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There's an old saying that many people look like their pets or that their pets resemble them in some way. And if a home is an extension of a person's personality, then why not include the family dog. A dog house that looks like your own house - why not? Dog houses have been around in one form or another for thousands of years. Dogs were popular in ancient Egypt as pets and hunting partners, and were thought to be messengers of the gods. Egyptian nobility kept their dogs in mud-brick kennels, where they were cared for by professional trainers. This photo, taken in 1889 shows the presidential dog house digs for First Lady Caroline Harrison's pet collie Dash. And, if you look closely you will see that the design is similar in style to President Harrison's own home.
K-9 Dog Shelters is following in this tradition. Seattle-based architect Steve Peterson and Designer Ane Brusendorff combined their unique skills which includes 25 years of architectural design and dog training experience to create K-9 Villas - architecturally designed custom dog shelters to stimulate pets while enhancing their owners own homes. K-9 dog shelters are not only well built and dog-friendly, but are also made to reflect and enhance the dog owner's own residence.
Historically, most dog houses have been hand-made from whatever materials could be scraped together. This has changed over the years due to lower costs, availability of new materials, and the rise of the do-it-yourself movement. Plastic dog houses were introduced in the 1960's and foam plastic in 1986 with all sorts of shapes including an igloo-shaped doghouse. There are a number of big companies that sell factory-made doghouses. Today, the dog house industry is driven by huge increases in pet ownership. 63 percent of all U.S. households own a pet and half of these are either dogs or cats. Most dog houses today are mass-produced and "made in China" and are little more than decorated containers for dogs. Very little concern is given to animal comfort and stimulation, and almost no effort is made to visually connect the dog house design with the main home.
K-9 dog villas are created based on the descriptions and photos provided by clients of their own homes and, of course, photos of their pet dogs! The size and type of animal is important, as is the animal's age, medical history and training. Just as an architect will need to know the personal needs of his client, so too will the individual animal's need be considered.
K-9 Villas seemed to grow naturally from Steve and Ane's design business along with their love of dogs and their shared experience as Golden Retriever owners and trainers. This unique combination of craftsmanship, design talent, and dog-handling experience allowed K-9 Villas to offer a very unique product that is something worth barking about!
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