Gone are the days when dog house designs were restricted to basic shelters that had four sides, a roof, and a small doorway for your dog. Nowadays, people want a house that is comfortable for their pet, but at the same time, is not an eyesore to look at. They want their pet houses to be attractive looking so that the décor of their home is not spoilt (with indoor dog houses) and the beauty of their outdoor landscaping is enhanced. Thus, designs today are getting more and more detailed, in a bid to be that much better looking.

Factors Influencing the Design Dog Houses

1. Material used for construction: Different materials such as fencing, wood, plastic, and heavy duty polyester are used to build dog houses. As each material has its own pros and cons, the design  also changes to reflect that. For instance, plastic may not lend itself to a very glamorous and complex  design, for which wood may be better suited. On the other hand, plastic may be much better suited to budget  designs than either fencing or wood. And as far as designs for tent type portable doghouses go, those can only be achieved with polyester.
2. Expertise of the builder: Since many dog owners now like to build dog houses on their own, designs differ in accordance with the expertise of the builder. For beginners and first timers, it is best to stick to designs such as flat roofed houses, igloo shaped houses, and the standard A shaped pet houses. However, if you’re a master with tools and are good at working with your hands, you can go in for complex designs such as bungalow designs, duplex houses, and dog houses with porches for your pets.
3. Number of dogs: Designs also vary according to the number of occupants the house is intended for. Although single-dog houses are the most common, many dog owners prefer to have the same house for their multiple pets. In such situations, you need to choose a design that is meant for more than one occupant. And no, simply increasing the scale and dimensions of single dog-houses is not the way to go!

Some great sites to check out the latest in dog house designs are orvis.com, petsmart.com, tjdesigns.com, ashcustomwood.com, doghouses.com, and petdreams.com