Do-it-yourself Alabai booth: drawings and construction of an enclosure

Central Asian Shepherd Dogs - Alabais are famous for their impressive size and excellent guarding qualities. To keep such a large breed, the right conditions are required, one of them is a booth for the Alabai. This furry, vigilant watchman is often chosen to look after a suburban area. A dog living outside needs reliable protection from weather influences and low temperatures. Making a booth for an Alabai with your own hands is a doable task even with little carpentry experience.

Booth requirements

A booth for an Alabai is an important element of keeping a dog. Here it is advisable to follow the basic recommendations of specialists regarding what parameters this mini-room should meet.

Among the main nuances it is worth highlighting the following:

the optimal material is wood. Whatever one may say, the Alabai dog spends the whole year outside (if you are buying a puppy for a private home or cottage). In this case, the booth should be built exclusively from wood. The thing is that in winter this material retains heat well, and in summer it allows air to pass through;
insulation is required. Building a doghouse is not enough; you also need to insulate it for the winter. To do this, you can safely use polystyrene foam, sawdust or mineral wool. Which insulation to choose is up to you to decide. However, remember that mineral wool, for example, if ingested by a dog, can cause damage to the lungs and gastrointestinal tract. That is why either choose a different material or secure the mineral wool in such a way that your four-legged friend cannot reach it. If the winter is harsh, you can worry about an additional layer of insulation, but on the outside of the kennel. To do this, it is covered with bales of hay or snow blocks;
lack of dampness is another important point. This problem can be avoided by raising the bottom of the booth above the ground. Be sure to check the kennel for any cracks;
The Alabai booth must have a removable roof. This way you can easily clean the mini-room, and you will have to do this almost every week. Remember also that the dog often jumps onto the roof of his kennel - that is why it is recommended to make it flat. However, a slight slope should still be present, since melt and rainwater will flow to the ground faster.

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Consider the basic requirements for a dog kennel so that your Alabai feels as comfortable as possible in his new home.

Tips for use

Kennel with a folding roof
It is easy to care for the kennel.

The bedding in the kennel is changed as it gets dirty. It is not allowed to become damp.
To insulate the floor for the winter, it is allowed to use sawdust. The material needs to be changed, since over time the sawdust becomes compressed and loses its quality.
In very severe frosts, the booth is insulated from the outside: bales of compressed hay are placed around it.
It is not allowed to feed the Alabai in the kennel.

Building a doghouse for a shepherd is not so difficult, but you need to take into account the characteristics of the dog: its size, character, inclinations. Otherwise, the animal will be bored, nervous and sick.

Deciding on the shape and size

Alabai is a fairly active and powerful breed of dog. Such a pet will find something to do in the enclosure. It is not surprising that the dog loves to jump onto the roof of his booth, using it as a guard and observation post. Such nuances must be taken into account. In this case, of course, turret roofs are not the best solution. It is better to build a conventional structure with a flat roof. As for the actual shape of the booth, it can be of two types:

one continuous closed room;
a booth with a sleeping place and a vestibule.

The advantage of the second option is that in winter the structure will better retain heat, which is important even for the hardy Central Asian Shepherd Dog. Particular attention should be paid to the size of the booth. If your pet is already an adult, determining the necessary parameters will not be difficult. If you have purchased a puppy, be guided by the design dimensions applicable to the largest representatives of the breed. The length of such an animal is 130 cm, width is 100 cm, and height is 90 cm.

Roof structure

The dog's kennel is constantly clogged with wool, supplies and waste products. To avoid the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, the booth is cleaned every 1-1.5 weeks. For easy cleaning, it is optimal to install a removable roof on your home.

The way of life of the Alabai obliges him to use the roof of the booth as a place for observation and rest, so the roof structure should be flat with a slight slope towards the rear partition.

Advice! The slope will allow water to flow down the booth without flooding the entrance.

Alabais are watchdogs, so they simply need to have an open view of the entire yard. It is best to place the booth on a hill. If there is no elevation on the site, you can make a small embankment that will allow the dog to easily monitor the site.

How to choose material

In the process of building a booth for an adult Alabai, size is not all that you have to seriously think about. You need to select a material. Without a doubt, wood will be the best option. The main thing is to treat logs and boards with special impregnations before starting construction that protect them from putrefaction, accidental fire or insect invasion. Do not under any circumstances buy a metal structure for your pet. The thing is that in summer it will become very hot under the sun, and in winter it will not be able to retain heat inside.

Similar article: How to create a diet and feed Alabai at home

Feeding

A balanced diet is the key to a dog’s excellent well-being and health. If you feed an alabai with forbidden food, it will lose its activity and get sick.

How much does he eat per day?

The amount of food and the number of feedings depends on the age of the pet. Here are the main recommendations:

Feed cubs up to 3 months 6 times a day. A six-month-old puppy needs four feedings a day, and a one-year-old puppy needs three feedings a day.
Dogs over 1 year old should eat 2 times a day - morning and evening. Adults eat a lot. So the quantity of one serving reaches 2 kg. The dose of dry food is calculated individually, and strictly according to the instructions on the package.

We must not forget about the dog’s activity. Regular walks after meals will help maintain a normal weight for your pet. If the dog overeats and sleeps for a long time, he will become fat and weak.

Why doesn't he eat well?

Alabai refuses to eat for several reasons. Here are a few of the most common:

The oral cavity is damaged. For example, there is a bone stuck in the teeth. You should carefully inspect the mouth and remove any fragments. Dental disease is also possible. In this case, the dog is taken to the veterinarian.
The stomach contains foreign objects. The owner must immediately contact a specialist, otherwise the esophagus will be damaged or the item will cause a dangerous disease.
Alabai contracted a viral or infectious disease.

Refusal to eat for 2 days is a reason to contact a veterinarian. The faster the better. Avoid forcing food to avoid causing even more serious harm to the dog’s body.

What to give?

The type of food depends on the preferences and financial capabilities of the owner. You can feed the alabai with dry food or natural food.

Dry food

Manufacturers produce a variety of dry dog foods. Which one to choose is up to the owner to decide. Canned food and treats will help diversify your diet. But it is important to select food from only one manufacturer. The portion portion should not exceed one tenth.

Natural nutrition

Still, Alabai love fresh and tasty food. A correct and healthy diet includes the following products:

Raw meat.
Sea fish fillet. It is not recommended to feed your dog fish bones, tails and heads.
Milk, cottage cheese.
Offal.
Various cereals.
Vegetables.
Chicken eggs.

You can cook porridge with the addition of meat, fish fillet, and vegetables.

Eliminate the following ingredients from your diet:

Pork and poultry.
Sweet and spicy.
Smoked and fried.
Legumes and bones.

Food should be fresh and warmed to room temperature. Veterinarians recommend replacing 10% of natural food with dry food. This will not harm the dog, and the body will receive the missing microelements and macroelements.

Drawings and necessary tools

Before you start building an enclosure and a booth for your Alabai, you need to carefully prepare for this. To get started, stock up on the necessary materials and tools. You may need lining for cladding, plywood or chipboard sheets, insulation, roofing felt or tiles, sand, nails, staples, door hinges, as well as a special antiseptic. Pay special attention to the drawings. Determine what the front, back and side walls, manhole, ceiling, roof, and also the bottom of the kennel should be like. At the construction planning stage, consider the space for insulation.

Step-by-step instruction

Of course, if you don’t want to spend your own time and effort, purchasing a suitable dog kennel model can be done without much effort. But for those who want to implement their plan on their own, the following algorithm of actions will be useful:

The bars must be cut according to the dimensions indicated in the drawings;
using self-tapping screws, transform the bars into the walls of the kennel;
It is recommended to line the walls with plywood from the inside and fasten the structure itself with self-tapping screws;
the remaining bars can be used to create a frame, which you will later fill with boards and install on the bottom of the structure;
another frame is made for the ceiling. Don’t forget to cover it with plywood and, if possible, insulate it with mineral wool;
it is recommended to cover the outer side of the structure with clapboard or cover it with paint or enamel;
The ceiling frame must be mounted to the rear wall of the booth. Use door hinges for this to create a hinged roof.

Make a booth for an Alabai with your own hands according to this plan, and you will significantly save money.

Construction stages

Regardless of the chosen design, the construction principle is the same and consists of several stages:

Preparation. You need to decide on the dimensions, select materials and prepare a drawing.
Floor. The most important thing is a good frame made of strong and fairly thick beams. A frame for the walls is attached to it. A layer of insulation is attached on the outside, and everything on the inside is stitched with plywood or smooth boards.
Underground. It is necessary that the kennel is dry. To do this, the floor is raised above the ground using runners, bricks or corner supports.
Walls. After assembling the frame, the lining is attached to the outside. A hole for the dog is cut in advance in one of the walls. You can then install a door here or leave the entrance as is. Next, you need to lay a layer of glass wool for thermal insulation and line the inside with plywood.
Ceiling and roof. It is better to make them on hinges so that they can be opened like a lid. This will make it easier to clean the kennel or provide medical assistance to the dog if necessary. The ceiling is made of frame and plywood, not forgetting the inner layer of insulation. The roof must be flat and pitched.
External processing. The outside walls must be coated with an antiseptic or painted. Inside, it is better to use special products that can be purchased at a pet store.

Booth installation

When the structure is completely ready for use, it’s time to look for a suitable place to install it. It is advisable to choose a shady area that is located on a hill and is located about ten meters from a residential building. A lowland is not the best place to install a kennel, since this is where melt and rainwater will accumulate. Also take care to place the booth away from the living creatures that live on your site: the Alabai does not tolerate being in the vicinity of other domestic animals very well. Try to decide on a place for the dog house before you start building it.

Similar article: The main differences between the Alabai and the Central Asian Shepherd Dog

Common Mistakes

When creating a design, you need to avoid the following miscalculations:

do not skimp on materials and fasteners;
avoid additional decor;
do not install housing near flower beds and flower beds - flowering plants negatively affect the dog’s sense of smell;
maintain a spacing between the rods of 50 to 100 mm;
do not use nails to avoid injury;
regularly check the structure for the integrity of seams and joints.

Important! If the owner does not have experience in building such structures, then it is better to turn to professionals, or purchase a ready-made safe product.