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From this article you can learn how to make a dog enclosure with your own hands: photos of street and home structures made independently, unusual solutions and useful tips from experts. The text describes in detail the technology of construction of structures intended for keeping animals, with visual materials and a detailed description of the entire process: the choice of drawing, materials and dimensions of the structure, followed by manufacturing instructions.

Any dog ​​that lives outdoors for a long time needs a special place where it can feel comfortable. This area should have a fence and the necessary amenities so that, if necessary, the animal has the opportunity to sleep peacefully, play and hide from bad weather. To organize a space suitable for these purposes, it is enough to build an enclosure for a dog that will meet all its needs.

In what cases is an outdoor enclosure for a dog necessary?

Medium and large-sized dogs are kept outdoors. Animals of small breeds are less hardy and need to be kept at home.

An outdoor dog enclosure is necessary in the following cases:

1. The size of the animal does not allow keeping it in the house - experts recommend building enclosures for Caucasian Shepherds, Alabais, Newfoundlands, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Mastiffs and other large breeds.
2. The need for temporary isolation of the animal - during construction work in the courtyard of the house or in the event of guests arriving, there is a need to protect the animal.
3. Keeping a guard dog - if the animal performs the function of a guard, the enclosure will serve as a home for the dog living in the yard. This structure will protect the pet from rain, snow and wind.

Many stores allow pet owners to buy an inexpensive outdoor enclosure for a dog of any size or modification ready-made or order its production. If you wish and have minimal construction skills, you can independently build a beautiful and reliable home for your animal.

What types of dog enclosures are there: photos and classification by type of construction

Before starting the manufacturing process, you need to determine what the structure should be that will stand in the courtyard of the house. In the photos found online, the enclosures have different configurations and designs. The appearance of the structure depends on its purpose, the size and breed of the dog, the materials chosen, as well as the personal preferences of the animal owner.

Helpful advice! Regardless of the chosen design, it is worth taking care of wall insulation. Ecowool or polystyrene foam can be used as thermal insulation lining.

The designs of dog enclosures are:

1. Temporary.
2. Closed.
3. Capital.

The structures of temporary enclosures are open. The area allocated for keeping the dog is fenced off with a mesh or fence. To arrange the internal space, a booth is installed and a flooring is formed. Such enclosures do not have a roof, since the animal is in them temporarily.

Closed structures belong to the category of intermediate buildings. For convenience, a flooring is formed inside and a booth is placed. This type of enclosure is considered partially insulated, since the walking area is fenced with solid walls on three sides. The fourth surface has the form of a lattice to give the animal the opportunity to observe what is happening in the yard.

Capital-type enclosures have one translucent wall in the form of a lattice. The remaining surfaces are made solid and well insulated. Such structures have a deck and a roof. A booth is placed inside or a special sleeping place is equipped. For this purpose, part of the enclosure is fenced off.

Features of enclosures for puppies and small breed dogs

In addition to outdoor enclosures, there are also home structures that are used in residential premises for keeping puppies. Such products are small in size and very light in weight. Most of these enclosures have a prefabricated structure.

Inside you must place:

• soft bedding;
• a bowl of water and food;
• a diaper or tray so that the dog can relieve itself;
• toys.

At home, enclosures are used for Yorkies and dogs of other decorative breeds with miniature sizes. Some owners do not want to limit the freedom of their pet with the help of such a barrier, but there are many situations when such a design simply cannot be done without.

Important! An enclosure is not a place of punishment for an animal, regardless of whether an outdoor or indoor structure is used. If the dog is inside, it should not be punished. The animal should feel safe and have a positive outlook on their time there.

Varieties of home designs for pets, their advantages, tips for choosing and making them yourself.

At least 10 m² should be allocated for the construction of an enclosure for a shepherd dog (Central Asian, Caucasian) or Alabai. It would be desirable if there was more space. Having established the minimum dimensions of the area, you also need to take into account the sex of the animal. Males and females need different living conditions.

For a female dog, it is necessary to provide a vestibule and a maternity area. These structural elements will be located inside the enclosure. When puppies are born, they will not sit in one place, but will begin to move around the territory while playing. For this reason, the structure must be as protected as possible from bad weather conditions.

For a male dog, you will need to install a reliable and large booth. When making an enclosure for an alabai with your own hands, you should remember that males are physically strong, so both the castle and the enclosure itself must be as strong as possible. Otherwise the dog will simply break it.

How to make an enclosure for a dog with your own hands: choosing the optimal place for construction

Choosing the optimal location is an important condition for building a good enclosure for an Alabai or a dog of another breed. The structure should not be installed in a remote location. If the dog is isolated from people, he will bark loudly and become restless. An aviary next to a fence wouldn't be a good idea either. The animal will be constantly interested in people passing by the yard. A large dog can easily jump over a fence, choosing a snowdrift as a support point in winter, for example. This can lead to a lot of trouble.

Important! The enclosure should not be installed near a compost pit or other sources of strong odors, otherwise the dog may partially or completely lose its sense of smell.

The optimal location for the enclosure will be the front part of the yard. In this case, the structure will be located near the gate leading to the house and the path. Thanks to this, the animal will have the opportunity to observe everything that is happening around while in an isolated shelter. It is not recommended to choose a low-lying part of the yard for construction. In this case, the enclosure will be flooded with rainwater. In addition, dogs love an overhead view, so you should give preference to a small hill.

If you place the entrance on the south side of the site, the animal will be hot in the summer. Only in cold regions is this zone allowed to be used. But even in this case, it won’t hurt if there is a tree nearby that provides shade where the dog can hide from the sun.

If you make a dog enclosure with your own hands with a door on the north side, this is fraught with trouble. Precipitation will be the source of these inconveniences. If the region where the site is located is characterized by frequent snowfalls, in winter you will have to constantly clear these drifts in order to enter the enclosure. This requires a significant investment of time and effort, which the owner may not have.

Making an enclosure for a dog with your own hands: photos of designs from different materials

If future construction involves making an enclosure for a large dog intended for permanent residence, care should be taken to protect it from drafts. To do this, it is advisable to block the back and adjacent walls.

In this case, the following should be used as building materials:

• bricks;
• type-setting wooden panels;
• thick tongue and groove boards enclosed in metal frames;
• monolithic concrete;
• cinder blocks.

It is better if the open wall faces south, southwest or southeast. To make it, it is advisable to use metal rods. To create a gate, a metal frame and rods are suitable. Dogs have a good mind, so they can open many locks with ease. The locking device on the gate must be reliable.

Important! It is not recommended to use mesh for dog enclosures in construction. Despite the fact that this material is more affordable than metal rods, it will last much less. In addition, the mesh can injure the animal if it breaks.

Comfortable living is only possible if the base is warm and dry. For this reason, experts recommend using wood to make floors in enclosures for huskies and other dogs. A covering formed from thick boards, if properly processed, will last quite a long time and protect the animal from drafts. Antiseptic agents are provided for this purpose. These compounds provide protection against rot and mold. In addition, you need to take care that there are no protruding nails or knots so that the dog does not get hurt.

To build the foundation, you can use concrete. However, in this case, the presence of wooden flooring is mandatory, as is ventilation under it. Materials such as concrete and asphalt should not be used as the sole base without a coating. They can seriously damage the animal's joints and claws.

The roof structure can be anything, the main thing is that it has a canopy. The list of roofing materials recommended for use includes:

• slate;
• metal tiles;
• profiled sheet;
• soft roof.

When choosing roofing materials, it is better to give preference to coatings that have a high level of sound insulation. Dogs' hearing is very sensitive and during rain the animal will experience discomfort if the drops drum loudly on the roof.

Making dog enclosures with your own hands: photos of designs designed for a pack

To support a whole flock, you can build one structure that will take into account the needs of several animals. Such structures are necessary in cases where there are several dogs on the site or the owner is breeding them. Most often seen in the photo, enclosures for two dogs or more animals have the appearance of tunnel structures. They are good for keeping a pack, but are completely unsuitable for housing one pet.

Such structures consist of several separate sections with semi-winter roads. Each section should be covered with a canopy for 3/4 of its length. In this case, about 4 m² of internal space will be allocated for each dog. The width of the section should correspond to the length of the animal's body without a tail.

To save money, you can make your own dog feeder from wood, using a jigsaw to cut holes for bowls and a drill with screws to secure the structural elements.

Important! Sections of an enclosure with several dogs must be separated by solid partitions, otherwise clashes between animals are possible during feeding.

The feeder is made in the following order:

1. To begin with, a drawing with dimensions is selected for making a feeder for the dog’s enclosure.
2. The markings in accordance with the drawing are transferred to the wood. For this, a furniture board or board can be used.
3. Using a jigsaw, the material is cut according to the markings.
4. Holes for screws are formed (3 mm drill).
5. Using a jigsaw, circles are cut out for the bowls and the corner parts of the parts are rounded.
6. All elements are sanded and connected with screws, after preliminary gluing.

To make the feeder look neat, all cracks and screw heads must be filled with putty intended for wood. Then the surface is again treated with sandpaper and painted in any color you like. For these purposes, only safe and environmentally friendly compounds are used so that the dog’s health is not harmed during use.

Calculation of the size of an enclosure for a dog based on basic parameters

To create a drawing you need to know the dimensions of the structure. It is not only the area that is important. The size of a dog enclosure also depends on such a parameter as height. The structure is designed in such a way that the animal can stand freely on its hind legs without resting against the roof.

The minimum permissible side length of the enclosure is 2 m. This is quite enough for the animal to move freely, but for complete comfort it is better to increase this parameter. A dog can live permanently in a large enclosure. If it is of minimal size, you will have to let the animal out twice a day or at night so that it can stretch its legs and run around in the yard.

Once the dimensional parameters of the future design are determined, you can begin to develop a drawing of an enclosure for the dog. To do this, you can use ready-made projects or draw up a construction diagram yourself, taking into account personal preferences.

When developing a drawing of an enclosure for a husky or a dog of another breed, you need to add the required elements to the diagram of the future structure:

1. A place to sleep is an area where a sleeping place is equipped or a booth is installed.
2. A walking area is an area where the animal can actively move, relieve itself and play. The larger this zone is, the better.
3. Place for food - a couple of bowls are placed in this area. One of them contains water, the second contains food.

Helpful advice! To simplify the feeding process, you can provide a window in the enclosure to serve food without going inside. If the dog is tall, bowls should be placed on a platform taking into account the height of the animal.

In addition to the dimensions, the drawing must indicate:

• winter road border;
• open area for walking;
• platform border;
• area for opening a gate or entrance door.

Preliminary drawing up of a drawing will allow you to rationally distribute all the elements of the enclosure and calculate the required amount of materials, as well as avoid mistakes.

Common mistakes when building a dog enclosure and expert advice

You should not skimp on materials, especially when it comes to fasteners and amplifiers. The design must be strong and reliable. It is not recommended to use slats, jibs and similar materials to strengthen the walls. A large dog will break this structure in one go.

When developing a project, you should not delve into the design. Decor that a person will like will create inconvenience for an animal. It is highly undesirable to use forged elements and other decorations that can become a source of injury to the animal. A dog's head or paw can easily get stuck in metal curls, which will lead to a fracture and other unpleasant consequences. The enclosure must be installed so that the dog has an overview and can control the situation.

The presence of a flower garden, alpine hill or flower bed near the enclosure is undesirable. Flowering plants emit aldehydes and ethylene. These substances cause irreparable harm to the dog's health, disrupting its sense of smell.

When building walls for an enclosure, it is imperative to take into account the size of a shepherd dog or other breed if these surfaces are lattice. In this case, metal rods are installed in increments of 5-10 cm. After construction is completed, it is imperative to check whether there are any defects left on the surfaces of the structure that could injure the animal. In metal enclosures, where elements are fastened by welding, be sure to inspect the seams for reliability.

To reduce the likelihood of injuries during operation, during the construction process it is advisable to use other types of fastening elements instead of nails.

Suitable for these purposes:

• bolts;
• self-tapping screws;
• screws;
• screws.

It is very important that the roof has a good rafter system and is sloped. Thanks to this, the structure will be reliably protected from the wind, and precipitation will not accumulate on its surface.

Before making an enclosure, it is advisable to make a foundation or form a base so that the wooden flooring is not subject to shrinkage and rotting. The presence of such a hill will provide the necessary ventilation.

Helpful advice! In addition to the shutter, it is advisable to install eyelets on the door to the enclosure. When it breaks, these elements can be used to install a padlock.

How to build an enclosure for a dog in the yard of a private house

Large dogs require a permanent enclosure that will last for many years.

For construction you will need:

• sand and cement;
• boards and metal profiles;
• corners and channels;
• pipes and rods;
• roofing material for the roof.

The simplest base option for a homemade enclosure is a strip foundation.

Its construction is carried out in the following order:

1. A trench 0.5 m deep is dug.
2. A simple formwork structure with a height of 0.2 m is made.
3. A gravel cushion is formed.
4. The filling is prepared using water, sand and cement.
5. The formwork is filled with mortar.

When the fill dries, a layer of waterproofing material is laid. Roofing felt or polyethylene film is suitable for these purposes. The waterproofing material will protect the metal parts of the structure from corrosion, and the wooden elements from fungus.

Flooring manufacturing technology:

1. Channels are laid on top of the strip foundation and connected by welding into a rectangle.
2. The flooring boards are treated with an antiseptic and laid in this rectangle.
3. Insulating material (roofing felt) is laid.
4. A gravel bed is formed and concrete is poured.
5. When the solution reaches half its strength, logs made of wood are embedded in it.
6. A covering is formed from wooden boards, which are fastened with self-tapping screws.

Between the floor and the ground surface you need to leave 15 cm for air circulation, which will contribute to the rapid evaporation of moisture. It is advisable to tilt the floor 2° towards the front door. This will make the process of cleaning the enclosure easier.

How to build an enclosure for a shepherd dog with your own hands: assembling the structure

As a basis for the construction of walls, a profile pipe is suitable, which is bolted or welded to the channels. The rod is laid inside the enclosure from one corner to the other. You need to ensure that all elements are positioned evenly. You can use a building level for this. Next, vertical rods are attached in increments of 5-10 cm. Then the door is made. To install it, you need to leave an opening in the welded frame of the enclosure.

Helpful advice! Square metal rods are stronger than round ones.

Depending on the purpose of the enclosure, the structure can be lined with one, two or even three walls. Any material you like can be used for exterior finishing. On the inside, the walls must be insulated and sheathed with wood.

Roof construction technology:

1. A metal corner or pipe is attached on top of the walls around the entire perimeter, which will serve as a connecting link.
2. A channel is installed in the central part between the side walls, which will strengthen the structure.
3. The resulting frame is used to secure the boards. Recommended size: 5 cm.

The structure is covered with corrugated sheets, slate or soft roofing (the latter option is more desirable). The aviary is almost ready for use. All that remains is to equip it by installing a booth and a feeder.

Making a dog house with your own hands: drawings and description of technology

To properly make a dog house, you need to determine the optimal size and shape. You should not select an overly complex design. The presence of elements such as ladders, ledges and partitions will create inconvenience for the animal. The ideal option would be a rectangular kennel with a pitched roof. It is better to place the entrance on the side.

Helpful advice! It is advisable that one of the walls or the roof be removable. This will make the structure easier to clean and disinfect.

DIY doghouse construction: drawings and dimensions

The size of the structure is selected taking into account the needs of the dog. In this case, the basic parameters of the animal are taken into account.

These include:

• height at withers;
• length from nose to tail;
• total height of the animal;
• chest size (width).

Size of the booth taking into account the height of the animal at the withers:

Height at withers, cm	Booth dimensions, cm
<50	60x70x50
50-65	80x120x80
>65	100x140x100

How to determine the parameters of the frame part of the booth:

• the width and height of the structure corresponds to the height of the animal;
• the depth corresponds to the length of the animal;
• the width of the manhole is equal to the width of the chest;
• the height of the hole corresponds to the height of the animal at the withers.

You must add 5 cm to each value. Once the dimensions are determined, they are plotted on the drawing.

Technology for building a dog house with your own hands from scrap materials

Wood is the most accessible of available materials. To build a booth, you will need bars with a section size of 40x40 mm and boards (25 mm).

Construction is carried out in the following order:

1. Based on wooden blocks, a frame part is formed, equipped with both vertical and horizontal stiffeners.
2. An area is being formed where the manhole will be located.
3. The bottom of the booth is knocked together.
4. The walls are being covered.
5. A retractable roof is being manufactured. It can be flat or gable.
6. From the outside, the wood is impregnated with drying oil.

The opening of the manhole must be protected from wind and drafts. To do this, just secure a piece of foam rubber, tarpaulin or thick fabric in the upper part of the outlet.

For the construction of do-it-yourself enclosures, any available materials can be used. On the Internet you can find a lot of visual photos and videos with detailed descriptions of the technologies for creating these structures. By following these instructions and the advice of professionals, you can create a beautiful and comfortable enclosure in your yard that will become a wonderful home for your dog and protect it from bad weather.

How to make an enclosure for a dog with your own hands: video instructions

If you have a country house and you want your beloved pet to have no less comfortable living conditions in the fresh air than you have, it’s time to think about how to build an enclosure for your dog. After all, it’s no secret that four-legged animals kept in enclosures are susceptible to various diseases to a much lesser extent than those who live in the house with their owners. Today, in specialized stores, you can easily purchase a ready-made enclosure for your dog, however, as often happens, standard designs are not always to the taste of your pets. By building an enclosure yourself, you can take into account all the preferences of your four-legged friend, choose the appropriate size for him, and also create a beautiful design that will fit perfectly into the overall landscape of your site.

What to consider when building an enclosure

In order for your pet to be comfortable and safe in its future home, the enclosure, like many other outbuildings, must be built taking into account certain norms and rules. Otherwise, you risk building a building that no one needs, which will later be suitable only for storing garden tools.

The first thing that is a determining factor in building a kennel is the size of the dog.

Optimal enclosure area

1. If your pet's height does not exceed half a meter, an enclosure of 5 m² would be an ideal area for him.
2. If the quadruped is taller than 50 cm, its territory should be increased to 7 m².
3. For large dogs from 65 cm and above, the area of ​​the structure should not be less than 10 m².

Important! It is a mistake to believe that the more free space a dog has, the better it will be for him. The area of ​​the enclosure should be optimally suited to its size.

Today, the most common type of enclosure is considered to be a welded frame of a building made of forged metal and mesh. The reliability of this design has been proven over the years. It is best to use a wooden board as a floor covering. With proper thickness, the material will retain heat well, which is especially important in winter.

Walls

In order for your pet to be aware of everything that is happening around him, you should not tightly sew up the walls of the enclosure (especially the front one, overlooking the house or garden). A lattice made of metal rods or a chain-link mesh will do the job perfectly. If you decide to make one, two or three walls blank, it is better to use an environmentally friendly and safe “breathable” material, for example red (ceramic) brick, stone or wood.

Floor

Even among professional dog handlers, there is no consensus on what the floor in the enclosure should be. Some argue that a concrete surface is the optimal surface for dogs, others give their preference to a wooden or plastic floor, while others even believe that tightly compacted earth will be much more useful and better for four-legged pets.

And if we can agree with the first two options, then there are certain concerns with the last one, in particular, there is a risk of digging through the fence. In addition, a wooden, plastic or concrete surface is easier to care for, clean and clean. Before making your choice, it is also advisable to take into account the character and habits of your pet.

Roof

As for the roof, everything is much simpler here. A simple single-slope structure will perfectly cope with the task assigned to it, the main function of which is protection from precipitation. The quality most often used is one that creates a minimal amount of noise when it rains.

Booth

Another important condition for building an enclosure for a dog is the presence of a booth (kennel) in it. The booth can be made in two versions, as a separate structure, or as a kind of compartment of the enclosure, fenced off from its walking part by a continuous partition.

If the constructed enclosure is planned to be used only in the summer, it is not necessary to insulate the booth. For year-round use, the dog house for sleeping will have to be properly warmed by insulating the walls and roof.

Experts strongly do not recommend using any material other than wood to build a booth.

Important! To prevent the dog in the enclosure from getting hurt, all structural elements, including a bowl for water and food, must be securely fastened. To fix the boards instead of nails, it is better to use self-tapping screws. This way you will eliminate the risk of caps appearing on the surface.

Choosing a suitable location for the enclosure

Before you build a dog enclosure, you need to find a suitable place to place it. As with construction, a certain number of rules must also be observed here, namely:

1. The enclosure should be located as far as possible from various noise sources. Passers-by on the street, loud neighbors, cars, all of this, to one degree or another, can cause concern for your beloved pet. A short distance from the porch of the house (7-10 meters) will be an ideal location for a dog enclosure.
2. Lowland is also an extremely undesirable place to build an enclosure. After heavy rains, all the water from the site will accumulate there, turning the area into a real swamp. A solution to the problem may be drainage ditches or installation of storm drainage on the site, but this will lead to additional financial costs.
3. A dog, like a person, does not tolerate foul odors very well, the source of which can be: sewerage, a compost pit, fertilizer from the garden, a trash can located next to the enclosure, etc. Try to plan the structure so that it is located as far as possible from the data foul-smelling sources.
4. To prevent your dog from getting too hot in the summer, you should position the enclosure so that its front part faces the east or west. If this is not possible, plant a small tree near the building that will protect your four-legged companion from bright sunlight.

In order not to lose sight of any little detail, at the initial design stage it is advisable to draw a detailed plan (drawing) of the future enclosure. It must contain information about the size of the structure, the materials from which it will be made, its location, the location of internal zones, etc.

DIY enclosure construction - drawing

Stages of construction of an aviary

An enclosure for a dog is a fairly simple structure that does not have any special frills or complex components, so anyone can build it with their own hands. The construction of the structure is carried out in only three stages:

Stage one

Like any building, building an enclosure with your own hands begins with pouring the foundation. Since the weight of the building is small, it will be enough to pour a concrete screed 5-7 mm thick. with a slight slope, which will be needed for unimpeded drainage of water.

Concrete screed for an enclosure

If a foundation for the enclosure is not provided, it will be made of metal pipes with a cross-section of 2 mm. or wooden blocks 50×50 mm. - a frame is erected, under which a gravel bedding is made at least 10 cm thick. Then a wooden flooring is placed from edged boards on the lower frame, which is securely fixed with self-tapping screws. If necessary, the floor can be insulated.

Second phase

After the frame is built and the floor is laid, you can begin to build walls and partitions. Installation features will differ depending on the material you choose. For example, if you decide to choose boards, and the frame is made of metal poles, to attach them you will need a screwdriver and special self-tapping screws with a drill at the end.

1. To begin with, holes are drilled in the boards, the diameter of which should be equal to the thickness of the screws.
2. Next, using a screwdriver, the boards are screwed to the frame one by one. If you decide to make the walls not solid, but with a certain gap, it is better to prepare a special spacer, which during installation will need to be inserted between the boards, so you are guaranteed to get the same gap everywhere.
3. The front part of the enclosure is a little more complicated to make. If reinforced metal rods are used as the material, you will need a welding machine; if the mesh is used, self-tapping screws and ties will be needed. Information on how to properly attach a chain-link mesh to an enclosure can be read on the Internet.
4. If necessary, the walls of the enclosure (if they are solid) can be insulated. To do this, mineral wool or is placed on the inside, between the vertical posts, after which everything is covered with plywood, 5-6 mm thick. This creates a kind of sandwich panel that has excellent thermal insulation properties.

Third stage

The final stage of construction of the enclosure is the construction of the roof. It is done quite simply.
Shed roof

1. Wooden beams are placed on top of the frame, in increments of 100-120 cm, which are fixed to it with metal corners or self-tapping screws.
2. Next, depending on the type of roof chosen, the sheathing is done. For soft tiles made of solid plywood, for slate, ondulin or metal, additional boards are nailed and laid perpendicular to the beam.

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 a very compelling argument in favor of making a full-fledged 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.

Types of enclosures

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. Gustopovaya 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.

About doors

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 a general cleaning done in the enclosure 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 best possible view of the controlled area. 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 of 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 best oriented to the north, and with a southern dog (Caucasian or Central Asian shepherd dog, for example) 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. It is better to concrete the support pillars of an enclosure for a large and strong dog, 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.

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 a 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 reinforced.
• 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... They have permafrost in their homeland. 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.

Roof

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.

Lattice

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 reindeer-hunting huskies do not make watchmen, and hunting dogs are produced occasionally (although 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 bars of the husky's enclosure are made of twigs, then it will be impossible for the dog to do the physical exercises it needs. Finally, in mid-latitudes and to the south, it is better to have a husky enclosure facing north, northeast and northwest.

About the grid

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. For a husky, this is all the more good because the wires of the woven mesh are bent in a zigzag 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 a guard breed, i.e. very disciplined, and trained by a good dog handler.

For small and small

A puppy and a small but adult dog 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.

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. An enclosure for a decorative dog 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

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, 3-4 square meters will be enough for a large dog. m of area and sections as wide as the length of her body without a tail, see fig. on right.

What not to do!

In conclusion, we will analyze the typical mistakes in the construction of dog enclosures. 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?

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.

If your dog is not a Yorkie and certainly not a Spitz, and you live in a private home, the process of building a dog enclosure with your own hands is not a luxury, but an urgent necessity. One can argue for a long time that a living space or, in extreme cases, a kennel is quite enough for puppies. Animals grow, gain weight - and the habitual housing for a Labrador or Shepherd becomes cramped. This article will be useful to all dog breeders who have dogs of medium and large breeds. Naturally, the owner himself must live in a private household and be able to build an enclosure for the dog.

We will not dwell on the positive aspects of the enclosure. It is a well-known fact that the presence of an enclosure allows you to close the animal and protect the guests who come to your home, as well as your own children.

An enclosure is a space in which a dog is not kept on a chain. Consequently, it grows in more comfortable conditions.

Where to start construction?

Everyone dreams of building an enclosure for a dog from scratch, but only a few know how to do it correctly. First of all, you need to decide on a place for puppies and adult animals. Convenience always comes first. In the private sector, this could be a yard so that the pet can observe its surroundings. An enclosure built far from the entrance to the house will not bring anything good for the shepherd. She will howl and be nervous, barking in vain.

It is also not recommended to build such structures next to a road or fence. Extraneous sounds will disturb the poor animal. There is a possibility that it will grow up to be very angry and aggressive. According to experts, it is better to place a dog crate in the front part of the territory. Ideally, it should be protected from strong winds and direct sunlight, and located close to trees and bushes. This guarantees additional freshness and clean air.

Install the enclosure in a suitable place that is comfortable for the dog

Enclosure dimensions: when size matters

The principle “the more the better” does not work here, but there is no need for an enclosure that is too compact. The classic size, 150 cm long, is suitable only for puppies and dogs of modest size. When the height of the dog at the withers is 50 centimeters or more, a cage with an area of ​​at least 6 square meters will be required. If you are building a cage for an Alabai or a fairly cozy enclosure for huskies, who move a lot, the dimensions can reach 10 square meters. The minimum permissible height should be such that when the animal gets up on its paws, it does not hit the ceiling. Of course, if the pet returns to its enclosure solely for the purpose of spending the night, the structure may have a much lower height.

The dimensions of the enclosure must be optimal
Aviary drawing

Types of designs and bedding options

Depending on the type of structure, structures are:

• Completely covered.
• With blank walls.
• With lattice wall.
• With insulated floor covering.
• With a portable or stationary feeder.

The most common option is the one with blank walls. They build the enclosure with their own hands from metal or another, necessarily strong, material. Metal rods act as an open wall. Naturally, there should be a separate entrance with a door for relaxation. The flooring is made from reliable and durable materials. Imagine that you are building a home for a shepherd - one or even two. Therefore, the bedding must be made of concrete, asphalt, or cement screed.

Aviary for two dogs

Of the options listed above, the least suitable is cement screed. It is considered cold for puppies and adult dogs and is quite difficult to clean. Therefore, it is better to opt for a tree. The building material is environmentally friendly, so wooden flooring will be comfortable for the animal. An interesting solution is the so-called shield, when you mount a frame from a corrugated pipe and then cover it with wood. It is advisable to take wood at least 40 mm thick.

Aviary dimensions

The type of wood is simple. As a rule, these are hard rocks, without fallen knots, signs of rotting, and are not afraid of moisture. Don't forget to treat the wood with an antifungal solution. The wood should not sag, otherwise this will lead to the formation of rather large cracks. If a dog gets caught in a claw, injury cannot be avoided.

Before you start building with your own hands, you should know one more important nuance. The distance between the ground and the floor should be 8-10 cm, and the boards should be strictly open on the inside.

This is necessary to achieve moisture accumulation. As for the soil itself, it is advisable to isolate it. Hydromaterial is optimal for these purposes. Ruberoid is an excellent choice.

Step-by-step instructions for a welded enclosure with feeders

How to make the walls strong and reliable so that the animal cannot leave the fenced area? Do-it-yourself combined structures would be an ideal option. On the one hand, blank walls protect the territory from rain, wind and other “whims” of nature. On the other hand, thanks to the open wall, the pet observes what is happening around. He guards the yard, but does not leave the territory.

Enclosure closed from wind, rain and snow

To ensure a really strong fastening, never use regular nails. For example, for Alabai this is not a problem at all. The dog easily pulls them out in the first days. Screw nails and self-tapping screws are a more reliable method of fastening.

Never skimp on enclosures. Many owners buy cheap mesh instead of rods. As a result, under the pressure of its powerful weight, sooner or later the animal breaks the fence. So you will still have to build a wall of iron rods. The average distance between iron bars should be 10 centimeters. True, if you are making an enclosure for a puppy or small dog with your own hands, this distance can be 5 cm.

Chain-link aviary for a small dog

The entrance door to the enclosure is always mounted in such a way that the owner can always see his dog, and she can see him. Don't forget about the deadbolt - it needs to be installed first.

Take care to properly install the doghouse.

It doesn’t matter whether you set up an outdoor enclosure or an apartment one - choose the most protected place for the booth. It is usually made from boards and covered with plywood for strength. But it is advisable to make the roof removable. This greatly simplifies the cleaning process. The entrance is made round. This keeps you warm. In winter, you can hang a cloth over it to provide the desired level of warmth.

The dimensions of the structure must correspond to the height and weight of the dog. There should be enough space inside for reliable protection in windy or frosty weather. At the same time, overly large structures do not retain heat well. Expect that inside the dog can only turn around and rest in an extended position. If the climate in your locality is quite harsh, the walls can be insulated and the windy side covered with moisture-resistant and windproof material.

Detailed description of the construction of the enclosure

Roof for an enclosure: what to look for?

Once you have decided to give your beloved dog a home-made enclosure, draw a drawing with the exact dimensions. Only after this can construction begin. This advice also applies to the roof.

So, what is the ideal roof? Its shape should facilitate the unhindered flow of water and melting of snow. The roof is a single-pitched structure that can be made of slate, corrugated sheets or metal tiles. However, the best choice would be bituminous shingles - the so-called soft roof. It not only protects the structure from precipitation, but also has excellent noise and sound insulation.

Excellent sound insulation from bitumen shingles

Always slope towards drainage. Ideally, the roof should cover no more than 2/3 of the area. This will ensure even distribution of light throughout the area and proper lighting. The booth is always placed under a roof so that the animal does not use it as a good springboard.

Little secrets for landscaping an enclosure

You already know how to build an enclosure yourself. Finally, here are some tips on choosing a location and landscaping where your dog will spend most of his time.

• The aviary is always placed on a hill. This improves visibility and eliminates the possibility of flooding in the event of heavy rain.
• The structure should be as far as possible from manure pits, sewers and other unpleasant-smelling places. Otherwise, your pet's sense of smell may deteriorate greatly.
• The entrance to the enclosure is always located on the east or west side. It’s hot for the dog in the south; on the north side you will have to remove snow in winter.

Your pet will love this house

When construction is completed, check the finished room again for protruding bolts, metal burrs, and rusty parts. Don't forget to put a blanket in the booth, and place bowls of food and water nearby.

Remember - despite the metal bars, the dog should not feel like he is in some kind of prison. Try to create maximum comfort with your own hands, because we humans are always responsible for those we once tamed.

Various ideas for a DIY aviary

When a person gets a dog, the first thing to decide is its maintenance. Nature provides that a dog always has “its own” place, its own personal territory, so building an enclosure will be the right and good decision. An enclosure is a place where a dog feels like an owner and can fully relax there, without worrying that someone might, for example, step on it. Most often, enclosures are built for large-breed guard dogs.

A classic dog enclosure usually has 2 or 3 covered walls and one open wall, which is metal grill. You can open the enclosure using a door that rises or slides to the side. There is also a doghouse and a feeding trough in the enclosure.

Advantages and disadvantages of installing an aviary

TO pros The following characteristics can be attributed:

TO cons the following can be attributed:

• The dog still needs to get used to the new place first, “sniff” it and settle in; at first this can cause minor difficulties, as the dog will try to get out.
• You will have to periodically clean the enclosure, but the enclosure will not create too much inconvenience.

Types of enclosures

Based on the material used to make the enclosures, they can be:

• wooden;
• metal;
• combined.

You can divide enclosures into types to size:

• small;
• average;
• big.

And also depending on degree of openness and on how insulated they are:

• open;
• partially open;
• partially insulated;
• fully insulated over the entire surface.

Aviary design

It is important that the construction of the enclosure itself justifies its purpose; to do this, it must be located in such a place that the dog can survey the territory, that is, you need to create a kind of “security point” for her. It is important that part of the enclosure is in the shade, and the other part, where the bed or walking area is located, is in the sun. Also, you should not place the enclosure where a lot of people walk, new objects and smells will cause unnecessary anxiety in the dog.

To create an aviary with your own hands, you need to decide on size of territory, on which it will be located and then create a drawing.

The size of the enclosure depends on the size and breed of the dog. For small dogs, the size of the enclosure does not exceed 6 m2. For medium-sized dogs no more than 60 cm in length, an enclosure will be sufficient 8 m2. Large dogs will need an enclosure that is the size from 10 m2.

If the size of the territory allows, then it is better to make a booth, a platform and a bed. A bed outside the kennel will allow the dog to sunbathe during the day or simply spend time outdoors. In a large space you can do aviary with walking, fencing the area with a fence.

When building an enclosure, the most attention should be paid to the floor, roof, door to the enclosure and the booth.

The floor in the enclosure is usually made of asphalt or concrete. It is better to additionally cover the concrete with wooden boards on top to avoid the development of rheumatism in the animal’s limbs.

The floor should be slightly inclined to ensure hygiene conditions in the enclosure, and it should also be raised above the ground for ventilation.

The enclosure consists of three metal walls and one lattice wall so that the dog can observe what is going on around his enclosure. Metal walls are sheathed with wood and then processed special solution. If the enclosure is insulated, then you additionally need to line the walls with polystyrene foam.

Metal walls must be made of very high quality in order to prevent the occurrence of hangnails during use that could injure the animal. The distance between the metal rods should be from 10 to 15 cm, you should, of course, focus on the size of the animal. To close the enclosure, you should use a lock installed on both sides, which should weigh heavily so that the dog cannot knock it out with its body weight.

Particular attention should be paid to the roof; sound insulation must be done, since dogs have very good hearing and during rain or hail they will experience strong pressure on their ears.

It is better to use as a roofing material slate or metal tiles. The roof must have a slope sufficient for self-removal of weather precipitation. For safety, it is better not to use nails.

The booth should be the most comfortable place in the enclosure; accordingly, it needs to be built in such a way that it does not constrain the animal, and so that it can calmly rest there, stretching out to its full height. To do this, it needs to be designed as follows: measure the dog's height, measure the distance from the tips of the front paws to the withers and measure the distance from the tip of the nose to the tailbone. And then, to the obtained values add 10-15 cm. This way we will get data on the height, depth and width, according to which we can build the booth.

Making a dog enclosure with your own hands

The booth is installed in the following order:

1. First, the bottom of the booth is placed.
2. Then the back wall is attached.
3. Then we overlap the side walls.
4. At the end we install the front wall with a jumper.

For the convenience of feeding the dog, it should be done outside. small hole, this will allow you to feed your pet without going into the enclosure, because there are different situations, someone is afraid to approach the dog or, for example, if you are late for work and are afraid of getting dirty by going into the enclosure.

Behind the enclosure is necessary careful care, since the health of your pet depends on cleaning. An enclosure is a kind of apartment for an animal, therefore, in an amicable way, you need to clean it no less often than you clean your own home. It is recommended to clean at least once a month.

After approximately 1.5-2 years, it is necessary to check the condition of wooden floors, since their service life is approximately 7 years.

Thus, in the enclosure, the dog feels safe and in “his” place, and the owner does not have to worry that his pet may run away or harm someone.

Shepherd enclosure review