Dog Doors For Sliding Glass Doors

One of the great things about dog doors for sliding doors is there is no need to cut a hole through your wall or house door. Instead you simply insert a full-size panel with a built in doggie door into the inside track of your sliding door. Another great feature with doggie doors in sliding glass doors, or patio door dog doors, is that you can remove them and take them with you when it's time to move. If that sounds appealing to you then look no further than Americas-Pet-Store.com. We carry all the top brands and models available on the market.

Patio pet doors for sliding glass doors are available for all sizes of pets. If you are searching for cat doors for sliding glass doors see Ideal, Hale and Patio Pacific models made specifically for cats.

Or select the Medium High Tech Power Pet Patio Door Panel PX-1SGR as an electronic cat door for sliding glass doors. Since your cat doesn't need to push open an electronic pet door, you can select a larger door than you would otherwise. This is particularly useful if you have multiple pets of various sizes.

NOTE: If you are looking for a pet door for your sliding screen door you will not find them in this section. Please see dog doors for screen doors.

Question:  How permanent is a sliding glass doggie door?

Answer: Patio pet doors for sliding glass doors are a simple solution for you and your pet's needs.  While many dog doors for sliding glass doors are pressure mounted and can be installed and removed very easily, please note that some manufacturers recommend installing screws into your existing sliding glass door frame in order to stabilize the dog door while in use (especially if you have extra tall sliders).  There is minimal evidence of screwed-in installation into your patio door after removal of the dog door - all you will see once the door is removed are small screw holes where the dog door was held in place.  So, dog doors for sliding glass doors are as permanent as you would like them to be! Once installed they won't budge and they are also simple to remove - the best of both worlds.

Question: How fire-safe are dog doors for sliding glass doors?

Answer: That depends on the width of your existing sliding glass doors relative to the size dog door you anticipate purchasing.  If you are considering large dog doors please do some up-front measuring. First, open your slider all the way and measure the amount of space available for people to pass through. Then subtract the overall width of the patio pet panel you are considering. Will that leave enough space for people to enter and exit? Check your town's fire codes to see if the smaller passageway is acceptable.  If you have particularly narrow sliders and are in need of an extra large dog door, it just might not work.

Question: I have vinyl sliding glass doors, does it matter if the dog door I like specifically states it can be used with vinyl sliders?

Answer: Yes, it matters a great deal.  If you have vinyl sliding doors be sure to order a dog door that specifically states it can be used with vinyl sliders.  (Please see our Pet Doors for Vinyl Sliding Doors section.) Save yourself time and energy, and remember to order dog doors for sliding glass doors that work with the type of sliding glass door that you own.  If you have vinyl sliding glass doors (such as Pella or Andersen doors), and the dog door you are thinking about buying does not specify that it can be used with vinyl sliding glass doors, you should assume that it will not work.  Or, to be certain, contact America's Pet Store to verify if it will work or not. Our Customer Service department is very knowledgeable about all stles of sliding glass dog doors and will be happy to help you select a product that will suit your needs.

Question:  Are electric dog doors the right choice for me?

Answer:  Electric patio dog doors are a great solution for people who live in a rural area because they keep out unwanted animals such as feral cats, raccoons and neighborhood pets that don't belong to you.  They also provide peace of mind if you are concerned that your toddler might crawl through the opening of a manual operating dog door. In most cases, if you are looking to purchase an electronic sliding glass pet door for security purposes, America's Pet Store recommends reviewing our large selection of manually operating patio pet doors that come with a security panel.

Question:  Will the lock for my existing sliding glass doors work after I install a patio panel pet door?

Answer:  In many cases your existing lock will not work after a patio pet panel is installed.  America's Pet Store can make suggestions on how to keep your home secure after installing a dog door for your sliding glass door.  One option is to use a Charley Bar which is a security bar that is easily installed on the inside of your sliders.  This metal security bar is more secure, but functions similar to a piece of wood placed inside the lower sliding glass door track to keep your doors from opening.  Some pet door manufacturers also sell a locking system for dog doors for sliding glass doors.  Specifically check out the Ideal Keylock Kit which is only available at the time of purchase of a new Ideal patio pet door due to the custom nature of the installation.   

Question: What are the differences among the various brands of sliding glass pet doors?

Answer: Patio Pacific Pet Doors makes the most popular sliding glass pet door models at America's Pet Store. Known for their award-winning Endura flap dog doors, Patio Pacific makes high quality doors that are energy efficient and easy to install. The Quick Panel III is their single pane version and the Thermo Panel IIIe has dual pane glass - the latter being arguably the most energy efficient sliding door dog door on the market.

If you are searching for uncommon sizes of dog doors for sliding glass doors, Hale dog doors is the right choice for you. Hale manufactures 11 different sizes of high quality, energy-efficient pet doors. Choose between dual-pane, insulated, pressure mounted Hale Omni patio pet panels which work well with vinyl sliders by Andersen or Pella. Or choose the Hale Standard Patio Panel which also is dual pane, but is custom made to your measurements. The Hale Standard does not work with vinyl sliders such as Andersen and Pella doors.

PetSafe dog doors are the most popular pet doors on the market because they are affordable and reliable. PetSafe manufactures the PetSafe Deluxe Patio Panel which is available in multiple colors and multiple sizes. Or if you are on a budget and you have aluminum sliders, select the PetSafe Instant Pet Panel for medium sized pets.

Ideal dog doors manufacture a wide variety of styles and price points of pet doors. If you are looking for cheap patio dog doors, the Ideal Fast Fit Patio pet door is the most budget friendly pet door for sliding doors that we carry, but is not compatible with vinyl sliders. However, Ideal VIP vinyl dog doors are designed specifically for vinyl sliding glass doors such as many models manufactured by Pella and Andersen. Ideal also makes pet doors for cats including cat doors for sliding glass doors.

High Tech Pet makes electronic pet doors for sliding glass doors as well as door-mount and wall-mount models. They are only available in two sizes but the medium size can be used for small and medium sized pets since your pet does not have to push a flap open like they have to do with a manual pet door. Electronic dog doors are more secure and great for keeping unwanted animals out of your home. Unfortunately these High Tech Pet Power doors only work with aluminum sliding doors.

Question: What is the most energy efficient doggy door for sliding glass door?

Answer:  Energy-efficient dog doors are a good idea if you live in a region that is prone to extreme weather conditions including very hot, very cold or a high wind environment, and are looking for the most energy efficient sliding glass doggy door on the market, we would suggest reviewing the Patio Pacific Thermo Panel IIIe line of pet doors.

Question: What measurements will I need to find sliding glass dog doors that will work for me?

Answer: You will need:  the width of the flap needed for the dog door, the height of the dog door flap, the height of the "rise" (the part of the pet door that your dog has to step over to go through), and the height of your sliding glass doors.All that measuring might sound like a lot of work, but the ease of installing most dog doors for sliding glass doors makes it well worth it.

If you have any questions about dog doors for sliding glass doors, or how to properly measure for your dog door, please contact America's Pet Store customer service representatives who stand by to assist you.

America's Pet Store carries the largest selection of dog doors online, including automatic dog doors, infrared dog doors, dog kennel doors, and big dog doors.  Choose from all the most popular brands, including PetSafe dog doors, Staywell dog doors, Ideal dog doors, Ruff Weather dog doors, Hale dog doors, Plexidor dog doors, and Patio Pacific Pet Doors - just to name a few.

NOTE: Please measure your pet before ordering. The width of the pet flap must be greater than the width of your pet across the shoulders. An inch of clearance on each side is ideal, anything wider would be more door than you need.