Purchasing the Right Doghouse

Before you shop for a doghouse, take some time to consider how it's going to be used. This will help you get the most out of your investment.

Choosing the right one depends on your dog’s size and temperament, the intended location and use, weather conditions, and the function and features that you expect it to fulfill.

Here are some tips to help you buy a house for your dog:

A basic decision to be made up front is whether to buy a plastic or wood house.

Doghouses made from plastic are generally lighter and less expensive than wood ones. They're easy to transport, don't have splinters, don't rot, and don't require refinishing. They are also easy to clean and don't have pores for fleas and tics to build nests.

Wood doghouses tend to be more substantial than plastic ones, they offer more design add-on possibilities, and they will provide your dog better protection against the elements. Wood is a much better insulator than plastic so your dog is less likely to overheat inside a wood house. Many people prefer the natural look of wood to plastic. While tics and fleas can be a problem with wood houses, this can be mitigated by buying a cedar wood house and using cedar shavings for bedding.

Wooden Doghouse

Next is choosing the proper house size for your pet. This can be one of the more confusing aspects of doghouse shopping. That's probably because there are all kinds of formulas and guidelines floating around out there.

Doghouses can come in many creative shapes and designs, from igloo-shaped to rectangular to Arabian tent-like. Dogs are sure to like them as long as they fit in it cozily.

Without getting overly technical, here are a few guidelines to help you out:

The doghouse should be big enough so that your dog can turn around in it and lie down completely stretched out inside. Bigger is not better here. Dogs feel more secure in small and cozier spaces. Also a smaller house is more easily heated by the dog's natural body heat—an important consideration in winter.

Before spending big $$ on a doghouse, consider making a cardboard mock-up that has the same dimensions as the house. Coax your dog inside and see if he can easily turn around and lie down comfortably.

If your dog is still a puppy, research what his/her average adult size and weight will be and choose a house accordingly.

Another consideration for a proper sized doghouse is the doorway. The height of the doorway should be a little less than the dog's shoulder height.

It has to be big enough for your dog to easily get in and out of the house but not so big that it results in excessive heat loss and over-exposure to the elements. Remember that, unlike people, dogs require smaller doors than what their total height is. They have no issues with having to duck to enter a house.

Look for a doghouse that comes with a door. This will provide an extra level of protection against the sun, cold, and rain (especially in a house with a centered doorway). The big thing in doghouse doors these days seems to be a flap of vinyl with vertical slits cut into it. This enables the dog to see what's going on outside but still stay warm and dry inside. And the slits allow him to easily push through the "door".

Petmate® Doghouse Door

Next, the house should have a floor which sits far enough above ground to prevent water from entering on the rainiest days. Raising the floor will also isolate it from the cold ground in the winter. Ideally, a doghouse should have an insulated floor that is elevated a few inches above the ground. This so called "dead air space" affords an extra measure of insulation, keeps moisture away from the house and your pet, and provides extra protection against flea infestation from hatching eggs in the soil. A raised floor also prevents the wood from rotting thereby extending the life of the house.

Some doghouses are made with skid plates or extended corner posts to elevate the house above the ground. The same effect can be achieved by placing the house atop bricks, stones, or treated 4x4 blocks of wood.

Then last, don't forget to buy a dog bed to fit inside the house. Not all types of bedding are created equal. You'll often come across suggestions to use blankets, towels, carpet, hay, straw, old newspapers, pretty much whatever you can get your hands on. The problem with most of these materials is that they attract and retain fleas, tics, and other creatures. They are also susceptible to mold and mildew.

A better option is to use cedar shavings for bedding because the oils in the cedar will repel fleas and tics. However, be aware that the cedar oils cause contact allergies in a small percentage of dogs. To minimize this possibility - and also to keep the house neater - you could get a dog bed cover with a liner and stuff the liner with the cedar wood chips.

Always keep fresh water near the doghouse for your pet to lap up and shade for summers.