Choose A House The Right Size For Your Adult Dog
Let’s start with the age of the dog.
Is your dog a puppy or an adult dog?
If your dog is not full grown, the size of the dog when it is full grown is the primary consideration. A pure bred dog will usually grow to the shoulder height of that breed’s standard. If you have a mixed breed dog, compare both parents, if known, and discuss the size of the dog with your vet.
If your dog is full grown, just measure from the ground to the top of it’s shoulder. This height should be comparable with the height of the door on the dog house. Make sure the dog won’t have to bend down or crawl into the house, just duck it’s head a little. Sore joints, arthritis, or old age, could make it hard for the dog to enter and exit the dog house.
Next, consider the overall size of the adult dog, the breed’s standard approximate adult weight and width of it’s chest or measure your dog’s chest. Compare it to the width of the door on the house. The doorway should not scrape the dog’s sides.
Last, consider the length of the dog lying down. This is important to the comfort of the dog inside the house. It should be able to get up and turn around in the house. If the dog house is too short, the dog will have to curl up to keep from protruding out of the house in bad weather. This is especially important in hot weather, since dogs don’t sweat only pant, they need to be able to cool off. With your adult dog lying down flat, measure from his nose to his rear end. This measurement should be consistent with the length or width of the dog house, and he should be able to stretch his legs out fully.
You may also want to consider if the family KITTY CAT curls up with the dog in his house or if you have two or more dogs, that may be in the house together. If so, they will each need enough space to be comfortable in hot/humid or rainy weather.
A Heating /Cooling unit, with a washable allergen filter, will go a long way to insuring the health and comfort of your pets. The unit will also dehumidify the dog house. The cooling (or AC) benefits dogs who suffer more from the heat, such as long haired, heavy coated or older dogs. The allergen filter removes allergens and pet dandruff. Heat in cooler weather can help your female dog during pregnancy, whelping and nursing to maintain the health of her valuable litter. Heat also adds to the comfort of dogs that have sore joints or arthritis.
A custom made, insulated dog house that looks like your own home would look great and would help you maintain his/her health and comfort.
