It's National Dog House Repairs Month

This Dog House Repairs Month, prepare to repair dog houses in backyards. 

Dogs look forward to being outside in the summertime - breathing fresh air and chasing after animals; and while dogs request that their owners give them the freedom to explore the great outdoors, they may not be as excited to hang out for long hours outside with dilapidated dog houses.

In winter, clumps of snow engulf dog houses; and by spring, those dog houses splinter off. While dog houses provide shade from the harmful UV-rays, they will do no good if they are are missing chunks of wood or are coming apart. 

Building a DIY Dog House is easy and makes a great, unique gift for pets. The cost to build a no-frills dog house ranges from $50-100 for building supplies including plywood and paint. Even better, these dog houses can easily fit inside a fenced-in area for dogs!

Here are a few tips to build your own dog house:

Size of dog house to build:

The door height opening should be no less than three fourths (3/4) of the dog's shoulder to ground measurement. Example: If dog's "A" measurement is 19 inches, the door opening needs to be at least 14 inches tall.

Flooring for dog house

The floor should sit far enough above ground to prevent flooding from heavy rain fall. 

Attractive roof for dog house

Speaking of preventing rain fall, make sure the roof is strong and sturdy. Shingles are an inexpensive means for preventing leaking and are not difficult to install. They also block heavy wind gusts and will allow dogs to comfortably sit up in the dog house.

Insulating your dog house

To insulate the walls of a dog house, simply install rigid foam insulation in the wall cavities. Use either 1-1/2"-thick foam or glue up layers of 1" and 1/2" foam. Cut these to fit and then cover them with 1/4"-plywood.

Nailing down the dog house

Make sure nails are properly driven into the wood used to construct the dog house. If they stick out, they can cause injury to the animal. 

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Consider July to be DIY month; and treat pups to a new dog fence and dog house for yard use this summer. 

Have any tips for building dog houses? Follow the conversation on @EasyPetFence.com Facebook using hashtags #NationalDogRepairsMonth and #DogsRepairMonth.