DIY Double Door Dog House

How to build a dog house with double doors for two dogs. Our large dogs loved their new dog house and my husband enjoyed building it for them.
Sometimes you just need something that you may have to build yourself like this Double door dog house. Shopping online for a big dog house for two dogs proved to be a bust. We just couldn’t find the right thing for our fur babies.

We are firm believers in having two pets so they will each have a companion. They enjoy spending time together so why not provide them with a shelter they can share.

This is a large dog house for two large dogs and it includes a bar across the inside roof for hanging heat lamps in cold winters so the dogs can stay warm.

PRINTABLE SKETCHES AND SUPPLY LIST BELOW

About The Plans for This Double Door Dog House

These are not detailed plans. They don’t include the base or the roof. He used the base from the old dog house which is approximately 38″x 96″. The plans for the roof are not included either but I will give some details later. When my hubby built this dog house, we were not planning to share it on the blog, that was an afterthought. I wish I  had more detailed photos but I have updated this article to include more step by step details.

Supplies:

• 5 sheets of plywood 4 x 8 x 1/2
• 12 pieces 2 x 4 x 8
• 1 Roll Roofing Felt like this
• 2 Packages Asphalt Shingles
• 4 angled rafter hangers
• 4 adjustable angle brackets
• 1 1/4″ screws
• 2″ nails
• Roofing tacks
• 2 Heat lamps with clamps, like these

Tools Used

• Circular Saw
• Leveler
• Cordless Drill

Where To Locate The Dog House

This location was selected due to the proximity to an exterior outlet perfect for plugging in the heat lamps. It is also located right next to the front porch facing the front of our yard so the dogs can still see the world go by.

This double-door dog house was built in the location where it will stay. It is solid wood and very heavy but a nice place for our fur babies to get out of the weather and stay warm in the winter.

We live in the country and our house sits far back off the road. The dogs don’t have a good view of any other houses or even the road. They like to police the yard for squirrels and any other creatures who have the nerve to invade their territory. If someone did pull up to our gate in a vehicle, their bark is different and we know to check.

The Base of The Double Door Dog House

The base was repurposed from the old dog house. It can be made of 2×4’s and plywood. The total size is 38″ by 96″.

It is resting on concrete blocks and was leveled prior to adding the walls.

Notice the overhang on the roof. That was designed into the roof plans for rainy days.

When To Install The Heat Lamps In Your Dog House

Prior to adding the front of the dog house, go ahead and install the heat lamps. We used clamp lights like these. They clamp right onto the ridge beam easily.

Create a hole in the back wall using a round bit just large enough to fit the drop cord through. Install screws as shown for securing the cords safely out of the way.

Be certain your heat lamps are high enough so your fur babies do not come in contact with the hot bulb.

The Front of The Double Door Dog House

The front is actually in three pieces. You can see the seams at the peak of the entry door. The front wall was screwed into place rather than nailing in the event that removal was ever necessary for any reason.

Front Doors and Inside Divider

Notice on the inside there is a small divider between the two sides. Our boy dogs don’t snuggle with one another. The divider is removable and also optional. We wanted each dog to consider ‘his side’ to be his space and that did happen when they began to use their new sleeping space.

Our old DIY Dog House was the same size. The base for this one was the base for that one but the old one had one door on the front and there was a covered porch. The inside wasn’t as large. For a double-door dog house, we decided to place two doors on the front for each dog.

Building The Roof

Time for the roof panels. The back of the roof is all one piece of plywood. The front however is two pieces of plywood because that is what we had to work with. The over-hang is 9″ to keep rain from getting inside of the dog house. 

He built the roof to be detachable. It isn’t nailed to the frame. Because the dog house is solid wood, it’s pretty heavy. If you have a reason to relocate the dog house, removing some of the weight would be helpful and that did happen for us.

The roof is covered with roofing felt and then asphalt shingles. 

Their dog beds are similar to this one which is suitable for indoor or outdoor use and very durable. Our big fur baby boys are getting up in age so they are not quite as playful and never offered to tear up their beds. 

Take a look at these Dog Houses all pre-made. Some are really fun and even two stories for smaller dogs but none are the double doors for larger dogs.

Covering The Door In Cold Weather

After doing a little research we settled on using bubble wrap, yes bubble wrap. I saw a tutorial on how to cover leaky windows with bubble wrap and adopted that idea. 

We attached the bubble wrap over the door then cut long wide slits to allow the dogs to walk in through it. They went right in. We live in the deep south so our winters are not usually brutal. Between their bubble wrap doors and their heat lamps, they always enjoyed their dog house.

You could also purchase a plastic door with slits for the dogs to enter and exit right here. 

All done! I’m happy to report that both dogs went right into their new house and curled up in their beds. 

Now their new home needs some paint!

You may like to add these door coverings in the winter to help keep the cold out.

Our Fub Babies

We are proud parents to 2 large mixed breed dogs, both live outside and 2 indoor tabby cats.

We lost our sweet Phoebe Lee, our beagle basset mix to Canine Cancer. I wrote about that experience here.  She had a very nice dog house with a covered porch that my husband built many years ago for her outside time but she lived inside with us during her cancer journey. 

Unfortunately, our 2 boy dogs just refused to get in it together and snuggle. Hence, a brand new double dog house custom built just for them.

Orbit. He keeps his tennis ball close by at all times. You never know when a game of fetch might break out.

We adopted Orbit out of a box at a shopping center almost 10 years ago now. Just a puppy when he came to live with us,  He is literally the perfect dog. Orbit is a mixed breed which is the very best kind of dog if you ask me.

Six Toe, a mixed breed, is about 12 years old according to the Vet. He suffers from a bacterial skin infection which has cost him a large portion of his hair. Med’s help, but the hair will never grow back. His name is Six Toe because he actually has 6 toes!

He was a stray who took up at our house a few years ago very frail and hungry. He is a sweet boy whose favorite part of the day is meal time. His appetite is tremendous, especially for his age. After getting a bath, he goes and rolls around in the dirt for a good 15 minutes while we watch and laugh. He turns himself in circles rolling around in the dirt! 

Print the Sketches and Supply List

• Print or Download Page One
• Print or Download Page Two
• Print or Download Page Three

More DIY Household Projects

Before we listed our home for sale, we did some home improvement projects. It was a lot of work but totally worth it. Our home was sold to the very first person to view it. Here are our projects and home selling/moving tips:

Our Fireplace Makeover, we painted it!

Porch Swing Makeover. First impressions are important so the entire front porch was remodeled.

The Front Porch Makeover. A whole lot of sweat equity went into the front porch. It was beautiful when we were done.

Our Deck Makeover Project. The deck was due to be stained and that is not a quick and easy project but the results are fabulous. Even the furniture was given a facelift.

10 Ways To Increase Curb Appeal

Most Useful Packing and Moving Tips: What Worked & What Didn’t

Update 9/26/2020 to include printable sketches and a supply list.

UPDATE 10/10/19

We bought a new home and moved in the summer of 2017 and this dog house came with us. The fact that the roof came off separate made moving it much easier.

Sixtoe went to live in doggie Heaven in late 2017. He lived a very long, about 17 years, and happy life.

June of 2019 Orbit left us for doggie heaven. He lived almost 18 people years and we have missed him terribly. In August of 2019 we adopted two puppies to fill the void in our hearts.

Update 12-30-21