Easy Dog Crate Assembly: How a WLO House Goes Together
A furniture crate is only as good as the evening you spend putting it together. We designed the house so that evening is short and you never have to guess.
- One box, every panel numbered, every screw sorted by code.
- The tools are in the box: a screwdriver and a 4 mm hex key.
- About 20 minutes for one handy person on a Gabled; about 30 for a Size 3.
- CNC-cut panels fasten into the beams with metal bolts. No glue, no nails.
- Guaranteed until assembled: a damaged, defective or missing part is replaced free.
Everything is numbered
Every panel has a number, and the guide uses the same numbers. For the Gabled:
| No. | Part |
|---|---|
| 1, 2 | back panels |
| 3 | window panel |
| 4 | door frame |
| 5 | floor |
| 6 | side walls |
| 7 | roof |
The screws are sorted by code, and each step tells you which code and how many.
Parts that only fit one way
The panels are CNC-cut from the same drawings we use for every house. Tabs land in their slots, and a metal fastening system with internal teeth pulls each panel tight against the beams. You won't find glue or nails, or a joint that depends on how hard you press.
The 3D guide: eight stages for the Gabled
Before you order, watch it: open the Gabled product page and choose Assembly. The guide is a 3D model of the house, built step by step. Turn it with your finger, zoom in on a screw and see exactly which way it faces. The Gabled goes together in eight stages:
- Peel the protective film from the acrylic windows and fit them.
- Join the two back panels and the beams.
- Add the window panel and the door frame. Check that the teeth have seated.
- Fit the floor. The screws cut their own thread, so there are no holes to line up underneath.
- Add the side walls.
- Fit the name tag before the roof, while your hand still fits inside.
- Put on the roof.
- Hang the door, fit the latch, and put the cushion in its cover.
One honest tip: hanging the door is easier with a second pair of hands to hold it straight.
What's in the box
- The house, cut and finished to your order
- Metal hardware, hinges and latch, with every screw sorted by code
- A cushion about 5.5 in (14 cm) thick with a washable cover
- A numbered one-page diagram. The full guide comes as a PDF by email, and on the Gabled it is also in 3D on the product page.
- A screwdriver and a 4 mm hex key, so you need nothing else
The exact measurements of every size are in WLO dog crate sizes.
Why we rebuilt the guide
Some customers told us our old printed guide was too short. So we rebuilt it, starting with the Gabled, as a 3D guide that shows one part at a time, in the order we assemble them in our own workshop in Lexington, North Carolina. Of the 439 reviews of our current houses, 76 mention how easy or quick it was to put together (our count, October 22, 2026).
If something is missing or damaged
Guaranteed until assembled: if any part arrives damaged, defective or missing, we send a free replacement right away. Later on, cushions, covers, hardware and acrylic sets are sold on the parts page.
Watch the 3D assembly guide, then decide · Compare WLO with other crates
