A dog trot house is a house for humans that resembles two adjacent cabins connected by a roofed-over porch called a dog trot. Also called a "dog run" or two pens and a passage". In the early days (19th century), the purpose of the dog-run was to cool the house by providing shade and catching the breeze.
It was also a space to store farm and household articles as well as a place where the family could have meals and just hang out during pleasant weather. And, of course, it was the favorite sleeping spot of the family dogs. Nowadays, dog trot houses are often used as hunting cabins, vacation homes, and such.
In the dog world, dog runs refer to a fenced-in area in a yard or kennel where the dog is free to walk (or run if it's large enough). Some kennel manufacturers produce modular kennels that allow you to custom size your dog run and shrink or expand it over time as you see fit. In some communities, dedicated dog parks have sprung up with fenced in dog runs where friendly, well-behaved puppies and dogs can frolic and play together off-leash.
