Want to give back to your pooch, who has been your loyal friend for all these years? Why not build it a dog house? Dogs enjoy a nice, cozy place where they can rest and get some nice zzz’s after a long day of playing.
Surprisingly, this home project is not all that difficult to create, and you can easily customize it according to what you (and your dog) like.
This can also be a fun project to take on with the kids or friends, or it could be a wonderful present for someone you know who has kids. Here are dozens of ideas for you to pick through to find the perfect one.
Remember: we also have DIY dog kennel plans if you need a larger option.
37+ Free DIY Dog House Plans
1. Slanted Design
Perfect for your own dog or a loved one’s, this functional design features a flat roof and a slight “front porch” if you will, which is meant for placing the food dishes. Highly convenient if you want to designate a special place in your home meant for your pet, especially if you don’t have a lot of room to begin with.
VIEW PLANS2. Recycled Materials
You don’t have to spend a lot of money on materials if you want to take on this project. The Instructable suggests using some old wood that you have lying around, whether from other tasks or from something you took apart long ago. Just make sure to cut it accurately and screw the pieces together as needed. It’s even got a covered porch- great for the winter months!
VIEW PLANS3. Cute and Simple
Here is a cute, simple dog house that is rather basic and can be done within a matter of four hours, tops. All you will need is wood, roofing sheet, hinges, net, nails, a jigsaw, hammer, tape measure, and pencil to complete. Oh, and don’t forget to paint the symmetrical roof for added customization. Add some decorative shingles for a more stylish aesthetic- a nail gun will help with that!
VIEW PLANS4. Cheap and Sufficient Cardboard Dog House
Here’s an option that is perfect for two small puppies. Do you ever just want to cuddle them and make something special for them? Now you can. For the materials, you will need MDF wood, wood glue, and a laser engraving and cutting machine. Be sure to check out the instructions for the laser parameters. Consider a removable roof because it can make cleaning easier.
VIEW PLANS5. Collapsible
Not much room in your house? Here is a great option for something collapsible so that your dog house does not have to sit out in the snow. It does not require any expensive materials, and will most likely cost you around $50 at most. Only one weekend is all you will need.
VIEW PLANS6. For Claustrophobia
Some pets just don’t like small, enclosed spaces. So what do you do then? This is the perfect choice because it is open and does not have walls. It functions more as a lean to give your pet a special space, somewhere to hide while staying protected from the weather, and the ability to watch the world around them without feeling scared.
VIEW PLANS7. Mobile Home
A mobile home is not going to cost you tons of money, and it will be extremely functional especially if you enjoy hitting the road a lot. It’s actually pretty large, as this design was meant to enable your dog to sit up, lie down, and turn around while inside.
VIEW PLANS8. Modern Dog House With Insulation
An insulated A-frame house is great to provide your pet with some additional warmth during the cold months, which could be especially great if you live somewhere that has a cooler climate. It’s simple to build and many of the materials can be gathered from recycling places or home improvement stores. Though you’ll need some roofing tacks, liquid nails, and exterior plywood.
VIEW PLANS9. Automated Option
Want to get really creative? This is definitely more involved than some of the others, but your dog will greatly appreciate it. You can automate some of its most basic needs, including a dark place to sleep, warm place during winter, fresh air in the summer, and food and water. This specific one also offers lighting.
VIEW PLANS10. Cottage Style Breezy Dog House
A cute, cottage style is a wonderful option for your pet. Not only is this elegant and pleasing to the eye, but it’s also rather easy to build. It is made of white cedar and guanacaste trim, and the dimensions listed are meant for small to medium sized dogs. Rot-resistant materials are best. A nail gun will help with the shingles- it will require more than the usual basic woodworking skills.
VIEW PLANS11. Traditional Dog House
Recycled pallets are all you will need for this. That goes to show that you don’t need to spend tons of money in order to do a special DIY project. It can cost next to nothing due to the availability of the materials and doesn’t take advanced woodworking skills.
VIEW PLANS12. Cozy Paradise
A nice, cozy, warm place to spend the winter… what could be better? As the weather gets colder, our pets get cold, too, so we want to make sure that we provide them with enough insulation and warmth throughout the season. That is why this instructions guide includes an option that is well-insulated.
VIEW PLANS13. On the Cheap
Everyone wants to be able to build a DIY woodworking project without any power tools, and that’s exactly what you’ll be able to do here. It only cost around $100 due to the fact that recycled wood was the main material that was used. The perfect project if you have scrap materials lying around and don’t want extreme difficulty levels.
VIEW PLANS14. Smart Option
Do you want to still be able to monitor your dog’s activities while they are chilling out? Here, the main premise is to use a Raspberry Pi monitor, where you will be able to check to see how much time they’ve spent inside, how much noise they’ve made, and how active they’ve been throughout the day. Obviously, this requires more than your usual, basic woodworking skills.
VIEW PLANS15. Budget Friendly
Here is something that won’t require a lot of equipment, and anything necessary can easily be found in a local workshop. The materials that you will need to use include a circular saw, pen, meter stick, cordless drill, extension core, screws, and plywood of different sizes.
VIEW PLANS16. Knock Down
The purpose behind the knock down design is for you to transport or ship it if needed. It also is light enough to move around the yard if you want to change its position. In addition, this is reconfigurable, so you can remove walls, change the door, or switch the window locations. There is also some insulation with solar-warming capacities.
VIEW PLANS17. Heated Home
This is perfect for a dog of a medium size, and it can be custom-built to suit your specific pet, too. It is made of all wood and includes some black chalk paint for customization. Keep in mind that this is not waterproof because this specific option was meant for under the porch, but you can waterproof it if necessary.
VIEW PLANS18. Cottage Style
Here is a stunning option with a modern design that will look great anywhere, especially during cold winters. All of your friends and family will be amazed by your skills if you present this. Adding a personal touch, with its decorative sun deck, to a traditional choice is a good way to show your pets that you care. It’s cute and includes many cosmetic features. While this is more involved than some other options, it’s definitely one of the most beautiful. This will require some moderate woodworking skills. Carefully add some heat lamps if you want to really keep it warm in the winter- make sure you read up on how to do that safely!
VIEW PLANS19. Ultra Light
Extremely lightweight, inexpensive, and easy to build- those are all features that you will get with this next Instructable. You can find all the equipment at your local hardware store, or you can search for scraps to save some cash. You will need wooden boards, metal siding, wood screws, metal screws, a door, brass hinges, corner, drill, miter saw, drill press, cutter, snips, marker, and an impact driver.
VIEW PLANS20. DIY Wooden
Perfect for small pets, this is simple and easy to make, and it includes a compartment for shelter from rain and cold weather. In addition, there is a roof with stairs, so your animal can sleep on the roof on sunny days. It will require some decent carpentry skills with all its plywood sheeting. Download the pdf and get the materials list.
VIEW PLANS21. Wine Barrel
Although most of the options here include wood, here is one that has a wine barrel. All you have to do is cut a hole in the head of the barrel, build a base, add finish, seal it, and decorate as necessary.
VIEW PLANS22. Large Choice
For the next plan on our list, you will definitely end up with something larger than the others, but it will be well worth it if your dog is on the bigger side, too. For this, you will need around 250 outdoor screws, plywood of different sizes, a power drill, saw, jigsaw, level, and paint if you want to make the exterior more personalized.
VIEW PLANS23. Mudroom Bench
If you have a smaller space to work with, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get this done. Here, it is possible to remodel the entryway of your home in order to accommodate a hidden space. The frame was constructed to fit within the dimensions of the existing closet, and the bench top can be removed without difficulty if you want to clean. You can even add padding to conceal it more.
VIEW PLANS24. Roland Amazing
This features an intricate design that is definitely worthy of any loyal friend. It also has a cats shelter, so if you have cats, they will get some enjoyment out of this, too (granted, any of the options on this list can also accommodate cats). It is covered with Roland prints on wood and carpet, and it uses economic materials with OSB boards.
VIEW PLANS25. Project 2.0
Some dogs are not able to handle the cold as well as others, which is especially true if they are older. This one is earth sheltered, which means that the concept is the same as most of the options listed, but there is no side wall to lean on and there is a full arch structure instead. If you have a lot of outdoor space, especially a barn, this is the optimal version.
VIEW PLANS26. The Open Road
The premise behind this is that it is a replica of an RV. If you’re a family that likes to go on adventures, then you will naturally want to include your pets in all the fun. This way, they can pretend that they are on the open road even when you’re at home, providing some great relaxation time at the end of a long.
VIEW PLANS27. Build It Yourself
If you’re still a little bit unsure of how the process goes, this comes with a full instructions guide that will lead you every step of the way. While it is meant to accommodate smaller breeds like terriers or cocker spaniels, you can customize the dimensions accordingly. Be sure to follow the link that includes all the information you’ll need.
VIEW PLANS28. 100 Watt
As the title suggests, this next blueprint features a 100 watt flood light, paint can, extension cord, lamp base, and a few other items, all of which are meant to provide heat in freezing weather. Be sure to keep an eye on it and follow the instructions carefully to make sure that everything ends up smooth and clean.
VIEW PLANS29. Easy to Clean
One of the most important factors that people care about is making sure that everything their pets use is easy to clean. As we know, sometimes our animals can make messes, especially those with fur, so we try to make things as simple to clean as possible. This plan definitely takes that into consideration and won’t cost too much to make, too.
VIEW PLANS30. Simplest Plan
If you’ve been shopping around for one of these online, you’ve probably found many that range between $200 and $600, or even more depending on how intricate the design is. That’s definitely out of many people’s budget, which is why it’s not a bad idea to build one yourself.
VIEW PLANS31. Chicken Coop
The entire premise behind these instructions guides is to provide you with some directions and inspiration for how to build a doghouse, but you can easily repurpose one as a chicken coop if you have a lot of chickens. They are warm and provide lots of room for the chickens.
VIEW PLANS32. Flat Pack Dog House
This next shelter does it all. It’s extremely lightweight and easy to carry, it does not take up too much space, the dimensions are large enough to accommodate most species, it is easy to set up, it’s waterproof, easy to clean, isolated, and it circulates clean air.
VIEW PLANS33. Walk-In Shelf
This can double up and take on multiple purposes, and the best part is that you don’t need to be an expert or have a lot of experience with woodworking in order to complete this.
VIEW PLANS34. With Air Conditioning
When it’s summertime, not a lot of people know that their pets are going to overheat, too. That’s why it’s important to make sure that they stay cool as a cucumber. This project includes air conditioning, which might make it more difficult, but it’s durable and your animals will thank you for it.
VIEW PLANS35. Very Sturdy Duplex
Using two doorways, you will be able to suit two dogs in this duplex. Each of them will have a 4×6 area, providing plenty of room to move about. Corrugated tin was used for the roof and walls, and you will also need roofing screws, star screws, and lumber.
VIEW PLANS36. Gothic Theme
No, not “goth” where everything is black. This follows the old theme of the Gothic era. Why not venture out and follow some old architectural methods? While it was meant for chickens specifically, you can definitely repurpose and resize it.
VIEW PLANS37. Haus of Fun
After a short trip to a home supply store, you will easily be able to find all the necessary materials to build this cute haus of fun.
VIEW PLANS
Hi, my name’s Elena Coolidge. I’m a DIY enthusiast who loves building fun woodworking plans. These DIY plans are fun hobby projects for enthusiasts or even more advanced builders that want to build things like bunk beds, end tables or even a duck box!
