Sep 09 2010
Dog Door - Avoid Potty Accidents and Moody Dogs
Cathy loves her dog, Mark, a Labrador. But she finds it annoying to keep having to interrupt what she is doing to let her dog in or out. Mark has his own ways of persuading, or annoying, Cathy - he follows him wherever she goes in the house. Granted, many other dogs have more annoying habits. Still, Cathy wanted something done. A door small enough for her dog, but too big for humans, and one that the dog could ‘operate’ on its own. She wanted to see what kind of dog door would be suitable for her dog and her home.
There were, as she found out, many kinds of dog doors available on the market: automatic, wall-mounted, door-mounted, etc. The easiest to install, and what fits her needs, was a door-mounted type, with two flaps. 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 will have to prepare a set of tools prior to installing the dog door; these tools are not difficult to find or acquire. These tools include a drill or a screwdriver, a level, a cutting device, 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. Also, read the installation manual.
If you don’t have the time or skills to handle the installation, you always have the option to hire someone to do this for you.
Just so you know, there are at least three disadvantages to having flaps in your dog door. First is that any animal can come in and out just as easily; so any neighbouring pet or wild animal in your backyard (a squirrel, for example) may get in. If your house is inside a gated property, then there’s little chance of other animals coming inside your property and getting through your dog door. Second, the flap might be a source of possible heat loss. Third is that kids can sometimes play pranks - like sealing your dog door with duct tape, effectively sealing in or barring your dog from getting inside your home.
A possible solution to this is to replace your flap style dog door with an electronic one. This makes use of a collar the device on the door can detect. The moment the dog is near the dog door, the door opens automatically.
