Even though he or she might be a pet, there are natural instincts that your dog has. These instincts are borne of the dog’s nature as a den animal. The dog crate is your dog’s personal space, a space that he is in control.
Dog crates can be bought at stores and online, and this is a common practice. However, you might want to personalize his space by building his crate on your own. To do this, there are a number of things that you should have and a number of factors you should take into account while building a dog crate.
Contents
Why Crate Training Your Dog Is Important
- Crate training gives your dog a sense of security. Crate training gives your dog a perimeter within which he has control, hence giving him a sense of security.
- Crate training also helps your dog to develop better habits. Within the crate, your dog instincts will encourage him not to mess the place where he sleeps. With proper training, this can be translated to the rest of the house.
- It also teaches pups dogs that are easily excited to calm down within given periods of time. When they are in the crate, they should exhibit relaxed behavior.
Factors to take into Account while Building a Dog Crate
The size and weight of your dog
A heavy duty dog crate that will be built for a German shepherd will be much bigger and stronger than one that will be built for a Chihuahua. The sizes and weight are taken into account because they determine the amount and strength of the materials that you are going to buy.
The material used to make the crate
Different dogs prefer different materials depending on the texture of these materials. While raising your pup, you will probably come to understand what he prefers on his fur, and what he makes him uncomfortable upon contact.
The preferable design
Everyone pictures their pups differently. Some picture their pups as princesses, and other may picture the pups as alphas. Therefore, come up with a design that you see your pup’s image fitting into and one that he will wag his tail to.
Examples of the Designs of Dog Crates
Dog crates come in a number of designs including:
a) A custom cabinet crate
This one doubles up as a cabinet.
b) A modern coffee table dog crate
This one doubles up as a coffee table.
c) A nightstand dog crate
If you cannot bear the thought of sleeping several rooms away from your pup, you can customize his crate into your nightstand.
d) A dog bunk bed
You might have several dogs in your house, and you want to save on costs while building dog crates. You can build a tiny adorable dog bunk bed for your pups. This way, each of them has their own personal space.
e) Built-in dog crate
If you are in the process of building a house, you can have the architect include a dog crate that is built in with the rest of the house. The crate could even have its own tiny window!
How to Make a Dog Crate
Materials Required
The materials required to build a dog crate are:
• Plywood side panels.
• Plywood floor panels.
• Door frame.
• Frame stiles.
• Window stiles.
• Square dowels.
• Crown molding.
• Bead molding.
The sizes of these materials are all dependent on the size of the dog crate. Moreover, the plywood panels, dowels, stiles, and molding should be chosen depending on the specific places that they will be used.
The Process
The following steps are followed:
a) Cut the pieces.
The pieces when purchased will probably be of a much larger size than the sizes you require to build the crate. Therefore, cut them into the sizes that will be needed to build the crate.
b) Assemble the doorframe.
Fix the bottom and top rails between the stiles using glue. Drill holes into the stiles and rails. The holes will be used to fits screws. The crate will be built around the doorframe. The hinges should be placed on the door frame.
c) Place the decorative grate on the frame.
Fix the decorative grate frame in such a way that its lip rests just inside the frame’s edges. The grate is going to act as a part of the door, albeit decoratively.
d) Build and fix side railings and panels.
These are fixed on either side of the door frame using screws and glue. Holes are made on the sides, and the screws are fixed into these holes. The railings are fixed on the frame and the plywood is fixed on the railings.
e) Fix the railings and panels on the back of the crate.
This will be fixed between the side panels.
f) Fix the floor.
The floor is made of a plain sheet of plywood or any other material of your choice. You can add any fluffy blankets or pillow on the floor, depending on your preference.
g) Fix the roof.
The roof is made of plain plywood as well and should be fixed using glue or screws.
The steps indicated above are pretty general and to get the full procedure, visit this site.
Dog Crating is very beneficial to your dog and to you, and the right kind of crate is important if your dog is to be comfortable. If you decide to make a dog crate on your own, it is important to take some factors into account, including the size, material, and design.
The process is fairly easy and the materials required few. So roll your sleeves up and start building your dog’s crate. It is surely going to be fun!
I have lived in big cities my entire life. Having grown up on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, my early life was an exciting one, filled to the brim with interesting encounters and opportunities popping up at every street corner. Like many city people, my passion for dogs first started when my parents decided to bring a puppy into the household. For them, it was a way of getting me to spend less time at his computer or wandering aimlessly around the city with my friends. Little did they know that bringing a Labrador Retriever into their apartment would determine not only the course of their son’s professional career but also my love life.
Having obtained a Computer Science Bachelor’s degree from Fordham University, I went on to pursue an IT career in the Big Apple. After a few years of doing basic cybersecurity and tech support work in various offices around Manhattan, I decided to leave New York and look for my calling in Boston, Massachusetts. There, I got a Master’s degree in Computer Science with a specialization in Web Development. As a means of supporting myself through college, he found a salesman job at a local paper company, where he met Mary, the love of my life and the person I’d end up creating My Sweet Puppy with.
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