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I finally decided I'm tired of heating most of the PNW and I'm
going to install a pet door leading into my fenced yard.
It will be used by all critters from cats to a 85lb Pit Bull. I'm not worried about animals coming in, so I don't want those doors that have to work off of collars.
Any suggestions on bargins? Tips for installing? Mistakes to avoid? How do you teach them?
Thanks to all!!
You will LOVE it. Best tip: don't buy bigger than you need. Our 80 pound GSD goes in and out of the door we use for our Cavalier King Charles Spaniels! And it is only 12" tall by 8" wide! Now, granted, if she was supposed to be using this door (she is not!) then I'd get a larger one - but not as large as the one they advertise for her size.
Teaching them to use it is a snap and will likely be done in less than 5 minutes. Push them through it, then call them back to you while you hold it open. Push them back through, call them back, with you holding it less and less open until they push it open themselves. Then offer them a treat to come back through from both sides of the door. VOILA! it is done.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE mine. It fits right into the sliding glass door track. This is the type I've been using for about 10 years. http://www.petsafe.net/products/door...ames-up-to-81-
I have a tall lab and a standard poodle. The large works for us.
We currently have six dog doors, and have tried many kinds. Generally, our dogs prefer flexible plastic to the rigid doors. We found the Petsafe ones did not hold up well, but we have more dogs and they can be hard on them. I also prefer double flaps rather than single flaps, they keep out the weather better and slow the dogs down a little.
Hale doors work very well and come in a variety of sizes, they have worked well. Security Boss is another brand that has worked well for us.
Plexidoor makes a saloon style door. I have not tried it but know people who really like them, even though they are rigid. They are supposedly quieter than the Hale and Security Boss doors, which have magnets that you can hear clicking every time they open and close.
I don't push dogs through, mine would find that offensive, but just stand on the other side and open it for them, give them a treat, repeat the other way, gradually holding it open less, until they are doing it themselves. Ours are all through doors so it is easy. If it is through a wall I would use two people. Now it is easy because the other dogs show a new dog how to use them.
Make sure you install them at a height that is easy, think about when they get older and might have trouble if it is too high.
Moore Pet Doors carries the Security Boss and I think the Hale, and the Security Boss had the better replacement flap policy. They are much more expensive than what you find at Petsmart or Home Depot, but if your dogs are active, it might be worth the extra cost.
I have that one from the sun room sliding door to the yard for 9 years now and it is still like new.Quote:
Originally Posted by BuddyRoo
I then have one with the flaps and magnets and little brushlooking sides that goes into the house, that is wonderful also, this one:
http://www.halepetdoor.com/products/...-pet-door.html
This one used to be directly to the outdoors and it held up very good to our strong winds.
You can put doors in sliding door tracks, in screen doors, in all kinds of solid and glass doors and in walls too.
Find a spot for the door and someone will be making just what you need to fit there.
You can also buy a door at Home Depot with the dog door already installed, even outside steel doors and replace some door in your house with it, then change it back when you don't need the dog door or move.
I used the petsafe brand for years successfully. I bought extra insert online, but the basic door (I used the patio insert type) I bought locally. I took a hole punch and punched another hole close to the original one for the outer U shaped flap. The outer flap piece has built in slits in it, and when my dogs hit it full tilt (harassing squirrels usually) the boy would get caught up in it, and pull it loose. My dogs never got really caught in the outer flap part, so moving the hole over worked out well, because the flaps lasted a long time. And you'll have to clean the dirt build up off the flap from time to time. I used the usual vinegar and water mixture. And don't forget to put the solid door piece in when you leave the house empty. That way something or someone won't crawl in.
Mine is just a heavy duty transparent plastic flap that is quite heavy and has a magnet that holds it in place.
I can fit through it which has been really really handy when I've locked myself out of the house! LOL
Anyway, I've not had any trouble with outside critters and none w/ the dogs figuring it out in minutes. They miss it right now because it got packed up w/ the movers last weekend. I didn't realize how much time they like to spend outside til that dog door got packed!
You took the dog door?Quote:
Originally Posted by BuddyRoo
What did you do with the hole it left behind?
Just curious.;)
Mine fits into a sliding glass door, so taking it out doesn't leave a hole. I fits right into the track and you just shut the other part of the door as far as you can. So no hole. :)
I usually buy a storm door that goes on the outside frame of the regular door, and install a doggie door in it (or buy the Home Depot/lowes storm doors that come with doggie door already installed). Then I leave the inside (regular)door open, so dogs can go in/out. At night I shut and deadbolt inside door to keep dogs in. I also install these on all of my rental homes.
It's handy because, if you go on vacation, or at night, you can shut the inside door and seadbolt so it is secure. With a regular doggie door only, people can easily kick in the doggie door slider and get into your house. This is a concern for me with my rentals, since there are periods of time when they are vacant. I also like that I can remove the storm door, fill the screw holes and touch up paint, and you'd never know it was there, if you move and the new owners don't have pets.
With mine, when I vacay, I take the door out. But I realize that's not possible with the in wall kind. For mine in the slider, it's really easy. It's spring loaded and on the tracks so I can take it out very easily.
I forgot that yours was the slide in on a sliding door.Quote:
Originally Posted by BuddyRoo
I just had a Hale through the wall door installed last month. It has been great so far. I let my dogs try it out before installation so it was no problem once installed. I think the clear flaps really help too. It just weathered Sandy. I had the inside security door locked in, but the outside flap survived nicely too.
Since my dog door is small, I dont worry about security. Unless I am attacked by Munchkin children! Of course that means I cant forget my keys either. :winkgrin:
I don't worry about security with mine even though I can fit through it. I figure that any potential burglar faced with the opportunity to crawl through a large dog door will be deterred by the fact that there is probably at least one dog big enough to NEED such a door on the other side. LOL
Thanks guys for all the suggestions. Considering my tallest dog is about 25" tall/90lb Pit and shortest (dog) is a 13" minature heeler. Then we have the four cats, who I assume will have no real "height" issue.
Right now all the dogs are young, but I want to plan for aging -- I mean, better to low to the ground that too high, right?
So what size would you choose and how far from the floor would you put it in?
My dogs go in/out quite a bit and of course the cats will too...I notice one door sold locally in my area that said it was for "Moderate" use. Huh? How do you figure that one out? 4 dogs+4-5 cats x #ofFedExTrucks Arrving -naps where they miss kids walking by =number of exits through the door to bark like idiots?
I have the same door and love It. We also took an Igloo dog house and fit the original opening to the dog door and cut another opening on the other side. I gives some weather protection and works great!! I have a lab/boxer, lab/sharpei puppy and 2 cats, they all love it!
Quote:
Originally Posted by BuddyRoo
I was really intrigued by this:
http://www.sureflap.com/products/det...ochip-pet-door
It uses the RFID from the pet's microchip to lock and unlock the door. Which for me is great because I'd want to use the door for the dogs, but leave the cats inside. I can program it to only unlock to the dogs microchips. Very neat!