The Rottweiler is one of the oldest breeds, which is perfect for home guarding, duty and guard duty.
Dogs have great endurance, high intelligence, and developed protective qualities.
With proper upbringing, they will be devoted to their family and owner.
A person who decides to get a Rottweiler will never regret his choice, because he will acquire a loyal friend and protector in his person.
Where should a dog's enclosure be located?
The most important thing is to choose a place to build an enclosure on your site. You should not place the enclosure in the most remote part of the yard. There is a great opportunity to regret what you have done, because a dog that is isolated from society will worry and bark loudly.
A dog enclosure would also be superfluous next to a fence: in this case, your dog will be interested in people passing by. And if the dog is large, it can easily jump over the fence, for example, in winter, choosing a snowdrift as a fulcrum. This could end in trouble for both of you.
The best place for an enclosure is at the front of the yard. The dog enclosure will be located near the gate to the house and next to the path. This way, the dog will be able to observe what is happening around him, but at the same time will be quite isolated in his shelter.
Provide your four-legged friend with good living conditions. After all, building an enclosure is a serious matter and should be approached with special responsibility. Before starting construction work, you should consider:
- dog breed;
- pet's age;
- gender of the dog;
- location of the site;
- compass rose
What should a dog's enclosure look like?
The main requirement for building an enclosure is as follows: remember that you are building a house for your dog and it should be comfortable, cozy and calm. In the enclosure, the dog should feel warm and dry. After all, the dog not only sleeps or eats there. He also plays there, rests, and guards the territory.
Your dog should have plenty of room to move around inside the enclosure, so:
- an enclosure for a beagle, spaniel, shiba inu or other medium breeds no more than 50 cm at the withers, the area must be at least six square meters;
- an enclosure for a husky or Labrador, as well as other dogs whose height at the withers reaches 65-70 cm, you need to build an enclosure with an area of at least eight meters;
- the enclosure for a Caucasian or Central Asian Shepherd, Alabai should be very large: at least ten square meters. Preferably more.
We have decided on the size of the area. What about the gender of the animal? The requirements for a bitch and a dog are completely different. A female individual needs a maternity room and a vestibule, which will be located in the enclosure. It should be protected as much as possible from bad weather, because the bitch will give birth to puppies and they will not be in the kennel, but will begin to move around the entire area for their games.
A male dog needs a large and reliable kennel; he is physically strong and strong. A large and strong male is able to knock out a lock or break an enclosure, so he must be strong.
Door
Considering that the owner or one of the household members will have to regularly enter the enclosure, the size of the doorway is calculated based on the dimensions of an adult.
The height of the door in most cases corresponds to the height of the fence. Width – 3–4 cm less than the distance between the supports of the doorway. This will ensure normal door movement and eliminate the possibility of jamming.
During the door leaf manufacturing process:
- make a frame from metal corners or wooden boards;
- fill the space inside the frame by analogy with a general fence: stretch the mesh or weld metal rods.
The door is hung on hinges previously fixed to one of the supports of the doorway.
Attention: The enclosure door must open inward and fit snugly against the fence wall. The door is equipped with a strong lock on the outside.
The door is equipped with a strong lock on the outside
Features of the structure of walls, floor and roof in a dog enclosure
If the enclosure is being built for a dog that will always live in the yard, it is important to protect it from drafts and lock the adjacent and rear wall of the enclosure. To build these walls it is better to use:
- wooden board;
- thick tongue and groove board in metal frames;
- brick;
- monolithic concrete;
- cinder block.
The open wall should face south, southeast, southwest. It is made from metal rods.
Important! It is better to use rods rather than mesh. It will be more expensive in price, but will last longer. The mesh will break after some time.
The gate is made using a metal frame and iron rods. How should the enclosure be closed? Remember, dogs are smart and cunning creatures. They open many locks with ease. The lock must be secure and located outside.
Provide your dog with a warm, dry floor. The best option for flooring is wood. A floor made of thick planks is durable and will provide protection from drafts. The base can be made of concrete, but in this case it is necessary to have a wooden flooring with ventilation from below.
Important! Asphalt, concrete and other similar surfaces can be harmful to your dog's nails and joints.
The boards need to be treated with special products to protect them from mold and rot, and care should be taken to ensure that there are no knots or nails on them, because the dog can get hurt.
You can make wooden flooring in the form of a panel structure. In this case, you first need to assemble a metal frame from a profiled pipe. Then cover it with boards at least 40 mm thick.
When installing the floor, pay attention to the fact that the boards should not sag and there should be no gaps between them. Otherwise, the dog will easily get his claw in there. The bottom of the boards should always be open, this will prevent rotting processes. It is best to waterproof the soil under the flooring using a material such as roofing felt.
In order to create the required gap, it will be necessary to raise the flooring onto a stand, the brickwork will serve as a support.
Important! The floor in the enclosure should be sloping from the side walls to the center and towards the front.
There are no special requirements for the roof; the only important thing is the presence of a large canopy. It can be made from absolutely any roofing material. For example, from:
- metal tiles;
- slate;
- soft roof;
- profiled sheet.
The best roofing will be one that not only protects the dog from precipitation, but also has high sound insulation. The slope of the roof should be in the direction of drainage. This way, water will not accumulate under the decking.
The general condition for keeping a dog in an enclosure is the presence of a place for walking and a spacious kennel. The kennel should not be huge, but nevertheless, the dog should sleep comfortably in it, stretching out his whole body. In cold weather, the dog should warm the house from the inside with its warmth. Having a place to walk is also necessary so that the dog can relieve itself. And also run or stretch. There may be a vestibule next to the booth: the dog’s personal belongings can be stored inside it. For example, toys, bones, bowls. There is also a maternity kennel for puppies.
Requirements for materials for construction
DIY dog house: drawings and dimensions
The construction of a dog enclosure is carried out in several stages. Each specific part of the structure is made separately from a specific type of material:
- the foundation is usually poured from a cement-sand mixture and reinforced with metal reinforcement;
- the floor is made of concrete or wood. It is necessary to make a flooring on top of the concrete, since the covering is bad for the joints and claws of dogs. In both cases, wooden boards are sanded, treated with antifungal substances, and varnished. The coating must be resistant to moisture and safe for the animal;
- Solid walls and partitions are made of wood. Suitable materials include lining, boards or sandwich panels. The wall for an open view in the walking area is made of chain-link mesh, profile pipes, metal pipes or forged elements. When choosing materials, you should pay attention not only to cost, but also to think about the safety of the dog. A mesh covering is cheaper than metal rods, but if a dog tries to chew through it, it can damage its teeth;
- It is better to make the roof from a soft, lightweight material that will not create loud noise and frighten the pet during precipitation.
Drawings for building a dog enclosure with your own hands
Once you have decided on the size of the enclosure, make a drawing. To do this, you can use a ready-made project or make it according to your own idea. After the drawing is ready, take care of the building materials to build the enclosure.
Making an enclosure for your favorite four-legged pet is not at all difficult! It will be great if you have welding equipment. However, you can also use an ordinary hammer drill.
To construct the structure you will need:
- metal corner;
- iron rod or ready-made forged lattice;
- roofing material;
- wood for decoration;
- dog house.
Photo gallery of drawings
Large winter road designed for harsh weather conditions
Sketch with marked areas for walking, sleeping and eating the animal
Project of an enclosure for a large dog
The process of building a dog enclosure
The drawing is ready, the location of the enclosure and its dimensions have been determined, building materials have been purchased, which means it’s time to move on to the process itself. Construction must begin by driving corners into the ground along the perimeter of the future dog enclosure. First, weld the transverse corner horizontally. It is he who will fasten the vertical corners together. When installing the structure, remember that you need to choose a location for the gate. And also provide a cutout at the bottom of the grille. It is likely that the dog will have to be fed to strangers, and it may be aggressive.
Next, start building the floor. You shouldn’t leave it grounded because the dog can easily dig underneath and run away. The back and side walls will need to be covered with boards. The wall can also be slate or plastic. However, wood is the most reliable and environmentally friendly option. These walls must be constructed of dense material to avoid drafts and prevent the dog from catching a cold.
Next, install metal rods or metal mesh on other walls. You can make a roof just over the booth or around the entire perimeter of your pet’s enclosure. If possibilities allow, you can use a fence as two wooden walls.
The lattice can be welded to the fence. But if you don’t have a welding device, proceed as follows:
- drive the rods into the ground at a distance of ten centimeters between each other;
- purchase wooden beams and make notches on them, the depth of the notches should correspond to the width of the iron rod;
- attach the timber to the rods so that each rod fits into the notch;
- secure with a corner (we drill holes in the beam and the corner and fasten with bolts).
If you follow the procedure in this way, the grill will come out strong and reliable. The door at the gate will need to be secured with hinges or bolts. It is worth making two locks: a latch and a padlock. The latch can be made outside and inside. For example, if work is being carried out to install a kennel and the owner will need to lock the dog inside the structure.
Price range
The price of an enclosure usually depends on the material from which it is made, as well as the complexity of the design.
The most expensive combined enclosures . But if you are going to buy or build it from expensive wood or metal, then the price will be appropriate.
For example, when purchasing an oak enclosure with metal rods, you will pay 95 thousand rubles for it. Length, width and height are respectively 4x3x2.5 meters.
For an enclosure, consisting mainly of a lattice, with a metal roof, you will have to pay 52 thousand rubles. Its dimensions will be 3x2x2 m. This is the lowest price for an outdoor enclosure.
CAREFULLY!
Enclosures less than 50 thousand rubles are most often made of low-quality materials; they are short-lived and quickly become unusable.
Also, their components can be toxic to dogs.
Purchasing a cheap design risks the fact that even the dog itself can break, for example, the exit grate and escape outside . The roof of such enclosures leaks, they are not insulated, and in winter the dog will feel uncomfortable in this structure.
In the worst case scenario, the enclosure could collapse directly on top of the animal.
The average price for a “house” for an animal is 60 thousand rubles . This is the best money to purchase, if not the highest quality materials, then at least those that can last your pet 6-7 years.
Additionally, you can only spend money on insulating the floors and walls.
If you buy an enclosure for more than 95 thousand, you risk being deceived . Good and high-quality materials can be bought for less.
Kennel and place for feeding the dog
Be responsible when building or purchasing a booth. After all, this is your pet’s home, shelter and place to sleep. Consider the following nuances:
- the size of the booth should be suitable for the size of the pet;
- inside the dog should be able to turn around and stretch out;
- The dog does not need a lot of space, such a booth will be cold;
- use coniferous trees for the walls of the booth;
- if the climate is harsh, additionally insulate the walls;
- make the roof of the kennel removable, so you can easily reach the dog or get it out of the kennel in case of illness;
- It is better to make the roof flat - for the dog it is an observation point for what is happening;
- make sure that the dog does not leave the enclosure using the booth as an aid.
Set up a feeding area closer to the fence. It is better to make or purchase a special table with recesses for bowls for water and food.
