Things You'll Need
- Shovels or a tiller
- Water-filled lawn roller
- Spirit level
- 84 feet of 2-inch by 4-inch stock lumber
- 22 feet of 4-inch by 4-inch post
- 24-inch by 12-inch piece of lattice
- Four sheets of 4-foot by 8-foot by 1/2-inch plywood
- One sheet of 48-inch by 48-inch plywood for the inner separating wall
- One 44-inch long piece of 2-inch by 2-inch stock lumber
- Back saw and miter box
- Carpenter's try square
- Carpenter's glue
- Circular saw
- Power drill 1/4-inch diameter drill bit
- Countersink bit
- Box of 1/2-inch diameter, 4-inch long galvanized wood screws
- Coarse and medium sanding belts
- Belt sander
- Clear acrylic wood treatment
- 6 bags of rose mulch for bedding
- 2 bales of fresh straw
Instructions
Clear a 10-foot by 6-foot area for the foundation of your dog house by digging at least a foot deep. Use a long board to pull the loose dirt around until the area is level. Compact the soil, using a water-filled lawn roller. Lay a spirit level on a board laid across the cleared area. If it is not level, use the board to pull the loose dirt around again and recheck until it is.
Cut six 44-inch long 4-inch by 4-inch posts. Cut seven 4-foot lengths of 2-inch by 4-inch lumber. Cut four 8-foot lengths of 2-inch by 4-inch lumber. Miter all the 2-inch by 4-inch lumber to a 45-degree angle using a back saw and miter box. These are the pieces you will use to frame the two-section dog house.
Apply carpenter's glue to the mitered ends of two 4-foot lengths of 2-inch by 4-inch lumber and two 8-foot lengths of 2-inch by 4-inch lumber. Place the shorter pieces between the longer pieces and press together, making sure the corners are flush and square. Use a carpenter's try square to verify this. Allow glue to dry for 2 to 3 hours.
Carefully lift the 4-foot by 8-foot frame and set it on four of the 4-inch by 4-inch posts, making sure the corners of the frame are flush with the edges and corners of the posts. Drill 1/4-inch diameter pilot holes in the positions indicated in the diagram that accompanies this step. Countersink all the holes. Secure the frame to the posts using 1/2-inch diameter, 4-inch long galvanized wood screws.
Position the remaining two 4-inch by 4-inch posts as indicated by the white areas in the diagram which accompanies this step. Drill 1/4-inch diameter pilot holes in the positions indicated. Countersink all holes. Secure the remaining two posts using 1/2-inch diameter, 4-inch long galvanized wood screws.
Flip the entire frame over and repeat Steps 1 through 5, attaching the second 4-foot by 8-foot frame to the posts. Cut one of the 4-foot by 8-foot sheets of plywood in half to make two 4-foot by 4-foot pieces. Cut a 24-inch wide by 36-inch tall doorway at each end of one of the 4-foot by 8-foot sheets of plywood, as indicated by the diagram that accompanies this step.
Attach the 48-inch by 48-inch sheet of plywood to the center posts, inside the dog house, to make the inner separating wall, using 1/2-inch diameter, 4-inch long galvanized wood screws. Make sure the plywood sheet is flush with the outside edges of each post. If not flush, the plywood sheeting on the outside of the dog house will not lie flush against the dog house frame.
Lay one of the 4-foot by 8-foot sheets of plywood on top of the dog house frame, flush with all corners and edges. Drill 1/4-inch diameter pilot holes every six inches around the perimeter of the sheet, except at the corners and the center posts. Countersink all holes. Secure the plywood to the frame using 1/2-inch diameter, 4-inch long galvanized wood screws. Repeat for the other two 4-foot by 8-foot plywood sheets and for the remaining two 4-foot by 4-foot sheets.
Make a layer of rose mulch and straw for each side of the dog house. This is the bedding. Clean out the bedding weekly to prevent flea and tick infestation. Attach the lattice across the front of the door, flush with the ground, to prevent the puppies from wandering after their eyes have opened.