Dog Doors

[Noah930]

What does the Pelican braintrust say about dog doors?

We have a couple indoor/outdoor cats. They have used a lockable cat door (works on a magnet attached to their collars). We have also adopted/rescued a 3 yr-old dog, a Weimeraner. Nervous with a separation anxiety issue (which is somewhat par for this breed). She's destroyed the plastic cat door either trying to get in or get out. Always on the wrong side of the door. That her head was the only body part that could fit through the cat door seemed lost on her. Or ignored.

I'm for installing a larger and sturdier dog door that all pets could use. Mrs. Noah works part-time, but is gone all day when she works so it's a bit of a long spell to keep the dog from bathroom facilities (i.e. grass). But Mrs. Noah is concerned that other unauthorized critters: squirrels, rats, lizards, and burglars could come in through the pet door, too. The local junior high had copper piping swiped last summer when thieves sent their kids in through windows to unlock doors to let their parents in. The house is alarmed, so I'm not totally paranoid. Bad guys will eventually have to open a door to get their loot out. But I understand her concerns. Looking online, the few larger lockable dog doors seem to get mediocre reviews. They don't work reliably. Thoughts?

Obligatory pet pic, which sums up her energy:

[Danny_Ocean]

Why bother with a doggie-door at all? Leave the beast outside (or in a dog run) when you leave. Don't understand why a dog needs the run of the house/yard.

[Noah930]

You're right. Certainly no good reason why the dog couldn't just be left outside all day that once or twice per week Mrs. Noah is working. At the same time, a dog trainer friend advises to crate the dog indoors for those 8 hrs. That's feasable, too. But both are imperfect. Just wondering if anyone has a "perfect" solution.

Right now there's a cat-sized hole in the door to the backyard which I want to fill in with something. It's currently got a two pieces of scrap MDF through-bolted together. If I put in another cat door like the one before, the dog will likely destroy that if left in the backyard.

[Danny_Ocean]

A Scat Mat in front of the cat door (with a cardboard strip for the cats to walk on) will change the dog's mind about trying to get through it. Or re-locate the kitty door to a higher-up location, like a window.

[wdfifteen]

Would a cubic box on either side of the door, with a cat-sized hole in, it work in your application? It worked for me. They were basically 1 foot by 1 foot by 1 foot plywood boxes with one side left open and a 5 inch hole on the opposite side. The dog couldn't get to the door, but the cat could.

[RWebb]

I don't use one any longer, but the ones with magnetic clips seemed to be the best.

Some are flexy plastic, other rigid - not sure which was best, tho I had both types.

There is also an entire panel you can buy to insert into a sliding glass door. If you move or sell, you just pull it out and door returns to normal.

not an issue maybe in SoCal, but a utility room with two doors will reduce heat loss or a/c loss, and keep down some of the mud.

[RWebb]

also, be sure raccoons and possums don't learn to use it

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by RWebb

also, be sure raccoons and possums don't learn to use it

I think that was his point. Why can't the cats stay indoors with a litter box? Well, I guess they do if you have MDF over the door.

I'm a door and window contractor (or was) and I don't like pet doors for all the reasons listed above. Plus, they ruin perfectly good doors and prevent people from having screen doors. Eventually an unwanted animal will enter.

I have installed many through the exterior wall nearby.

[RWebb]

there are some that use a recognition signal from a transmitter mounted in the collar to unlock

[Hugh R]

Not that you will, but don't ever put one in the door between the house and garage, its a fire-rated door, and could void fire insurance if there is a problem.

[Zeke]

Good point, Hugh. Sounds like a business opportunity as I've seen literally hundreds.

[911boost]

I have a dog door that goes through a basement window, onto some steps that lead up to a dog run.

In ten years I have never had anything come in the dog door...

Bill

[johnsjmc]

I have a winter home near Tampa Fl. Last year a 6 ft alligator was found in a neighbours kitchen. Came from a nearby lake and entered through the cat door. HaHa

[A930Rocket]

We have one in the storm door. Of course it does no good unless the main door is open 24/7, but my wife has won that argument.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by BSiple

I have a dog door that goes through a basement window, onto some steps that lead up to a dog run.

In ten years I have never had anything come in the dog door...

Bill

That you know of....

[Joeaksa]

We have a big problem with people breaking in through "doggy doors" here in this area, so they are not a good idea.

[don911]

We had this one for almost 3 years without issue. I mounted it on a wood panel and it's it's mounted in one side of a sliding door.

Solo Fully Automatic Opening Pet Door

[slodave]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Not that you will, but don't ever put one in the door between the house and garage, its a fire-rated door, and could void fire insurance if there is a problem.

Really? I'm 99% sure that my parents door is not. It's identical to the other panel doors in the house.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by don911

We had this one for almost 3 years without issue. I mounted it on a wood panel and it's it's mounted in one side of a sliding door.

Solo Fully Automatic Opening Pet Door

Wow. That's very helpful.

In the meantime, I installed a regular medium-sized dog door today. The door already has a hole in it, so it's "ruined" anyway. I've got a skinny dog, so she fits through the medium-sized door. But if this doesn't work out, the door you posted may be the ticket. The other automatically-unlocking doors I have found on the net have had mixed reviews.

[Scuba Steve]

Previous owners ruined the original (1959) solid / carved wood front door when they moved it to the garage and put a dog door in it.

It's a big one too. Big enough for my 105lb wife to get through one time when she locked herself out, and I can reach through it and grab the doorknob to get in. Basically there's no point to there even being a lock on the door to the garage anymore. Even the kind that close or lock could probably be kicked in pretty easily. The ones I've seen are just plastic.

If you want to get one and your door is nice/wood, do yourself a favor and buy a cheap door to cut the hole in so you can change it back if you move or decide it wasn't such a good idea.