How to Build a Dog House With a Shingled Roof

There are a lot of dog house designs, but few will keep your dog quite as warm and dry as one with a proper shingled roof. The shingled roof is one of the most important features in a waterproof dog house, and can also keep the roof insulated so your pet is cool and dry in the summer and warm and dry all winter long.

Things You'll Need

  • Pressure treated 2x4s
  • Hand held drill
  • Weather resistant screws
  • ¾-inch plywood
  • Double sided tape
  • Straight edge
  • Circular saw
  • 1-1/2"-thick foam insulation
  • Saber saw
  • Weather resistant piano hinge
  • Tar paper
  • Asphalt shingles
  • Roofing nails
  • Roofing cement
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Instructions

    • 1
      Measure your dog.

      Measure your dog to determine the proper size for his house. The width of the dog house should be equal to your dog's length plus 12 inches. Measure the length of your dog house to your dog's width plus 18 inches. The dog house's height will be equal to your dog's height plus 9 inches in the front, and will slope to the dog's height plus 3 inches in the back.

    • 2
      Cut the base from 2x4s.

      Build the base of the doghouse. Cut the base parts to the correct length from 2x4s. Place the ends together and attach with screws, using a hand held drill. Cut out a plywood floor panel and secure it to the base with weather tight screws.

    • 3
      Use a circular saw to cut the walls from plywood.

      Cut the front and back walls from plywood using a circular saw. Attach the back wall to the base of the dog house with screws.

    • 4
      Clamp the side walls together when cutting to ensure they are both the same size.

      Use double sided tape to temporarily attach the plywood pieces for the side walls together. Clamp a straight edge to the sides and cut the side walls at an angle to ensure water will run off the roof rather than into it. Attach the side walls to the back of the dog house and to the base with screws.

    • 5
      Cut a door in the front panel.

      With a saber saw, cut a door opening in the front panel measuring a few inches higher than the dog's back. The door should measure the dog's width plus 3" inches.

    • 6
      Cut an oversize piece of plywood for the roof.

      Cut an oversize piece of plywood for the roof. Secure at the back of the doghouse with a weather-resistant piano hinge. Cover the roof with tar paper.

    • 7
      Shingle the roof.

      Install shingles on the roof. Start at the bottom row toward the back of the dog house, and nail each shingle down with a short nail. Overlap each additional row over the one below it and work your way to the top of the roof. To seal out moisture, apply a bead of roofing cement to the top edge of the roof.