I have to admit I am a do it yourself freak. I like to build just about everything from sheds to dog houses, to platform beds. On my latest project of building a dog house, I had to ask myself the question, should I have windows in the dog house I am building? Sheds have windows, real houses have windows, but do dog houses need windows?
I started to scour the internet looking for some reliable dog house plans. I also did some research to find out why most houses for dogs don’t have windows. Here is what I came up with. First off, even dogs like looking out the window when they are inside your house, most of the time, which is because they want to go outside to chase a bird or a squirrel. Or maybe they just want to go outside and sniff around. If they are in a doggy house, they can simply leave the house and enter the yard without you letting them out.
Secondly, if your doggy’s house has windows the likelihood of them staying clean is almost none. Your dog’s nose will be all over the window and it will be dirty in no time flat, meaning, he will no longer have a window to look out.
Now for the most important reasons dog homes do not have windows. They simply do not do as good of a job keeping heat in as a solid insulated wall. Likewise, during the summer they let too much heat in and the house will no longer stay as cool as you would like. There are some things you can do to help this, particularly the placement of the dog house in your yard. You can place it near a fence, near your house, or under a large tree. This too will help.
Of course you can use your dog door as a window for your dog’s home. These plastic, clear doors will help keep the elements out and will give your dog a place to look out if he wants to. If you are building your own house for your dog, I recommend you build an insulated dog house that is easy to clean. I would have either the roof or one of the walls open so you can easily clean your dog’s home every so often. You might also want to invest in a burrow bed during the winter months or add a heater to keep your dog plenty warm.