Cat & Dog Doors

There are several important factors to consider when purchasing a pet door:

• Size
• Type
  • Where installed
  • Automatic or traditional
  • Quality and energy efficiency
  • Security
  • Ease of Installation
• Training

What size do I need?

Despite the best attempt for manufacturers or retailers to recommend the correct size by breed or weight, the only way to accurately select the proper size is by physically measuring your pet. There are two important measurements you will need:

1. Measure across the shoulders. The width of entrance/flap should be at least 1" wider than the width of your pet as measured across the shoulders.
2. Measure to the top of the shoulders. Measure your pet from the floor to the top of the shoulders and subtract from that number, the measurement from the floor to the bottom of your pet’s chest (also called the ground clearance).  The height of the pet door opening should be at least 2" greater than this measurement.

The rise of the door, or how high off the ground it is installed, should be set to 1" below the bottom of your pet’s chest/belly. Certain patio pet panels have limited options for the rise height, so instead, make sure the top of the door is set at the proper height based on the pet’s shoulders.

The end goal is to have a 1" clearance at the shoulder width, a 1" clearance at the chest/belly, and 1" clearance at the back/shoulders.

To test your measurements, America’s Pet Store recommends that you cut out the exact measurements of the door you are considering purchasing from a large piece of cardboard.  Discard the cut out piece and have your pet attempt to walk through the opening.  If your pet can walk through the opening without problems, you have chosen the correct size.

As you may not find the exact size you want, you should select a size that will meet your needs and make allowances for your pet’s age, weight, agility, and future growth. If you have multiple pets, you may need to purchase a larger door where the top is set to the height of the larger one's shoulders and the rise and bottom of the door can accommodate your shorter pets.  Also, if you have multiple animals, make sure that you don’t select a flap that is too heavy for your smaller pet to push.  If you have questions about the weight of the flap, please ask America’s Pet Store customer service for recommendations.

It is important to note that each manufacturer defines their sizes differently.  A “medium” size made by one manufacturer might equal the dimensions of a “small” size made by a different manufacturer. We recommend that you rely on the measurements of the passageway itself, instead of the manufacturer's size recommendations.

A note about choosing the correct size.  For your shopping convenience, America’s Pet Store does segment products by size such as small, large and even big dog doors.  However, America’s Pet Store highly recommends measuring your pet prior to making a purchase to ensure a proper fit. 

Where will yours be installed?

The four most popular types of mounting methods available are: Door Mount, Wall Mount, Window Mount and Patio Pet Panels. The one you choose will depend on the installation area and/or whether you want a permanent or temporary solution.

• Door Mount Dog Doors: This is the most common type of pet door purchased. Door mounted dog doors should be considered a permanent solution, as you will need to cut a hole into your house door to install this type of pet door. It is important to make sure that the pet door fits your dog properly prior to cutting the hole in your door. Door mount dog doors are easier to install than wall mount doors, and can usually be installed by a member of the household. Door mount dog doors can be further specialized to fit into the type of door that it is mounted into such screen doors, glass doors and French doors.


• Wall Mount Dog Doors: This type of pet door is mounted into an exterior facing wall in your house. Wall Mounted dog doors should be considered a permanent solution as it requires you to cut a hole into your house for installation. It is important to make sure that the pet door purchased fits your dog properly prior to cutting the hole into your house. Please also verify with the manufacturer or America’s Pet Store the rough dimensions prior to cutting. Installing a Wall Mounted Pet Door requires either a professional installer or “handy” person. Most wall mount dog doors include a “tunnel” that is installed between the two sides of the pet door. Some of these tunnels are easier to install than others, and you should look for a telescoping tunnel for ease of installation. Please make sure to evaluate the intended wall location for your dog door prior to cutting for any electrical cords that could limit your ability to install the dog door properly.


• Window Mount Pet Doors: Window mounted pet doors are typically used for cats, allowing them to enter and exit the house through a sash window pet door. Most window mount pet doors are temporary, easy to install pet door solutions that do not require cutting holes into walls or doors. However, please read the manufacturer’s description carefully as some of these products are more permanent solutions that involve screwing the door into the window frame.


• Patio Pet Panels: Patio pet panels, also known as sliding glass dog doors or patio door dog doors, are in most cases temporary pet door solutions appropriate for renters or for anyone not wanting to cut a hole into a home’s door or wall. The patio panel pet door is installed on the inside the track of sliding patio doors. Please read the manufacturer’s description carefully as some of these products do require screwing the patio pet panel into the frame of the sliding glass doors. It is important to know whether your sliding glass doors are aluminum or vinyl as most patio pet panels will fit only one type of sliding doors but not both. Please make sure to measure the width of the patio panel that you intend on purchasing, and test your home’s sliding glass doors to ensure that the remaining clearance after installation is adequate for human passage.  Some of the more popular manufacturers of patio dog doors are:  Patio Pacific, Ideal Pet Products, High Tech Pet, Pet 1 Products and PetSafe dog doors.


• Other Mounting Methods: There are products and techniques to mount dog doors in other special locations such as French doors, storm doors, screen doors, garage doors, and even in glass panels. There are also many styles of doors designed specifically for cats.

There are other considerations in selecting the proper doggie door or cat door for your individual preference:

• Energy Efficiency: One of the largest quality differences among the various dog doors on the market relates to energy efficiency. The most energy efficient dog doors are more expensive, higher quality dog doors than their counterparts. However, in most instances the extra money spent on the energy efficient dog door is returned to the customer through the energy savings from reduced heating and cooling costs. Many of the lesser expensive dog doors use a plastic or rubber flap that has no method to seal against the dog door frame. This style results in a very drafty dog door and should only be used in moderate temperature environments or in installation locations where the draft will not inconvenience the homeowners. Some features to look for in energy efficiency include:
  1. Dog doors edged in weather sealant material;
  2. Dual flap dog doors where one flap is located on either side of the wall or house door and dead air exists between the two flaps aiding in insulation; and
  3. Doggy doors made specifically for extreme temperatures that possess patented solutions for maintaining energy efficiency such as the Freedom Pet Pass Door series.

  Some examples of pet doors with high energy efficiency include: Plexidor dog doors where all models include a molded panel that forms a "Thermo-pane" effect for excellent insulation; Additionally, the Endura Flap Dog Doors manufactured by Patio Pacific use patented technology in developing its durable, weatherproof dog door flap.  Similar technology to the Patio Pacific doors are Ideal’s Ruff Weather dog doors.  Hale Dog Doors, Ideal Dog Doors and Dogwalk dog doors all have the “dual” flap option available for an additional charge at purchase.  America’s Pet Store also sells weather sealant that can be purchased separately and used with any door to help close drafty gaps that might exist after installation.

Security: If you are considering purchasing a pet door that will have access to the outside, it is important to consider the security of the door you will be installing.  Since wall mount dog doors and exterior door mounted dog doors provide your pet access to your house from the outside, it may also provide access to unwanted animals and intruders if you are not careful. 

The security feature most commonly included with a pet door is a slide in security panel that can be manually installed when the pet door is not in use.  This feature, in most cases, is not practical to use on a daily basis and is most helpful when the door will not be in use for an extended period of time, like when the family is on vacation.  Please make sure you spend time to teach your pet about security locks and closing panels so they don’t hurt themselves.

The most secure pet doors on the market are electronic dog doors, also known as automatic dog doors.  With electric dog doors, the only animals that would have access to enter the pet door from the outside would be those that are wearing the electronic collar that notifies the door to open.  Even among electronic pet doors there is a wide range of security options.  The most secure allows you to program the collar key among thousands of possible combinations, while other electronic dog doors use the same collar combination for all their doors and your neighbors’ dog could enter your pet door if they use the same manufacturer’s products. 

Infrared dog doors were a segment of the automatic door category that has recently been discontinued.  If you are looking for the security that infrared dog doors provided, America’s Pet Store recommends reviewing our selection of electronic dog doors.

Durability: The durability of pet doors range widely.  Most of the vinyl or plastic pet flaps crack, warp, and become very rigid when exposed to the elements. As plastic pet flaps age, their sealing ability significantly decreases. Plastic pet flaps also scratch easily and collect dirt and bacteria within those scratches which is hard to remove, and is unslightly.  In many instances, worn out flaps can be replaced for these cheaper models of pet doors.   However, the replacement flaps, in many cases are almost as expensive as the door itself!  Look at the manufacturer’s warranties and construction materials.

If your dog is a chewer, some dog door manufacturers make “chew proof” line of dog doors.  The Freedom Pet Pass line of dog doors are made out of marine grade canvas with a Polycarbonate chew guard adding durability. Plexidor dog doors are also very durable, and specifically they manufacturer a “bite guard” version of its quality dog doors that are highly recommended for dogs that are chewers.

Installation: Each pet door has varying degrees of skill required for installation. Be sure to understand installation requirements before purchasing. There are many professional installers in most areas if special assistance is required.

Training Your Pet to Use a Doggy Door

Often times, people buy pet doors and realize their dog won’t go through them. As with most things with dogs, they just need to learn what to do. This is similar to teaching an agility obstacle like the tunnel or the collapsed tunnel.

Start with propping the dog door flap open or holding it in your hand. Make sure the door flap is securely open because if it accidentally falls and hits a timid dog they may never try it again. Get some of your dog’s favorite treats and put out a “Hansel and Gretel” trail of treats from one side of the door to the other. Allow the dog to approach the treats and eat them without interfering. In an attempt to help, many people may unintentionally pressure or coerce their dog to try new things and this usually makes the dog want to avoid it even more.

If the dog shows no interest in using the dog door, you may not have the right treats or you might be asking for too much of your pet too quickly. As with most training exercises in which you use food or a treat as an incentive, it helps to work with a hungry dog.

Once the dog will comfortably go in and out of the door following the trail, have someone hold the dog on one side and just hold a treat on the other to see if he will come through the door to get it. If you like, you can add a command to this behavior at this point in time. Don’t rush this behavior. You are trying to build confidence so your dog can ultimately do this alone.

Next slightly lower the pet door flap by only an inch or so. When you can lure the dog through for that, then lower it another inch or so. Continue this at small increments until the dog is actually pushing on the door flap to get through. Make sure you praise your pet each time and give plenty of positive reinforcement. Dogs that are timid may take days or weeks before they are confident enough to go through a dog door while other dogs may go through within minutes of training.

To address a misconception for puppies, you need to teach housebreaking and using a dog door separately, and then put them together for a final behavior. Do not think that just having a dog door will automatically housebreak your dog. You still need to teach your dog to go potty outside.

This article was co-authored by America’s Pet Store and Michelle Blount-Jordan and may not be reproduced without permission. It has been written to provide general information on product selection and training. It is not intended to be a substitution for the information that comes with your product. If you have a dog with behavioral problems and particularly with fear or aggression issues, you should contact a reputable and local trainer who can assist you with your dog.

Michelle Blount-Jordan
www.doghuman.com