While bird dogs benefit from living inside, at some point, many hunters need a doghouse. Perhaps this will be for daytime use as dogs often prefer the outdoors during mild weather. Maybe you're doing a remodeling project and having a dog around is just unsafe for both you and the dog. Or, last night, when you arrived home, your wife immediately handed the new pup over and exploded with: “HE JUST SHREDDED ANOTHER PAIR OF MY SHOES, HE'S OUTTA HERE!” Regardless of the situation, it's time to build a doghouse and possibly avoid becoming on a first name basis with any local divorce attorneys. Building a doghouse is no different than other construction or real estate ventures. The key to success is always location, location, location and that location had better not be under your bedroom window. Unless your dog is deaf, blind and mute, he's going to tell you about everything that gets his attention at night, and everything will get his attention. Thus, it is better to put the dog house on the back forty even if your back forty only describes the forty feet it is from your house to your back fence. Consider leasing property if you are a light sleeper. For most dogs, you can build a simple box with a pitched roof, but bird dogs are not ordinary and ordinary dog houses are for the most part, unsuitable. As an example of proper canine accommodations, my great uncle had a dog house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It didn't start out as a dog house, but personal circumstances caused him to scale back the size of the project and unfortunately, that scale was set by the money he had available after the stock market crash in '29. Still, it was a classy doggy dwelling and a family bragging point for years. Like my uncle, I would also consider hiring an architect, as a good dog house should be considered an investment and not just a place to stow your dog because your significant other goes into a conniption fit every time she finds a single dog hair on her favorite black dress. For even one bird dog, a proper doghouse needs several rooms. You should consider the bare minimum to be a dinning/kitchen room, living room, bath and two bedrooms. As long as you are at it, throw in a couple of other rooms. It is always cheaper to build them now than it is to add them on later. Don't entirely rule out space for a hot tub. A fair amount of thought must be given to the decor of your doggy domicile. Plain walls do nothing to stimulate your dog during the off season. I suggest a strong game bird motif with grouse and quail wallpaper and a few pheasant statues and woodcock figurines tastefully placed about. This is essential to create the proper environment for your bird dog. Remember, you must nurture his predatory instincts, while still gently inspiring his canine soul. These additions will do wonders for his motivation and focus during hunting season. One special thing to consider is the flooring. If you can find clay tiles with actual game bird footprints set in them, buy them. These will help your dog when it comes to tracking wounded birds by giving him a visual memory to work with. Linoleum flooring with artificially patterned game bird prints just doesn't seem to be as effective a training aid as the clay tiles. Perhaps it is their three-dimensional look that makes them so much more useful and worth the extra price. A properly dedicated bird hunter would never consider scrimping on the audiovisual and other electronics for a doghouse. A big screen TV with surround sound and a BLU-RAY player tied into a computer system with WiFi would be the bare minimum any self-respecting dog owner should consider. Personally, I would add a complete stereo system and some decent lighting. The option of cable or satellite service depends on which one carries the all bird hunting network in high definition, again, to further your dog's education. Don't forget to invest in game bird hunting and bird dog training DVD's, because if you have this kind of audio/visual stimulation running night and day, it is my opinion your bird dog should self-train in a very short time. This will allow you to spend time on other productive outdoor endeavors, like fly fishing, varmint hunting, hammock power napping and barbecue eating. Furniture will be the one place where you will save significant money. I have discovered that dogs only get on furniture when they are either forbidden or when it upsets a particular member of the house. If you put a couch in the doghouse for the dog, he'll practically never get on it. I guess if they are allowed, the thrill is gone, so don't go overboard here. Just purchase the necessary pieces to accommodate guests and you'll be fine. Perhaps the most important inclusion to your doghouse is a master bathroom. Yes, I know that your dog cannot be trained to use a toilet for anything other than a water bowl. Further, my own dogs think that a bathtub is a torture device held over from the dark ages. Regardless, I cannot stress how important it is to have a full bathroom in the doghouse and the need for this convenience. After all, once your significant other finds out how many thousands you spent building this project, you're probably going to have to live there too.