Concrete doghouses are excellent for dogs in extreme climates.
Concrete doghouses are an excellent investment for dog owners everywhere. In hot locations, the concrete will keep dogs cool, and in colder climates it will serve as insulation to keep them warmer. Concrete doghouses can be customized for dogs of any size and are relatively easy to make. They are, however, quiet heavy, and can be hard to move if the location in which they are initially placed is not permanent.
Instructions
1. Measure your dog. A doghouse must be at least as deep as your dog is long and at least as tall as his shoulder height, and have a width that is larger that of the dog at his widest point.
2. Choose a plastic barrel or drum that meets these minimum measurements. This will serve as the core of your doghouse.
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3. Use the plywood to build a rectangular wooden form that is exactly 8 inches longer, taller, and wider than the barrel.
4. Use the 2-by-4 plank to create a rectangular frame for the door of your doghouse. This should be at least 1 inch wider than your dog is at his widest point. Its height should measure 75 percent of the dog's height at his shoulders.
5. Lay the finished door frame on one end of the barrel. Use a permanent marker to trace the inside of the frame onto the barrel end.
6. Use your reciprocal saw to cut around the line you traced in Step 5. This will create a door for the doghouse.
7. Using wood screws, attach the wooden frame around the hole you just cut in the barrel. This should be accomplished by starting inside the barrel and screwing outward.
8. Attach a 12-inch length of 2-by-4 across the middle of the other end of the barrel. You should again use wood screws, and screw from inside the barrel, out into the wood.
9. Place the barrel into the wooden frame created in step one. It is important that the barrel is exactly centered. The 2-by-4 structures attached in steps 7 and 8 will keep it centered front-to-back. There should be exactly 4 inches on each side of the barrel, and exactly 4 inches above and below the barrel as well.
10. Use screws to attach the barrel to the wooden frame using the 2-by-4 structures as studs. Use several screws in both the front and the back to ensure the barrel will not shift when concrete is added.
11. Pour concrete into the form. Make sure the concrete flows under the barrel and around the 2-by-4 structures. The form should be filled completely.
12. Place a 2-by-4 across the top of the wooden frame. Drape a chain across the 2-by-4, sinking the ends deep into the wet concrete. This chain can be used to attach the doghouse to a truck or tractor later, to assist in moving it.
13. Allow the concrete to dry for at least two days before removing the wooden forms.
Unscrew the 2-by-4 structure used to frame the door. Use a hammer to knock the boards out.
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