Your Dog Deserves a Door All His Own
We're like a lot of pet owners: our dogs pretty much run our lives. You can tell it as soon as we move into your neighborhood, 'cause the first two things we do are put up a fence so the dogs stay safe in their yard, and then give them a doggy door so they can come inside when it's too hot, cold, windy, or wet outdoors. No kidding: those pooches are pampered. When we moved into the great (formerly) white elephant on the edge of the prairie, I had to install two doors: one was an aluminum-frame model through the steel door into the barn, the second was through the solid-core door leading into the basement from the back yard. That second one was an off-brand from Home Depot with a fiberboard flap cover and cheap plastic "screws." It lasted less than two years before our blonde Lab pulled the flaps out of the frame.I replaced it soon afterward with Petsafe Plastic Pet Door, one with a white nylon frame and a clear, soft-plastic flap. After years of abuse by our two labs (just the one, really), it stood firm.
Description:
To install this, you have to cut a hole in the door (duh). PetSafe includes instructions for measuring and proper placement, plus a cutting template and detailed instructions. The whole thing should take about forty-five minutes, unless you have to cut through a metal door. You'll need a drill, a jig saw and a screwdriver. The instructions are mostly pictorial.
PetSafe sells this model in small, medium, large and extra-large based on the dog's weight. All ours have been Large, for dogs weighing 40-100 pounds. That opening's 10" wide by a little under 16" high. The kit door fits either solid- or hollow-core doors, steel or wood, of standard thicknesses.There's a special kit for extra-thick doors. The documentation includes training tips if your dog's new to the idea, though our chocolate figured it out quickly, and taught the blond later.
| You've seen the TV shows where small crooks sneak in through the doggy door, though what idiot crawls through a door intended for a hundred-pound dog? Just in case, though, you can keep animals (or murderers) from coming through with a heavy plastic flap that fits into grooves on the inside. The screw screws can't be accessed from the outside. A magnet on the bottom of the flap sticks to a metal inset in the frame, keeping the door getting stuck open to let in cold air. It isn't weatherproof, but it's better than an open hole. |
More:
Pet doors are great if you need to give your animals access to shelter in the house or garage when you're gone. There are lots of varieties, and we've installed most of them, from the itty-bitty cat flap to a super-expensive style that fits into a sliding patio door. Metal-frame doors (Petsafe Classic) are probably best, but require a little more skill to install. Whatever PetSafe brand door you have, you can buy a replacement flap though you need to be exact about the model when you need a replacement.
Petsafe's Plastic Pet Door doesn't take special skills or tools to install and doesn't leave your house vulnerable to midget crooks. Best of all, your pet get access to sunshine and fresh air from inside, and shelter when it's icky outside. Doesn't your dog deserve that?
Summary
PLUS: simple installation, replaceable flap, sturdy cover
MINUS: less durable than a metal frame, mediocre installation instructions
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: If your dog need to get into the house or garage when you're gone, here's a quick and fairly easy way to provide it: a Petsafe Plastic Pet Door
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