How to Build a Dog Duplex

If you have two dogs, you may want to save space by building them a duplex dog house instead of two individual dog houses. A duplex dog house must be large enough for your dogs and provide adequate protection against the elements. To fit the dogs, the measurements for this dog house are based on either the existing dog house or the size of your largest dog. To protect the dogs from the cold and rain, a sloping roof is used, along with thick plywood for insulation.

Things You'll Need

  • 2 Sheets 1-inch-thick plywood
  • 2 8-foot-long, 2-by-4-inch boards
  • 2-inch-long galvanized nails
  • 4-inch-long galvanized nails
  • Decking screws
  • Electric screwdriver
  • Hammer
  • Tape measure
  • Table saw
  • Jig saw
  • Circular saw
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Instructions

  1. Measure, Mark and Cut the Pieces

    • 1

      Measure the dimensions of your existing dog house or measure the larger of your two dogs to know how large to build the house. The length of the house should be the length of the dog with an added 18-inches. The height should be the height of the dog with an added 9 inches. The width of the house should be 12 inches longer than the length of the largest dog. Write these dimensions down.

    • 2

      Measure the height of the house onto the 2-by-4-inch board. Cut this piece off with the table saw. Repeat three times to cut the side wall supports for your duplex.

    • 3

      Double the width dimension since you are making a duplex, measure and mark four pieces this size on the 2-by-4-inch board. Cut these pieces. This will be the front and rear supports.

    • 4

      Measure and mark the length dimension onto the 2-by-4-inch board. Repeat this measurement and marking three more times and cut these piece out with the table saw. These will be the side supports.

    • 5

      Measure and mark a rectangle on the the plywood that has two sides as long as the length dimension plus 4 inches and two sides that are twice as long as the width dimension plus 4 inches. Cut this piece on the table saw. This will be the flooring. Measure and mark a line directly down the middle of the flooring, dividing it into two sides that are as long as the original width measurement.

    • 6

      Measure and mark out a shape on the plywood that has a base as long as the length dimension plus 4-inches, one side as high as the height dimension plus 1-inch and another side as high as the height dimension plus 6-inches. Repeat so that you have two identical trapezoids. Cut both of these out with the circular saw. These pieces will form the side walls and the central wall.

    • 7

      Measure and mark a rectangle on the plywood that is as long as double the width measurement plus 6-inches and as high as the height measurement plus 7-inches. This will be the front wall.

    • 8

      Draw out two doors on either side of the front wall that agree with your own aesthetics and will fit your dogs. Cut these out with the jigsaw.

    • 9

      Measure and mark a rectangle on the plywood that is as long as double the width measurement plus 2-inches and as high as the height measurement. This will be the back wall.

    • 10

      Measure and mark a rectangle on the plywood that has the same dimensions as the floor piece plus 4-inches on the length and 4-inches on the height. This will be the roof.

    Assemble the Duplex

    • 11

      Lay the side supports and two of the front and rear supports out on the work bench. Put the two side supports resting on their 2-inch edges parallel to each other. Place the front and rear supports on their 2-inch edges at a 90-degree angle to the side supports so that the four pieces form a rectangle. The ends of the side supports should butt up against the front and rear supports. Nail two 4-inch galvanized nails into the ends of each side support by nailing through the front and rear supports. This will form the base unit.

    • 12

      Lay the floor on top of the base unit, with the line that you made in the center facing upwards. Make sure all of the edges are equal to the edges of the base unit, nail it to the base unit. First nail the corners and follow with at least two nails along each edge.

    • 13

      Place the side supports on each corner of the flooring. Screw these to the flooring by pointing the drill with screw into the wood at a 45-degree angle to the board, near the bottom.

    • 14

      Press the side wall up against the side pieces. The bottom edge should cover the flooring and be flush with the top of the base unit. Nail this piece to the flooring and the side supports with the 2-inch long galvanized nails. Repeat for the other side. The two long sides of the side pieces should be facing the same direction.

    • 15

      Press the front wall against the long sides of the side walls. The bottom edge should be flush with the base unit and cover the flooring, the sides should be flush with the exterior of the side walls. Attach to the floor and the side supports using 2-inch galvanized nails.

    • 16

      Press the back wall up to the short sides of the side walls. Attach this to the floor and side supports using the 2-inch galvanized nails.

    • 17

      Push the central wall into the dog house to divide up the two units. It should be oriented the same way as the side walls and go down directly over the line drawn down the center of the floor. Attach the central wall by driving 2-inch galvanized nails into it through the center of the front and rear walls.

    • 18

      Lay the roof over the top of the side walls and the front and back walls. Check that approximately 2 inches of roofing sticks out over each end. Drive 2-inch nails into all of the corners and edges to attach the roof.