# What size/type/make dog house in kennel runs?



## Skip Morgart (Dec 19, 2008)

Now that I've tracked down where my kennel runs came from (so that I can order a few more pieces)...now I want to figure out what kind of dog houses I need in them to get the dogs some comfort when it rains/gets cold/etc... What do people use in their kennels as far as housing? Thanks in advance.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

what is your yearly weather like? how much time are the dogs going to spend in the kennels? overnight? etc...

how big are the kennels? and dogs??

is there going to be a top pver the kennel, like to block rain and/or snow (if you get snow that is) if it cold, are the dogs going to be exposed to high winds at all?


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

I live in the mountains and even in the summer it can drop to freezing at night at times.

This is the dog house I have inside my dog's kennel run, it has plans and measurements. I use straw inside:
http://ontariospca.ca/resource/publication/Brochures/Ideal_Doghouse.pdf


I actually started her off locked in a crate inside the dog house at night as a pup, to teach her that is where to sleep:









The whole kennel has a roof, so I didn't worry about any shingles or anything for the top of the house, or using a flat roof. She does like to sit on the flat roof a lot:









In the winter I put a flap over the door. I have no idea why she will leave this blanket up, but if I put a blanket "inside" the kennel it will get shredded and humped and pulled into the yard. If you don't live in an ultra cold place, and you have a dog with a decent coat, I don't think the flap would be needed at all.

I also now have all rubber flooring in her kennel since she doesn't use it as a bathroom. (she has access to a grass yard for that) Way easier than the pea gravel.









Lynn has sled dog dog house plans that are very economical and practical as well, I am sure she will post them.


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## Skip Morgart (Dec 19, 2008)

Joby Becker said:


> what is your yearly weather like? how much time are the dogs going to spend in the kennels? overnight? etc...
> 
> how big are the kennels? and dogs??
> 
> is there going to be a top pver the kennel, like to block rain and/or snow (if you get snow that is) if it cold, are the dogs going to be exposed to high winds at all?


1. Weather can range from the 90's to below zero (yes, it snows here). 
2. My dogs will only be in the kennels during the day until I get home from work...maybe once in awhile at night. If I take in someone else's dog to train, that dog will mostly be in the kennel unless we are training.
3. The kennels are 6.5 feet tall, 5 feet wide, and 10 feet long.
4. My 3 dogs are rotts, but I might take in some other breeds...shepherds, rotts..(medium to large dogs).
5. I plan to put a cover over the kennels.
6. The kennels will be exposed to the occasional high winds.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

is that a dual chamber? the crate still fits in there like that, just curious.

This is exactly the type of doghouse I have been making for the last 10 yrs or so, but much more heavy duty...have to use a tractor to move them around pretty much...

we often get -20 to -30 in the winters here, with winds if the houses are not shielded by trees or structures...

straw in the winters in both areas, pull it out in the summer.


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Joby Becker said:


> is that a dual chamber? the crate still fits in there like that, just curious.
> 
> .


Yes, dual chamber, but we made the interior wall removable for that reason.

After we were done with the crate we removed the wall went back in.

But then because we made the dog house too big (she ended up being mini, and we also erred on the side of large) and this caused an issue.

She would always and lay in the vestibule on the side of the door, plenty of room for her to do that. Even though all the straw was in the other side and the shelter, she never used it. 

So in the end I just took the divider out. The downside is that it is a huge space for her to heat up on the extreme cold days of winter. The other downside was that it no longer had the really good wind block, hence the winter flap. For the very extreme cold days I have a dog house heater. It doesn't get used too often, but is worth it when it does.


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Joby Becker said:


> we often get -20 to -30 in the winters here, with winds if the houses are not shielded by trees or structures...


Here is a natural way to sheild the dog kennel from wind in the winters here:mrgreen:


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## Skip Morgart (Dec 19, 2008)

I have a friend that attaches the dog house to the OUTSIDE of the kennel run, and then he cut a square hole in the mesh for the dog to pass thru. He likes this a lot and says he doesn't have to worry about the dog getting up on the roof of the dog house to try and get out, and the dog can't chew the outside of the dog house. Thoughts?


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Skip Morgart said:


> I have a friend that attaches the dog house to the OUTSIDE of the kennel run, and then he cut a square hole in the mesh for the dog to pass thru. He likes this a lot and says he doesn't have to worry about the dog getting up on the roof of the dog house to try and get out, and the dog can't chew the outside of the dog house. Thoughts?


Sounds like a good idea, as long as they are well connected and it doesn't become another potential escape point where they meet.

I have since closed off the sections from the chain link to my roof line. My dog is NOT an escape artist at all, but better to be safe. 

I am also lucky my dog is not really a bad chewer. Some people I know line the edges with metal to discourage chewing.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Skip Morgart said:


> I have a friend that attaches the dog house to the OUTSIDE of the kennel run, and then he cut a square hole in the mesh for the dog to pass thru. He likes this a lot and says he doesn't have to worry about the dog getting up on the roof of the dog house to try and get out, and the dog can't chew the outside of the dog house. Thoughts?


Have done that as well... The doghouses I last built were I think 45 deep by 54" in wide, so it saved kennel space, it does permanently change that panel though, so once you decide to do it, it is done for good.


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## Skip Morgart (Dec 19, 2008)

Jennifer Coulter said:


> Here is a natural way to sheild the dog kennel from wind in the winters here:mrgreen:



WOW...that is some serious snow fall outside the kennel walls!


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

My two dog houses are almost identical to Jennifer's although mine have flat roofs. Double wall, insulated and each gets a bail of straw in the winter to dig into.
Even though they are both inside my workshop I still remove the fronts in the summer. When the roof gable fan is on in the shop it creates a nice breeze right in front of both dog houses.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Well I still say the dual chamber type is the ONLY type for cold winds, and cold in general.

The dogs body heat, heats up the sleeping chamber, and it will hold the heat. I made mine out of 2 X 4 frame, with full insulation and R-38 in the roof structure. The roofs were drop on, fit over the sides, with shingles. All the insulation is removable.

Higher costs heavy as hell, and take up space, hard to move, but for our climate they are great, keep the dogs warm in the winters. And must also keep them cool as well, as my buddies dog spends a fair amount of time in the doghouse in the summer as well.

You might not need that much protection though, if the dogs are not going to be outside dogs.

That being said, this current dog was housed over the winter in a kennel with a Dogloo, as a pup/young dog and did fine with it, only came into the garage on brutally cold days/nights...But to be honest she rarely if ever even used the doghouse.

A close friend uses only dogloos, and has always had at least 5-7 dogs for the 15 yrs I have known him, moves a few dogs a year. Never lost a dog to cold weather, or had any ill effects that I know of. Uses straw in the winters.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

We will be using 48 ft. shipping container for our next kennel setup, for the inside portions, once my friends house is done.

Think it will work out well, and the county cant tax the structure, cause it is movable.


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

I've been buying DOGLOO's for years. they are durable, insulated, easy to clean and seem to last for a very long time. considering thecost of lumber, and the time needed to build a house, they are very competitivce pricewise. 

DFrost


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## Brad Trull (Apr 9, 2012)

I have built wooden chambers on the outside of the dog runs for houses and never had any escape issues. It is also great for whelping chambers, easy to clean and you can run electricity for heat lamps, or whelping mat and not worry about chewing through the pwr cord.

I now though go with the igloo houses and have gotten many years of use and they are super easy to clean


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## Austin Porter (Oct 14, 2011)

Here is the link for the dog houses i use.. my dogs are in a 5x10 welded wire kennel, concrete floors with a 4x6 1in think rubber stall mat. The kennels are under a car port so they are protected from the elements. Snow and rain do blow in when its real windy. If it gets down in the teens, I do put up a tarp. 

http://www.probuiltproducts.com/insulatedhouses.html

Probuilt also builds some really nice dog boxes too. I'm gonna have him build one taller and deeper to fit my DS and mal. Most of the dog boxes I have seen in my area are for smaller frame bird dogs and such.
Really good guy to do business with too.


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