I have had some ask me questions on using a utility trailer as a dog trailer and have seen postings on various forums asking about using them as a dog trailer so I figured I would put togther an article on my utility trailer evolution into a dog trailer.

Before I went this route, I was on the fence post on did I want to go with this style or did I want to go with one of the prefab aluminum dog trailers. I was leaning to the one below, but I ended up buying one the prefab aluminum dog trailers (pictured to the left) and within days I was kicking myself in the rear about making the wrong decision. Hindsight is 20/20 and I shouldn't have second guessed myself.

I was able to sell it within a week and recoup my money back and go with the style shown below. *Some parts of the breakdown of features is not exactly in order as I had them done.

I went down the street to a local trailer manufacturer and had them build the utility trailer to my request. The trailer is 4 x 6......Anything longer, I'll have issues doing 3 point turns to some of the places where I take it. It has 15" tires. Instead of the mesh floor on the trailer, I had them do the trailer floor with embossed steel like used on car hauler trailers (adds weight to the trailer). The same place I bought the prefab aluminum dog trailer is where I had the full sized dog box made.....They were both completed within 2 days of each other. Here it is in the beginning.

I had the dog box LineX on the outside of the dog box.

I took the dog trailer up to a local dog box shop that made the airplane aluminum type dog boxes and had airplane aluminum pieces cut to attach to the sides of the dog trailer. Also added graphics to it (yea, I am a decal junky).

I added a Cabelas tire cover to the spare tire that is mounted on the front of the dog trailer.

I ordered a light bracket and stopped by Radio Shack and picked up a project box so I could attach the light bracket to the side of the inside of the back of the dog trailer to have light when needed at night. I have a spare light in dog box on dog trailer and just connect to light bracket when needed.

To be able to see while backing in tight spaces, especially at night, I stopped by Tractor Supply and bought two fiberglass electric fence post and spray painted them the highly visible purple/pink color and attached them to the rear of the dog trailer.

I replaced the regular trailer lights with LED trailer lights.

I replaced the original tires with slightly larger tires to help with better traction in some of the places I take it.


I had been thinking about having a door on the dog trailer tailgate that could also be used to load and unload the hounds without having to drop the dog trailer tailgate. In Feb 2011, I took it back to where I had the trailer built and had them cut out the mesh on the backside of the trailer tailgate and use it to make a door on the front of the tailgate.

Original dog trailer tailgate.

Here is my current set-up that has been slowly pieced together over the last couple years with different ideas. As you can see in the pic, I added some safety reflectors to it (more for being parked in the woods at night than on the Highway).

One of the last things I eventually want to do is strip the dog trailer down bare and take it in and have the whole trailer body LineX and then put everything back together......maybe one of these days I'll get around to doing it.

My dog trailer has been a project in the making over the last couple years of adding to it when an idea strikes me. It may not be pretty like those prefab aluminum dog trailers, but has served it's purpose I intended for.

No homemade dog trailer can be complete without adding the "Limited Edition" chrome emblems to signify as such, LOL.