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The Beauty of a Doggie Door

Updated on October 17, 2013

Dogs come and go on their own.

This is one product I never imagined we would have in our home. For the last 20 years we have lived without pets. Among all of the items we have added to our home this year, two dogs were included. Along with the dogs came new wood floors, the carpet was ruined in the house breaking process, toys galore, a fenced yard, and a pet door. The feature that gives them freedom. We are so glad we chose this option.

Selecting a dog door was a challenge.

The most important item we added was the doggie door. Choosing one was a huge challenge, because we have a Doberman and a Min Pin, first being 10 times the size as the second, now that they are both nearly their adult size. Buying a huge doggie exit for the Doberman means the Min Pin must jump to escape. No problem, she's a jumper!

Thankfully the dog door can be blocked off to keep dogs in or out of the house on occasion.

There are times that we block the dogs in the house. When the large gate to the fence is open for vehicles or equipment to come and go. The Min Pin is a runner. And of course there are times when they are blocked out of the house, when we have company, or deliveries at the front door, or simply when we want a quiet meal without beggars at our feet.

Installation issues vary.

There are several styles of pet doors.

The one we settled on early fits right into the slider door to our patio. The flap, that swings both ways, is magnetic and falls back in place unless your Doberman chews on the plastic flap which allows bugs and chilly breezes to enter at will. The unit can be fastened to the slider opening, and the slider door closes, and locks, against the unit. Nice, functional, but annoying in that it reduces the opening to the patio by nearly half.

Now we are changing to the built in the wall unit. It has two flaps, Goes directly into the wall, and provides a better seal for inclement weather. It will be permanent, and we humans can use our slider door again.

Photo Gallery

Click thumbnail to view full-size
Our Min Pin at less than 3 lbs.  She learned to use a doggie door this small!  And it was one large enough for the Doberman.Both dogs, now full grown, in my chair, wishing there was a doggie door at the front of the house.  They are watching my husband leave the house.The Doberman headed to the vets for his ear cropping.
Our Min Pin at less than 3 lbs.  She learned to use a doggie door this small!  And it was one large enough for the Doberman.
Our Min Pin at less than 3 lbs. She learned to use a doggie door this small! And it was one large enough for the Doberman.
Both dogs, now full grown, in my chair, wishing there was a doggie door at the front of the house.  They are watching my husband leave the house.
Both dogs, now full grown, in my chair, wishing there was a doggie door at the front of the house. They are watching my husband leave the house.
The Doberman headed to the vets for his ear cropping.
The Doberman headed to the vets for his ear cropping.

Now we are adding a new pet door.

The new door we are installing will be more efficient and allow us to use our slider door again, it has had limited access with the former pet door. Plus with the new wood floors and new blinds, we're hoping to protect the flooring better by placing it in a more convenient location in our living room.

The previous doggie door was functional and has saved us lots of grief. We're glad we made this choice from the beginning with the Doberman. He amazes us that he can fit through it still. And the Min Pin jumps with full body weight, almost 6 lbs now, to push through the opening.

Ideal Pet Products Aluminum Pet Patio Door, Adjustable Height 77-5/8" to 80-3/8", 7" x 11-1/4" Flap Size, White
Ideal Pet Products Aluminum Pet Patio Door, Adjustable Height 77-5/8" to 80-3/8", 7" x 11-1/4" Flap Size, White
Ideally this can be placed in any wall out of the human traffic pattern. We've seen people put a dog house just outside the doggie door so the dog looks like they are going into a dog house up next to the house, when they are really entering the big house.
 
Bug Off Instant Screen, 32-Inch by 80-Inch
Bug Off Instant Screen, 32-Inch by 80-Inch
Another option is to add an easy exit screen, if you live in a climate where doors are left open a great deal of time. Not practical for when you are not at home.
 
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