Patio Dog Doors

Had I known just how many different, well-made pet doors are on the market, it would have taken much longer to choose one for our own pets. There are products for sliding glass doors, wood or metal door mount, wall mount, screen mount, or window mount. In addition, most French doors can accommodate a small dog door. Infrared and all-electronic dog doors are other possibilities.

Some pet doors have a single flap, and others have a double flap for good insulation. The noise level of patio dog doors ranges from quiet to a soft sound, while others can be noisy or emit odd buzzes, and so forth. Fortunately, what we installed was simple and relatively inexpensive. The little door met our needs, so we have no regrets.

However, homes and pets are all different. Dogs, especially, come in so many shapes and sizes that you need to measure them several ways before ordering the right size door to install. Stronger dogs also need stronger doors, while a small or frail dog will have some difficulty pushing open the more resistant materials. If you also have a cat, you know how strong-willed and insistent cats can be. Consider the cat's personality and behavior, when deciding whether you want kitty going in and out with the "gang." She might be safer indoors, given the particular dangers of your neighborhood.

Home Security Systems

Security is one of the primary and legitimate concerns of homeowners wanting to install a dog door. If you already have a home security system installed, talk to the security company about any issues that installing a dog door might raise. Do you need another sensor on the dog door itself? If so, how can you keep your dog from setting off the alarm, causing costly false alarm fees every time?

Your security company will want to know exactly what kind of dog door you are considering. They might even have anticipated your call by having a note in your file that you have dogs. A conscientious home security company is probably quite well acquainted with the general categories of patio dog doors on the market. If so, the office staff can tell you immediately what will, and will not, work with the set-up they configured at your home.

Can People Really Get in through Dog Doors?

If criminals can't get through a dog door themselves, they have been known to send children in to enter homes that way to steal, or to unlock a main door from the inside. This is a reprehensible practice for many reasons, including corruption of the child's morals, and putting him or her in possible danger. However, no homeowner should decide against a dog door for that reason. If the criminal mind has any logic still functioning in it, he (or she) will know that large dog door = large dog in the house!

While shopping for dog doors, make sure the door has a way to be fixed shut. There may be times when you want your dog to stay indoors or outdoors, but without a lock on the dog door, your pooch is free to come and go. You may also need to close the dog door to keep an adventurous dog inside, to keep her from putting herself in a harmful situation. Take our neighbor's Dandie Dinmont (or Dinmount) Terrier, for example, who is one gutsy little gal. If something has alarmed her, the dog will take on anyone bigger than she is, which is to say, most living creatures.