For all the dog guys what do y'all look for when buying a dog box. Seems there's alot of different variations with all kinda gadgets and gismoes.

3 side and top ventilation is #1 unless it has a/c. Room for the size dog is #2. I traveled all over the USA with dogs in a trailer for a few years and ventilation and space are very important for a happy/healthy dog.

With as much as you like to weld and mod traps I'd have bet you would fabricate your own customer boxes.

I like vents you can open and close. I had hounds and wanted plenty of airflow in the summer. In the winter I put straw in and closed the vents down pretty good. A wet shivering dog will warm up and dry off pretty quick in straw out of the wind while you drive to a new location.

Very true. I never had the real nice boxes but a buddy of mine did. Another thing I liked about his was the top was a huge storage area that he kept his gps collars and extra leases, medical kit etc in and it locked. The doors on it locked good too, back in the day if you went into a restaurant your dogs might not be there when you came out.

Actually that's kinda what I made this post for lol.i don't dog hunt but it's been gaining popularity pretty fast again round here. Was thinking about trying to make a dog box or two to sell but don't know where to start and custom work gets expensive quick.

I usually look for dogs in a dog box... Sorry for being a SA, but couldn't resist.

Garry-

Don't ask me, I made a wooden box for mine, lol it's primitive!

Wolfdog91, if you go to some of the beagle, bird dog and coon dog forums, you can find a lot of pictures that guys put up of their dog boxes and trailers. With your skills, creativity and great work ethic, you should be able to make a very good living making boxes and trailers for dog hunters, trialers and trainers.

There is a good market for well designed, raised dog pens too.

Keith

Ventilation is key. Cold dogs will still hunt. Hot dogs become dead dogs pretty fast. Never got into the storage side of things but weight was certainly something to consider. Hard to load/unload a big heavy box by yourself and my work has me changing things around constantly in the bed of my truck. Long story short, I got one of the EZ Loader boxes. Hard plastic. Love it.

If you did'nt post that. I would have.

Something like this is what I liked. The doors face your tailgate. Open those side vents in the summer and outside air flows like having a pickup window down. If you park someplace, in the summer, in the daytime, you need to put your dogs on a lead tied to the trailer hitch or something so they can lie under your pickup. In the winter that open style door allows plenty of fresh air but fido is snuggled down in straw out of the wind with those vents on the side closed.

Looks like a good box

Build a few proto types and then shop them around before you start mass producing them.

If you can figure out how to put sliding drawers below and kennels above it is much more convenient than climbing to look for gear in the top. Tie downs are a must. Aluminum is much lighter if you have the capabilities.

That's like the one my buddy had. Don, that's a great idea putting a drawer on the bottom.

Light weight, light weight, light weight, plenty of ventilation. A guy that used to build them would put a drain hole i. One of the sides and put a boat style plug in it. That way if a dog ever went to the bathroom or got sick inside then you could pull the plug and wash it out. Oh and did I mention lightweight.

Size, weight, ventilation are important to me. Although it doesn't look like it in the pic this box will fit under the tonneau cover of my truck.

If you want it to be profitable custom build to suit the buyer. Measure their vehicle and fit it. Figure you time and materials. Too many places offer cookie cutter boxes.

Incognito, I like mine to not look like a hound box...