Nightstand/Dog Crate: Keep your pets close...

Submitted to Community Chat

...And your nocturnal pets closer?

My wife's dog is... energetic. She sleeps most of the day so she can perform nightly tap dancing routines at 0200-0345. After a nice long tap session, nothing makes her happier than snuggling into our bed. But, like a good dancer, she likes to stretch her legs - which means I get kicked right in the chest (by a 20 lbs dog, but still).

I realized she lived in a crate with her previous family and missed the safety of her own space. I always hated wire dog crates because they rattle, they are ugly, and they take up room that is basically unusable for anything else. So... Nightstand/Dog Crate!

I used 2x8's for the top, built a frame from 2x4s and 2x2s for the legs, and the front and back are furring strips (1x3). I bought two 8' 1x2 pine pieces and pocket holed them all together. The gate hardware is simply cabinet hardware, but the floor is cedar plank (so it smells nice). The floor is 3" off the deck so she doesn't get cold floor paws, and it is 2" higher than my wife's side of the bed. Barn door style "Z" just to match our barn-door style headboard I made.

Sand, paint, dry, hardware. Her little fuzzy bed is all stuffed in there and she wanders in on her own. Voila - a night without tap dancing!