In pet stores you can buy a variety of houses for dogs of small and large breeds. Here you can find everything your heart desires, but sometimes owners want to do something special and show care for their pet. If you study the master classes and read the step-by-step instructions, it is not difficult to make a dog house with your own hands. This is a good decision, because you can choose better materials, and at the same time learn something new and useful.
Before you build a house, you should prepare everything: choose raw materials, draw up a sketch. But if you don’t want to make a wooden structure, then you can sew a soft house for a dog with your own hands.
Material
The variety of houses for four-legged friends on the Internet is fascinating. Colorful and vibrant creations inspire you to create a masterpiece. Don't be afraid to improvise and combine different house models. Before work, clearly think about what materials should be used specifically for your dog. Consider the animal's personality traits.
Cardboard houses look very impressive, are easy to create and do not require any special expenses. Such houses are suitable for dogs of small and medium breeds. The only drawback of such a shelter is its fragility. Don't rule out the possibility that your pet might want to chew on your efforts.
Foam rubber “huts” are a universal thing: such a house can be washed, folded and taken with you to nature/on a visit, so that your tailed companion feels more comfortable, and can be easily moved around the apartment. However, some owners note loss of shape after washing and the lack of a rigid frame as shortcomings of this product.
REFERENCE! Most dogs are diggers. When sewing a soft house, decorate the inside with durable fabrics.
Wooden kennels are the most durable and reliable structures, serving for hundreds of years to provide comfort for dogs. For an apartment this option is more than acceptable. The inconvenience of such “furniture” lies in its bulkiness and heaviness: it will be difficult to move around the living space.
The best option is to try to combine different materials when working, complement the houses with pillows, beds with canopies, which will increase the level of comfort for your pet. It is not necessary to strictly adhere to the schemes. Try experimenting with the shapes of the house and upholstery yourself. To invent something unique, you don’t need to run to the store for materials. Take a closer look at old things: cabinets, cribs, old TVs. And such things can be breathed into new life, while providing a cozy nest for your dog.
Basic recommendations
If you want to make a dog house with your own hands, we recommend listening to some tips:
- Firstly, the constructed structure must fully correspond to the size of your pet, as well as its temperament. If you want to make a house for a puppy, then in this case you should also take into account the fact that he will grow up. Please note that the more space there is in the structure, the more comfortable the dog will feel in it.
- Secondly, before you make a dog house with your own hands, you need to consider what position your dog likes to lie in. For example, if an animal often sleeps curled up, then an oval or triangular design would be an excellent solution. In addition, such accessories can be placed in a corner without any problems, thus saving space. If the dog likes to sleep on its side, then it would be better to build a rectangular structure.
- Third, consider how shaggy your pet is. After all, when summer comes, it will be hot in such a house, which means that it can be additionally equipped with a removable roof.
Size
The first thing you should pay attention to is the breed of your dog.
ATTENTION ! If you have a puppy in your home, make inquiries about the breed. What approximate parameters will a dog have at an older age?
The house should be of such a size that the dog can freely go inside, turn around, sit upright (without bending his head) and lie stretched out. The following parameters must be taken into account:
- Height at withers.
- Distance from the withers to the tip of the front paws.
- Width at chest.
- Length from nose to tail.
For an approximate calculation, refer to the approximate table for some dog breeds.
Measuring is an important part when creating a future house or lounger. By neglecting this procedure, you increase the chance of creating an uncomfortable product.
Based on the size of the breed, it is easier to determine what the future house will be like:
- From cardboard.
- Fabric (made of foam rubber).
- Made of wood or plywood.
By creating a “cozy nest” for your pet with your own hands, you get a huge scope for flight of imagination:
- You can design the model yourself.
- Use fabrics at your discretion (density, pattern, etc.).
- Add decor to your taste.
Remember, all diagrams are provided for illustrative purposes. The dimensions shown in the drawings may not be suitable for your pet.
What is housing for a pet?
Dog houses are not only interior items, but also special accessories for pets, which almost all breeders know about today. In simple terms, this design is essentially an ordinary booth, only located in an apartment or house, and not on the street. Of course, there is a fundamental difference between a booth and a house, and not only in size. The materials from which such accessories are made also differ.
Depending on the manufacturer and type, dog houses may be equipped with doors and windows. In addition, you can even find accessories on sale that are made in the form of an ottoman, that is, they can be used as furniture. But it is worth noting that today the most popular accessories among buyers are those made in the form of a medieval fortress or castle. These options are great for both small breeds and large pets.
If the structure is large enough in size, then it can also be equipped with so-called pieces of furniture, for example, a sofa or an air conditioner. Additionally, these dog houses can also be sold in combination with gardens or lawns. Some dog breeders even install small pools if the pet doesn’t mind swimming in the water. But of course, building such a structure with your own hands will be problematic, especially since most likely you will have to allocate a whole room for it.
But for representatives of small breeds of dogs, it is quite possible to make a simple bed equipped with a roof and walls. In principle, it can be of any shape and design, it all depends on your imagination, but such an accessory will be soft and warm. Before you start building or purchasing a structure, you need to consider factors such as convenience and reliability.
For small breeds with your own hands
For small dogs of small breeds (Chihuahua, Dachshund, Maltese, Pomeranian and other breeds), you can use cardboard boxes, fabrics and foam rubber.
Small dogs for home
From cardboard or plywood
Original and exclusive
Houses using geodesic dome technology have become widely known on the Internet. Such houses are made of slats and fabric or cardboard. Such houses are used both for children and for pets, including dogs.
The advantage of such home kennels is that they are suitable for small dogs and are easy to make with your own hands. Plus, you can involve your child in doing them!
So, instructions on how to make a booth for an apartment out of cardboard with your own hands:
Step 1. Constructing patterns and cutting out parts. For this you will need:
- Cardboard.
- Scissors/construction (stationery) knife.
- Ruler.
- Pencil pen
Let us conventionally designate a triangle with red edges as “Triangle A” and with blue edges as “Triangle B”. You will also need squares for the bottom of your structure or rectangles. You can choose the sizes of the triangles yourself based on the proportions: use small triangles for a smoother dome shape and large ones for a rougher one; the side of a square or rectangle is slightly smaller than the height of the entrance.
From the edge of the triangles and squares, a 2-5 cm margin is counted, which will later serve as a place for fastening the parts.
Step 2. The triangles are fixed with hot glue or Moment glue along the released strips. You should start working from top to bottom. Form a pentagon from five triangles, then attach the remaining parts to each triangle using the diagram. For a beautiful entrance, you can remove one of the triangles of the last tier. The bottom is glued together from squares, leaving space for the entrance.
Step 3. Proceed with registration. The shelter can be painted using spray paint.
REFERENCE ! This work can be supplemented with a wooden plywood floor, a personalized wooden sign above the entrance or any other decorative elements. The house is painted or covered, and a blanket or sleeping place is placed inside.
Cheap
There is also a simple way to make a dog house with your own hands. To do this, you will need a box of such size that your pet can comfortably turn around inside and sit upright.
How to make it out of the box:
We cut the top part of the box and glue it together as follows:
Use extra sheets of cardboard to create a roof. Cut out the doorway completely.
The final part is decoration (painting, possibly adding curtains for the entrance, etc.). We present to your attention one of the options for such a house:
The work is made of cardboard, covered on both sides with fabric and decorated with bows, ruffles and a decorative teddy bear. Making a booth out of cardboard is quite simple. This option is affordable and allows you to fully express yourself when creating.
Soft foam
The most beautiful and warm options for houses for small dogs are fabric dog beds made of foam rubber. Experienced needlewomen make patterns for houses of the most diverse and amazing shapes.
To create such a house you will need:
- Textile . The best choice would be linen, chintz, velor, fleece, faux fur jeans. When synthetic fabrics come into contact with fur, they will become electrified and give an electric shock to the dog. Your pet will not live in such a house.
- Foam rubber, synthetic winterizer, satin or down.
- Scissors.
- Sewing machine (can be done manually, but the quality of work will be significantly lower).
How to make a house from foam rubber:
- The first stage of your work will be choosing the shape and pattern of the bed-house, cutting.
- The “Foam House” pattern is quite simple and does not require any special drawing skills. Based on the diagram provided above, cut out the parts: 2 pieces for each side of the house and roof, and one piece of foam rubber. For each fabric part, leave allowances equal to 1.5-2 cm on each side; do not allow allowances for foam rubber.
- The second stage - how to sew a house from foam rubber? The fabric parts of the walls are folded with the front side inward and stitched on three sides, leaving a pocket for foam rubber (it is more convenient to leave the lower part unstitched). The base and roof are stitched in the same way.
- At the third stage distribute the foam over the corresponding parts and sew along the front side.
Fold and sew the walls of the house together (the seams go inside the house). We carry out a similar procedure with the lid base. - The final stage - decoration. You can sew ruffles or lace along the edge of the roof, make an embroidered nameplate above the entrance, or anything of your choice. Here's a glamorous and beautiful option you can make:
You can use another pattern.
In the diagram, the unshaded parts indicate the primary building, from which the roof and bottom will be formed during the work.
How to sew:
According to the principle of a “house” pattern, the parts are cut out and sheathed on both sides with material. In the place where the roof and wall are sewn, the seams can be hidden under lace, ribbon or braid. The finished work looks like this.
Both options in one photo. The pink house is made according to the first scheme. The slight differences are the rounded front and rear walls, and the rounded roof due to a different sewing method.
Beds
Handicrafts also did not ignore the production of beds: they make beds from fabric, from tires, mixed compositions (fabric + wood). The most economical and easiest way to create a bed is to alter an old sweater or jacket: imagine, you don’t even need a pattern for a bed!
For work you will need:
- Sweater or textile jacket.
- Pencil/felt-tip pen.
- Filling, padding polyester or foam rubber.
- Scissors.
- Needle and thread/sewing machine.
Lay out the sweater on a work surface. The neckline is sewn up, a stitch is made from one sleeve to the other at the chest level of the jacket. Fill the future side with foam rubber through the sleeve and place one sleeve into the other.
The sleeves are then sewn together. At this stage, you can adjust the shape of the side: make it rectangular (stitch the corners) or round. The bottom is stuffed soft and also sewn; for a rounded shape, the bottom is folded and hemmed to the shape of the side. The final touch is to sew the sleeves to the base.
Comfort and beauty cheap: a dog house on the street
Lounger-pillow with ties
They look like designer ones and will be very suitable for decorative dogs:
Step 1. Constructing a pattern.
To do this, based on the parameters of the dog, draw a rectangle - the base. From the base, make allowances of 1-1.5 cm on all sides for lifting. From each edge, draw more rectangles of the desired height with allowances of 2.5-3 cm upwards. This way you will get a pattern that vaguely resembles a cross. Cut an opening from the side that will be the front.
Step 2. Cut out 2 pieces from the fabric according to the pattern.
Step 3 . Sew the pieces along the top sides of the sides. Turn the product out through the side holes.
Step 4. Stuff the lounger with padding polyester and carefully sew from one side through the center to the opposite. Thus, by sewing all the edges in the center you will get a pillow.
Step 5: Add ribbon or lace ties. Add decorative elements (buttons, bows, embroidery, etc.). You can complement the lounger with a canopy or pillows.
The best enclosures for dogs and puppies in an apartment: how to make them yourself cheaply and with high quality?
Learning to shape a roof
This option will require a little more care and accuracy on your part. We will not just connect the cardboard flaps of the box together, but form and literally cut out a gable roof for the booth. Prepare a spacious cardboard box. Using a utility knife, cut off the box flaps on one side, and on the other they need to be cut as in the picture:
Now you need to form a roof from the leftover cardboard using masking tape and a glue gun.
Try to do everything carefully and carefully, because pets are very active and playful and can (unwittingly) destroy their house. Well, if you do everything firmly and reliably, the booth will last a long time.
Now all that remains is to use a utility knife to cut out the windows and the entrance. You also need to sew a comfortable pillow or mattress for the dog. The booth can be left in its original form, or you can paint it with gouache to resemble a real house with brickwork, a tiled roof, and even greenery and flowers next to the windows.
Pets for large and medium breeds
Made of wood
For dogs of large breeds, it is safer to create a large wooden house even for the apartment.
The first option is to create it from wood (bars). To do this you need:
- Wooden blocks or boards.
- Roulette.
- Jigsaw or saw.
- Nails/screws for fastening.
- Hammer/screwdriver.
- Paint for decoration.
- Grinder for grinding.
How to build:
- The initial stage of building a wooden booth is frame building.
To do this, cut the boards to the required size and fasten them with nails or screws. This creates a box. - The next step will be cutting and sanding the boards for the floor, walls and roof . Attach the sanded boards tightly to the frame, starting from the base and ending with the roof. If such a kennel will be permanently located in the apartment, the roof can be decorated with small sheaves of straw.
- Carefully mark the entrance with a pencil and cut out with a jigsaw.
- The final stage will be finishing, decorating or painting the house.
A simplified option for creating a wooden house is to work with plywood. The principle of operation is similar to the first option, the only difference is in the sheathing (a sheet of plywood is nailed instead of boards).
Wigwam booth
When creating a house out of a box for a small dog with your own hands, you can pay attention to this option. The wigwam booth has the shape of a pyramid. Its base will be square or rectangular (depending on the shape of the box).
If the cardboard is sheet, 1 square and 4 triangles are cut out of it. It is necessary to correlate the dimensions of the structure with the size of the animal. Triangles must have a base the same as the side length of the square. In one of them you need to make an entrance. It is best if it is round.
Next, triangles and a square are cut out of padding polyester. They correspond in size to cardboard blanks. Pieces are cut out of the fabric with seam allowances. In this case, the thickness of the insulation is taken into account. Using glue, the padding polyester is fixed to the cardboard. Fabric is glued on top. Then all parts of the house are assembled into a single structure. In this case, glue is also used.
Photo
Examples of beautiful and original houses in the photo: recycling old furniture and household appliances into a bed, wicker beds, bed beds, bunk beds.
Feeder house
Very stylish!
Real retro: the smallest doghouse for an apartment
Two-story cottage
Wicker Ideal soft home for a little dog!
Cool idea: a super lounger made from a wine barrel!
Plastic egg house for small breeds such as Yorkies and Spitz
Mink
Hut for doggies: a real wigwam!
Manufacturing process
To make a dog house with your own hands from a box, you need to use the drawing developed earlier. Each detail is transferred to sheets of paper. Next, they are cut out and transferred to cardboard.
After this, you need to use a sharp stationery knife. With its help, all the details of the future house are cut out. You need to act very carefully so that the edges are even. You can use scissors for these purposes, but only when assembling houses for small breed dogs. Thinner cardboard is suitable for them.
All parts are fastened with tape. If the cardboard is thick and the house is large, it is better to use special glue. This will make the structure durable. Particular attention should be paid to the corners.
Next you need to cover the booth with wallpaper. It is best to choose washable varieties. As they become dirty, you can clean them with a damp cloth. A booth covered with fabric looks impressive. It can be any fluffy textile. The house will immediately become more comfortable and warmer. You can paint the structure with paints.
Pet bed
This is the simplest option. You can even limit yourself to choosing a large and soft pillow, or you can make cozy lounge chairs with walls with your own hands. icon-arrow-circle-right
For a simple lounger, you need to cut out two circles of the same diameter.
They can be the same color or different, the main thing is that the material is strong. Then the circles need to be sewn on a machine, inserting two colored ribbons into the seam every 20 cm. You need to leave an unstitched area on one edge so you can turn the resulting circle inside out and stuff it with padding poly. Sew up this hole. icon-arrow-circle-right
Next you need to cut out two rectangles of the same size and sew them into a sausage using the same principle.
The length of the sausage should be equal to the perimeter of the circle. The already stuffed and sewn sausage needs to be tied to the circle with ribbons. You will get a soft pillow with a side. This option is interesting because it allows you to combine materials, colors, sizes, and ribbon widths. Each time you can get a different result, the sunbeds will be of different designs. icon-arrow-circle-right
You can choose other patterns, but these elegant and easy-to-make beds are perfect for a Chihuahua.
Features of keeping a Chihuahua
The tiny dogs have a playful nature and great intelligence, making them easy to train and great with children. It is enough to reward your pet with treats for correctly performing the most necessary commands, and you will see what a smart and obedient dog he is. It is recommended that children be allowed to train sneezes from the age of 8. To make your Chihuahua feel comfortable in the apartment, find a place for him that is equally distant from the source of the draft and the radiator.
Looking at a little sneeze, you just want to create the appropriate conditions for his comfortable living, so choose a cozy dog bed or soft booth for your dog. These dog apartments can be purchased using the catalog on our website or built with your own hands. We will talk about how to build a booth for a Chihuahua with your own hands below.
Another option
The bottom of the booth can be oval or rectangular. Both options look interesting. For a small dog, you can make a house consisting of inclined walls on both sides. They will also serve as a roof. The partition with the entrance door and the wall opposite it with the window will be vertical. Such a house will look better if it is decorated with foam rubber or padding polyester, as well as fabric.
If you are creating a house for a small pet, you can provide it with a handle at the top of the structure. This will make it convenient to carry it from place to place. The handle can be finished with the same material as the roof. This way it will look more harmonious.
If the booth has an oval base, its upper part can be made from two rectangular sheets. They are bent, making an arc, and then crossed at the top point. The length of the rectangular sheets must correspond to the required height of the booth. The remaining gaps are designed in the form of windows.
Photo gallery
Do you have a desire, but your hands are itching to start making a home for your pet, but you can’t stop at one of the many options? Look at our photo selection, maybe you will find what you were looking for.
Work order
When arranging a pen for a Chihuahua with your own hands, you need to carry out the work in this order: 1. Make the floor. It can be a simple earthen, concrete, wooden or tile base. Chihuahuas can only be kept in a pen during the summer, but they are still gentle dogs, so it is better to choose a wooden floor. You need to leave a gap under the flooring for ventilation. The boards must be carefully processed so as not to injure the pet. 2. Instead of one of the walls, they make a simple booth with access to the enclosure. You need to arrange beds for your pet in the booth. It, like the enclosure, should be spacious enough so that the Chihuahua can fit in any position convenient for him.
3. If the enclosure is placed in a place unprotected from the wind, the leeward wall must be made solid, preferably made of wood. 4. Next, you need to dig in the pillars that will hold the mesh and attach it in place. Be sure to make a gate equipped with a lock. 5. It is best to make a roof for the pen, but you can get by with a canopy near the booth. The canopy should be about a meter wide so that the Chihuahua can hide from the sun. If it was decided to make a roof, then it is better to use wood for its base. On top it can be covered with slate, bitumen, tiles - any waterproof material. The same should be done with the canopy. All types of roofing must be located on a slope so that water does not accumulate on them. 6. Under the canopy, you need to install a drinking bowl and a bowl on a small stand. This way dirt will not get into the food.
After finishing work, the Chihuahua will have a cozy enclosure where you can leave him without fear for his safety. But we must not forget to let the pet walk freely so that it does not wither away from melancholy. An enclosure is a temporary shelter for a dog; do not forget that the dog must communicate with its owners. The enclosure can also be used at home, simply by fencing off a small area with a fence made from improvised means; a large, disassembled box may be suitable here.
Dog kennel care
Now that it has become known how to make a booth with your own hands, it remains to find out how to care for it. First of all, you need to remember that cleaning the dog’s home should be done regularly. Usually it is carried out once a month. In this case, disinfection of the structure is carried out every month in the summer, and once a season in winter and spring.
When cleaning the kennel, bones and other scraps are removed, and the home is treated with Lysol to get rid of parasites. Three percent creolin or formaldehyde can also be used for these purposes. It is forbidden to let the dog into the kennel until the solution has dried!
Frame Installation: Complete Guide
When building a booth from plywood, covering it with fabric inside and decorating the outside, the main load is borne by the frame. Its assembly begins with connecting the bottom and side walls. First, the bottom and floor are cut out if you plan to make it double, so that you can take the booth out into the yard at the dacha.
The next step is assembling the side walls - cutting out sections of bars for the vertical posts and horizontal crossbars. The connection is made using self-tapping screws.
Note! Before screwing in the screw, you need to make a hole with a drill of a smaller diameter so that the wood does not crack.
After assembling the side walls, the front and rear walls are installed. To strengthen the structure, the inside is lined with thin plywood or chipboard. The sheathing is secured with small nails.
Plywood house
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