Dog Door

Do you need a dog door? If you want your pet to be able to travel freely between your heated house and an unheated or outdoor space like the basement, garage or back yard, installing a pet door may be your best alternative.

Dog doors are great because the "close" automatically behind your dog with a flap that comes down to block the entrance. Even so, they are not an air tight seal and can let in drafts. It's hard to know whether it is more or less energy efficient to have this small draft present all the time, or to have to open the whole door every time your pet wants to go out.

A dog door can also be made secure by the installation of a slide-on barrier that prevents the dog from using the door. This is a great way to keep bad guys out at night, if you have an especially bit pet door, and they can also be used to keep pets contained in the garage or basement when you do not want them in the house because you are entertaining guests or perhaps working on a complicated project - like painting a room - which could potentially be very messy if your pet was involved.

In order to install a dog door, you will have to cut a big hole in your existing door or buy a door specially made to accommodate a pet door of some kind. Because pets come in so many sizes you may find that custom-cutting your door is the way to go...

I recommend purchasing or shopping for your dog door before you cut into the door. Also, try to determine whether you have a solid core door or a hollow-core door, as this may affect what kind of pet-door will work best for you.

Also, don't feel you have to limit yourself to the "regular" style of pet doors, these days there are a variety of pet doors, that can attach to glass doors, windows, even go through your walls, so be creative, do your homework, and improve your pet's mobility!