This article will tell you how to make a dog enclosure with your own hands. You will learn about various options designs for home or street, about the features of construction, and also get useful tips from dog breeders. A description of the entire construction process, photographs and instructions for building a house for your four-legged friend will help you with this.
Types of dog enclosures
Before starting construction, decide on the type and configuration of the future enclosure, and decide what the structure of your dog’s house will be. The appearance features will depend on a number of parameters: the materials you have chosen; breed, size and age of the pet, as well as your personal preferences for organizing a home for your pet.
Highlight the following types enclosures:
1. Temporary enclosures– predominantly open structures. Intended for temporary overexposure dogs, are made in the form of a fence or mesh fence. A booth is installed inside or a deck is made as a place to rest. This type of enclosure does not require a roof, since the pet does not stay in it for long.
2. Closed structures- classified as intermediate structures. Inside in mandatory they put up a booth or make flooring. Since the dog is in it long time, this enclosure must be insulated. Some walls can be made solid, but there must be at least one lattice side so that the animal can observe the situation.
3. Capital enclosures– have a structure separated from the lattice part in which a booth or other sleeping place is located. This building is insulated on all sides, since the animal lives in it all year round. The lattice part of the building is used for walking and feeding. In harsh winter conditions, the feeding area can also be moved to the insulated part of the enclosure.
Requirements for enclosures
If you decide to build an enclosure for your dog yourself, you should take into account a number of requirements that apply to such buildings. If you adhere to these principles, your pet will be comfortable and safe living in such a house. Many dog breeders have wondered about the comfort and safety of their pets and have come up with the following rules for organizing enclosures:
Aviary size
Not surprisingly, one of the main factors when designing a dog's future home is its size. From many sources it was possible to identify the following standards for the area of an enclosure:
- if the height of your dog at the withers is from 45 to 60 cm, then the area should be at least 6 m2;
- from 50 to 60 cm at the withers - from 8 m2;
- over 60 cm - the area of the enclosure must exceed 10 m2.
It is worth noting that saving space can lead to negative consequences both for physical and psychological health your pet. But you shouldn’t allocate too much space either, because winter time the enclosure must still maintain air temperature.
Aviary floor
Perhaps the most difficult question when constructing this building. It causes controversy even among experts. Many people prefer to line the floor with one material, often this various breeds tree. Others refer to the need to leave uncovered areas of land, since it is much more familiar and comfortable for a pet to relieve its natural needs on the soil.
In fact, the truth lies in the purpose of the enclosure. If your dog will be in it almost all the time, then the best solution will still be a combination of a wooden floor and an open area. If you are using an enclosure for temporary housing or wintering, but for a certain part of the day the animal quietly moves around the yard, then the floor can be completely covered with wood. Also consider the character of your four-legged friend, because some dogs can tear up the ground and escape from the enclosure.
Aviary walls
Keep in mind that the walls should not be blank. Dogs are very curious and socialized animals. They will observe the situation in the yard with great pleasure, and this will also have a positive effect on their security function.
Make at least one or two walls from mesh or some lattice material. Please note that the material for the walls must be durable and without any protruding or sharp elements, since the dog may accidentally injure himself. For blank walls, choose more breathable materials, such as brick or wood.
Roof for an aviary
Many dog owners try to protect their pet as much as possible from rain and other precipitation, so they build a roof over the entire area of the enclosure. This is quite acceptable, as is partial placement of the roof over the area. You can choose absolutely any option as a roofing material, but it is advisable to provide heat and sound insulation layers.
Aviary doors
The right decision would be to make a door that opens inward to protect the guests of your home. For the same purposes, provide a lock or deadbolt on both sides of the door.
Aviary booth
When building an enclosure, think about its main element - the booth.
Preparatory work
Before you start building a house for your dog, decide on where to build it. You need to pay attention to a number of conditions:
- Avoid places with increased level noise – this has a very negative effect on the dog’s behavior;
— Place the dog enclosure within sight of the front door;
— There is no need to install an aviary in the low part of the yard. Firstly, water will collect there during precipitation, and secondly, the animal will not be able to assess the situation in the territory;
- Under no circumstances place the enclosure near foul-smelling sources, as your dog’s sense of smell may be affected.
For a high-quality enclosure, built without much difficulty, you need to prepare a drawing. This does not have to be a professional layout done according to all the rules; a detailed sketch will be quite enough. The main points that need to be indicated in the drawing: stationary or portable housing, delimitation of zones, sizes of various components of the enclosure and booth, place for the dog to eat, walking area and free access.
Building an enclosure for a dog
1. First of all, take care of the lower part of the building. You can place the floor on a full poured foundation or on stilts. You need to provide a slight slope to the floor so that water can drain away, as well as for easier cleaning in the enclosure.
2. Now move on to installing the fencing using the material you have chosen. Create a strong frame from pipes or profiles, as well as an intermediate post for installing the door. It is advisable to make blank walls from wood or brick, then you can attach lattice material. Insulate wooden parts using ecowool. Before installing your chosen mesh or grille, check that it will not bend or break when bent or impacted, otherwise your dog may be injured.
3. Now install the roof. It can be made of any waterproof material, the main thing is that all fastening elements are hidden. Don't underestimate your pet, he is capable of reaching the most inaccessible places.
4. For durability and a neat appearance, sand the wooden parts with sandpaper, then stain and varnish.
Before placing your dog in its new house, check all areas for sharp or any other dangerous elements, and check the door for strength and reliability. When you are confident in the strength and safety of your structure, you can show your new “residence” to your pet.
To properly place your puppy, be sure to take care of:
— A place to sleep;
— A bowl of food and water;
— A tray or disposable diapers so that the puppy can relieve its natural needs in a certain place;
- Toys - they are necessary not only for play, but also for the development of a small dog.
Some breeders of small dogs use similar enclosures for their pets. In addition, there are situations when you need to limit the dog’s movement around the apartment, in which case such an enclosure is also suitable. If it takes up a lot of space, you can install a cage or clipper. They perform similar functions while taking up minimal space.
DIY dog enclosure - photo
We have prepared for you great amount interesting and successful solutions for building an enclosure. Try to make your dog comfortable and comfortable, do not forget about the basic needs of your pet, about his leisure time and instincts. Your pet will be very grateful to you for this. Enjoy watching!
Many dog breeds, although they can live in a city apartment, still prefer street life, for example. To do this, they buy spacious enclosures, but we will go the other way and try to make it ourselves, thereby saving a considerable amount of money. Almost everyone can do a do-it-yourself enclosure for a dog, the main thing is to correctly draw up an action plan and purchase quality building materials.
Homemade aviaryPreparation for construction
Outdoor enclosures may also be required if you need to isolate the dog for a while (guests, illness, or to protect the territory). First of all, we determine the location of the building. The rules are simple:
- Not the most distant corner, since the dog must observe what is happening around;
- You should not place the enclosure close to the fence, as it will be easier for passers-by to tease her.
Install it somewhere in the middle of the site, along the path to the porch of the house. The dog must see the entrance to the dacha area.
Aviary location - Height at the withers is less than 50 cm - the minimum area of the enclosure is 6 square meters. meters;
- Height up to 65 cm – 8 sq. meters;
- Height over 65 cm – minimum area 10 sq. meters.
The height of the structure should not prevent the animal from standing on hind legs, that is, two meters. If a bitch is planned to live there, then the size needs to be increased slightly, about one and a half times - there may be puppies.
Of course, the structure must be very strong, reliable, and not afraid of snow and heat, so we choose the highest quality materials. For the gate, we select fittings designed for outdoor use; if these are not available in the store, then contact the hardware factory (for example, here).
The enclosure should consist of three zones - a sleeping place, a platform and a platform. A sleeping place is an ordinary booth inside an enclosure so that the animal can hide there in the rain or cold.
Construction process Be sure to raise the floor above the ground - this way it will not rot or mold. We attach the boards to the joists, preferably with self-tapping screws, since the nails may begin to come out over time, and the dog will injure its paws. It is recommended to make a slight slope forward to allow water to drain. We also make the roof at an angle. It is better to make the back wall blank, and the front and side walls from rods or metal mesh (which is not recommended) to provide the dog with sufficient visibility.
All doors should only open into the enclosure!
After making the room, carefully check for the absence of metal burrs, loose bolts, and paint rusty metal parts. Lay a warm blanket in the booth and place bowls of water and food nearby. The dog should not feel like he is in prison; create at least a little comfort.
And remember - we are responsible for those we have tamed!
DIY dog enclosure for the husky breed
A modern country house can no longer be imagined without an enclosure for a dog. This attribute allows you to keep one or more medium or large pets on your property. But while everything is clear to the owners about the construction of the house itself, questions still remain with the enclosure. Having answered them, you can safely begin the construction of this dog territory.
The first thing you have to do is determine the type of future enclosure. This issue is partly resolved according to the region where the country house is located. If construction is necessary in the southern region, then the place for the dog can be fenced with a canopy from the sun. But for middle zone care should be taken to build the booth. In the northern regions, the enclosure must be equipped with a winter road.
Once you have decided on the type, you need to calculate the size of the enclosure, which will depend on the free space on the site and the breed of the pet.
Aviary standards
Many or few? This question will torment the owner of a four-legged friend during the first stage of construction. To bring some clarity, you need to know the minimum dimensions that can be limited to enclosures for dogs:
- Not less than 6 m2 for pets with a height at the withers of up to 50 cm.
- Not less than 8 m2 for pets with a height at the withers of up to 60 cm.
- Not less than 10 m2 for pets with a height at the withers of more than 60 cm.
These parameters should be used as a starting point when choosing the optimal space for a fenced area. To these data you need to add the number of dogs that will live in the enclosure. If you plan to have more than one friends, then you need to add at least 50% of the free space for each.
Materials for building an enclosure
When the size of the future structure has been determined, it is time to move on to procurement activities. But first you need to decide on the materials from which the dog pen will be made. And here too there is plenty to choose from.
The main materials for building a do-it-yourself dog enclosure are:
- tree;
- metal;
- brick;
- concrete.
Wood is the basis for the pet's house and the frame of the fence. This option can be considered classic. In this case, the enclosure itself is fenced with a welded mesh or chain-link stretched over poles. Wooden stands are installed around the perimeter and create space for your four-legged friend.
The use of metal can be combined with wood and brick. In this case, the fence is no longer a mesh, but a lattice. It is attached both between wooden pillars and between brick ones. Also often there are designs with metal stands, which is quite justified from the point of view of the safety and reliability of the entire enclosure.
The use of brick, and in some cases natural stone, is due to purely aesthetic and design considerations. When the area around the house is landscaped in a certain style, it makes sense to build the same paddock. Otherwise, the use of this material will depend only on the taste and intentions of the owner of the country house.
Concrete is used mainly to create the floor of the enclosure. But wood also claims this role, remaining a classic building material. The concrete mixture is also used to construct the foundation for the fence. Therefore, you should not discount it.
Wood flooring or concrete floor
The choice between types of flooring in the enclosure is very important stage. On the one hand, concrete should be the undisputed leader. This material allows you to completely eliminate digging under the fence, which will protect guests from the sudden appearance watchdog. But nevertheless, this method also has negative consequences.
In winter, outdoor dog enclosures with concrete floors pose a hidden threat to pets. The fact is that during frost the stone cools greatly. Then the negative temperature is transferred to the dog’s paws. Prolonged exposure to cold from concrete pavement can lead to rheumatism in your four-legged pet.
But wood is a more forgiving material. Having low thermal conductivity, it does not cause such damage to the dog. But he has his weaknesses. For example, poor resistance to fungi and mold, which will accompany the flooring due to the close location of the earth. This scourge can only be combated by using various impregnations and antiseptics.
It is impossible not to say about the earthen field. In this case, no flooring is made, and the dog walks directly on the lawn located inside the fence. But this method is fraught with problems associated with undermining. Four-legged pets are excellent diggers. They will quickly get out and disturb everyone around them. That's why it is necessary to do flooring.
Does the enclosure need a roof?
The answer to this question may again be the region where the country house is located. But one thing is clear: the dog must have protection not only from rain, but also from the scorching sun. This means that it is necessary to make a roof for the enclosure. At least over most of it.
The issue of choosing a material can be approached in the same way as when installing a roof for a house. You can lay ondulin, soft or regular tiles. The choice depends entirely on the capabilities of the site owner. The main rule should be the following: the roof should not be noisy. This is important for the dog's peace of mind. When it rains, drops can knock loudly on the roof and irritate the animal. Especially if bad weather happened at night.
The design of the roof can also be left to the discretion of the designer. Usually they make shed floors, which do an excellent job of draining water falling from the sky. But you can also find more complex projects, when the pet pen resembles a real house. Like, for example, in this photo of a dog enclosure
The door is an element of particular importance
You can only enter and exit the fence through the opening. It must be included in the design of the enclosure. But the entrance should not remain open, otherwise the dog will simply run away. Therefore, it is necessary to install a door leaf in the fence.
There is one rule for this design element. The door should open into the enclosure itself. This is a safety requirement that some owners of four-legged pets violate. In addition, the door leaf must have a strong lock. The entrance must be kept locked so that the pet does not leave its enclosure without the knowledge of the owner.
The lock mechanism should be easy to close both from the outside and from the inside. This circumstance will allow the owner to exit from behind the fence without any problems, even if the passage closes. The handle is installed at the discretion of the owner.
The door design is a rectangular frame. In the center, the canvas is reinforced with an additional spacer on which a lock can be attached. The material for the door is metal or wood. The choice depends on the overall design of the enclosure. Often a welded grille is used as a door. But this option usually installed on the same fence.
Feeder device
To quickly and safely feed your four-legged friend, you will need to install a feeder. This element must be thought through before making an enclosure for a dog. There are always several feeder design designs to choose from. But the most optimal one will be one where the dog cannot get out and will receive a bowl of food and drink.
This device can be manufactured not only with a lattice fence, but also using a mesh. In this case, it is necessary to add additional bars to the wooden frame. This will create a small frame into which the rotating device of the feeder will be inserted.
If there are several dogs in the enclosure, then the places for eating and drinking should increase accordingly. The main thing is to provide the pets with comfortable conditions, and at the same time the ability to quickly restore order so that the inside of the fence is clean and dry.
Booth or winter road
Where should I rest? four-legged friend, hide from the cold in winter and from heavy rains the rest of the time? Of course in the booth. This building has been familiar to many since childhood, when every private home always had a similar place for a dog. But if there are several dogs in the enclosure at once, then one booth will not be enough and it would be most reasonable to build a small residential complex, which is called a winter road.
As a rule, these structures have a separate entrance from the street, through which the owners use it for regular cleaning. You can also build a window into it so as not to carry out additional electrical wiring. And it's not necessary once again mention that such a room must be high so that a person can work and move without bending.
Both the winter road and the hut must be well insulated. All work is carried out as in a regular residential building. When the insulation is completed, the owner will be completely confident that the dog will not freeze even in the most severe frost.
It is advisable to make a platform on top of the booth. This is necessary for the dog itself, which prefers to have good review adjacent territory from a certain height. The platform is also the roof of the booth and it will also need a layer of insulation. Better yet, make an opening bed. Then you can easily and simply clean the inside of the booth.
The entrance to the booth or winter road is small. It is enough to cut a square of 60x60 cm format. The corners of the entrance can be slightly rounded. It must have a curtain. It can be made from strips of rubber, PVC, or simply hang burlap. Such a curtain will not let out warm air and the dog will live comfortably on frosty days.
Tools
Moving on to the practical part of building an enclosure for a pet, do not forget about the tool. The master will need:
- Hacksaw or electric jigsaw.
- Tape measure and pencil.
- Bayonet and shovel shovels.
- Screwdriver and screwdrivers.
- Hammer.
- Chisel or chisel.
- Sander.
- Wire cutters.
- Brushes, roller.
Depending on the design (if you choose the option of an enclosure made of a metal lattice), a grinder and a welding machine may be useful. But this is only if the master owns these tools, otherwise you can cause trouble.
In addition to the listed equipment, do not forget about self-tapping screws, nails and paint and varnish materials, which to one degree or another will be necessary during the work.
Earth, concrete and wood
Before you build an enclosure for a dog with your own hands, you will need to mark the future structure. Here it is necessary to identify all the zones in order to further move quickly and confidently towards your goal.
This is what the plan according to which construction should be carried out might look like. It is more convenient to mark using stakes and strings. With this guide you can start excavation. It is not worth digging very deep, since the structure will not bear a large load. It is enough to go 20 cm deep to then make a sand cushion.
Next, concrete is poured or blocks are laid. The main thing is to get a stable foundation for the future enclosure. If a metal lattice is chosen as the fencing material, then recesses must be made at the corners. The depth of these places must be at least 70 cm. When pouring concrete, racks made of metal pipes are inserted into the corners.
Flooring and frame
When the foundation for the enclosure is ready, they begin to install the strapping and install the frame. When choosing wood as the main material, timber is laid around the perimeter. Connections at the corners and along the length can be made in “half a tree”. In this case, the timber is sawed down to half the thickness (if the total is 100 mm, then the cut will be 50 mm) and each part is connected to each other.
Perforated corners and self-tapping screws are used to fasten frame components. This creates a fairly strong “skeleton” of the future enclosure. In the part of the structure where the winter road is located, the racks should be installed every 50 cm. It would not be superfluous to insert jibs between them to give the entire structure strength.
Roofing and insulation
When the frame takes its place, it’s the turn of the roof. Top part the enclosure is covered with rafter legs, onto which sheathing boards will later need to be nailed. The distance between the beams depends on the cross-section of the material used. For boards 50 mm thick and 150 mm wide, a difference of 60 cm is optimal.
Next, the sheathing strips are nailed down. For them, a 25x100 mm board is used. The material must be edged, that is, the sides of the planks should not have areas with bark. Depending on the type of roofing, the boards are nailed down with or without space between each other.
It is necessary to install a windproof film along the frame posts, and place insulation inside it. The latter is used polystyrene foam, basalt wool or similar materials. There should be no voids left when laying the insulation. This will avoid freezing.
Floor construction
Interior work begins with laying the floors in the enclosure. In the winter road they should be as well insulated as the frames and roof. But a double layer is required on the floor. To prevent the insulation from falling through from below, boards are nailed to the beams.
If the floor covering is chosen in the form of boards, then it makes sense to leave a gap at the edges. This will allow air to circulate and prevent mold and mildew from growing.
Covering the winter road with installation of doors and mesh
The enclosure is almost ready. All that remains is to polish it up. And for this, the winter road needs to be sheathed, giving it an attractive appearance. For this you will need a lining. This material can be secured with nails or using special clips.
A cordless screwdriver will be useful for this work. With its help, installation can be carried out using self-tapping screws, which eliminates damage to the edges of the lining.
It is also not difficult to stretch the mesh and anyone can conduct a master class with this material. For fastening, nails, staples or self-tapping screws with a press washer are used. One condition must be met. The fastening must be strong so that the dog cannot tear it off.
At the final stage, the door is installed. The canvas is screwed using loops and screws. When everything is in place, a lock or deadbolt is installed on the door. The dog's enclosure is ready.
The feeder can be mounted directly on the net or, if possible, between the posts. Now the pet has a place to live and eat. He, in turn, will faithfully guard the owners’ country mansion.
Previously, dogs who lived in the yard had kennels built and tied to a chain. Today, they are increasingly resorting to the construction of spacious enclosures. On the one hand, the dog does not have access to the body of the guest who enters the yard, on the other hand, the collar does not dangle around his neck all the time, and the faithful guard can move around his home at full height. In this we invite you to get acquainted with the technique of making the right enclosure for dogs with your own hands.
Where to start
First you need to understand the true purpose of the enclosure. After all, this should be more than just an ordinary fence for a dog. Your friend and guard will spend almost the entire day in the building. Therefore, all the elements necessary for its normal and comfortable stay, must be clearly thought out. Namely:
- a feeder from which the dog will eat;
- a place where he can hide in case of bad weather, cold or sun;
- walking area.
Did you know? Scientists cannot reach a unanimous opinion about the origin of the domestic dog. Some believe that she had several ancestors: a wolf and a jackal. Others adhere to the theory that dogs descended only from wolves, as indicated by comparative analysis some of their characteristics and the results of molecular genetic studies.
Choose a suitable location
The choice of place should also be made according to the priority that the dog should be comfortable. She should not be irritated by the noise of cars, so if possible, her home should be located away from the road. Buildings for other pets should also be located at a distance. As well as places where you do carpentry or do any other noisy work. They should also not fly to your pet’s home. unpleasant odors, for example, from either a cesspool.
Ideally, the source of irritation should be located 500 m from the enclosure, say, rural areas either on a large summer cottage, and 10-15 m in a private city or country house.
Housing for the pet must be placed close to it so that the animal has places to rest in the shade throughout the day.At night, the enclosure should be illuminated - this point should also be considered: is this possible with the help of centralized lighting or to install the light yourself. 
The place where it is planned to equip the enclosure must be sheltered from the winds. It should not be somewhere in a remote corner - the dog needs to observe what is happening in the yard and at the entrance.
The most optimal place would be in the front part, near the entrance to the yard, on the side of the path leading to the house.
Calculate area and height
The area and height of the enclosure are calculated based on the size of the pet. There are certain minimums in terms of area. One of the sides must be at least 2 m. 
- For dogs with a height at the withers of up to 50 cm, the minimum area of the enclosure should be at least 6 square meters. m. A dwelling for two dogs or one bitch with children of such dimensions should not be less than 9 square meters. m.
- For dogs that are 51-65 cm tall as adults, an enclosure area of 8 square meters is required. m. For two dogs or a female with puppies - from 12 sq. m. m.
- Pets taller than 66 cm should be kept in an enclosure with an area of at least 10 square meters. m. For two dogs or a female with puppies, you need to equip a room measuring 15 square meters. m.
The height of the dog “apartment” should be such that the dog can stand in it at full height on his hind legs without touching the ceiling. By the way, if your pet is still small and you don’t know what it will be like as an adult, you can roughly calculate this by knowing the size of its paws, chest, weight and other parameters. For example, one of the unscientific formulas says that the weight of a puppy at two months should be multiplied by three and added 200 g - this will be the weight of an adult.
Did you know? The largest dog in the world, recorded in the Guinness Book of Records, is considered to be a Great Dane named Zeus. His height is 111.8 cm and his weight is 70 kg. He and his owners live in the USA. And the oldest dog is considered to be Blue, a native of Australia. He lived 29 years and five months.
Draw a drawing
After you determine the dimensions of the dog enclosure with your own hands, you need to draw a drawing. You can use ready-made ones as a basis, examples of which can be found on the Internet. Usually the enclosures on them consist of delineated boundaries:
- winter road with and without a booth;
- platform;
- open area.
Important! Failure to follow recommendations for the size and materials of the enclosure can result in the dog suffering from uncomfortable conditions, the proliferation of diseases and the risk to visitors if any element is too flimsy and cannot hold an angry guard.
Selection of materials
After the drawing is ready, it is necessary to think over and purchase materials for the dog’s enclosure. Here are some recommendations on what is best to make walls, doors, roof and floor from to make your pet cozy and comfortable.
Walls and door
The front wall, which will serve as the dog’s view of the yard, should be made of lattice. In this case, it is not recommended to use a net - large four-legged animals can easily carry them out with their paws or break their teeth on them. 
The best solution is to use round or square metal profile pipes. They should not be galvanized or powder coated. It is necessary to weld them together efficiently, especially if your pet has large sizes and large body mass.
The pitch between the pipes should be 10 cm for large animals and 5 cm for small ones.
For the safety of the quadruped, metal structures and connections should be well primed, cleaned of burrs, rust removed and covered with hot-painted enamel.
There is an option to equip the grill without a welding machine. To do this you should:
- drive the rods well into the ground;
- prepare wooden beams, the length of which is equal to the length of the grate;
- make notches on the beams at a distance from the iron rods;
- insert the notches of the beams into each of the rods;
- secure with corners - drill holes in the beams and corners and fasten them with bolts.
The side and back walls of the dog “apartment” can be made of wood, but not thinner than 2 cm, slate, or metal profiles. Wooden walls should be treated with anti-rot agents. They are the best for health. Important! Elements used for fastening must be stainless. Wooden parts must not come into contact with the ground.
Roof
For the roof, materials such as ondulin, soft tiles, corrugated sheets, etc. are selected. It is better if it is bituminous shingles, since precipitation drumming on it sounds the least loud and irritating to the animal.
Nails should not be used when installing the roof.
A mandatory element must be a visor.
Floor
The floor can be made of concrete or asphalt. Cement is not recommended because it is too cold. Your pet will freeze on it, and there is a risk that he will catch a rheumatic disease. 
In any case, it is better to think about wooden flooring, which is laid on an asphalt or concrete floor. They can cover not the entire floor, but only part of it. A plot of two by two meters will be sufficient.
Also, the concrete base can be insulated with crushed stone, placing it between the soil and concrete.
It is not necessary to fill the entire floor in the enclosure; you can leave a section of soil that can be planted with grass. Here your friend will just take a walk.
The floor should not be made level, as moisture will stagnate on it. It is necessary to build it with a slight slope.
What else is important to consider
After the enclosure is ready, you need to start arranging it: make a booth (if provided), entrance doors. The door needs to be made so that it opens into the middle of the enclosure. The latches must be both external and internal.
Availability of a booth
The best housing for a dog is one that is equipped with a booth. This is where the animal will spend especially cold periods. 
When building it, you should also take into account some factors:
- The booth must clearly correspond to the size of the dog - he must fit in it in an extended position and have room to turn around. If you make the kennel spacious, it will be cold and will not be able to keep warm.
- The material for the booth should be exclusively wooden. It is better to choose coniferous wood for construction.
- If you live in regions where especially harsh winters, then the booth needs to be made with double walls, the space between which should be lined with insulation.
- The ideal option for cleaning the booth would be a removable roof.
- It is better to make the roof flat and sloping - some pets like to use this place for sitting to make it more convenient to observe the territory entrusted to it.
- It is strictly prohibited to use paint or varnish to treat the interior lining of the booth.
Feeder
When setting up a place from which the dog will eat, you need to think about how a stranger or unfamiliar person can safely feed it if you for a long time be absent from home.
It is better to think about a rotating mechanism for the feeder and a device for fixing it in the closed position. Was this article helpful?
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Keeping guard dogs on a chain has lost its meaning with the increase in the size of private households: if some corner of the controlled territory is inaccessible to the dog, the house is not protected from invasion. Moreover, a dog on a chain, even if sliding along a wire, is an easy target for a thief armed with a crossbow, and a well-trained guard dog is expensive. Modern dog handlers train guard dogs to patrol the territory and keep enclosures, but, unfortunately, not all commercially available ready-made enclosures are made taking into account the characteristics and requirements of the animal, and improper maintenance of the dog can ruin the dog. This is very compelling argument in favor of making a dog enclosure with your own hands. Secondly, keeping pet dogs and raising puppies requires, on the one hand, not to particularly constrain the animal; on the other hand, to teach him not to cause unnecessary trouble to his owners. This article discusses what type of dog enclosure is suitable in what cases and how to make it.
The main condition for choosing the type of enclosure is not to spoil the dog. This will also be detrimental to him, not to mention the fact that the dog may deteriorate as a watchman. The best guard dogs come from herding dogs, and for those, all sorts of adversity is a normal working environment. It is much more harmful for a dog to overheat, overeat and become mushy than to be cold, hungry and tired.
Particularly hardy dense canine dogs are kept in open enclosures: shepherd dogs, Russian guard dogs and similar breeds. Gustopsovaya means with long hair and thick underfur; dog's fur in kennel style. There is generally specific terminology: mouth is a forceps, tail is a rule (emphasis on “and”), etc. In regions with a mild climate or for temporary keeping, an open enclosure can be a simple fence (item 1 in the picture with photo), and in In a temperate climate, in an enclosure for dense canines, you also need a shelter booth, pos. 2. Domestic dogs, when going to the country, are placed in a folding enclosure with an awning, pos. 3: a city dog, once in nature, can easily go crazy, get lost and disappear.
In places with high insolation, not necessarily warm (the black earth zone and further south, southern Siberia and the Far East), the awning or roof should cover approx. 2/3 enclosure for any dog, pos. 4. The purpose of 2 adjacent closed walls of the enclosure with wind protection (position 5) is actually to better block the dog’s view of what prevents it from performing its duties: the bustle of the street, a playground, a rest area for the owners, etc.
A dog is a predator, and for any predator the main condition for comfort is a wide view of the surroundings. Therefore, the dog will feel better and guard better if you make an enclosure with a platform. It could simply be the flat roof of a shelter booth, pos. 6. If the dog is not jumping, you need to make a ladder onto the platform. The simplest board, inclined at 20-45 degrees, with 20x20 slats packed across in increments of 100-200 mm.
In places with sharply variable climates, dogs are kept in enclosures with a half-winter road (pos. 7): the kennel is installed in an additional section closed on 3 sides, which is covered with a tarpaulin in the worst weather. Enclosures for dogs with insulated winter modules (items 8 and 9) are built in places with harsh, long winters; the hole in the winter road is covered with strips of rubber so that the dog can go out on duty.
If the location conditions (see below) of the enclosure with the winter road allow, its 2 adjacent walls are made blank, pos. 9. If this does not work out, it is better to leave everything open except the winter road, pos. 8. Tunnel enclosures are suitable for keeping a pack (see below), but for a single dog, an enclosure like the one in pos. 8, but with blank long walls, it will probably ruin it.
It is believed that the door of a guard or service dog's enclosure should open inward, otherwise a strong dog can knock it down. True, but often there is no space to open the door inside the enclosure, if only because there is no extra space in the yard. In this case, take another look at pos. 6, the outward opening door of the enclosure should:
- Be upholstered with mesh (see below) on the inside.
- Have at least 2 crossbars.
- Each crossbar must have a secure latch.
- The door leaf must be hung on barn hinges.
- There should be a safety latch on the inside of the door: when entering the enclosure to care for and feed the animal, the door is immediately closed and locked behind you.
More about the platform
Booth-platform, as in pos. 6, will suit a male dog without any problems, but a female puppy needs a separate platform if she whelps and is nursing a litter in her permanent enclosure. How an enclosure with a platform for a puppy is constructed is shown in Fig. on right. A winter enclosure is installed optionally if the female with her offspring remains in the enclosure during the cold season. When the puppies are taken from their mother, the platform above the shelter - the brood's den - must be removed and placed in an enclosure general cleaning so that the smell of the offspring does not bother the parent.
Aviary dimensions
The minimum required area of the enclosure, as is known, depends on the height of the dog at the withers: up to 50 cm - 6 square meters. m; up to 60 cm – 8 sq. m; over 60 cm – from 10 sq. m. The remaining dimensions of the enclosure are also tied to the dimensions of the animal’s body:
- Width - not less than 1.5 body length without tail, but not less than 1.5 m.
- Length – calculated by width and area.
- Height: Lift your dog up by his front paws until he is stretched out and have someone else measure the distance from the ground to the ends of his front paws. Add 0.5 m, this will be the minimum possible height of the enclosure, except for especially jumping dogs, see below.
Location
The main thing in choosing a place for an enclosure is to provide the dog with the opportunity to best review controlled territory. Imagine a professional taxi driver plodding along a bumpy country road in a broken-down jalopy. A guard dog will feel approximately the same way, not being able to survey its area of responsibility. Only he can’t tell the owner, he doesn’t know how.
The second factor is that the enclosure should be located away from sources strong odors. The dog will still get used to the amber of a poultry house or barnyard; its ancestors smelled the same thing in nature, but the ammonia vapor weakens the dog’s sense of smell. There are also odors that are unbearable and harmful for dogs, see at the end.
Orientation to cardinal directions and winds, contrary to popular belief, does not play a special role. The facade of an enclosure with a dog of northern origin (reindeer husky, husky) in the southern regions is better oriented to the north, and with a dog of southern origin (Caucasian or Central Asian Shepherd, eg) north of Moscow - to the south. In other cases, the ideal orientation would be the façade facing east and the blank walls facing the direction of the prevailing winds.
Base
Also, you should not consider recommendations to lay a capital foundation for an enclosure as relevant: it will cost you extra expenses and work, and the dog will only be better off if the underground floor is ventilated. The dimensions and design of dog enclosures are such that they are insensitive to ground movements; ready-made enclosures are simply placed on the ground, bricks or concrete foundation blocks 400x400x200 at angles and vertical supports. Aviary support posts for large and strong dog It’s still better to concrete it, see below.
Materials and construction
The best material for a dog enclosure is structural steel. An enclosure for a shepherd dog can be partially made of wood (see below), but it is highly advisable to make enclosures for such smart dogs as huskies, huskies, and fox terriers completely metal - wood is susceptible to chewing.
Stages of building a wooden enclosure for a dog
However, wood is more affordable than metal and easier to work with. This is especially true if it is not possible to connect welding or power tools at any time. How to build a wooden enclosure is simple, inexpensive and suitable for almost any dog, shown in Fig. higher:
- Wood materials are impregnated twice with a water-polymer emulsion or once with silicone anti-rot impregnation.
- The ends of the support pillars made of 150x150 timber that go into the ground are additionally impregnated with bitumen mastic.
- The support pillars are concreted, pos. 1 in Fig., aligning vertically along a plumb line. The pillars need to be prepared with a margin of 10-15 cm in height, or more if the site is noticeably uneven. Installation pitch up to 1.5 m.
- After the concrete has hardened, the upper ends of the pillars are cut horizontally to the required height, using a cord and a level. Don’t rush to throw the scraps into the stove, they will come in handy.
- Pairs of pillars are connected by pairs of boards from 100x25, pos. 2.
- The floor is laid over the resulting box beams, pos. 3 (tongue and groove boards from 150x30); see also below.
- The bottom trim made of 100x100 timber, pos. 4 and 5. It is better to attach the lower harness from underneath.
- Blind holes are drilled in the bottom trim beam for the grille bars. For German Shepherd the rods must be no less than 10x10 or a diameter of 12 mm from ordinary steel or from 8 mm if the rods are reinforcing.
- Place the bars of the grille, leaving an opening for the door, pos. 6. Installation step is 10 cm for large dogs and 5-7 cm for small ones.
- The bars of the lattice are temporarily tied with soft wire to prevent them from becoming loose.
- Prepare the bars for the top trim by drilling holes into them for the bars of the grill.
- Mount the top trim. Its beams are attached to the supporting steel corners or plywood gussets.
- Sheathing blank walls.
- They put a partition inside and arrange a winter road, if necessary.
- They make the roof (item 7) and carry out the remaining work, see below for more details.
Note: oil impregnations for wood, incl. waste motor oil can be used if the enclosure will be populated in a year. Then they build it in the spring - over the summer the light fractions of the impregnation will evaporate, and over the winter the heavy fractions will bituminize and lose their smell (they will fizzle out).
A steel enclosure is built in a similar way:
Floor or soil?
Purchased enclosures are often simply placed on the ground; The dog relieves its physiological needs on it. The floor of the enclosure needs to be cleaned of traces of its vital activity, but the dog is able to dig a hole in the ground and leave the enclosure. How can we be here?
Firstly, northern dogs dig the ground in exceptional cases. Their digging reflex is very weak, because... in their homeland permafrost. If a husky, husky or labrador is regularly walked or let out on patrol, you don’t have to be afraid of undermining from them. Secondly, at one time J. Darrell came up with a way to develop toilet skills in almost any mammal, even a wild African pig:
- Prepare a small enamel vessel of suitable size for the dog’s latrine: a basin, a foot bath with a sealed drain, a large bowl.
- When building an enclosure, away from the booth and feeder (see below), a cutout is made in the floor for installing a toilet bowl.
- The cutout for the toilet is temporarily sewn up with plywood.
- During the period of training to the enclosure, the dog is given the opportunity to relieve itself wherever it wants.
- When it gets used to it, a pile of fresher droppings is taken for temporary storage.
- The enclosure is being thoroughly cleaned.
- They remove the plywood, put the toilet in place and fill it halfway with sand.
- They put the saved lump of droppings in the toilet and let the dog into the enclosure.
This method works flawlessly: after all, animals mark their territory with urine and excrement. Now the dog will only go to the toilet in a big way. The sand in it is needed to satisfy the instinct to bury waste; it needs to be changed from time to time.
Note: enclosure for burrowing dogs, e.g. fox terrier must have a floor.
Feeder
Making a dog feeder in the enclosure rotating at floor level (on the left in the figure) in order to demonstrate your mechanical skills is a serious mistake. A funny thing provokes the animal to play with it, which is dangerous for the dog. The feeder should be made folding with the bottom edge approximately at the height of the lower edge of the dog’s chest, as on the right in Fig.
Feeders in dog enclosures
The roof of the dog enclosure must have a gap for ventilation. Walk in on a hot summer day with a gentle breeze from the yard onto the veranda. Is it stuffy there? Now imagine that you are covered in fur from head to toe. Let us repeat once again: heat and stuffiness are much more harmful for a dog than bitter cold.
As for what to lay the roof of the enclosure from, here is the basic rule: the roofing material should not resonate in the rain or wind. A dog's hearing is as sensitive as its sense of smell; Frequently repeated sharp sounds can damage it. The best materials for the roof of an enclosure are sound-absorbing: roofing felt, soft tiles. It’s easier to lay them on the sheathing.
Note: So the scraps of timber from the construction of the wooden enclosure came in handy - they were used to create a ventilation gap under the roof. The sheathing is of the usual type, but it won’t hurt to insulate it. Not for the winter, but for the summer, so that the roof, heated by the sun, does not radiate heat downwards as much.
Cross members from the same rod must be welded to the grid of the enclosure made of rods with a vertical pitch of 1-1.3 m. Usually one cross member is placed at half the height of the rods. In an enclosure for a shepherd dog, it is better to install two crossbars, respectively. by reducing the installation step. The German Shepherd is not the champion of strength among its relatives; the Caucasian and Central Asian are stronger. But an adult male German Shepherd pushes apart 10x10 bars 1.5 m long.
Special cases
Husky
This intelligent, loyal and disciplined dog is becoming increasingly popular. If the guards do not come out of the reindeer huskies, but hunting dogs are obtained occasionally (however, all of them are outstanding), then the husky can be called a jack-of-all-trades dog. However, a husky enclosure should have a number of features.
First, the enclosure for a husky needs a height of 2.2 m. The husky dog is a very jumping dog; in their homeland they need it so much to look around over the endless snow. A husky jumps almost like a poodle, and he, for your information, jumps from the floor onto the cabinet without a run.
Secondly, the bars of the husky enclosure should be made not from rods, but from mesh. Jumping, the husky clings to it. If the lattice of the enclosure with a husky is made of twigs, then it will be impossible for the dog to do the necessary things physical exercise. Finally, in mid-latitudes and to the south, it is better to have a husky enclosure facing north, northeast and northwest.
About the grid 
Dog enclosures with mesh bars
A mesh lattice instead of rods is also suitable in an enclosure for dogs of other breeds. It is better to place a wicker mesh grille in the enclosure, pos. 1 in Fig. on right. This is especially good for a husky because the wires of the woven mesh are bent in a zigzag pattern and are easier to cling to. But welded mesh will also work, pos. 2. In both cases, the wire diameter is from 4 mm, and the mesh is 10x10 cm for large dogs and from 5x5 to 7x7 for small ones.
It is not advisable to use chain-link mesh to lattice enclosures: even very calm dogs often injure their paws on it, and hair plucked by chain-link is a common occurrence in such enclosures. By the way, chain-link is safe for a husky, this dog is so smart. She is too smart for a chain-link enclosure: she unravels the joints, tears them off the frames and leaves the enclosure in an hour and a half. The only time an enclosure for a dog made of chain-link mesh is justified is when its area is more than 20 square meters. m, and the dog is exactly guard breed, i.e. very disciplined, and trained by a good dog handler.
For small and small
Puppy and small, but adult dog they are far from the same thing, and they need different enclosures. First, there is no need to make an enclosure for puppies out of wood (item 1 in the figure below): they are still weak, but they will chew. The wood chips will be swallowed and get stuck in the ragged hole. Secondly, an enclosure for puppies needs to be made, taking into account that they have an insatiable curiosity, but their little minds have not yet developed. Scientifically, the full range of dog instincts has not yet been activated.
Enclosures for puppies and small dogs
Instead of an enclosure, suckling and stupid puppies should be kept in a playpen with soft walls so that there is no whining; a baby puppy feels abandoned if he cannot get used to something warm and soft. This is why puppies are often friends with house cats. A playpen for a puppy can be made from a cardboard box; For a couple more options, see the video at the end of the section.
When the puppy in the playpen begins to stand up, leaning his front paws on the side (pos. 2 in the figure), the soft upholstery needs to be removed and the puppy must be accustomed to the apartment cage made of mesh, pos. 3; It’s better to simply bend it from a piece of mesh with a mesh size of 3x3 to 5x5 cm, soldering the joint. A knitted joint is dangerous for a puppy.
Enclosures in an apartment for small dogs are generally arranged in the same way as for large ones, taking into account the low strength and insignificant love of freedom of the inhabitants. Aviary for decorative dog this is the same set of beds made of vertical rods. Ready-made sections of mini-kennels for dogs are sold in pet stores; from them a dwelling of the desired size and configuration is assembled. But remember: for an indoor dog, an enclosure is something like a public garden with a bench or a bar. For permanent housing, a dog needs a house in an apartment.
Note: For lap dogs and other long-haired dogs, only welded sections of the apartment enclosure should be taken. Braided dogs will pull out all the fur, especially since decorative breeds of dogs, as a rule, are no different in intelligence.
Video: puppy pen
Video: do-it-yourself playpen for puppies
For the pack 
Aviary for several dogs
If the area is guarded by several dogs, a common enclosure for them should be made of sections with half-winter roads, canopies 3/4 of the length of the section, blank partitions between them and separate feeding troughs. Otherwise, bickering in your free time from work is guaranteed. In this case, on big dog 3-4 sq. is enough. m of area and sections as wide as the length of her body without a tail, see fig. on right.
What not to do!
Let's look at it in conclusion typical mistakes in the construction of enclosures for dogs. It is forbidden to strengthen the enclosure with jibs, ties, and other methods for wind and snow loads (item 1 in the next figure). A dog is a compact body that instantly picks up speed of 10 m/s or more. How much kinetic energy will it have according to the formula from school physics, with a weight of 20-40, or even 70 kg? Will all these slats withstand her blow?
Erroneous implementation of dog enclosures
Then, if you are not a dog handler with special education and experience, then, when building an enclosure for a dog, get carried away with design delights even in a minimal size, as in pos. 2, should not. What is pleasant to the human eye, will most likely simply interfere with the dog’s ability to live a normal dog’s life. By the way, the same applies to cold forging, only you can also get your paw caught in it.
Next, do not block the dog’s view and not much, as in pos. 3. Dogs are 100% extroverts; their and our concepts of coziness and comfort are fundamentally different. And finally, do not place the enclosure near a flower bed or in the garden and do not decorate it with flowers, as in pos. 4. A dog's nose is much more sensitive than ours, and too strong a pleasant aroma turns into an unbearable stench. In addition, ethylene and aldehydes emitted by flowers and fruits simply spoil the dog’s sense of smell. A dog’s nose is almost the same as our eyes, and for a dog’s health he needs a moderate and natural background of odors.
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