Dog Door – Convenient and Easy to Install

Cathy owns a Labrador, Mark, whom she loves. But she finds it annoying to keep having to interrupt what she is doing to let her dog in or out. To get his way, Mark has this annoying habit of following wherever Cathy goes inside the house. Other dogs are peskier. But Cathy wanted a solution regardless. After some online search, she found what she feels is the solution to her problem. Cathy started looking into dog doors.

She found out there were many kinds of dog doors – from those mounted on many door types to wall-mounted ones and electronic ones. The closest to what she needed was a simple door-mounted flap variety. When buying this kind of dog door, you have to keep in mind how tall your dog is, how thick the door you’ll install it in, and perhaps the weather where you live.

Remember, when installing a dog door, to make there are no obstructions outside and inside – no cabinets or potted plants the dog can knock over. You’re going to need some tool to use in the installation process – unless of course you choose to have the door installed by someone else. Among them are a drill or a screwdriver, a cutting device, a level, a measuring tape, pencil, and drywall saw. Most likely, there’s a video about the installation produced by the company you bought the dog door from; you should watch it. You’re also encouraged to read the manual carefully.

You always have the option to hire a handyman to handle the installation for you.

Still, you should know that there are at least three possible set backs to having flaps in a dog door. One is that other animals can get in and out, just like your dog. Unless your home is inside a gated or fenced property, there’s always the possibility of there being another animal who may enter your dog flap. Second, the flap might be a source of possible heat loss. Third, someone may seal the dog door and inconvenience you and your dog by locking the animal inside or preventing it from getting back inside.

One solution to this, but comes with a slightly higher price, is the electronic or automatic dog door. This makes use of a collar the device on the door can detect. When the dog gets near, the door unlocks and the swing door becomes accessible, or a door slides up to let the animal through.