The Basics of Dog Doors

Entries sized for pets are convenient for both pets and their people. Choose a dog door with gaskets and weather stripping to keep warm air in. While most dog owners adore their pets, having one does come with certain annoyances. A daily one: getting up to let your dog out. So a dog door helps.

Installing a Dog Door

With weather-resistant flaps and sensor controls, today's pet door installation romsay dog doors keep the outside out. Which one to choose for your own home?

“While both require a perfect hole, installing a dog door in an outside door is easier than installing one on a wall.” Plumbing, electricity, structural and how to flash the siding from the outside are not issues with a door. —Tom Silva, builder

Install a Dog Door

Dog doors are available for glass, fiber glass, wood, metal, screen, patio sliders, French doors, and even walls . Some have saloon-style double doors, and more expensive types include motorized doors that retract up into the door or wall.

Dog doors normally come in four sizes, tiny to extra-large, according on the pet's weight. You should also measure from the floor to your dog's shoulders when standing. Install the dog door with a 2-inch clearance between your dog's back and the opening's top.

Doggie Doors

There are dog door alternatives for every climate, layout, and budget.

Security sensor or patio door access
Integrate or create a large entrance

Dog Door Types

In-door

Many dog doors come in kits to put in the bottom of your door. Only a glass storm door requires specific tools and cannot be DIYed. Remember that installing a pet door in an entry door may void the warranty.

Consider replacing an entry, storm, or sliding door with one that includes built-in pet access, like those offered by Vintage Doors.

slidin panel

On vinyl or aluminium sidelight frames with glass or plexiglass panel on top and dog door below. These slide between the slider and the jamb and are held in place by double-sided tape or a spring-loaded top.

The drawback is that they reduce the available space. Also, the patio door's original lock will no longer operate, thus most manufactures include a latch kit.

Over the wall

In other cases, a dog entrance through a wall is necessary to take advantage of existing security lighting or a fenced-in side yard. A wall opening with steps or a ramp can help little or older dogs go in and out.

Most door kits can be installed via the wall. Consider the wall's depth first; anything thicker than 2×4 construction may necessitate an adaptor.

securing your dog door

They can be used for occasional daytime use as long as they can be sealed off at night and when no one is home with a metal accessory panel placed over the door. But newer devices address security problems better.

Smart dog doors are powered by batteries, hooked into a wall socket, or hardwired to open only when a fob on your dog's collar is detected. The magnetic or RFID fobs usually unlock the lock, allowing your dog to push through, but in certain models, the fob moves the door up and down like an automatic garage door.

Electronic dog doors help keep other animals out and can be set to work only specific times of day. For example, set one to open from 5-9 p.m. when you get home from work, and lock it overnight.

A non-electronic dog door can be made more secure by installing a touch or motion sensor as part of a smart home system. Almost every dog door has a secondary panel that locks into the frame when not in use.

For example, most models enable you lock entry in one or both directions. This prevents muddy dogs (and creatures) from entering. If you place a dog door near a door handle or window, be sure it's not easily accessible. Important if you have a huge dog, as large breed holes might be 2 feet tall.

DC Interiors & Renovations custom design

This smart bumpout secures and saves electricity. The structure has weather-resistant stiff flaps on both ends. Its 2×4 structure is coated in trim, siding, and asphalt shingles to match the house for a seamless aesthetic.