CONCRETE DOG HOUSES

This is one of our concrete dog houses. Each one weighs over 1,000 pounds!! They are cool in the summer and stay warm in the winter(with the use of a KANE heating pad!!)

This is the front view of the dog house, as you can see there is a open slot in the back where the heating pad slides in or out depending on the time of year and the temperature. Along side the house is one of our 80 pound concrete water dishes with a stainless steel insert bowl

Here is our boy Hickory Stick perched up on his house. The dogs love to get up on the houses and lay down and relax in the afternoon! Here is a good veiw of the slot in the back for the heating pads for the winter!

A Step-by-step how to build your own concrete dog houses.

By Dave Sexton, Legends Kennels

Supplies  Needed

1. 1-4x8 sheet 3/4" Green treated Plywood for the form.

2. 1-35 or 55 gallon plastic drum

3. 1-12" section of 3/8" chain (not a must)

4. 2-12" 1/2" rebar (not a must)

5.Exterior grade concrete (3 yards make 7 dog houses aprox.)

Tools Needed

1. Recip saw

2. Drill

3. Wood Screws

4. 1-2x4x8 pine board

5. 1-2x6  1' pine board

6. Welder (not a must)

First thing is to build a wooden form out of the 3/4 " plywood big enough to fit the 35 or 55 gallon plastic drum in with enough room around it and in front of and behind it to make the concrete at least 4" thick on the top, bottom, front, back, and sides.

Then, take your 2x4x8 and make a form box to put  on top of  your barrel.

Next, you need to draw an opening on the plastic drum top end so you have a mark for your door cut out.

Take your recip saw and cut out the inside lip of the plastic drum top to make the door

Now cut a hole in the side of the barrel which will be your top. Stick your 3/8" 1' section of chain through the hole. Then slide one of the 1' sections of rebar through the chain inside the barrel, weld it in place with a tack weld. Then weld the other 1' section of rebar about 2 " above the barrel for extra support in the concrete.

Sorry, no picture

Now take a 12" piece of 2x6 and attach it to the bottom of the barrel, attach it from the inside of the barrel through the bottom using wood screws again.

IMPORTANT! make sure that the top form and board on the bottom are tight, because these two boards are what hold the barrel in place while the concrete in poured.

Next, place the barrel in the form, attach the front and back boards to the box form with a good number of screws just to make sure it stays where you put it. Also make sure that the barrel is suspended off the bottom of the box so concrete can flow under it.

Now that your form is complete, take all the forms you have made and place them side by side. I use 2x4's to tie all the forms together tight so that the concrete doesn't push them apart, top and bottom and across the tops middle, this stops bowing and gives you a place to hook the top chains out of the concrete while it's being poured.

Let the boxes sit for a couple of days then you can unscrew them and take the forms off. Also, you will have to unscrew and knockout the door 2x4 form. Leave the back form 2x6 board in if you live in the south where it stays warm, but for antone up north you will have to chisel this board out to put the heating pads in.

The chain is for making moving the houses easier, I use a tractor with a front end loader to hook the chains to and then drive them where I wnat them to go. otherwise, with the help of a few strong friends, a flat 3/4" plywood drag and a 4x4 truck you can move them that way.

Hope this is helpful for everyone that uses it, good luck and any questions feel free to give me a call, 575-208-8818

Thanks, Dave