We wanted a bench at the foot of the bed to help our squatty dog Kirby get up and down from our elevated bed. When we saw the plans for the dog crate we decided that we could make a crate for our Boston Terrier Petey who needs to be confined overnight AND put a reinforced top on it to provide seating space. We knew it could not be taller than 18" (the same as our living room couches) so Kirby could jump on and off comfortably, and that we didn't need to make it as big as Ana's plan since Petey is half the size of Ana's lab. Our crate/bench is narrower. Every bit of this piece was made with wood either repurposed from an old playhouse or scraps from the cedar pergola we built in May. We had the hinges and the screws on hand already. We drilled holes in the lid to tie a cushion on top eventually. The lid comes off completely for ease of changing out dog bedding. Petey loves sleeping inside and will go in for naps even during the day when he has the run of the house. Kirby and our other dog also like to nap in there. You can just see the white of Petey's blaze in the pic where Kirby is peeking in.
Comments
booksnotbombs
Thu, 07/10/2014 - 07:22
Your pups look so happy with
Your pups look so happy with their new crate/bench! It looks nice and sturdy. :) Do Kirby's nails scratch the top at all as he jumps on an off? Just curious what you used as a clear coat, if anything. My little dog gives me the hardest time about cutting her nails so they're probably a little longer than they should be at times until I get her to the groomer.
This is a great, creative solution to all your needs. :)
S_and_S_have_t…
Thu, 07/10/2014 - 19:51
Thanks and protective finish
Yes, they are very happy and spoiled! Kirby's nails have not scratched the top yet but since we know they probably will eventually, we plan to put a thin pillow on the top. I won't get around to making it until the fall. We might put a clear protective poly coat but haven't yet.
I started using a Dremel on my 2 Boston Terrier's nails when they were very, very young so they are calm and resigned when it's nail time. That they get Cheerios as a treat afterwards doesn't hurt! However when Kirby was a puppy he was going back and forth between my ex-husband's and my house and my ex didn't start Dremeling early so Kirby won't let us sand his nails down and a groomer has to do them. I hate that we have to spend money on something that could be taken care of a couple times a month at home but if dogs are not conditioned to be held upright, tolerant of having their paws held tightly for the sanding, or terrified of the noise, it's not going to be acceptable to them when full grown. Kirby goes full Tasmanian Devil throwing a fit whenever he sees the Dremel case out so we don't even try anymore.
The bench is great and I am so happy Petey loves it so much. He is congenitally deaf and a real pill sometimes so it is a relief that he has taken to it.