There are several reasons to opt for doggy door alternatives rather than having a conventional one. The main objective of a doggy door is to give your canine companion access to the outside world. Installing one is significantly beneficial to your dog. It can improve your dog’s physical and mental well-being. This passageway also relieves any dog owner of their doorman duties.
Although the conventional one still holds a sentimental value to some, other dog owners go for the alternatives for doggy doors. The alternatives are far better than the traditional ones in terms of efficiency, versatility, and ease of use.
Problems with Doggy Doors
There are various reasons why people are gearing away from the old-fashioned pet door and going for other alternatives for dog doors. This shift, however, does not invalidate the standard or the usual pet doors. These pet doors turned out to be the best way to let your dog enter and leave your house. Nevertheless, the two main reasons people shift to the alternatives are that the typical pet door is difficult to install and is not versatile.
Far from the other alternatives to the doggy door, dog owners will find it hard to install a typical one. Doing it on your own can cost you less but can lead to an undesirable outcome. The other option left is to hire an expert, and this cost twice as more than the DIY.
Moreover, the typical pet doors lack versatility and are not a one-size-fits-all solution. A conventional pet door doesn’t accommodate their growth spurt. This issue can cost you more money for a re-installation or remodeling of the old doggy door. The reconstruction will also take a toll on the integrity of your home.
Types of Doggy Door Alternatives
Planning is one of the first steps in deciding a doggy door for your home. The second part is looking for the best doggy door alternative. Finding the right type of pet door that will fit you and your canine’s needs is tough. Thus, we’ve compiled them to give you a brief but thorough overview of each option.
Flaps
This alternative is a notch up the regular doggy door. Unlike the ones people are accustomed to, these kinds of flaps are innovative. Dog owners can easily fit this on their existing dog door. It also comes with added benefits. One good thing about these new flaps is their sturdiness. It can withstand the biggest of dogs and still work correctly, and installing this is relatively easy.
This alternative can also withstand bad weather such as heavy snow and rain. Some of the new dog door flaps have two or more layers. This helps to maintain the temperature of your home. Additionally, these intelligent coverings provide added security for your family.
Screens
Another alternative to the typical doggy doors is a screen. There are three types: screen doors with built-in doggy door, screen doggy door, and screen curtain. You will not bother calling a handyman or allot more time to affix these three. They are easy to install, but it all depends on the tools and skills you have.
The first one is a screen door with built-in doggy doors, which pet lovers can put outside their door. With only hinges and screws, this alternative is effortless to install. There are also sliding screen doors integrated with a pet door for households with sliding doors. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of brands offering this one. Second, these are doggy doors with screens on them. Instead of having a plastic or insulated flap, this one has a steel covering with a metal mesh. A person can put it at the bottom or corner of a screen door.
Lastly, homeowners can opt for a detachable screen curtain. This option is the easiest to install among the group. You can strap it anywhere and remove it anytime you want. It is also convenient, and you can even bring it whenever you move houses. The only downside of a screen dog door is you need to keep your door open. It can guarantee a bug-free home but it will not shield you from any harsh weather. This alternative doggy door will cost you more in terms of energy due to the different conditions outside can affect your house’s temperature.
Windows
Window doggy doors are a perfect alternative for owners who don’t like to emphasize their doors. This pet door removes the need to remove a huge piece of your wall or refurbish your door. This window doggy door is quick and easy to install. And homeowners can put it into a sash window or a sideways sliding window:
- Sash windows – or ‘double hung’ windows that slide up and down are quintessential to most households. The doggy door will sit in the track beneath the lower pane. To safely secure it or lock it permanently, insert screws slightly above the lower window
- Sliding windows – just the first one, a pet door for this window sits in the tracks of the sliding window. This type is similar to the sliding glass dog doors
The sliding window pet door is much more favorable, but not all households have sliding doors. As to how your dog will use it, creating a ramp inside and outside the house is highly advisable. This added feature will cost you more, and repairs are imminent due to exposure from different weather.
Electronic Pet Doors
Technology plays an essential role in our daily lives. It is not harmful to incorporate these advancements into our furry companion’s life. Also called a smart door or an automatic doggy door, the electronic pet door provides you the utmost safety. Other alternative doggy doors can put your house in danger due to the lack of security. Also, pet owners with babies should consider an automatic doggy door because of its security feature.
Most electronic pet doors in the market all work under the same principle. Each electric doggy door is equipped with infrared or magnetic electronic frequency transmission. To open the door, owners can insert a microchip in their furry companion’s collar or tag. This kind of contraption is either battery-powered or plugged on a socket.
7 Best Doggy Door Alternatives
Some dog owners still find it hard to choose a type of alternative fit for their furry best friend. And we can’t blame them because there are many options on the market. Also, different brands are trying to come up with different styles with amazing features. To help these dog owners, we’ve compiled some of the doggy door alternatives.
1. PetSafe Pet Door Replacement Flap
If you already have an existing door that needs additional attention, this replacement flap is the one for you. Some pet owners complain about having problems with their old dog door. Issues like it do not last long, hard to install, and the door doesn’t properly close are evident.
With the PetSafe Pet Door Replacement Flap, you will not experience any hiccups. You can install this doggy door alternative effortlessly. This product takes 10 to 15 minutes to install, more if you have a furry helping paw. It has a single vinyl flap that will endure years of dogs running in and out of the pet door. For added support, pet lovers can also add another flap as a precaution to harsh weather.
Moreover, this replacement flap has a magnetic strip that makes it close securely and makes it wind-resistant. Another great thing about this product is it has varying sizes, from small to extra large. It is also compatible with most of the PetSafe pet doors.
2. PetSafe Electronic SmartDoor
Another doggy door alternative is an electronic door from PetSafe. This door is great for households with multiple pets, or if you want to control who leaves the house. This example of automatic door fit doors with 1 ½ to 2 inches of thickness.
The SmartDoor also has three functions: locked, automatic, and unlocked. The ‘locked’ mode prohibits any pets, even those with the SmartKey, to leave the house. While the ‘unlocked’ option lets any dog move in and out of the house.
As for the ‘automatic’ mode, only those with the SmartKey can leave the house. But dog owners should teach their dogs how to use this because it opens quite slow. Moreover, the SmartDoor can connect to 5 smartkeys at a time and is battery-powered. It is also energy efficient due to its insulated flap with UV protection and has two sizes, small and large. This product is the perfect doggy door alternative if you want to limit some of your pets to go outside.
3. Wall Entry Pet Closure by High Tech Pet Products
This innovative door from High Tech Pet gives the utmost quality for your pet and home. The door has a heavy-duty aluminum frame, high strength ABS composite flap construction and all stainless steel hardware. Although the product is for wall use only, dog owners can install this on a door.
Another striking feature is the technology behind the flap. It has a revolutionary design consisting of individual segments interlocked to one another. Together with sturdy magnets, this design creates an airtight seal that keeps the harsh weather out.
This door also includes a panel in which a dog owner can slide in front of the entrance. This panel is the door’s main security feature, which makes it an integral part of keeping the unwanted visitors out.
4. Wall Tunnel by High Tech Pet Products
Some dog owners put their pet doors on the walls. But they may find it hard to support the thickness of the wall. The wall tunnel by High Tech Pet is a perfect fit for this dilemma. The shaft’s material is highly strengthened aluminum, enabling it to withstand the weight of the wall. In some cases, people use two wall tunnels for thicker walls.
The product has four sizes, starting from small (ideal for dog 30 lbs or less) up to extra large for dogs weighing 150 lbs. If you have numerous dogs with varying sizes, getting the largest size is applicable.
Unlike the alternative doggy doors in this list, this product doesn’t have a built-in door. You need to buy a separate one to install it in front of the wall tunnel. You can also put another door at the other end for maximum security.
5. Pet Patio Door by Ideal Pet Products
Aside from its sleek look, this product can also bear a dog’s weight up to 90 lbs. The Pet Patio Door by Ideal Pet can fit on most of the aluminum sliding patio door. It comes with a security lock to keep any intruder from entering your home.
Ideal Pet made this product from sturdy aluminum and clear tempered glass to match your sliding door. As for the dog’s entrance, the company thought of adding a clear vinyl flap. Unlike the other doggy door alternatives which have tinted flaps. This flap enables your dog to see the outside world.
Aside from the security lock for the sliding door, there is no specific feature to stop your dog from going outside. The only thing you can do is remove the panel entirely, which is easy to do.
6. Autoslide Canine Dog Door
Many dog owners don’t want to cut a hole on their door or wall, and this product is the right one for them. The Autoslide Canine Dog Door instantly transforms a sliding door into a pet-friendly gateway. This product saves you from the trouble of finding the right door size for your dog.
The pet door is another venture of Autoslide, which prides itself on an automatic sliding door system. It has only two components, and they are straightforward to install. The main element, the base unit, controls the automation. While the add-on, the RFID tag, serves as the key of your pet when going out.
Fur parents can also pick on how far the chip should be detected using pet mode. They can choose from three, six, or ten feet. Again, this kind of doggy door alternative only lets pets with the microchip pass through the door. Some dog owners find this excellent feature satisfying their thoughts about home security.
7. PetSafe Mesh Door
One more product of PetSafe is its mesh door. The plastic used to make this pet door can endure the impact of dogs going in and out of it.
Just like the other alternatives, this one has an effortless installation. Dog owners can quickly slap this on a screen door or window and can have a pet door in just ten minutes.
The mesh door also has an easy-to-use lock perfect when experiencing inclement weather. It also comes in two sizes, small and large. The latter applies to dog owners with furry companions weighing 100 lbs.
Doggy Door Alternatives – FAQs
Before you go and buy your very own, we’re sure you still have questions buzzing in your mind. We provide options for you to choose from, but we’re also here to enlighten you. Here are some of the usual questions dog owners ask themselves.
This question is subjective that requires a point of view from the positive and negative sides. From one aspect, installing or having a dog door in your house is not a bad idea. A doggy door can give you and your dog a little bit of freedom. With an entry of their own, your canine friend can go out play and answer the call of nature without your help. Moreover, you can stop opening the door for your dog every 10 minutes or so. Then again, the pet door poses some risks like having unwanted guests and your dog roaming around the neighborhood.
If you feel you and your dog are not safe, you can choose from other doggy door alternatives. These different possibilities can increase your home’s security and can give you peace of mind.
There are numerous alternatives to a doggy door. Narrowing it down, here are a dog owner’s options:
• Door flaps – an upgraded version of the usual flap. The flaps are either made from vinyl or metal
• Screen doors – can be either a screen door with a built-in doggy door, a screen doggy door, or a screen curtain
• Pet doors for windows – dog owners can slide this in the window tracks or a sliding door
• Smart pet doors – innovative devices that allow dogs to go outside if they have the microchip
But before deciding on the right alternative, you need to consider several factors. According to Broadway Info, safety measures, appealing, proportionate, easy installation, and energy-efficience should be present in a dog door. Additionally, you should know the right way to get your dog’s measurement for the pet door.
Some dog owners take it on their own hands to create their dog’s pet door. The SFGate home guide lists down the ways for someone to make a pet door. They also enumerated the necessary materials for this project.
This DIY project can take hours of your time. Also, for someone who doesn’t have the aptitude for carpentry, this task can be a bit frightening to do. Hiring a handyman can cost more but can have a more favorable outcome.
Dog doors can decrease the property value of a house if it’s not professionally and correctly installed. A home with a doggy door can cost the same as those without one in the present market.
According to the 2016 survey conducted by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), 34.8% of U.S. households have a pet dog. Also, the statistics highly suggest an influx of homeowners wanting a home with a pet door already installed.
However, if you’re still hesitant in cutting a hole on your wall, other alternatives will not lower your property value. These alternatives, like the dog doors for windows, will not destroy anything at your house.
The idea of creating a personal entrance for our beloved pets is centuries old. Technology and modern men have come up with ways to innovate and bring this old idea to the 21st century. These innovations have lead pet owners to live peacefully with their furry companions. If you haven’t found the right one, you can choose from an array of doggy door alternatives fit for your home.