Sometimes dog owners are faced with situations where the free movement of the animal within the walls of the apartment must be limited. To do this, it is best not to lock the dog in the room and under no circumstances put him on a leash. Make an indoor aviary for your beloved dog! Of course, you can buy it, but it will be cheaper to create it yourself.

Why do you need an apartment aviary?

An enclosure is a special structure for animals, including dogs, in which they can stay for some time. Depending on its purpose, it can be made of metal, boards, and may or may not have a roof and other parts. Usually this structure is built with your own hands from metal mesh and wood.

We are used to the idea that only street dogs can live in enclosures, but this is not true. Sometimes he appears in the apartment. But if it is needed on the street to protect guests from dogs, then why is it needed at home?

An aviary or cage may be needed if:

• you got a small breed puppy and are afraid of harming him;
• you are a breeder, your dog’s puppies have already grown up and are running around the apartment;
• your pet likes to chew on things in your absence;
• guests often come to you, but the dog does not know how to behave with them;
• the dog is sick, but you also have other animals, and the enclosure will help eliminate contact between them;
• you are training your dog to go to the toilet in a diaper or in a litter tray.

By the way, the video below explains how to choose an enclosure for a dog.

Design options for apartments

There are many designs of puppy enclosures used in apartments. They differ in size, modules and materials from which they are made.

Note! It’s good when indoor dog cages can be taken outside. Then it is important that they fold, disassemble and have low weight, which will facilitate transportation.

Collapsible plastic

A plastic enclosure for puppies is the simplest. It is used for small dogs. This is a relatively inexpensive design with a large number of models. You can find different options: from the location of the modules to the colors of the plastic. It is easy to assemble, install and clean. Plastic modules are simply connected to each other to form a cage.

For your information! Often a polyester awning is pulled over the frame. Then you can attach the roof to it. This kind of enclosure for small dogs is convenient to move outside or use as a coffee table when refurbished. The awning usually also has many pockets that allow you to store necessary small items.

From chipboard

A chipboard fence for dogs in an apartment has the following characteristics and features:

• suitable for small animals;
• lasts a long time;
• quick and easy to assemble;
• safe for the dog, it won’t be able to pick up a splinter and won’t get hurt.

Note! You can buy such a cage or make it yourself.

Mesh aviary

The most popular apartment enclosures are made from metal mesh. They can have a different shape, a roof, one or more doors - much depends on the purpose for which the structure will be used.

To make an enclosure with your own hands, you will need a metal mesh, but it is better not to take a chain-link. Its cells are mobile and can harm the dog. It is better to take a durable construction mesh with metal rods.

Its height is selected based on the size of the dog. For example, when building an enclosure for a puppy, it will be enough to take a mesh of 40-50 cm. Small dogs cannot be placed in an enclosure with walls lower than 50-60 cm, but large dogs will quite possibly need meter-long walls.

To create an enclosure with our own hands, we will also need wire, door canopies, a pair of latches or locks, pliers, and material for the frame. By the way, both wooden blocks and metal rods are suitable for creating the supporting parts of the enclosure.

Construction instructions

So, what is the process of creating a cell with your own hands? Let's consider the usual version of this structure - with a floor, roof and door.

1. To begin, connect the metal rods together using welding or wire, or knock together the bars to form a parallelepiped.
2. Measure and cut the walls, floor, and roof from the metal mesh. Attach all these parts to the frame, leaving only the entrance loose - there will be a door.
3. Attach one edge of the future door to the enclosure using wire and canopies.
4. Attach locking mechanisms to the other edge of the door, and hinges for closing to the wall of the cage on this side.
5. Place a sheet of plywood on the floor.
6. That's it, the lockable enclosure for keeping a dog at home is ready! By the way, such cages are sold in stores and are in demand - they are very convenient for use at exhibitions.

Tips and tricks

When choosing a model, the owner must evaluate his wishes and goals for purchasing the structure.

• For dogs feeding and raising puppies, it is quite possible to make a simple enclosure without a roof, but with a door. Then it will be convenient to get in and out. Such designs resemble a playpen, and their functions are the same - the kids don’t run away. Be sure to consider the size of the dog when building. In the finished structure, the animal should walk freely, stand, lie down, with its paws outstretched.
• It would be good if there were fasteners on the walls of the enclosure for a bowl of water and food. If the dog has to stay in a crate alone for a long time, this will be very useful.
• If a puppy will live in an enclosure, then there must be space for games, toilet, drinking, food and, of course, rest.
• You should not keep your dog in an enclosure on cold plywood. Be sure to cover the floor with a thick but soft cloth.

DIY dog enclosure

Despite the huge selection of enclosures, many dog ​​owners make their own cages for their beloved pets. This way you can take into account the wishes of all family members and ideally fit the indoor booth into the interior. It is important to take into account the size of the dog, assessing how much space it needs to spend time comfortably. For example, it is not difficult to make an enclosure for a Spitz or a Chihuahua in an apartment with your own hands. Representatives of these breeds are small, so there is no need to build too large a fence.

To make a cage or enclosure for dogs, you will need:

• material to assemble the frame;
• wire;
• metal grid. Chainlink should not be used, as the cells are highly mobile, which can lead to injury to the pet;
• pliers;
• awnings with fastenings;
• loops;
• locks.

The frame is usually made of metal or wooden beams. In the first case, they can be twisted together with wire or welded, which will be much more reliable. Wooden parts are nailed together. You can connect them with self-tapping screws and special mounting angles. The result should be a parallelepiped. Next, you need to stretch the mesh; it serves as walls, floor, and, if necessary, roof. You need to leave space under the door, that is, do not tighten one side.

Note! You need to put plywood on the floor and cover it with a soft cloth to make your pet warm and comfortable. Lying on a wooden surface is extremely uncomfortable; the dog is unlikely to love his booth.

Canopies are used to secure the door. A lock is installed on its other side. The door will need hinges to close.

Instead of metal mesh, you can take wooden bars. They are made into something like a fence, attached to the assembled frame. Leave a small distance between the slats or place them closely. If a whole board or sheet of plywood is screwed to a wooden frame, completely covering the wall, then it is better to make a window in it, especially if the booth is planned to have a roof. The resulting hole can be covered with a metal mesh.

Made of wood

You can build an aviary with your own hands and from wood. For some, this material is more familiar than metal, and therefore the work will be easier. The dimensions of the cage are determined as in the case of a metal room. The scheme is developed based on data about the dimensions of the dog, its age, and the purposes for which the structure will be used.

To make a wooden enclosure, we will need wooden blocks, narrow boards, corners, screws, a screwdriver, canopies, plywood, a saw and locking mechanisms.

Construction instructions

So, all the materials are at hand, the dimensions of the cage have been determined - it’s time to start making an aviary with your own hands!

1. Just as in the previous case, you first need to create a frame from bars. We connect them using small corners and self-tapping screws.
2. Then, having cut the boards to the required length, we begin to create walls from them. We just screw them to the frame at some distance from each other to make something like a fence. This is how we decorate all the walls.
3. We make the door separately - onto the frame, which we create from thin boards, and also nail down clearly measured and sawn boards.
4. We attach the door to the resulting cage using awnings, attach locks to the door, and locking loops to the cage.
5. Voila! – the dog’s cage is ready!

Tips and tricks

Since cutting wood material produces a lot of sawdust, it is more convenient to carry out construction work outside or by removing the carpet from the room.

• The floor is made solid, unlike the walls or roof. It is also covered with soft cloth.
• Don’t forget about fastenings for cups – they are especially important in a wooden enclosure. A dog, playing around, can turn over a bowl of water, and wood is a material that quickly deteriorates from moisture. In order for a structure made with your own hands to serve for a long time, it should be exposed to water as little as possible.
• To speed up and facilitate the process of building an enclosure at home, you can make one wall from a single sheet of plywood.

How to make a home aviary?

A metal cage made of mesh is the most practical, simple and cheap. Therefore, first of all, we will tell you how to make it yourself. To make a home shelter for a pet, you need:

1. choose the shape of the structure and assemble the appropriate frame from metal rods;
2. stretch the prepared mesh over the frame, twisting the structure with pre-cut pieces of wire;
3. one of the parts of the mesh must be placed on hinges - we will get a door that will be tied to the walls with a cord;
4. We additionally cover the floor inside the arena with linoleum, place a sun lounger in the place where the dog will rest, and place a fabric bedding;
5. We put containers for food and water, pet things, and create comfort.

An apartment enclosure for small and medium-sized dogs can be built from wood. Some find it more familiar and convenient to work with such material; slats and boards are easier to obtain, so this option is preferable. The playpen is performed in the following sequence.

1. Determine the size of the required enclosure according to the breed of the dog.
2. The slats are measured and cut to the required length to make the frame.
3. The frame parts are connected using corners and self-tapping screws.
4. Determine the height of the arena. We cut thin boards to the required length and attach them to the frame at a short distance from each other, like a fence. This is how we get the walls of the enclosure.
5. We make a rectangular frame of the door from slats, and nail boards to it according to the pattern of the walls.
6. We fix the gate to the awnings and attach a latch for closing.
7. We cover the floor and equip the interior of the structure. The playpen for puppies or for an adult dog is ready.

You can make an apartment cage with a closed top in the form of a cage as follows.

1. Prepare a frame in the form of a cube from wooden beams, fastening them with self-tapping screws (height 75 cm, width and length 1 m).
2. In the middle of the front wall, make a vertical crossbar from timber, onto which the door hinges will be fixed.
3. We will make the walls from masonry mesh with 50x50 cells, with a rod thickness of 2-3 mm. It is available for sale in construction stores. We cut the mesh into squares 100 cm x 100 cm - 1 pc. (for the ceiling), 75 cm x 100 cm – 3 pcs., 75 cm x 50 cm – 2 pcs.
4. We attach the mesh to the frame using two self-tapping screws with a press washer.
5. We hang the door on its hinges and attach the latch to close it.
6. Check and cut off any sharp elements of the mesh so that they do not injure the animal.
7. Cut the floor from chipboard or plywood and attach it to the frame.

Each family member needs their own separate corner in a large house, including the pets that live with us. It is especially important to have an enclosure or house for a dog when there is a need to limit the animal’s movements. Let's take a closer look at how to make an enclosure for a dog with your own hands in an apartment where space often does not allow for a separate room for a dog house.

Recommendations for location and application

This is the cage of your dreams! Now we just have to figure out where to put this structure. Agree, a do-it-yourself enclosure will not always fit harmoniously into the apartment and interior. However, there are several ways to disguise it.

1. To keep the dog's enclosure from being conspicuous, you can design it as a small table or cabinet. To do this, a custom-made countertop to match the interior is placed on the roof. However, this option is only suitable for enclosures with a closed top. But in general it is not recommended to close the enclosure. Therefore, it is better to come up with another way to fit it into the interior.
2. It’s good if there is a corner in the apartment where the aviary will fit without problems, will not interfere and will not spoil the appearance of the room.
3. Mesh enclosures without a roof can no longer be hidden so easily. But, if you manage to make it foldable, the easiest way is to remove it when not needed.

Where should the enclosure be located so that the dog feels comfortable in it?

• Choose a place where your dog can see most of the apartment.
• Avoid sunny places and drafts. The best option for placing the enclosure is one of the shaded corners of a large room.
• Under no circumstances place the cage near a battery or household appliance.
• The enclosure must be designed in such a way that it can be easily disassembled and transported or removed altogether.

And finally, it’s worth dwelling a little on the rules for using and training a dog in an enclosure. It is possible that the animal will not perceive it as something familiar the first time, so you cannot simply lock the dog in a cage.

1. Start by letting the finished enclosure just sit in the room with the door open for some time. The dog must understand that he will not harm her.
2. After some time, put your favorite toy or animal treat inside. It may not be right away, but the dog will still go inside for an attractive object. Be sure to praise her.
3. After some time, involve the enclosure in games, that is, forcing the dog to bring a toy, periodically throw it into the cage.
4. Next, training moves to a more complex level - the dog is taken into a crate and, praising it and treating it with treats, is kept in it.
   When the animal sits quietly in an open structure for more than 5 minutes, close the door briefly. When the dog is released again, it must be praised and treated. Loading …

Photo gallery

Photo 1. The cage is decorated as a table

Photo 2. Puppies in an enclosure

Photo 3. Convenient metal enclosure

Photo 4. Aviary-cage for dogs

Photo 5. Original apartment aviary

Photo 6. Retriever in an enclosure