The children promised not to say anything until I had a chance to talk to Mom. So they took the stray dog into the guest room and quietly closed the door. I thought he had her sold, but when he opened the door and saw that little guy had decided to use the closet as his own personal bathroom, he broke down. She said that if we were going to keep this mangy little puppy, he would have to live outdoors. So I immediately searched the internet for some kennel plans.
I was absolutely blown away by all the options. I found it hard to believe that there were so many different shapes and styles of dog houses online. I almost settled on a version that also had a really cool fenced-in dog park.
I learned a lot while researching all the different plans. And one of the most important things I learned was that the cage should not only be comfortable for your pet, but it should also be safe and sturdy; able to withstand all different types of weather conditions.
Now this worries me a bit. If I were to build the kennel to withstand all kinds of harsh environments, that means I’d probably have to use pressure-treated lumber. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem, but if this little pup starts chewing on things, we could have a sick dog on our hands.
As I became more familiar with the kennel plans, I began to realize that I could use the pressure treated lumber for parts of the house that the dog couldn’t reach, like the frame, and I should probably consider a material like the cedar because it has been shown to really withstand harsh weather conditions and also does not rot.
Looking at my own house, I thought that this dog house should resemble it in some ways. I’m going to make sure the plans have windows for cross ventilation just like my house. And I think I’ll also put in a porch so Poochy can lie down and get some sun.
Finally, I’m going to add another room in the back of the house, away from the wind, where we can isolate it and maybe cover it with straw or a blanket so that when things get rough outside, our little dog is comfortable.
