For so many prefabricated dog houses available nowadays it's almost impossible to choose between them.

For many a home handyman, making a dog house for their Pooch is a labor of love. There are several reasons why dog houses are a great home project. One of the best reasons is the availability of dog house plans. You can find plans to build anything from a single room doghouse to large dog kennel houses fit to house a whole pack. Even more important is the simplicity of the project. Building your own dog house couldn't be any easier!

Houses for dogs, of course, can get as elaborate as you want them to just like anything else. For a first project, however, it is always best to stick with a simple plan, and a simple dog house can be more home adequate for your pet's comfort and safety. Even heated dog houses are not very hard to build, necessitating only the addition of a small coil which can be easily maintained and safely mounted in the frame.

Basically, dog houses consist of nothing but three walls and the classic slanted roof. They are only slightly harder to build, in fact, than a box. You can decorate them anyway you want. As a matter of fact, as a way to include my kids in my first project, I let them decorate the doghouses themselves. They painted flowers, stars, smiling children, and all manner of other artwork all over the sides. By the time they were done, it was a work of art!

There are a few safety precautions you have to take when building a dog house. Basically, anything that the dog can chew, scratch, or tear apart, he or she probably will. Make sure that the wood is of a good quality that doesn't flake off easily, and that all nails are carefully pounded in where your dog can't get to them. If you do all that correctly, you will have a happy puppy with a warm shelter for many years to come.