When the time comes for your dog to outgrow the old metal crate, you should be looking for replacements. Although there are many options on the market that you can consider, building something on your own gives that extra love needed.
No crate will fit better than the one you measure and build it yourself. However, you will need a piece of basic knowledge on how to do that. Even if you lack experience, you can find many building plans which if you follow, the results would be nice. Just make sure that you have the right equipment, and you should be good to go.
To make your planning, and also building the crate easier for you, we have made this article. You will have the chance to see how can you build a crate and make it more comfortable for your canine.
Contents
1. Measure everything nicely
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Since your canine has already outgrown the previous crate, you have to measure everything nicely to create a comfortable space for it. A factor that you have to consider is whether your dog will grow more, or it has reached the full approximate size.
An easier way to understand this is to match the measurements of your dog from the tip of their tail to the nose with the length of their new house. In any case, you can add about five or ten centimeters more. The width has to offer enough space so your dog can readjust their position inside. Make sure that you make their house high enough so they can stand well inside.
After all these measurements on how big the crate should be, you have to decide where will you place it. If you have planned to set it up in your yard, you should not worry because there is enough space. However, if you are planning a home crate, you should consider the positioning well so you don’t obstruct your place much.
2. Consider the conditions
Before you get to the building process, you will have to consider how is the weather on average since you don’t want your canine to be cold, or suffer from too much heat. Make sure that you isolate the house well, so they can keep their temperature inside on their own.
This is intended for people who have decided to place the dog house outside. If you are living in an apartment, you should be good without additional preparations.
3. Create one from scratch
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The first option is to create a crate from scratch. You will need a great building plan, so feel free to search for options that you would enjoy seeing while they still meet the criteria.
After obtaining the plan, you will have to look for appropriate materials. If you have thought about having the crate inside, choose materials that will suit the other parts of the interior. Many people are choosing wood because of the neutrality that it offers, so you can combine it with the other furniture easily.
Make sure that you get enough planks, so you don’t have to rush and look for more if the ones that you got are insufficient.
Another thing that you have to think about is whether you will implement a door of some type. You can just leave a hole so they can come in and out whenever they want. However, a door might improve their privacy so they feel safer inside. An interesting solution can be a cloth because it combines the best from both options, and it looks good on top of it. The door can be made from the same material as the remaining crate, or you can opt-out for a metal.
Don’t forget about metal hardware so you can connect the planks well if you don’t want to forge directly in them.
All that is left to do is to follow the building plan, and admire the results that you have come up with.
If this seems a bit too complicated for you, considering buying a crate since there are cheaper options out there as seen on billiga-hundburar.se.
4. Use old furniture
If you want to reuse old furniture, you can come up with an interesting solution for a crate. That way you will be able to save your finances while still delivering a nice product. However, you will first have to make sure that your canine can fit under your plan.
The easiest way that you come up with something that can be used as a crate is using an old table. Since they are relatively large, all you have to do is just cover the sides. For example, you can cover all of the sides with plank except the front. You can use the cloth trick where you place a material to act as a curtain, and you will have a fully functional crate made relatively easy.
5. Ways to make it more comfortable
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As a way to make their place more comfortable, you should place a soft material on which they can lay on. For that purpose, you will have to know your dog well. If they had problems with destroying parts of the furniture, or they have destroyed their previous mat you will have to find a solution.
One thing that you can try is using a special type of rug that is soft enough for their comfortability. Sometimes the reason that your canine is ruining their things is because of lack of exercise, or because they are just bored. Make sure that you place a couple of toys inside, so they can play if they happen to be bored while you are not present.
Some people tend that you should use a special container with liquids so your pup can rehydrate itself while being inside their home. However, that is not necessary since they know where the food and water are, so they can just go there and fulfill their needs.
6. How to make them adapt quicker
To speed up the process of their accommodation, you should leave the door or the curtain open, so they come in and out whenever they want without feeling trapped. Try to trick them into placing their favorite snacks inside. Another way is to award your canine whenever they get inside the crate. That will leave a positive connection with them, so they fall in love with the product of your labor faster.
