How to build an aviary for dogs: photos of designs and recommendations of dog breeders
Keeping a dog on a chain is a senseless decision not only from the point of view of raising the animal, but also from the point of view of protecting the territory. The chain limits your shaggy guard's movement and makes him an easy target for intruders. In addition, there is an expression tested by sad experience: evil, like a chain dog. Such a dog can show aggression not only towards uninvited visitors, but also towards your guests and even the owners themselves. Letting a large dog move freely around the area is also a risk. Not only will it get tangled underfoot, but it will also trample on your flower beds and beds. To solve all these problems, you need to build a dog enclosure. A photo of ready-made designs from experienced dog breeders will help you choose a pen suitable for your dog. Today, in the review by the homemaster.techinfolux.com/en/ editorial staff, step-by-step instructions on how to properly organize a dog enclosure.
The content of the article
- 1 DIY dog aviary: types of designs with photo examples
- 2 How to build a dog enclosure on a plot with your own hands
- 2.1 Outdoor enclosures for large and medium dogs: choosing a location
- 2.2 Building materials for a dog enclosure
- 2.3 Tools for work
- 2.4 How to correctly size a dog enclosure
- 2.5 How to create a solid base and enclosure flooring
- 2.6 Dog house walls and enclosure fence
- 2.7 DIY installation of the roof of the dog enclosure
- 2.8 Video: DIY aviary construction
- 2.9 Doors, kennel and dog feeder
- 3 How to make your own home dog enclosure
- 4 DIY dog aviary: basic mistakes
- 5 Photos and tips for caring for a dog enclosure
- 6 How to train a dog to an aviary
DIY dog aviary: types of designs with photo examples
The aviary must meet many requirements. First and foremost, it is designed to provide the dog with a comfortable environment and protect it from bad weather. At the same time, don't get carried away with unnecessary details. If the dog feels better in the enclosure than in the open, its working qualities will be lost.The pet should be happy to leave its territory and follow the owner's commands; it should be interested in the environment so that it guards your yard.
For hunting breeds, a platform on an elevation is required, from where it will be convenient to inspect the territory. For animals with short legs, you need to make an inclined board or ladder, along which they can climb an elevation. In places where the sun is scorching in summer, it is imperative to make aviaries with an awning or roof. A booth is sufficient in temperate climates. If you periodically go to the dacha, and your shaggy friend grew up in the city, it is better to prepare an aviary for him, where he can watch the family without the risk of getting lost in the neighboring gardens.
An aviary for two or more dogs is necessarily a spacious structure, sometimes it is advisable to organize a tunnel in it.
How to build a dog enclosure on a plot with your own hands
A place for a dog on the site can be allocated to the side of the house or adjacent to it. The last option is convenient because one wall is already ready, it will be easier to fix canopy.
Installing such a structure at home is not always possible. Let's figure out how to choose a place and arrange the aviary properly.
Outdoor enclosures for large and medium dogs: choosing a location
A place for an aviary and a dog booth should be chosen on a dry area that does not flood with melt water or rain. Another important point is to pick it up away from the windows of a residential building. No matter how you care for the dog, there will still be a specific smell. It is undesirable for it to infiltrate the kitchen or your bedroom.
Dog breeders strongly discourage keeping dogs in the same pen with other animals. They can lose their working qualities and get sick. A good choice would be an area naturally protected from direct sunlight - in the shade of trees or shrubs.
The photo below shows examples of outdoor dog enclosures:
Building materials for a dog enclosure
Traditionally, a metal mesh is used to create such a structure, preferably one that is sold in rigid sections. A wicker chain-link under the pressure of a dog can deform, bend and break. Metal posts are used as fastening posts. If you are planning to make a beautiful dog enclosure that fits into the overall architectural ensemble, you can use bricks, including decorative.
Another preferred material for construction is wood. Environmentally friendly and warm wood guarantees your pet a healthy microclimate. It is used for flooring, booths and walls on the leeward side.
Important! The height of the structure must be such that the dog cannot jump over the fence. Pay attention to this point, especially if your dog is a jumping breed.
Tools for work
Everything is simple here: you will need the same tools as for conventional construction, for example, summer cottage... If you plan on making a scaffold, a garden drill for a columnar base will come in handy. To work with wood, you need carpentry tools: a saw, a hammer, a plane, an ax.Metal structures may need to be welded together, so welding machine... To work with bricks, you need a trowel and a concrete mixer or a trough for mixing mortar and a shovel. In any case, a tape measure and a building level will come in handy.
How to correctly size a dog enclosure
The dimensions of the dog enclosure must correspond to the size of the dog. For breeds with a withers height of up to 50 centimeters, such as English Shepherds, Spaniels, Pit Bull Terriers, Bulldogs, an area of 6 m² is required. If you are planning to build with your own hands an aviary for a husky, Rottweiler, German shepherd or other large dog with a withers of 50 to 65 centimeters, allocate 8 m². Huge dogs, Dalmatians, Malamutes and Caucasian Shepherd Dogs need a minimum of 10 m² of living space. If in your building there will be not one, but two dogs, the area must be increased by at least one and a half times.
If you release your dog for the night every day or plan to keep it in the enclosure for only part of the day, you can reduce the size of the enclosure to 6 meters.
How to create a solid base and enclosure flooring
The floor of the dog's home should not be cold, this is important for the health of the dog. Among the other requirements for the quality of the coating of enclosures for large and medium-sized dogs are durability, water resistance and ease of cleaning. If you had to fill the site with concrete, cover it with at least asphalt, it is not so cold. There must be a small wooden flooring on which the dog can lie down, the minimum size of such a flooring is 150 × 200 cm.
The wood needs to be planed, all knots removed and treated against rot and insects. The plank floor is laid on logs, everything must be fixed securely and firmly, the boards should not bend. To prevent the flooring from rotting, you need to leave a free space under it with a height of 5-15 centimeters. In brick enclosures, ventilation openings should be provided under the floors.
Important! Do not use nails to attach the floorboards, they can injure the dog. It is best to do this with self-tapping screws or screws.
Dog house walls and enclosure fence
Any project of an enclosure for a dog will require lighting, a sufficiently high fence, a place for sleeping and resting an animal - a booth.
The enclosure can be framed by a lattice on all four sides, but in this case the dog will suffer from a piercing wind and drafts, in winter the enclosure will be swept by snow. Dog breeders recommend installing solid barriers - walls on two or three sides of the enclosure. It could be a brick concrete blocks, board, metal profile or OSB shieldsfixed on a metal frame. It is important that your pet cannot make a burrowing escape. So, the lower part of the wall must be reinforced with a concrete curb or metal mesh.
Important! All parts of the metal frame must be thoroughly cleaned and processed so that the animal does not get hurt by sharp burrs or protruding pins.
DIY installation of the roof of the dog enclosure
The roof of a dog's home can be made of slate, metal corrugated board, ondulina or soft tiles... In places with hot climates, it is better to choose a material that is not very hot in the sun.
Self-tapping screws are used for fasteners. It is important to make sure that the sharp ends of the fasteners do not stick out.
Video: DIY aviary construction
Doors, kennel and dog feeder
The door to the enclosure must be hung in such a way that it opens into the corral, and not out. So, you can be sure that the dog itself will not break free. The door must be bolted from the outside and from the inside. The feeder should not be placed on the floor, but at a height that is comfortable for the dog. For animals of medium breeds, 20-30 centimeters is enough.
A place to sleep, a booth is an important structure. Here the dog can take shelter from the cold and heat. Do not seek to build huge apartments. In the booth, the dog is warmed by its own warmth, so the less free space the better. There should be just enough space for the animal to lie down and turn.
Small dogs the size of a dachshund or pug can fit in a 60 x 55 x 70 cm (60 − height) kennel with a 30 x 40 cm hole.For medium-sized breeds (Rottweilers, Bulldogs and Boxers), a booth 80 x 75 x 115 cm with a hole 35 × 50 cm.If you plan to make a booth in an aviary for a shepherd, great dane or wolfhound with your own hands, calculate the dimensions of 95 × 100 × 135 cm and a hole 40 × 60 cm.
Advice!The roof of the kennel must be made openable or removable. So, you can do cleaning, disinfection and pest control. In an emergency, by removing the roof, you can help a sick dog.
For the booth, use coniferous wood, which has a beneficial effect on the health of the animal. In regions with a harsh climate, it is recommended to make a booth with double insulated walls. Outside, the kennel is upholstered with material that does not allow moisture to pass through.
Advice! The hole in the kennel must be placed on the south side, so you will protect the dog's dwelling from the cold northern winds.
If there are two dogs in your enclosure, the kennels should be placed opposite each other.
Examples of drawings with dimensions of booths for dog enclosures:
How to make your own home dog enclosure
If you keep your dog in an apartment, be prepared for unexpected surprises.
The only means of salvation is to buy or make an aviary for a dog in an apartment. If you have a playpen left from time immemorial, use it for a small dog or puppy. The floor in such an arena is usually covered with oilcloth, so it will be easy to clean up after the baby, and your carpets will be safe for a while. There are ready-made indoor aviaries for pets on sale. Here are some examples:
Sizes and designs of dog enclosures in an apartment
Rectangular aviaries are the most convenient shape for an apartment. You can install this structure anywhere in the room. The materials of the home pens are also of your choice: metal mesh, plastic or wooden fence. You can even use fabric stretched over the frame.
Important!If your pet is overly active, the paddock must have a pallet.
The dimensions of the indoor arena differ from the outdoor one, because the dog is in it only during the absence of the owners, that is, part of the day. It is clear that the booth is not needed in this case. The size should be such that the dog can take several steps and turn freely on the territory.
How to make an aviary for a dog in an apartment with your own hands
It is quite possible to make a small and rather durable playpen by yourself. Here's how it's done:
DIY dog aviary: basic mistakes
An outdoor or indoor aviary is a home for your pet. Everything in it must be hygienic and safe. Many dog owners make the same mistakes when building enclosures, so the following tips will not be superfluous:
- never save on material, especially on fasteners;
- do not leave sharp objects, knots and burrs sticking out inside the enclosure;
- fasten the mesh so that it does not sag or break;
- put the aviary so that your pet can see the yard and its owners, this will have a beneficial effect on his psyche.
Photos and tips for caring for a dog enclosure
Constantly monitor the condition of the aviary. It is necessary to lubricate the hinges and moving parts of the feeder, treat the tree from rot. In winter, the corral must be cleaned of snow, and as soon as it gets warmer, it is necessary to prevent the formation of melt puddles. Make sure that the roof of the kennel does not leak.
At least once every three months, you need to process the pen and kennel from fleas. Change the bedding once a week - straw or sawdust.
How to train a dog to an aviary
An animal must be taught literally from birth. If you have never limited your pet in movement and suddenly decided to send him to the aviary, he will receive serious psychological trauma. So you don't have to do it abruptly and unexpectedly.
Spend time with your dog in it the first time so your friend gets used to the place. Encourage him and use the "place" command. Only after the animal gets used to it can you start closing it for a short time.
If you have experience in this matter, supplement our material with valuable recommendations in the comments!