Having built a solid house on the site, it's time to think about good housing for a four-legged friend and guard. Making a booth with your own hands is not difficult if you follow the rules and take into account the requirements of thermal protection and hygiene.
The requirements for the placement of a winter kennel are the same as for a summer booth and indeed for any place where an animal is staying. It should be a dry place, bright, but with the ability to get into the shade. It is important that the site is not blown by the wind. At the same time, a view of the gate and the main part of the site should open from it, because even lapdogs feel most comfortable at the point from where you can observe the entire apartment.
A good kennel always consists of a vestibule and a sleeping place, where less cold falls. The roof must be made removable in order to easily clean the booth, clean the litter. It is important to correctly calculate the size of the future home. In a room that is too spacious, the dog will freeze; in a small room it will not be able to lie down comfortably. The height is calculated by adding the thickness of the litter to the growth of the animal at the withers and another 15 cm. The depth is equal to the distance from the withers to the tips of the forepaws plus 15 cm. The width of the berth is the distance from the nose to the tips of the hind legs and another 15 cm. The tambour can be wider, to serve as a cool bedroom in the summer. The entrance to the booth should be 10 cm lower than the dog's height, and 10 cm wider than the dog's chest.
For construction, select coniferous wood, clean it from knots and chips. The frame for the bottom is assembled from 40x40 bars, floorboards are laid on top. For heavy dogs, the frame is reinforced with cross bars. In the corners, a base for walls 100x100 is vertically attached. Lining is suitable for cladding, if you take plywood - it will quickly exfoliate. The outer part of the skin is treated with an antiseptic. The inside is left untreated: dogs are sensitive to pungent odors and may suffer from impregnation odors.
Insulate the space between two layers of boards with mineral wool or foam. If the kennel will stand under a canopy, the ceiling can also serve as a roof if you cover it with roofing material on top. If not, it is more practical to arrange them with separate structures, creating an "attic". At the same time, the ceiling is also made two-layer and insulated. The bottom of the kennel is also insulated and covered from the inside with clean boards, and from the outside with a layer of roofing material. The entrance to the booth is covered with a curtain made of tarpaulin or overcoat fabric. To prevent the wind from fluttering it, small bags of sand can be sewn underneath. The floor of the bed can be laid with a tarp, and a piece of blanket can be placed on top.
The doghouse is cleaned at least once a month. In the summer, disinfection is also needed every time; in the cold season, it can be carried out once a season. When cleaning the kennel, they remove the leftovers and bones stored by the dog, clean, wash or replace the litter. Walls can be disinfected with formalin or creolin. While the structure is drying, the dog needs to be overexposed in another place. Every year you need to inspect the booth for damage to the tree and replace the broken elements with new ones.
