Wood Dog House

A wood (or wooden) dog house is a dog house made from wood (duh). But seriously folks... Not all woods are created equal when it comes to dog houses. We're talking things like insect and rot resistance, durability, ease of working, susceptibility to splintering, and of course, cost. Cedar fits the bill in many of these areas and thus is a very popular wood for dog houses. Readily available woods like pine and hemlock can also be used for dog houses. However, these woods lack the decay and insect resistance of cedar so they are best used for structural components that are not in direct contact with the elements or the ground.

Be leery of using pressure-treated wood to build a dog house. Although such woods will hold up well to decay and insects, they may contain toxic chemicals that are dangerous to your dog. This is more of an issue with older pressure treatments that used chromated copper arsenate or CCA although some people still have concerns about the long term hazardous effects of some of the newer pressure-treatment formulations. To play it safe, consider using pressure-treated wood only in areas where the dog is not likely to come in contact with the wood - such as the bottom of the floor.

There are a number of advantages to using wood for dog houses. Wooden dog houses naturally stay much warmer in winter and much cooler in summer than plastic houses. If you're the least bit handy with tools, it's fairly easy to build, modify, or repair a wood dog house. Wood has a natural beauty and rustic elegance that is unmatched by other materials. And if you're eco-conscious, you can take heart in the fact that the wood in a wood dog house can be recycled after the house has been retired from active duty.