How to Build a Dog House Mansion

If you have a dog and like to leave it outside in your backyard a lot, you need a dog house. You want your dog to be protected from the sun and heat. A homemade, customized dog house may be a great option. It is easy enough to build one and even more fun to decorate it.

Things You'll Need

  • 32 untreated 2x4 wood boards
  • Nails
  • Hammer
  • 1/2-inch plywood
  • Jigsaw
  • Shingles
Show More

Instructions

  1. The Base

    • 1

      Determine size of the dog house. A normal dog house is large enough for your dog to stand up and turn around in. A dog mansion, in this instance, will be extra large and spacious--4 or 5 feet wide and high should do the trick in making this a mansion for any size dog.

    • 2

      Use the 2x4 boards to create a square frame, nailed together at every corner.

    • 3

      Take your 1/2-inch plywood sheet and fit it over the frame.

    • 4

      Attach it to the frame with nails.

    The Walls

    • 5

      Construct the side and rear wall frames out of 2x4 boards.

    • 6

      Be sure to attach a stud in the center of each wall for support.

    • 7

      Construct the front wall frame out of 2x4 boards but do not include a center stud, as you will need a door.

    • 8

      Attach a 1/2-inch plywood sheet to the outside of each frame, nailing them together.

    • 9

      Use a jigsaw to cut out the door space in the plywood that goes on the front frame.

    • 10

      Position each wall on top of the base frame and nail together through the bottom.

    The Roof

    • 11

      Use 2x4 boards for the struts, ridge board and rafters. The struts determine the pitch of the roof, so cut to the desired height and center them on top of the front and rear walls, nailing them into place from underneath.

    • 12

      Determine how much overhang you want the roof to have in the front and back. The ridge board affects this; cut to desired length and place on top of the struts. Nail into place.

    • 13

      Cut six rafters to the necessary length, determined by the angle of the roof, and nail them into place--three on each side.

    • 14

      Cut the 1/2-inch plywood sheet to fit the roof and nail into place.

    Finishing Touches

    • 15

      Add shingles to the roof to make the dog house look more like a real house and to make the roof weather-resistant.

    • 16

      Add a piece of carpet or a dog pillow to the interior to make the dog house cozy.

    • 17

      Paint and decorate the exterior to suit you and your dog.