How to build a do-it-yourself shepherd booth - materials and tools

Sheepdogs are hardy dogs, they live all year round in yard conditions, open-air cages. The owner takes care of keeping the pet in winter cold and summer heat, so he builds a cozy and comfortable kennel. With your own hand, you can build a warm booth for a shepherd dog, dimensions, drawings of which are on the Internet. They take a ready-made standard project, adapt it to the size of the dog, remake it for the conditions of detention.

General requirements for a shepherd booth

The pet's house protects it from rain, snow, the dog is comfortable, warm in it. The size of the kennel is provided so that the animal has the opportunity to stretch out to its full height. It is considered that too large buildings contribute to the loss of heat, which the shepherd provides due to body temperature.

The dwelling is built taking into account the rules:

• choose materials for walls, roofs, floors with low heat conductivity, the enclosing surfaces are additionally insulated;
• the bottom of the booth is raised above the ground, setting it on bricks, wooden decks;
• do not allow dangerous drafts, therefore, the entrance is covered with a canopy of dense material;
• keep the dimensions in accordance with the height of the dog.

The litter must be dry and the roof must not leak. In combination with insulation, waterproofing layers are used.

Measurement of a pet to determine the size of the booth

Measurements are carried out when the dog is in a standing position, you need to make it behave calmly.

The following measurements are taken:

1. Measure the length from the base of the tail to the very tip of the nose. The length of the kennel is obtained by adding 15 cm to the obtained value.
2. The height of the animal is measured from the crown of the head in its natural position to the floor. To obtain the height of the dwelling, 15 cm is also added to the size.
3. The growth of the animal at the withers is found in order to find out the height of the inlet. Measure from floor to withers. The level of the upper point of the manhole is determined by subtracting 10 cm from the obtained indicator.
4. The width of the pet's chest is measured between the shoulder-shoulder joints. The size is needed to obtain the dimensions of the manhole in width, 10 cm is added to it. The additive is needed so that the pet does not cling to the edges of the inlet with its body.

Next, you can make do-it-yourself drawings of a doghouse for a shepherd dog, taking into account the dimensions obtained.

Choosing a place for the booth

The kennel of a Caucasian and a German shepherd is placed not far from a residential building so that the animal can see the entrance and the courtyard with a gate. If possible, the booth is located in an elevated place so that the view is better. Such a choice will simultaneously protect the building from flooding by melt or rainwater.

The booth is placed on the leeward side of the building to protect it from gusts in bad weather. A kennel with an aviary will require trees above it, a shade from the house. A canopy is erected over the walking area if there are no tall objects and buildings nearby.

It is not recommended to place the booth next to the wall of a toilet, poultry house, pigsty, garage and similar premises with a strong smell and harsh sounds.

A booth next to the enclosing fence on the site is not a very good solution, since the dog will constantly bark at passers-by.

Types of buildings

A booth for a German shepherd is chosen taking into account the practicality of the option and the advantages over other models.

• The pitched roof structure allows the dog to lie on the roof and view the surroundings of the yard.
• A kennel with two slopes on the roof better protects from precipitation, since the water flows down faster and the snow rolls off the inclined plane.
• The building with a covered vestibule allows you to warm up in bad weather, they put a bowl for food and a container for water there.
• A booth with an aviary makes it possible to be outdoors in winter and summer.

The owners arrange a booth similar to the master's house, equip buildings with different external finishes and roof cladding, use an original and unique design.

Single-pitched kennel

The roof helps to keep warm in cold weather. A smaller internal volume heats up faster due to body heat, this energy is not distributed to heating the space under the roof. There is no completely flat roof of a dog kennel, there is still a slight slope, about 11 °.

A flat roof does not react to wind load, so it can be covered with roll material, for example, several layers of roofing tar paper on bitumen mastic or euroruberoid. There is an option of a soft coating of three layers of simple roofing felt on a heated resin.

If the owner does not like the visually pitched roof, a hemmed ceiling is made to preserve heat, and an aesthetically acceptable roof is arranged on top. The flat roof can be easily made removable for easier cleaning or treatment of fleas in the kennel.

Gable house

Such roofs are more often a decoration for a dog's home than a necessity for a pet. The material of the gable roof is metal, corrugated board. If a handmade booth with an original design is being built, artificial or natural tiles are used (remnants from the roof of a residential building), slate, ondulin are used, a metal sheet with a polymer or galvanized coating is placed.

The overlap is arranged in the form of two options:

• put 2 - 3 rows of rafters, resting on a central raised girder;
• mount small farms.

In the first case, you can reduce the volume inside the room due to the suspended ceiling structure or leave free space. If the booth is heated, this option is quite acceptable.

For unheated houses, it is better to make a structure with trusses in order to save heat.

Booth with a vestibule

The extension retains heat in the kennel due to additional walls, the inlet is not blown out as much as in the open version. For this purpose, the manhole is positioned at an angle to the line of entry into the vestibule. In an additional compartment, a place for a bowl is arranged so that the pet can eat in bad weather in acceptable conditions.

It is better to provide for a removable cover in the drawings of the booth for a German shepherd, the dimensions of which allow you to change the bedding, to serve the dwelling. In models with a vestibule, it is difficult to do such procedures through the entrance hole.

The roof for such a building is made common for the kennel and vestibule, or a complex configuration is arranged for each room separately. The size of the covered porch depends on the size of the animal; it is decorated in accordance with the landscape of the site.

Dwelling with aviary

The most suitable option for keeping and walking yard dogs. Pets on the playgrounds move more, are active, have a good appetite. In open-air cages, offspring develops well.

Aviaries are:

• open;
• with a canopy;
• with low walls;
• closed on one side by a vertical fence.

For the fence, use a metal mesh on the frame, boards, OSB boards (moisture resistant). It is not recommended to use solid metal sheets, professional sheet for the canopy and walls of the enclosure. Materials are very hot from the sun, so it is stuffy and hot under them.

Aviaries are oriented from the main building to the south, southeast and southwest, depending on the climate. It is impossible to turn the walking area to the north, even in warm areas. It is good if there is a spreading tree, tall bushes and plants nearby.

Booth construction process

Support elements are prepared to raise the structure above the ground. These can be wooden blocks, it is better to wrap them with roofing material, soak them with molten resin. They also use bricks, take ceramic fired red stones.

Step-by-step instruction:

• collect the base of the floor, set it on props;
• insulate the floor, cover the layer with plywood;
• put four bars for the frame of the kennel, control the verticality;
• they sew up the walls, make a roof according to the chosen scheme.

Exterior wall decoration is combined with insulation. The roof is made with an extension so that its size is 5-10 cm larger than the base from each side. A galvanized gutter is placed along the perimeter of the roof to redirect rain flows from the front of the booth to the side.

Drafting a dog house

First, drawings are prepared with the dimensions of the shepherd's booth. If you are building a kennel for a young dog that will grow, use the average recommended sizes.

Dimensions:

• length 1.2 - 1.25 m;
• ceiling height - 0.9 - 1.0 m;
• the width of the booth - 0.65 - 0.75 m;
• the hole is cut with a size of 0.5 x 0.6 m.

For the vestibule, add 0.6 - 0.8 m to the length or make other sizes of the booth for the Caucasian or German shepherd. There are many projects, but a rectangular kennel with a side entrance and a small vestibule is considered the best.

Complex structures are more difficult to clean, maintain, the dog will feel uncomfortable in them. For animals, the main room and a shed in the form of an extension are enough to leave the booth in bad weather.

Instrument preparation

Usually the enclosing structures are made of lumber, so you will need tools for woodworking:

• a hacksaw for wood, you can use an electric jigsaw to facilitate and speed up sawing;
• an ordinary hammer, pliers, wire cutters;
• tape measure, pencil, sealant gun;
• control tool (bubble level, plumb line, construction square).

The elements are assembled using self-tapping screws, a drill with attachments for cross slots on the head of the hardware is used to tighten them. Prepare brushes for painting surfaces and priming. If the structure contains a metal frame, a welding machine is needed to join the parts.

Construction Materials

Walls, floors and roofs must be able to withstand frost and heat without deformation. They should not absorb moisture, be destroyed by sunlight. They use materials from the category of environmentally friendly products.

Prepare lumber for assembly:

• the base frame is made with a bar of 50 x 50 mm, sewn up with boards 20 mm thick, the insulation is covered with OSB plywood with a thickness of 8 - 10 mm;
• for the racks of the booth, a beam of 50 x 50 or 50 x 70 mm is prepared, they are tied along the top with slats of 40 x 30 mm, the walls are sewn up with an edged board of 15 mm;
• for the rafter system, 40 x 30 mm rails are taken, a 10 x 40 mm rail is placed as a crate;
• the roof is covered with slate or roofing felt.

Before installation, all wooden parts are treated with heated linseed oil for 2 times, dried, antiseptics are applied against microorganisms. After finishing the assembly, the walls, floor and other surfaces are painted.

Installation and insulation

All surfaces that the dog comes into contact with must be sanded so that it does not damage the paws and body. The structures must be strong and reliable; it is not recommended to put materials inside that the dog can tear off with his teeth or gnaw.

Heaters are used:

• foamed penofol, polyurethane foam is placed without crate;
• natural felt is the most suitable layer for protection from the cold.

For insulation outside, you can use mineral wool.The material requires the organization of a ventilated space for drying, since it accumulates condensate. Inside, such layers will take up a lot of space.

Exterior decoration and accessories

The booth is trimmed with natural materials, it is not recommended to use plastic, siding that does not let steam through.

For wall decoration use:

• natural lining;
• board;
• plywood;
• block house.

At the bottom, under the bottom, a layer of roofing material, fiberglass, polyethylene is laid to reduce the influence of soil moisture. It is placed on an inclined surface to avoid stagnation of moisture from rain and snow drift.

A stand for a bowl and a drinking bowl is mounted in the vestibule. In a kennel without a vestibule, a canopy is made on the front wall from the sun. They put a box where the pet's toys are put.

Content in the cold season

Be sure to cover the floor so that the dog does not lie on the boards. Use cloth bedding, stuffed fabric mattresses. They are regularly changed, the cover is removed, and washed. Natural fabrics are used, for example, linen, wool, cotton. Sawdust or straw is used to insulate the bottom, cedar and pine mining are poured. The weight is also changed as it gets wet or dirty.

In booths, dogs are equipped with battery-powered heaters or heated floors and infrared devices. Use hot water heating if possible. Incandescent bulbs can raise the temperature in a small booth by a couple of degrees, but the pet can burn itself on them. This method is not recommended.