How to Build a Dog Kennel for My Truck

If your dog is going to ride in the back of your truck, you must have a kennel to prevent it from jumping out or flying out in case of an accident. Your dog kennel in your truck needs to be sturdy, and if mounted in the bed of your truck, it needs to be made with pressure-treated wood and then painted. Because pickup truck beds vary in size, we will use a basic 48" x 24" x 24" dog kennel layout. However, remember that this is only for this article as your personal truck bed dimensions may vary.

Things You'll Need

  • 2 x 2 pieces of wood (8 pieces 24 inches long and 4 pieces 48 inches long)
  • 4 pieces of ¾ inch treated plywood 48 inches x 24 inches
  • 2 pieces of plywood, ¾ inch, treated, 24 inches x 24 inches
  • Screw gun
  • Box of 3-inch self treading screws
  • Wood glue
  • Jig saw with a wood blade
  • Belt sander with 100 grit belt
  • A 40 inch piano hinge
  • 3 hook latches
  • Tape measure.
  • Half-inch drill bit
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Instructions

    • 1

      Make the frame for the kennel. Take two of the 48 inch 2 x 2 pieces, and two of the 24 inches 2 x 2 pieces. Using glue and screws, attach the 24 inch pieces to the ends of the 48 inch pieces to make a rectangle. Do this twice to make the back and front of your kennel.

    • 2

      Join the front and back of the kennel with the remaining four pieces of 2 x 2s. Glue and screw the back frame together with the front frame, attaching the 2 x 2 pieces between them on the top and bottom. When done, you should have a perfect 48 inch by 24 inch enclosed frame.

    • 3

      Enclose the kennel. Taking one of your 24 inch by 24 inch pieces of plywood, glue and screw it down on the side of the frame, making sure the edges are as flush as possible with the lengths of wood. You will do this for each side and the top of the frame. Now you have two walls and a top.

    • 4

      Screw the floor and back into place. Take one of the 48 inch pieces of plywood and glue and screw it to the bottom of the frame. You will do the same thing with the back, leaving you with an enclosed kennel except that the front will still be open.

    • 5

      Sand everything smooth. Using your belt sander, sand all the edges where the plywood meets and make it all smooth and splinter-free to the touch.

    • 6

      Make sure your puppy gets enough air. On your last piece of 48 inch plywood, measure out ventilation holes and cut them out using the jigsaw. Using your tape measure, make marks at the 24 inch point, which is the center of the piece of plywood. Draw a line completely across the board. Measure in from the left side along the center line to 4 ½ inches. From here you are going to measure out a 3 inches wide by 12 inches high cut-out. Put the drill bit into your screw gun, and on any corner of that cut out measurement, drill a hole, This will be the starting point for your jigsaw. Use your jig saw to cut out that 12 inches high by 3 inches wide ventilation hole.

    • 7

      Add additional ventilation holes. At 3-inch intervals along that center line, cut out six more ventilation holes.

    • 8

      Sand all the ventilation holes smooth. Using your belt sander, sand both the inner and outer edges of the hole smooth.

    • 9

      Install a downward swinging door. Attach the piano hinge to the bottom 2 x 2 and then attach it to the bottom of the last 48 inch piece of plywood. When done, you will have a door that opens downward.

    • 10

      Make sure the door will latch securely. Screw down your 3 hook latches on the top of your door and attach the actual latches to the top of the kennel. Do this at 12 inches from each side, and the center one should be attached at 24 inches, or directly in the center.

    • 11

      Sand all the edges smooth one more time. You do not want your dog getting splinters in his nose or paws while riding in the kennel.