How to Size a Dog House
Knowing how to size a dog house is important, and their height is not always enough to determine what size of home to buy; here are some basic guidelines to help you chose what size you'll need,but feel free to e-mail us or write us if you have any other questions.
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Most usually use a dog's weight to determine the size of the house needed. But some dogs are tall structured, i.e., Dobe
rman, Pincers, Greyhounds, etc; so height requirements must be considered. Ideally, the house needs to be just big enough for the dog to enter, turn around, and lie down. Anything larger is choice, but during the colder months body heat retention is sacrificed.
Choosing the right size house ensures the comfort for your dog(s). In severe winter regions, bigger is definitely NOT better. If your region has extremely mild winters, a house "larger than needed" does not present a problem.
The door height shouldn't be less than three fourths (3/4) of the dog's shoulder to ground measurement. LARGE doors aren't necessary... dogs normally "duck" to enter a dog house.
Example: If dog's height is 19 inches, the door opening needs to be at least 14 inches tall.
The width and length of the house should be the same as or no more than 25% larger than the nose to flank. (The tail doesn't count).
Example: If the dog's length (nose to flank) is 24 inches, the doghouse width and length should be no less than 24 inches and no more than 30 inches.
The height of the doghouse should be at least 25% (no more than 50%) taller than the height of the top of the dog's head to his toes. Again, this house can exceed the dog's total height up to 50% and still maintain good body heat retention factor during cold months.
Example: If the dog's height is 22 inches, then the total doghouse height should be approximately 28 to 33 inches.
