It’s a common feature in many a dog owner’s home to find their home installed with dog doors. Despite being dog owners for some time, you may still face (or are still facing) some problems with dog doors. It never hurts to learn something new about what you may already know - here’s a list of those problems, so you can plan ahead in case you’re buying a new dog door.

Mistakenly locking/forgetting to lock the dog door. The aim of having a dog door is to forget about those annoying moments of having to get up just to let the dog in and out - that’s fine and good - but this can have a backlash. Say you had to shoulder some extra work in the office, and stayed well after quitting time, that means your dog can still roam free (no one will safely lock the dog door when the dog goes back home from his adventures). Similarly, you could lock the dog door forgetting to check whether the dog came back in. Locking your pet out is the outcome.

Even automatic dog doors can pose problems. Automatic dog doors open and close when it senses a device nearby, one that is installed in a dog collar your dog is to wear. That way only your dog can get in and out. This is well and good, but when the batteries on the collar run out and the dog is outside, that’s a problem. Unless you have someone else at home who can let your dog in, it might get stuck outside. If you happen to have a room that’s out of barking range - you might not hear the dog barking for help outside your house. That’s a discomfort you want to spare your dog from. There’s also that embarrassing situation when your dog brings home a friend. The friend-dog walks into the door immediately after the collared-dog, so they both get in.

Why dog door height matters. Some owners have several dogs, and of varying sizes at that - such as a combination of small and medium sized dogs; if you have this combination and you got the right door height size, at least the bigger dogs won’t be able to get in. The problem is, dogs can be resourceful and resilient, even forcing their way through openings. That problem extends when the dog grows in size. But then the dog doors’ size has been left behind. You could have an inconvenienced dog that may have eventual injuries because of the dog door height it is forced to contend with.

Lack of insulation - loss of heat or cold. Should you have a few dogs, that means a lot of comings and goings, or various times a “window” is left open for a few seconds. if you live in an are that’s cold climate most of the year, think of the heat loss the dog door can cost you. If you live in a house that’s air-conditioned, the same energy loss can happen. Consider the leakage and its consequences for you, and not just the convenience afforded by the dog door.

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There are some great benefits that come from dog doors. More owners than ever before are starting to recognize these advantages and decide to have a doggie door installed in their home. First of all, your dog will be more independent. It will realize that it doesn’t need to “ask” you to open the door for it every time it wants or needs to go outside. Whether they are going out to go to the bathroom or just want to get a bit of fresh air, it allows them to have a more enjoyable life.

There are benefits for you too, for example, your dog won’t damage your door anymore when it scratches it to indicate that it wants to go out. In addition, your sleep won’t be interrupted if your dog drank too much water that day and needs you to take it out urgently.

But most of all, with a doggie door, you won’t have to come home and clean up after your dog becuase it had to relieve itself and no one was around to let it go outside.

DIY

If you are interested on a doggie door, there is a way that you can make the whole thing cheaper. Instead of paying someone from a company to come install it at your home, you can install it yourself as a type of do it yourself project. Doggie doors are really easy to install and you only need a few simple supplies. You simply need a saw, ruler, and the right doggie door fixings. Most hardware stores will sell you a package or a set with all the materials you need to install the door, including a template and instructions, so all you need to get is the tools.

Experts recommend taking down the doors where the doggy doors will be installed to make the job easier. In this way, you can lay the door on an horizontal position or on a table or other object that will make the job easier. Remember to measure two times, but cut only once. Make sure the doggie door is not only situated high enough up on the door to make it convenient for the dog to walk through the door but also the width must be large enough.

You do not want your dog to end up getting stuck while going through the door so it is always important to leave a bit of extra room for the safety and comfort of the dog

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Doggy doors were made to give dogs access to houses without the need of a person to constantly open the door for them. Today, you can find many types of doggy doors in the market that you can choose from. In order to select the right one for your dog, you have to consider your dog’s size and breed, as well as its personality. You also have to take into account the different benefits that each type offers, such a safety for the dog, safety for the house, convenience, ease of installation, etc. However, a doggy door is always a better option than tying your dog to a pole out of your house or than keeping it locked inside your house.

Advantages of Doggy Doors

From the various types of doggy doors available, the ‘vinyl flap’ type doors are most commonly used. Their advantage is that they won’t injure your dog if it gets stuck on the door because they are made of vinyl. With these doggy doors, your dog can go in and out of the house as it pleases, and will also prevent other small animals or rodents from entering the house.

By installing a doggy door, some problems will be eliminated, such as when your dog scratches the door to indicate that it needs to go out and want you to open the door for it. You will be able to continue to relax in front of the TV, work or any other activity without being interrupted, and your dog will feel a sense of freedom.

Your dog will be able to go out on its own, just like if it had its own key, and breathe some fresh air and do some exercise. Nevertheless, you must remember that doggie doors are not a replacement for the time that you have to spend with your dog, doing exercise and playing together. This is very important otherwise your dog can become very lazy and unhealthy.

Another advantage of doggy doors is that something keeps you in the office until late, you don’t have to drive back like crazy because you need to let the dog out to relieve itself; the dog will go out on its own. In addition, these doors also serve as protection against burglars that might want to break into your house when nobody is home.

The main advantage still is that you won’t have to stand up and open and close the door for your dog. Thus, these type of doors offer benefits for you and your dog.

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