Are You Thinking of Adding House Dog Doors?
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House dog doors are a major convenience for pet owners. They will not only make your pet’ s day easier they will make your day easier. If you install one of these in your home, your pup can come and go as he pleases, you don’ t have to be there to let him in to eat and out to go to the bathroom.
If you install house dog doors, your dog can come and go as he pleases, and you don’t have to help. There are a few things to be aware of when choosing dog house doors, however.
What to Look For When Shopping For House Dog Doors
First and foremost, you will need to decide what size of pet house doors your dog or dogs will need. Too big of an opening can be an invitation to burglars and other troubles, such as wild animals. You certainly don’ t want a dog door big enough for a bear. It wouldn’ t be likely to attract any bears, but it would be big enough for humans to easily crawl through, and humans are the most dangerous pests in the animal kingdom.
To fit your house dog doors to your dog, measure your dog’s height from the top of his shoulders, right behind his front legs, and his width around his chest. This will help you figure out exactly what size of dog house doors you will need to accommodate your dog, and also help you determine the height your dog house doors should be installed at. Choose a size of dog house doors that will allow your dog to come and go freely without having to squeeze in or out, but no bigger than that. The dog should be able to come and go at will, but nothing -and no one—else should.
The most inexpensive dog house doors have aluminum or plastic frames and an flap made of acrylic, which is normally held in place by a magnet, so your dog can come and go freely but the weather won’t enter your house.
The least expensive house doors have plastic or aluminum frames and an acrylic flap. The flap is normally held in place by a magnet, to keep the weather out while letting your dog pass in and out freely.
Dog door for the well heeled include self-locking, one-way, electronic ‘key’ activated doors, and even infrared-activated doors. Expensive dog doors, with more energy-efficient seals and secure locks can cost as much as $1,000.
House Dog Doors and Home Security
Self locking dog doors can be found for less than one hundred dollars. They will keep out all sorts of unwanted intruders, such as pets that aren’t yours, raccoons, snakes, and ill-intentioned humans. These doors are activated by a microchip on your dog’s collar.
Bigger dogs offer unique pleasures but also some bigger problems. They need bigger doors that in turn will mean more expensive doors. Larger doors tend to be big enough for human beings to attempt to crawl through or at least try to reach through.
A common burglary technique involves prying open dog house doors to reach inside and unlock the main door. Be sure your dog house doors are not within reach of your house doors. You should also weight the option of installing a type of lock that cannot be reached or unlocked form below if you can’t avoid placing the dog house doors near human doors.
Be aware of the dangers of letting your pup come and go freely. Once your pet is outside, and unattended, it can be stolen, even if your yard is fenced in. Also, a fence may not be deterrent enough to keep your pet from escaping and running free. Dogs have been known to leap over fences or to dig under them, or slip through gaps in the fence. You may thus want to be selective about giving your furry friend too much freedom to come and go.
