In British English, dog house is called kennel.
Kennel is basically a small hut shape house that is particularly built for a dog.
This acts as a shelter for dog.
These kennels may range from small to large sizes depending on the size of dog.
Kennels are available in market in various shapes and styles and mostly made of materials like wood, steel, aluminum and plastic.
These houses also vary according to their use.
For example some dog houses are designed so that the dog may sit only.
A number of handy and portable houses are also available in the market including different carriers, boxes and dog tents.
Here is a brief review of several dog houses available in the market.
Wooden dog houses: these are most common and popular type of houses for dogs.
Wooden houses are comparatively inexpensive and also look nice.
Maintenance is also easy to achieve.
Cedar and red wood are most commonly used material for this purpose.
There is further categorization in these houses on the basis of roof style.
These include pitched roof, single panel flat roof and loft roof.
This house helps to keep the dog warmer in winters and cooler in summer.
Plastic dog houses: this is the most recent trend.
These houses are light weighted and require less maintenance.
Popular styles are barn (a shed style), igloo and traditional hut with pitched roof.
Metal houses: these houses are not so common, however available in market mostly in a rectangular shape.
Steel or aluminum is used as construction material in these houses.
They are more durable than wood or plastic houses because they can't rot or damage.
These are mostly used by hunters.
Barrel dog houses: these are made of old plastic, wooden or metal barrels.
The logic behind the design is that usually dogs prefer to sleep in curve holes.
So, it is designed to give natural effect.
Temporary & Portable dog houses: other than these types, there are several other temporary shelters for dogs.
These include dog tents, soft dog crate, inflatable houses, hard plastic carriers, dog boxes etc.