Every dog house gets a score from 0 to 100% built from five factors, which maps onto the 5-point rating shown on the site (a 0% score would be 1.5 stars; a perfect score, 5). Each factor is scored against fixed reference points, not against the other products in the list, so adding a new model never moves another model’s rating. Houses are grouped by type, insulated and heated, and use the same scale in both groups.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Insulation | foam, liner or double wall, coverage and thickness | 30% |
| Heating | heater included, thermostat, safety listing and chew-resistant cord | 15% |
| Value | price per square foot of exterior footprint | 25% |
| Features | raised floor, door flap, opening roof, removable floor, chew guard and vents | 20% |
| Warranty | warranty length | 10% |
Where the numbers come from
Sizes, insulation, heater details, features and warranty come from the maker’s product copy, including the maker’s own copy on a retail listing. Where a maker’s figures conflict, the one stated most specifically is used, and claims that can’t be checked against the copy are left out. Prices are checked at the stores each page links to, and the lowest price at a linked store is used.
The factors
Insulation scores how the house is insulated. Foam built into the walls scores 50%, a removable foam or sponge liner 40%, a double plastic wall with an air gap 25%, and solid wood alone or insulation the maker doesn’t describe 10%. Insulation that covers all six sides, walls, roof and floor, adds 20%. Thickness adds up to 30% more: 0.5 in adds nothing and 4 in adds the full 30%. The total is capped at 100%. No maker here publishes an R-value, so construction, coverage and thickness stand in for it. A house that says it is insulated without saying how scores low, not neutral, because the insulation is what most separates these houses.
Heating is 50% for a heater in the box, plus 20% for a thermostat or automatic temperature control, 20% for a UL or ETL safety listing and 10% for a chew-resistant cord. A house without a heater scores zero here; it is ranked against other unheated houses, so this only matters when comparing across the two types. Heater wattage isn’t published for any pad here, so it isn’t scored.
Value is the current price divided by the exterior footprint, length times width, in dollars per square foot, on a log scale, so halving the price always counts the same. $60 per square foot scores zero and $12 full marks. The footprint includes any porch.
Features is 25% for a raised floor, 20% for a door flap or curtain, 15% for an opening roof, 15% for a removable floor or a drain, 15% for a metal chew guard or frame and 10% for vents.
Warranty is the maker’s warranty: none scores zero and 5 years full marks.
What isn’t scored
Maximum dog weight, interior and door sizes, material, house weight, a porch, the pad’s temperature range and whether it runs on low voltage are listed but not scored. Makers state dog weight in different ways, and some quote what the roof can hold rather than the dog that fits, so size the house from its dimensions.
Missing data
If a figure isn’t published, that factor gets the neutral middle score (50) and the product page marks it as estimated. Features score neutral only when none of them is published; a feature the maker doesn’t mention otherwise counts as absent. Two factors are exceptions. Insulation the maker doesn’t describe at all scores zero, and is marked estimated. A maker that doesn’t publish a warranty gets no warranty counted, so that factor scores zero, the same as a listing that says there is none, and is marked estimated.
Ties and discontinued models
Products are ranked by score within each group. Discontinued models stay listed but rank below every current model and can be hidden with the “Hide discontinued” filter.