One girl, two power tools, and three days' worth of elbow grease has finally produced a brand-new Doggy Duplex!

Even though the summer heat has only just arrived, my thoughts are already turning to fall and winter. I know that sounds crazy, but it will be here before I know it, and I want to kick back and relax after a summer of hard labor! Fall is my favorite season, and I want to spend it swinging in the hammock, wearing cozy sweaters and carving pumpkins. NOT wielding power tools. So, first on the agenda was to build insulated houses for the new fenced dog yard.

I wasn't too keen on dropping $150 a pop for new igloo shelters. Although they performed well last winter, there's a big difference between having one of those on a covered deck, and having one on the bare ground with 2' of snow surrounding it. I wanted something raised off the ground, sturdier than plastic, (at least partially) insulated, and with a flat roof for Snoopy-esque dog-naps.

After a lot of Internet sleuthing, I found a sleddog kennel's website, with plans on building a dog house from a single sheet of plywood for $35. I was liking the sound of that! With a little modification and extra materials, I built a double design that incorporates two compartments into one shelter. It's built of 1/2" CDX plywood inside, and 1/2" plywood siding outside, with 1" of foam sheet insulation sandwiched inside the side walls. The floor is raised 5" off the ground and also has a sheet of insulation bolted underneath. The top is removable so I can easily get in to change out straw.

Realistically, before winter hits, I should build another house, but I'm a little burned out after three days of measuring, cutting, drilling, and more cutting... so, on to other projects for the meantime. There's still plenty of winter-prep projects left to do.