How to Build a Dog House out of Pallets

by Joost Nusselder | Updated on:  March 27, 2022
I love creating free content full of tips for my readers, you. I don't accept paid sponsorships, my opinion is my own, but if you find my recommendations helpful and you end up buying something you like through one of my links, I could earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more

Dogs are our precious domestic animals. They wait for us at home until we come back and open the door. While we are away they are always on guard, no intruder will be left unharmed with their presence in the house, and when we come back, they are the happiest member of the household.

Loving a dog has its perks, maybe you do not love the shedding but it is not good enough to not have this joy of an animal that is a dog in your house.  You can, however, build your dog a house out of pallets at a low budget cost and a little bit of handiwork.

Stain-the-Dog-House

How to Build a Dog House out of Pallets

Here are the processes step by step.

1. Frame

Before you start chopping up the woods you need to decide what design of a frame you want. Whether the is going to be the straightforward A-shape frame or what do you see as a roof over your loving dog’s head, maybe a custom slanted roof style.

2. Required Materials

Pallets are required since it is a pallet dog house. Then, of course, a measuring tape, you need to measure up your dog, even if he is a puppy, he is going to grow up, so in case you want his house to be long-lasting do consider his breed, whether he is a border collie or a German shepherd, just consider that.

A band saw or a handsaw along with the nail gun or claw hammer is needed for this project. The band saw is for shaping up the pallets and the hammer to join them. A special glue for woods and sandpaper to smoothen the surface.

3. Take the Accurate Measurement

Take a look around your house, where do you want to set the house for your dog? Whether the answer is the backyard or the garden, you should measure the space that it will be built on. You need to keep in mind about the breed of your dog and its size. We do not want the dog house to be too low or too narrow for our pets, they might just avoid hanging out for their specialized house altogether if that happens.

If you have a puppy maybe consider the investment as a long term one. Instead of just your puppy’s size consider his breed and estimate his adult size and build the dog house accordingly.

4. Make the Frame

Choose a design, there are so many designs free on the internet if you are a beginner just follow our instructions. Keeping the dimensions in mind you should start measuring the pallets and cut them into slants. It is a good idea to mark the pallets first before cutting them with a hand saw like one of these or a band saw so that there is no slope in the cut. It is important because they need to align perfectly. Using the slats of pallets you are going build pillars and cross beams.

Take a whole pallet board in combination with the plywood sheets. Make sure the plywood sheet has the same measurement as the pallet board.

Make-the-Frame-1
Make-the-Frame-2
Make-the-Frame-3

Source

5. Cut Accordingly

Keep the measuring tape and angled rule in hand and cut into the standard shape of the frames.

Cut-accordingly

Settle into a design of the roof and porch because they need framing as well.

6. Join the Frames

Before joining the cut pallets to build the designed frame use the sandpapers to smoothen all the nooks and corners. We do not want our favorite animal to get nicks and cuts.

Now upon deciding the roof and porch ‘s alignment and height use the leftover planks and slats of pallets to make joining angle sturdy. Connect the pillars from the back with the front pillars to get a standing of the frame. After the pillars are standing on the base plywood, connect the roof frames to build the outline of the roof and porch over the pillars.

Do not forget the door. The point where the porch and roof and porch get connected is where you should add three extra cut frames the third one is for the door.

Attach the pillars from the porch to attach to the roof based pillars.

Join-the-Frames

7. Staining The Frame

Inspect the joints thoroughly, after you are satisfied with the fram;s joint and strength ,start stining the frame, this coating is water-resistant to some extent and since the frame is the skeleton of the house it is a good idea to make it a long-lasting one

Stain the floor before you put up the walls.If there is any design you want to inside the room where your dog will lie down, do it now. Do  not put down a carpet, because it tends to get dirty and will be hard to maintain.

Staining-The-frame

8. Build the Walls

After you have set up the frames to test the stability it now time to build the walls. To build the walls the planks must be all squared up, or else we are not getting the perfect measure as the frames. Measure and cut one standard pallet for the wall and check that with structure and then saw the others with the help of that.

It is necessary to ready the attachments like nails and the wooden crossbeams beforehand because you will need to nail them together in the frame to build the wall.

Build-the-walls

9. Build the Roof

It starts just like the walls, it is better to start from the backside of the house, do the porch later. Leave the entrance door without filling up to make the doorway for your pet. The framework  here is to support a slanted roof, which is a good idea because the rain and the snow will slide right off making it

Build-the-Roof

Source

10. The Entrance Outline

According to the height of your favorite doggo join the frames as the entrance door and fill the two sides of the entrance walls with the planks.

The-Entrance-Outline

11. Finish the Porch

To make the porch roof fashionable you resize them before attaching them on the final frame. Put the flat slats of pallets accordingly to finish the house.

Finish-the-porch

12. Stain the Dog House

After finishing the house, inspect for any rough surface. Use the sandpaper to smoothen the surface. Then coat the whole house with stain.

Stain-the-Dog-House

Dogs are man’s best friends and keeping a dog as is a satisfactory journey. This lovable animal will accompany you; it will be around you when you need someone present. You can play throw and catch with your lovely pet dog.

As much as you love them you cannot always be present for them as much as they are present for you. You have a job, classes, life goes on. With that being said, anyone who has a dog knows to love them as a family member of the house. Hence, a dog house is a separate room for the beloved animal of the house.

Pallet Dog House Plans

Here are a few DIY pallet dog house ideas below.

1. The House With the Little Porch

The dog is a beloved member of the family. It is only fair that he deserves the same status of the home, a room with shade, and a porch when he feels like chilling out outside.

The-house-with-the-little-porch

Source

2. The Simplest One

This is a standard plank made dog house, the cut of the wood is simple. The same cut wood design is on four walls and the wall is layered. This is a reliable home for your beloved animal for winter, rainfall, and snowfall. The roof is simple but will provide sufficient shade.

The-Simplest-One

Source

3. A Chill House Outside

A little shade for your dogs out of the backyard with plenty of air placing is a great idea. The ventilation of this dog home is suitable for the summer breeze. There is a gap between each wood plan hence the air can pass right through. This dog house does not require a huge amount of effort or budget since it can be put together with materials at hand.

A-Chill-House-Outside

Source

4. The Doggo House with A built-in lawn

 This is a very sophisticated dog house. An exquisite house for your exquisite animal is only fair. It has beautiful mat setting space in the porch of the dog house, provides shade not only for scorching sun but also a porch for the rain, and extra insulation for a snowy night.

The-Doggo-House-with-A-built-in-lawn

Source

5. An Elegant Dog House

This home is slightly higher than the ground. The leg pieces were cut so that the floor could be a bit higher from the ground. This is a savvy styled household for the lovable dog. The framing provides a very defined look to the overall posture of the house.

An-Elegant-Dog-House

Source

6. A Farmer House

Now, this is an upscale design with a lot of space for the adorable beast. This dog house will keep your pup is a perfectly safe and steady position. This is a straightforward yet upscale architectural design. It is spacious, provides a sturdy roof for winter’s snow. The insulation of this dog house is exceptionally good.

A-Farmer-House

Source

A-Farmer-House-a

Source

7. An Upscale Designer House

An-Upscale-Designer-House

Source

8. A Garden House For Your Dog

A genius exquisite decoration of a dog house, the architectural design along with its decoration is mind-blowing. It is the dog’s owner. It is a big spacious house for your beloved member of the house and even customized space for the little pot plants, it not only has a ceiling over the house but also a rooftop to plant little trees.

A-Garden-House-For-your-dog

Source

9. A Castle for the King of Your Home   

This is a kingly design, the typical design of the beach castle we make during summer.   This comes with impenetrable insulation. This is more suitable for the snowfalls to protect your dog from cold.                                                                                                                                                    

A-Castle-for-the-King-of-your-home

10. A Beautiful Rooftop

Now, this one is a brilliantly made house, the full experience of a human’s household, a house with a rooftop to hangout to. Your puppy could climb up the stairs.The rooftop has a grill design so it looks like a miniature human house.

A-Beautiful-Rooftop

Source

11. A Long Porch

This is spacious enough to house one or more dogs. The porch long and the roof is height. Good comfortable dog beds could be put down there. It will cover from the cold yet has enough ventilation for a comfortable stay in the summer. The pallet can be placed inside for the comfortable sitting of the dog.

A-Long-Porch

Source

12. A Plan with a bed and a Dining Table

This pallet dog house not only includes a room for your dog to sit in but also two dog bowls at your dogs’ height. Italy, this plan is fascinating. The bowls can be attached to the holes in the made table, the table is kind of on the porch attached to the wall.

A-Plan-with-a-bed-and-a-Dining-Table

Source

Conclusion

Whether it is to prevent shedding inside your house or not keeping the beloved pet alone inside for office hours, it is a good idea to build a dog house outside . That way your dog can enjoy the outdoors while guarding your house and you can be a happy pet owner.

We created another content on some beautiful dog house out of pallets’ ideas. Hope you may like that.

I'm Joost Nusselder, the founder of Tools Doctor, content marketer, and dad. I love trying out new equipment, and together with my team I've been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with tools & crafting tips.