The rather nice young lady next door has asked if I will make her a kennel for her Springer Spaniel. She wants it as somewhere for the mutt to retire when it rains during the day rather than to live in at night.
Are there any special considerations I need to take into account - apart from the obvious one of not using a toxic finish?
What timber would the panel suggest baring in mind she doesn't want to spend a fortune. I was toying with the idea of decking boards (might be a bit too heavy) or fence panel material (might be a bit too lightweight)
The dog is almost certainly going to chew it. So no green tanalised decking, and be careful with any other preservatives. Personally I'd use larch and not worry. You may also want easily replaceable chew-strips on things like the doorway entrance, or other obvious chewing points.
Wood is cheap. If it isn't cheap, you're buying it from the wrong people. Try phoning timber framers, or operators of bandsaw mills. With a very little framing knowledge, you can easily make this from green larch.
The floor should be big enough for Fido to walk round in circles inside it. Most dogs, and especially Spaniels, do this before settling down. They just won't sleep in something they have to back into.
Dogs are quite cold-resistant, but they're not windproof. So make sure that the draughts can't blow right through it. This includes the floor, which should be raised off the ground level anyway. An asymmetric doorway can be a better wind shelter than a central one, despite our classic image from the Tom & Jerry cartoons.
If it's a large dog, consider a hipped roof. You get more floor space at shoulder height, without making it taller overall. You can even go all American Twee and paint it red with white trim:
Fencing stuff is generally a no-no, since it's often tanalised. This goes for decking too, although you may be able to get it without.
I'd use generic pine. 2x2" frame with T&G cladding and a thicker floor (raised several inches off the ground). Treat on the outside with a non-toxic treatment (dogs can chew...) and put felt on the roof. Any fancy twiddly bits tacked on if you want to make it look nicer.
DO put small vents (louvre panel good) in the top angles, these things can get pretty hot in this weather and doggy would be better off outside.
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