Im thinking of getting a doggy door. I was looking at differnt kinds online and a lot of them say easy to install. How easy is it? Doesnt installing one of these doggy doors mean you have to saw threw or cut the door? What kind of tools do you need to install one and is it really easy and quick like they claim?
I really want one, I think it would be so much easier with my 5 dogs, especially the puppy. The cats could use it too. But if it is a pain to install I will manage without one, it just seems that the advertising for them is too good to be true, ya know?
Any thoughts on doggie doors? For those that have them do you encounter any problems with them? Anything I should know before getting one?
Yup. I got mine at Target. They are child gates. Two are pressure/spring attached to the wall, no screws. They have a base you step on for hands free entry into the room. There were several kinds there. Wal-mart had a poorer selection.
I have one that is for a sliding glass door so no cutting or drilling was needed. If you get one to put in a wall or stationary door, you would need to be sure that there are no wires in the wall where you would be cutting. If you are putting one in a wood door than you wouldn't have to worry about wires. You would need a jig saw, whatever tools it calls for and to follow the directions closely. Most of the doggie doors these days are not too hard to install. We chose a sliding glass door one because we were not sure where wires are and we don't have a stationary door to put one in. It is nice because it just slides in and there are 2 screws on the inside to tighten. We have never had any trouble with ours in over 2 years. The only thing that sucks is when it's windy, the door stays open a little and dust comes in but we just put the cover over it to keep it closed until the wind dies down. Our dogs love it! I will always have a dog door
I'm not too worried about intruders, the dogs would rip them apart first.....lol. You can get ones that have a sensor and only open for your pets but they are really pricey.
Ok we bought a dog door today, Jason bought the tools he needs to install it. He is installing it now, im soooo nervous. Im scared he is gonna cut corners or mess up and we will end up having an ugly hole in the door with no doggy door. I told him to take his time and read the directions, but you know guys, they rarely read the directions to anything...lol....but seriously im so nervous we are gonna have a problem with the installation.
I'll update and let you guys know how it turns out.
Sorry, i tottaly forgot to update since i was so busy looking for that lost dog. But Im happy to say the dog door is in and everything worked out. For a moment there I thought we were going to have a problem cause the door that we used turned out to be a crappy door with stirofoam(sp) in the middle, which made it a lot more difficult to install.
The dogs are slowly getting the hang of it. Winnie, Bear, and Hyde go in and out with no coaxing. Lana and Syd will go through it if I hold the flap up for them, once in a while when im not watching I hear Syd go through on her own.
Now I just need to teach them that they can come and go as they please. Today I left them all in the house, not in crates, to see if they make it today and use the door.
Glad to hear the install, although more difficult than expected, went well. I'm sure all the dogs will adjust in time and love the freedom it gives them.
I, myself, would be too nervous to give them access to the outside if no one was home but I think I remember you saying you had a very secure fence to contain them.
Err...oh, doggie door, not gate...
