Snug, not spacious
The biggest dog-house mistake is buying too big. A house should be roughly 25% larger than your dog — enough to stand, turn around, and lie flat, but snug enough that body heat warms the space. An oversized house stays cold and drafty, defeating the whole purpose. When in doubt between sizes, pick the smaller one: dogs prefer a cozy den over an empty hall.
The doorway rule
The door opening should be about three-quarters of your dog's shoulder height — tall enough to enter without crouching, small enough to keep wind and rain out. Offset the door to one side rather than centering it: the solid wall opposite becomes a windbreak, giving your dog a sheltered corner to curl into during storms. A plastic flap over the opening adds serious weather protection for a few dollars.
Raise it up
The floor should sit 4 inches off the ground on feet or a platform. This keeps rain from pooling underneath, stops the floor rotting, and adds a layer of insulation against cold ground. A sloped roof sheds rain away from the door, and an overhang of a few inches keeps drips off the entrance. These three details — raised floor, sloped roof, overhang — separate a house that lasts from one that doesn't.
Placement matters as much as size
Put the house where your dog already likes to rest: near the back door, in afternoon shade, facing away from prevailing wind. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain, and keep it within sight of the house — most dogs won't use a house that feels exiled to the far corner of the yard. Add straw or a washable pad for bedding (blankets work but need frequent washing), and in real winter, an insulated model or a heated pad rated for outdoor use is worth the upgrade.
