Your dog is your best friend and a member of your family, and you will do anything to keep them safe. No matter if your dog spends most of their time outside or not, giving them some protection when they are outside is essential. Having a dog house in your yard for your dog is important, especially if they spend a lot of time outside. You want something that can keep them safe from weather, predators, and more.
Selecting the right doghouse for your dog can be difficult because there are many options available, and you need to find the perfect one for your dog. They need a doghouse that gives them plenty of airflow and shade; it needs to have enough space for the dog to be comfortable, they should be able to turn completely around in it without trouble, and it should be easy to clean.
The material that your doghouse is made out of is one of the key elements to it because you need something that can stand up to the elements. You also want to ensure that your dog will be safe from extreme temperatures in their house, and some materials are better than others for this; you do not want to pick something that your dog ends up getting heat exhaustion from during the summer.
More traditional doghouses are made out of wood and plastic, but steel is one of the best building materials available for a doghouse. In this article, we will explore why to choose steel for a doghouse.
Steel Keeps Your Dog Dry
One of the most important functions that your doghouse serves is to keep your dog dry. You can put down mats and towels to soak up any water your dog drags into its house on a rainy day, but you want to make sure that it is the only way that water can come in.
If your doghouse is waterproof, the next thing to worry about as far as water goes is humidity. When your dog brings in water on its fur, the room can become humid, especially after a summer rain. Humidity brings with it bacteria, which can lead to diseases. You want to make sure it does not get too humid and stuffy in there to protect the health of your pup. You can also add some ventilation to your steel doghouse to ensure that it does not get too stuffy in there.
Water can also bring mold with it, especially with wood over time. Steel, on the other hand, is not organic, so it cannot grow mold like a wooden structure can. This is another reason that steel is great for protecting your dog.
Temperature Control
When most people think of steel, they think that metal gets hot to the touch in the summer and cold to the touch in the winter. While this is true, you can make your steel building temperature controlled. While your dog’s fur and body type can help them control the temperature in their body, they cannot control the temperature of a room, so you want to make sure their doghouse is a comfortable temperature. You do not need to put a heater or air conditioner into your dog’s house; they just need something with the right insulation.
Plastic and wood dog houses can be decent for temperature control if they are well ventilated, but the best option to keep your dog’s house at a comfortable temperature all year is steel. The insulation also protects the steel itself from building up condensation, which keeps the steel from rusting. While some may warn you against insulating the doghouse because it can be hazardous to the dog if they manage to chew or dig through the wall into it, you do not have to worry about that with steel. A dog cannot chew through steel, so the insulation will stay where it belongs and keep your dog happy.
Customize the Size
As we mentioned earlier, your dog needs a house that they can turn around in comfortably. The perfect size for a doghouse gives your dog at least three inches on each side of its body when laying down and is about six inches above its shoulders when it is standing. You can make it a little bigger and roomier if you insulate the house; if you do not insulate it, you need it to be smaller so that the dog’s body heat can keep them warm.
If you have multiple dogs, a steel doghouse can be even more beneficial. You can get a bigger building to make things roomier for your dog, and you have the option to expand upon your steel building later on if you get more dogs and need more space.
Easy to Clean
You need to make sure that your dog’s house is easy to clean. Steel is easy to keep clean and disinfected, which is important to the health of your pup. If you decide to add bedding to the doghouse, make sure it is blankets or pads that can be washed easily. Things like straw and wood shavings may be good at absorbing water, but it is impossible for them to stay clean, and they can potentially draw in fleas and ticks.
Safety
Steel is the strongest building material in the world, which means it is the safest building to house your best friend in. While other materials might keep your dog warm and dry, steel is the building material that will keep your dog the safest. If you are in an area that tends to get high winds and your dog is stuck in its house during one, a steel doghouse building is much less likely to get knocked over than other materials. Keeping your dog safe is crucial to any building it will be living in, especially its own little house.
Steel Requires Low Maintenance
Unlike other building materials, steel is extremely low maintenance. You do not have to worry about the paint fading quickly or board rotting and requiring replacement. Since steel is not organic, you do not have to worry about mold growing on your steel doghouse. Rodents and pests also will not be able to get into your steel doghouse and chew holes in it.
Add a Skylight
If you are worried that your doghouse will not have enough light for your dog, but you do not want to add electrical wiring to your doghouse, you can add a skylight to the building to give them a little more natural light. It will also save on your energy costs.
Dogs have excellent dark and low light vision, so they do not need to have lightbulbs in their doghouse. You can have lights outside, but we recommend making them motion sensor lights that are pointed away from the doghouse so they are not blinded by the light when they leave their house.
Final Thoughts
Dogs like to have a little cave of their own, which is why having a doghouse outside can be a great space of their own when they are outside. A steel building can be designed for your dog’s comfort and safety, and it is affordable. A steel building can give your dog the cave they want for an affordable price, and it can be customized for your dog’s individual needs.
