Buying a dog house is no less significant than buying a house for yourself. While we deliberate and weigh our options a fair deal for our houses, lack of knowledge when it comes to dog houses often leads us to making poor choices. 

If you're looking to buy a kennel for your furry friend, remember it is where your dog sleeps, lounges and spends most of his/ her outdoor time. You want him to think, “I love my dog house!!" Every time he is heading off into it for the night. Hence, ensuring not only their safety but also their comfort and good health should be the main prerogative of a dog house. Factors such as the height of the dog house, material used and space inside are no brainers. But, have you given ground clearance due consideration? Or the ventilation of the kennel, perhaps? Your duty as a dog owner goes much beyond providing your furry friend good dog food and taking him for an occasional walk. His house needs ample thought and deliberation to make the right choice. Often overlooked factors are in fact, deal breakers. Read on to know important aspects of a dog house that most buyers make the mistake of overlooking.

That cosy bed and duvet may keep your dog warm to a certain extent, but any direct winds hitting his crib in the winters will send chills down his body. When you buy a dog house, ensure it has some wind offsetting system. The easiest offset is facing the door of the crib away from the direction of the winds. Further, a hinged door that you can fix together when winters start is an addition shield against shrill weather and snow. Teach your dog to close the door partially once inside the crib to block out winds. 

While some dog breeds like the Siberian Husky or a Bernese mountain dog can weather even a blizzard, watch out for those that aren't conducive to cold winds. Either way, always have a wind offsetting plan to ensure the good health and warmth of your four legged friend in winters. 

Most dog houses are made of wood, and that's certainly the best material to go with over plastic or metal. What most dog house buyers often overlook with wooden dog houses is its ground clearance. Well, turns out poor ground clearance could mean a dilapidated dog house in a matter of months. Here's why ground clearance is important. If a dog house touches the soil, it is likely to decay sooner because of the moisture. Moisture can also lead to termites in the wood. Some ventilation underneath the house does the overall temperature inside also some good, as the air acts as a natural insulator. 

Your backyard may have dust, rubble, trees and even a sloping surface. Where does your dog house fit in this set up? Some common mistakes home owners make in choosing the location of the kennel include placing it too close to a tree, at the bottom of a slope or touching a fence/ wall of the backyard.  Let's break each of these common mistakes down for you. 

A Dog house that's close to a tree is likely to attract insects, termites and fleas much faster than otherwise.  Now, if you're going with a wood dog house, which we do recommend, termites are going to spell serious trouble. Steer clear of any shrubs, trees or plants to keep the dog house in good shape.  Also, if your backyard has a slope, your dog house ought to be at the top of the slope. Else it will become a collecting ground for rain water all season. We know dogs are easy collectors of twigs, dust and rubble. You're going to want to have access to all sides and angles of the dog house for cleaning and maintenance. Cleaning of a dog kennel requires complete internal and external access. Pushing it to join a wall or fence can cause quick decay of that portion of the kennel thanks to moisture, dust and lack of access to clean. 

So, to avoid premature deterioration of your four legged friends home, avoid these common location mistakes in your backyard.

One of the biggest mistakes dog parents make with a dog house is forgetting to prep for summer, while going great guns insulating in the winters.  Remember, the  temperature of your dog house needs just as much attending in summer as in winter. Install Weather flaps on the dog house that allow for pleasant winds in the summer to help your furry friend cool. 

A vented roof is another often overlooked requisite of a dog house.  It prevents heat from building up in the summer months and keep his home cool. 

In the winter months of course, aside of a hinged door, a warm bed and duvet, you can also invest in commercial insulation mats. Just lay them along the length of the floor of the dog house for that added warmth and comfort. For this, do factor a few inches of extra height in the dog house.  This aspect is often overlooked, leading to a cramped space for your dog once the mats are laid. 

Lastly, remember to match your dog house with your dog’s personality. Some dogs like open spaces, while some prefer to cuddle up in a cosy area. For the former, a dog house with an open mesh-covered space would be ideal. For the latter, a cosy nook is heaven. Go with your dog’s behaviour and personality while choosing his home. For example, some dogs are innately social and enjoying their neighbourhood friends visiting their home. Some others are often at loggerheads with their species and ends up being prey to attacks by other dogs. Hence they're better off in a solitary space. After all, he needs think of his home as his abode of comfort and safety!

A dog is not a mere pet but a member of the family. To ensure his/her comfort, these are some simple yet effective considerations for a dog house. Go the extra mile and choose the right dog house for your four-legged friend! Man, is he going to be happy!