Building doghouse for two dogs

[Jared]

I've got two dogs, one male and one female (he's bigger, she's smaller), and I'm either needing to build a doghouse for the winter or put a doggy door so they can sleep in the garage. If I build a doghouse, will two dogs share one house? They get along great. He's maybe a year and a half older than she is. Would they sleep in the same doghouse at night if I built only one? And does anybody have any drawings of a doghouse that would sleep a border collie sized dog and a slightly smaller than german sheppard sized dog and still block the wind? Thanks.
Jared

[MooseToo]

unfortunately, whether or not they will share is something you'll find out only after you've built it - may be wise to design something that you can equip with a divider if needed -

[OzarkMtnDaredevil]

Hey Jared. I recently brought home a 10 month old Black Lab that will soon outgrow his current cabin. As I was searching for 'dog house + plans', I saw some really neat Duplex houses that looked pretty cool. Unfortunately, I didn't bookmark them but, you should find them pretty easily.

[MNMOM]

We had a doggy door at our old house and I want DH to put one in our new garage, I think they work great and a lot more reasonable than building a doghouse to house two dog's. Our garage is also heated which is nice for winter here in MN.

[Deberosa]

We had a doggy door at our old house and I want DH to put one in our new garage, I think they work great and a lot more reasonable than building a doghouse to house two dog's. *Our garage is also heated which is nice for winter here in MN.

How do you keep your garage sort of clean with a doggy door? We ended up closing up the garage doggy door because they would track in all kinds of mud. Prior to that had the doggy door in the house! Of course mud is plentiful around here in the winter.

Now I have a metal shed with a doggy door in it (the one that used to be in the garage door) that I fill with a thick layer of cedar chips with dog beds on top. Usually only one dog sleeps out there but when we go away overnight we put both dogs in that area and they sleep together just fine. Of course that would probably depend on the dogs and this is a six by six shed so lots of room for them. That's a huge basset hound and a medium sized Austrailian shepard/blue heeler mix.

[MNMOM]

During a rain, they do make a mess, Deberosa, it just makes for more cleaning for me. ;D

I really like having the doggy door's as when we are gone all day they can get in and out as they please.

[Deberosa]

During a rain, they do make a mess, Deberosa, it just makes for more cleaning for me. ;D

I really like having the doggy door's as when we are gone all day they can get in and out as they please.

I thought you might have had a magic solution!

Yeah, I know what you mean about that. I put up with alot just for that convenience too. Now with an entire shed and yard separate it has sure simplified things for me. Plus we fenced the entire property so that the dog can run free all day and sleep on the deck.

[fnfredux]

Yes, I have found some pretty strange things on the human side of the doggy door. Thank God it only goes to the basement area. My advice is NEVER to put a doggie door into the house proper even if you have a dog that only weighs ten pounds. They will bring in all kinds of dead things and parts of dead things, not to mention the occasional *roll in dead things followed by a number of rolls over every piece of upholstered furniture you have.
A doggie door in the garage or basement (an areas YOU do not *use for living) is GREAT, we have one. Sure saves a lot of door opening in the cold weather, not to mention not having to bundle up and take the dogs out (we have a penned area off the doggie door). With the pen arrangement the dogs can't leave the area (large pen 100'X25') and therefore even tho the doggie door is large (had to use it a few times when I locked my keys inside) we don't need to worry about intruders.
I live in the country and out here a number of folks "build" a doghouse out of straw bales every year. Stack 'em, drive some rebar through, put a sturdy piece of plywood across the top, put bales on top of that... top with a tarp. Of course here folks can use that straw at the end of winter for bedding for other animals so it's not a waste...