I managed to get outside and put together Aubrey's new house. Kelly had bought her some generaic plastic one, and she gnawed it apart.

Hopefully this holds up a little better. I can replace the barrel easily if needed.

I still need to add some straw to the barrel, but I'm on my way to go get some of that after I get off here.

It was my first roofing job; the first layer of shingles I didn't stagger, but it'll be fine I think. I might brush on some sealer or something of the sort to the outside. Or should I not incase she makes a snack out of the wood?

Oh, and I figured some folks might voice concern of the house being close to the fence. For one, we're putting up a privacy fence this fall; two, neither of the dogs are ever outside unsupervised. My JRT can clear 4 ft standing still, so he'd go over the fence if he wanted, but we've managed to keep Aubrey from going over it. The only time Aubrey is outback alone is when she's on her chain, and I've checked every possible angle, and there's no way she can get on the house and try to jump the fence/hang herself off of any side of the roof while on her chain.

Any comment/feedback/criticisms are welcome.

Thanks for reading!

 

i dont know much about dog houses, but that came out really good....

 

Nicely built. That would be a great dog house for the winter.

 

Looks good to me...That should take her awhile to chew!!

 

Looks good to me! Yeah my JRT mix could clear a 4 foot too... Lol Crazy lil dogs

 

Like it alot

I picked myself up 10 barrels today, now that I found a new supplier-it seems everyone wants em and they are disappearing as fast as I can buy them! Gonna have to build some houses quick, before the remaining ones go.

I'm just going to stick posts in the ground both sides, one side of the barrel 3' or so higher then the top of the barrel, and attach a peice of plywood for shade outside the barrel.

A friend of mine was telling me of an old friend of his, who attached all his barrels to a peice of plywood, and attached the plywood to the top of an axle and chain. When the dog ran around circles, the dog box circled with them. Said it was funny looking, but a very nice system and easy way to keep them up off the ground. Sounds intresting enough, I might have to try one.

Me and a friend spend the better part of the day checking every single grain company, meat company, any business that specialized in bulk foods which spoil, until we finally found someone willing to let some go. 50 gallon barrels, with a small screw on (air proof) lid much smaller in circumfrence then the bigger blue barrels. I'll try them without a lid at all, the hole looks about perfect juding just by eye.

 

nice looking house you got there. real clean and tidy. i like it.

 

Yeah, the hole in this one is kind of big.

Jeeperino said he'd hook me up w/ a white barrel come one of these AADR shows in Belleville this month or next; hopefully it has the top on and I can cut a smaller hole for her come winter time.

The idea of setting it up so the house rotates with the dog sounds interesting, especially if they have a problem hanging themselves up and not being able to get in their houses.

Let us know how it works

 

I have the kind with the 2 holes at one end that u unscrew. I still have an uncut one for u Kergin.

The house is a good setup. Only thing I dont like is how high the front is, but im sure it works fine.

 

In my town you have to have housing for a dog at a minimum 6 inches raised off the ground for the AC ppl to be happy.

I called and asked what guidelines I needed to follow incase I get an idiot neighbor at some point that calls about a "dog on a chain outside."

The entrance looks higher up because of the paneling across the front to hold the straw in. I'm think I'm going to remove the panel and barrel until fall/winter and just palce an old piece of carpet on the floor of it.

Ideally, I could cut a hole along one edge of the barrel on top, and place the openeing closest to the floor, and run the panel across the top just to hold the barrel in; that way she wouldn't have to climb 10 inches up in the barrel, just 6.

 

Sorry for the double post, but this morning I took off the front panel and removed the straw. She wasn't digging either of them.

Now she's been investigating the barrel...I've been givin her treats and tossed a rib bone in there for her. She figured out that's where the best shade is real quick.

Oh, and I noticed in this pic her left ear is down again. When she was young, they were both down, then the left went up, the right went up, now the left folded back down, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed her right ear drops also. I'm surprised I didn't notice it earlier. *shrug*

She's also starting to get that tired bulldog smile

 

enjoy that nice grass while it lasts, cause it aint gonna last long lol. I think the house looks good, the only thing i would change is the barrel for the winter time, u'll need one with a small hole in it just big enough for her to get in it

 

it's been addressed

i'll be getting one with a small hole.

 

good looking dog house

 

Updated with new pics

So I got bored last weekend and put a piece of panel up for shade/roof access for the dog. she loves it, to say the least. after it gets a good rain and dries out real well, i'll seal it all up and maybe spring for a coat of paint, too. her new favorite game is running up and down and up and down.

i'm as happy as she is that the weather is starting to turn nice again here in OH.

edit -my next goal is getting her axle buried, as she managed to get it tangled w/ the axle 3 inches above ground, as well as 6, so i'm hoping burying it will work better. just have to find me a heavier o-ring and some thicker chain to put underground.

 

you dont need a smaller barrel or one with a smaller hole just mount some plywood on the front with a smaller hole cut in it with a hinge on one side and something to latch it to on the other so you can open it like a door to clean out your existing barrel. Nice looking heavy house!

 

kudos to you! i never even thought of hanging hinges on there and going that route...