Doghouses of the Rich and Famous

Last August I adopted a Daug. Yes, a Daug—the name given to the adorable Dachshund/Pug mix. Since then I have spoiled her. She follows me around, loves to ride in the car and spends most of her day lounging in my bed or nesting on my couch. She’s got it pretty good, right? I recently found that simply being good to my little friend pales in comparison to the luxury some celebrities lavish upon their pets.

Remember Snoopy in the old Charlie Brown cartoons? How the little guy would nap on the roof of his modest little red house?  A quick look at some celebrity doghouses make that house look like, well, like a doghouse.

Paris Hilton recently tweeted pictures of her luxury designer doghouse. This two-story model of Paris Hilton’s own mansion has a living room downstairs and a bedroom upstairs complete with a closet to store all the dog’s outfits. The house is shared by all of Hilton’s dogs, who have names such as Tinkerbelle, Marilyn Monroe, Prince, Baby Bear, Harajuku, Dolce and Prada. Paris designed the home with the help of interior designer Faye Resnick. The dogs enjoy luxury appointments such as miniature Phillipe Starck furniture, a chandelier, crown moldings—even a heating and air conditioning system.

With a price tag north of $300,000 Hilton’s is probably the most extreme doghouse out there, but a quick look shows that the industry has morphed into a multi-million dollar industry. For example, supermodel Rachel Hunter’s Spanish style dog hacienda cost $30,000 before you customize it or have it shipped to you. La Petit Maison, a group that specializes in miniature versions of their clients own homes, designed Hunter’s doghouse. It’s meant to be a replica of her own Spanish-style hacienda and came complete with ornately carved front doors, red clay tiles on each turret, terracotta floors and miniature wrought iron window flower boxes.

These doghouses probably seem a bit extravagant. Most dogs are content to just have a simple doghouse that will shelter them from the elements. Depending on where you live or plan on building your home, having an outdoor doghouse may be far less popular than it once was. Recently indoor doghouses have started coming into vogue, with dog crates that are also end tables and couches that have built-in doghouses.  Some homes even have spaces dedicated specifically to the dogs.

House plans such as the Sturbridge II have an innovative ‘home center’ that includes a pet corner.  The Tasseler House Plan has a dog shower and grooming center over the garage that makes for the perfect place to wash and groom your pet.

Whether your dog will live outside in an abode of his own or in your home alongside you there are plenty of stylish solutions available, one of which is sure to please you and your best friend.

Luxury Doghouse & Playhouse Plans

If you are looking for a house plan for your dog, our luxury dog house plan can be downloaded as a PDF.