DIY – How to Build a Dog Box for a Truck

If you like to take your dog along nearly everywhere you go, and you may be concerned about their safety during the trip. Dogs love to be in the cabin with you, their heads hanging out the truck window and ears waving in the wind. As sweet as this is to watch, it is not secure for either you or your dog as even the most well trained pooch may be enticed to move around on the seats and end up in the your lap.

If you have to carry your dog and especially if you will be alone in the vehicle, the best thing for you to do is to have a dog box mounted in the bed of your truck. They are available in wooden and aluminum models and come in a variety of sizes to hold all types of dogs that will need to be transported. The drawback is that buying a dog box can cost anywhere between $300 – 650 for singles and in excess of $2000 for boxes that can hold 3 or more dogs. If this is not in your budget, you can make your own dog box for just below $100 to safely and comfortably transport your extra family member in your tuck.

How To Build A Dog Box For A Truck

Required Tools and Materials

Tape measure

Drill

Box material (wood, aluminum, or hard plastic coated with polyurethane or vinyl this guide describes building a wooden box as this is the most affordable material).

Saw

Screwdriver

Sand paper/ Electric Sander

Hammer and Nails or A Nail gun or carriage bolts

4 Latches

Mesh grating

2 sets of small hinges

1 Handle

1 yard of thick carpeting

Staple gun

Instructions

Step One

Using the tape measure, find the size that will be needed for the dog box and make a note of them. Measure the height, width and length that the box will take up in your tuck, ensuring that the top of the box will not obscure your rear view mirror and that your dog will be comfy while being in the box. Also determine how tall your dog is for the entrance you will make in the front of the box.

Step Two

Mark the dimensions you have measured onto the wood in pencil and with the saw or a woodcutter, cut out the parts required to make the box. You will have six parts when you’re finished: A floor, four sides (one side incorporating a door for entry and exit) and a top.

Step Three

Using the drill, make small ventilation holes in at least two sides of the dog box. Do not make holes in the top or floor of the box to stop water from entering. After drilling, ensure that you sand down the sides that will be used as the inside of the dog box. Cut out a square or rectangle from the side that will be the front of the box. This will be the door.

Step Four

Put Together the box using the hammer and nails, nail gun or carriage bolts. (Persons using aluminum will need to weld each of the sides together). Secure the top, 3 sides and bottom to each other, leaving off the front with the cut out for the door.

Step Five

Using screws and hinges, fix the door that has been cut out to the wood being used for the front of the box. Be sure that it moves freely, opens outward and closes tightly. Add the latches to the door; add one to at the top and bottom and two on the side opposite to the hinges.

Step Six

Cut out carpeting and fix to the floor and sides of the box using the staple gun.

Step Seven

Affix the front panel with the door to the box using the hammer and nails, nail gun or carriage bolts and attach handle to exterior.

Step Eight

Paint the exterior of the box with a sealer or water resistant paint and decorate

Step Nine

Make eight small holes into the bed of your truck and eight duplicate holes (four on each side) through the wood of the box that line up. Using the large screws and bolts, secure the box to the bed of the truck.

Step Ten

Test your dog box without your dog. Use a few full water bottles to simulated the movement of your dog during a drive and verify that the box can’t shift on rough terrain or when going uphill.

Tips and Warnings

1) Use protective gear (gloves and goggles) when handling nail gun, sanding or sawing.

2) Double check all measurements before cutting wood.

Here you can find more information on how to build a dog box for a truck