Sizes

Each size is drawn alongside the others, then made one at a time, and released when it is right. The sizes not yet released are marked in the table above. Until a size has been made, the figures shown for it come from the drawings rather than from a finished residence, and they are confirmed the moment there is one to measure. A size has to be released before it can be commissioned, and commissions have not opened yet.

Six are released today. The Size 7 — Grand and the Size 8 — Estate are fully drawn and shown here at full size, but not yet released for sale. That is a production-sequencing decision on our side, not a different tier, and both will release at their catalogue prices once ready. If your dog's size is one of those two, tell us about them anyway. We will make a note, and write to you the moment their size opens. There is no date, because we will not give you one we cannot keep.

Each breed above is placed by both its length and the standing height that breed tends to reach, and a breed too tall for a size is listed on the next one up whatever its length. Heights are the residence itself. The solid maple base and its brass feet add about two and a half to four and a half inches, depending on the size and the Path. At the two largest sizes, the width of the residence is set by what a real doorway allows rather than by the dog alone. The width of the Size 8 — Estate is set by a wide front door rather than by the dog alone. It needs a 42 in entry, which many homes do not have, so we confirm the path from street to room before that commission is accepted. Above 42 in, tip of nose to base of tail, the ladder ends and the commission is Bespoke, whatever the breed. Great Dane, Mastiff, Great Pyrenees and Leonberger are named because they pass that mark as a matter of course, not because another dog could not. Height ends the ladder in the same way. A dog who stands taller than the Size 8 — Estate takes is a Bespoke commission too, and the Cane Corso usually does. Weight ends the ladder as well. The St Bernard and the Newfoundland are Bespoke commissions whatever their length, because a dog of that weight asks more of a bed than a catalogue size is drawn to give. And it holds the other way too. A dog of a listed breed who measures inside a range belongs in that size, and one who measures past 42 in does not, however familiar the name. We would be glad to talk about them either way.

Sizing starts with one measurement, your dog from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail, and the size table above is built on it. Standing height is the second. Where it calls for a larger size than the length does, the larger size is the one we recommend, because the arch has to clear the head.

The length

Every PupHut residence is drawn with 6.4 inches of interior floor length beyond the dog it is sized for. It is the same figure at every size, from the Size 1 — Petite to the Size 8 — Estate, because it is what the drawings are built around rather than a number chosen size by size.

Each size takes a range of dog rather than one exact measurement, and the table shows the range for each. Every dog within a range gets the full 6.4 inches, because each size is drawn for the longest dog it takes.

We ask for a breed because it is a useful shorthand, and we size to the tape. Where the two disagree, the measurement decides. And because every commission measures the dog before anything is built, a dog who turns out to sit outside the range their size suggested goes back to a conversation rather than into a workshop.

The height

Standing is a posture, and we size for it. Height is an input here rather than something that falls out of length. The arch puts the room where a standing dog needs it, at the centre, and the roof curves across the width rather than along the depth, so your dog has the same height at the door as at the back wall.

It is why we ask you for a standing height at all, and why we ask for the ear tips on a dog whose ears stand up. A residence your dog fits inside is not the same as a residence your dog can stand up in.

The width

A dog stretched out is a line. A dog asleep is closer to a circle. Most dogs curl, and a curled dog settles into a roughly round shape that length and height alone cannot describe. So we draw the interior width from the dog, and we publish it. The interior floor width of every size is in the table above, next to the length, so you can hold the figures against your own dog rather than take our word for anything. At the two largest sizes, the doorway of a real house sets the width, and we would rather say that plainly than pretend otherwise.

Measure when your dog is calm and standing naturally on a flat floor. Three measurements, and the third is the one we would most like you to take.

Length

From the tip of the nose to the base of the tail. The base is where the tail joins the body, the point where it starts to move when they wag. Not the end of the tail. This is the measurement the size table above is built on.

Standing height

From the floor to the crown of the head, with your dog standing normally and their head not raised. If your dog has upright ears, take the height to the ear tips as well and send us both. A breed website may publish a taller height, taken with the head up and alert. That is a different measurement.

The curl

Wait until your dog is properly asleep and curled, then measure across the widest part of them, as they lie. Do not wake them, and do not move them into position. Whatever shape they have chosen is the right one to measure.

It is the posture a dog spends most of its life in, and length and height together cannot see it. So we ask for it, we size against it, and every measurement sent to us makes the next residence a little better drawn than the last. If your dog is a sprawler rather than a curler, tell us that instead. It is just as useful.

Then watch how they rest for a few nights before you decide. Some curl and tuck. Others stretch long, or shift through the night, or start in one shape and end in another.

Lean to the more generous size if your dog is near the top of a size, stretches out or sprawls to sleep, shifts position often through the night, is a senior, or has upright ears. Sizing up is a comfort decision rather than an upgrade, and it is the one we would make ourselves. If you size up, check the way in for the larger size as well.

How do I choose the right size?

Beyond length, height and the curl, we look at how your dog sleeps, their age and temperament, and where the residence will live. It is a short conversation, not a formula, and the Atelier walks through it with you.

Why does the Atelier ask for the curl measurement?

Because it is how your dog actually sleeps. Length tells us whether a dog fits. The curl tells us whether they are comfortable. They are not the same question.

Where do the figures come from?

From the drawings. Every size is drawn before it is built, and until a size has been made, its figures are published as approximate and confirmed the moment there is a finished residence to measure. Both the interior length and the interior width are in the table above for every size, so the fit is something you can check rather than something you are asked to believe.

My dog is between two sizes. What should I do?

Strictly, they are not. The ranges meet, so every measurement lands in one size. But a dog near the top of a range is worth a second thought. Lean toward the more generous size if your dog stretches out, changes position often, or you would simply rather they had the room. A short conversation with the Atelier makes it certain.

My dog is longer than 42 inches. Is there a size for them?

Not on this ladder, and we would rather say so than sell you the largest thing we make and hope. Above 42 in the residence is a Bespoke commission, drawn for your dog. Tell us their measurements and we will talk it through properly.

Will my puppy grow into it?

Puppies are sized to their grown-up measurements, never to today's. If you know the expected adult size, we size to that. If not, a conversation with the Atelier is the surest way to get it right the first time.

Does The Bed reduce the standing room?

Yes, and the figures let you check it. The Specifications page gives both inside heights, measured from the inside floor before The Bed goes in, and how much The Bed takes off at each size. The arch keeps the most head room at the centre, which is where your dog stands.

What does it weigh, and will it come through my door?

Both are worth knowing before you commission, and both are answered properly rather than approximately. Minimum doorway width by size is published on the specifications page; weight is not published anywhere on the site, so ask the Atelier and we will give you the figure for your size. The Size 8 — Estate needs a 42 in entry and does not come apart, so its path is confirmed before the commission is accepted.

Is a PupHut residence a crate? Is it escape-proof?

The residence can support crate-style routines for dogs already comfortable resting in a contained space, and on a Private Residence the doors are designed to close as part of that. The doors close with a brass latch, never a lock. It is not built for dogs who push, chew, claw, panic, or attempt to escape. If your dog shows any of that, we would want to talk first about whether this is the right home for them.

Can two dogs share one residence?

Shared use suits bonded dogs with compatible resting habits. For many households, two residences are the calmer, kinder choice. A conversation with the Atelier can help you decide.

Will it fit my room?

Measure the floor space where the residence will live, and keep the front clear for your dog's easy entry, and for the doors on a Private Residence. The doors swing all the way back to rest along the sides if you like; allow clearance on each side about equal to the width of one door for that. We are happy to go through both the dog fit and the room fit with you.

What if my dog's size has not been released?

Tell us about them anyway. We will make a note, and when that size opens we will write and let you know. There is no date, because we will not give you one we cannot keep. And if you would like to talk it through in the meantime, including whether it is truly their size, we would be glad to.

Still unsure?

Speak with the Atelier. No rush, no obligation, and we will size it with you, looking at your dog, your room, and how the two fit together, before your commission begins.