After rounding up the materials, your first task is cutting the plywood to size. Start by cutting the floor to fit either the interior or exterior dimensions -- which measurement you use is entirely up to your personal taste. Next, cut the sides, making sure to put a 45o bevel at the top so the sides will join smoothly with the roof.

When you get to the front and back of the house, include a 90o angled peak at the top. To do this, draw a vertical line from the top center of each piece (at the 15 inch point), and extend it upward 18 inches. Then draw a 45o angle from the top of that line to the upper right and left corners of the pieces, using the carpenter's square. That's all there is to it. Cut out the front and back. On the front, you'll want to put a door that's at least 12" high by 23" wide to accomodate most large dogs.

Now, it's time to cut out the roof. You'll notice that one piece of plywood is supposed to be just 3/4" wider than the other piece. Why? To allow for a slight overlap where the two pieces join at the top. Otherwise, your pooch will be stuck with a leaky roof.

By the way: you must use 3/4" plywood for the roof -- even if you decide to use waferboard, lighter plywood, or some other less-expensive material on the rest of the house. Because the fact is, lighter materials just can't hold up across a span this size.

When you've finished cutting the roof, turn off your saw and pat yourself on the back (in that order). Because you've just completed the most difficult part of the job. Good work!  

Some Assembly Required

Now comes the fun part: watching the house take shape. First, lay out the floor piece so that the nicer-looking side is face-up. Place the front and back walls in their proper positions in relation to the floor, and glue and nail them into place. Do the same with the sides, gluing and nailing them into place at the floor and at the edges. The nails so far have been 4d galvanized. Using the hammer and the nail setter, sink all the nails.

At each of the four corners, nail the corner trim to cover the exposed ends of the plywood. Use the 2d galvanized nails, and sink them using the nail setter. Putty over the sunken nails. Then, glue and nail the two roof pieces to the rest of the structure and to each other, so that they overlap properly the top. Use sandpaper to smooth out the exposed edges and prevent your pup from encountering splinters.

And there you have it: one dog house, almost fully built. And all ready to get dressed up for your dog.

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