Lola's mum
Boxer Insane
We let them out as and when, I could never leave them unsupervised in the garden as they're diggers and I'm slowly filling and re seeding the holes they dug before.
How do you let your dog out?
- Thread starter Alex C.
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kscoleman
Boxer Buddy
Great idea!
I don't know what we do without our doggy door! We cut a hole in our wall that leads to the backyard. It's really easy to install either through a wood wall or a door. They come with molding to put around it too so if you don't cut it right it's ok
Ours also has a solid door that we can put on it if we don't want them coming out (or in). If you aren't home alot during the day this can be an ideal situation to make sure they don't mess in your house. However, I would definitely suggest NOT putting a door in if you don't have a fence up. We have a huge yard that is not completely fenced in, but we put a fence around a large portion right at the doggy door. This is where they play and potty.
All of our dogs are inside dogs, but having the doggy door allows them to run outside and burn off some energy. We keep the food and water inside though so they keep coming in the a/c if they need to eat or drink. We originally installed a medium size door for our chihuahua, but the lab we had didn't have a problem squeezing through. Granted he couldn't run full speed through it like the chihuahua but if he needed to go out he could. If it's something you think you would like then I say go for it. It really has been a blessing for us!
Oh, and to get our dogs to learn how to use it, we let our 3 year old crawl through it to show them how it's done :D If you don't have a small child, you can entice them through with a treat. Once they do it a couple times, they get the hang of it and realize what it's for.
I don't know what we do without our doggy door! We cut a hole in our wall that leads to the backyard. It's really easy to install either through a wood wall or a door. They come with molding to put around it too so if you don't cut it right it's ok
Ours also has a solid door that we can put on it if we don't want them coming out (or in). If you aren't home alot during the day this can be an ideal situation to make sure they don't mess in your house. However, I would definitely suggest NOT putting a door in if you don't have a fence up. We have a huge yard that is not completely fenced in, but we put a fence around a large portion right at the doggy door. This is where they play and potty.All of our dogs are inside dogs, but having the doggy door allows them to run outside and burn off some energy. We keep the food and water inside though so they keep coming in the a/c if they need to eat or drink. We originally installed a medium size door for our chihuahua, but the lab we had didn't have a problem squeezing through. Granted he couldn't run full speed through it like the chihuahua but if he needed to go out he could. If it's something you think you would like then I say go for it. It really has been a blessing for us!
Oh, and to get our dogs to learn how to use it, we let our 3 year old crawl through it to show them how it's done :D If you don't have a small child, you can entice them through with a treat. Once they do it a couple times, they get the hang of it and realize what it's for.
Emily_7538
Boxer Insane
Samson has to wait until someone lets him out. When he wants out, he usually lays down at the back door until someone lets him out.
. I should try again!!!I love my dog door! I've been using it for 3 years now. It's in the kitchen in the back door that leads to a privacy fenced in yard. I have a metal permanent gate that blocks the kitchen from the rest of the house for when I'm not home. The dogs go in and out at their will but usually hang out in the house...especially during the cold and this heat. The only downside I have found is the 4am sitting on the deck and barking at air molecules. I have to knock on the back door, they come in and then the solid door goes on....until they start ringing the bells on the front door. Oh, and if you're a neat freak...a dog door is NOT for you. They will bring in dirt...and other things for you. The worst is when one comes in with poopy foot. AARGH!
To get my dogs to use it - I taped the flap up and let them go through it a few times, then just put the flap down and off they went.
The other downside is that I like the security and insulation of a storm door, but can't have one with the dog door. But lo and behold, saw storm doors at Lowes the other day that have dog doors already installed. Hurrah! I need to measure and see if it would match up with the one in my door.
To get my dogs to use it - I taped the flap up and let them go through it a few times, then just put the flap down and off they went.
The other downside is that I like the security and insulation of a storm door, but can't have one with the dog door. But lo and behold, saw storm doors at Lowes the other day that have dog doors already installed. Hurrah! I need to measure and see if it would match up with the one in my door.
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Ranger's Dad
Boxer Booster
No doggy door here. They just go to the door and ring the bell. Only took a couple of days for them to learn how. Only problem is once they learned how they ring it constantly.
Rod Thornton
Boxer Pal
Been using doggie-doors for the past 20 years. I use two, one from the house to an attached shed, that can be closed, and then another from the shed to her graveled outside run, with a gate to control access to the entire fenced yard, so I can keep her in her run, if it’s muddy etc. In all that time I have only had one intruder, a feral cat, that didn’t stay long.
While not necessary, they are sure nice. During the winter months we stay in Florida with my sister and her cat, that is not allowed outside. So we spend a lot of time letting Jewel in and out. I know for sure she never needs to go outside anywhere near as often here as she does in Florida.
My dogs have never abused the door privilege, in and out, etc. Jewel spends her time where I do. She will go outside to investigate something, maybe bark a few times, then comes back inside. Pleased that she has sounded the alarm, and then goes back to resting, or whatever. But she never goes inside if I am out in the yard, and on the rare occasion that I leave her home alone, she usually waits outside for my return.
While not necessary, they are sure nice. During the winter months we stay in Florida with my sister and her cat, that is not allowed outside. So we spend a lot of time letting Jewel in and out. I know for sure she never needs to go outside anywhere near as often here as she does in Florida.
My dogs have never abused the door privilege, in and out, etc. Jewel spends her time where I do. She will go outside to investigate something, maybe bark a few times, then comes back inside. Pleased that she has sounded the alarm, and then goes back to resting, or whatever. But she never goes inside if I am out in the yard, and on the rare occasion that I leave her home alone, she usually waits outside for my return.
punchinella
Boxer Insane
I would be a bit worried about having a doggy door...of course I have four cats and I'd be afraid they'd use it too. But I would rather be in charge of when she gets to go in and out, rather than leaving it to her discretion. But, that's just me.
BoxerRock
Super Boxer
We love ours!
We have a dog door and love it. Yes, you do have to cut a hole in the door to install it. It should come with a template and instructions. It's actually pretty simple. Ours is in the door between the laundry room and garage. There's another door in the garage that goes out to the dog run, which is Molley's potty place. It's separate from our backyard. Once in a while Molley will go out there just to lay in the sunshine but most of the time she uses it to go potty. We have a cat but the door's a little heavy (large size) and I don't think cats like the heavy flap in the face. The only problem we ever had is when Carley brought a bag of potting soil in from the garage while I was showering a couple of years ago. Wow! That was a real mess.
We have a dog door and love it. Yes, you do have to cut a hole in the door to install it. It should come with a template and instructions. It's actually pretty simple. Ours is in the door between the laundry room and garage. There's another door in the garage that goes out to the dog run, which is Molley's potty place. It's separate from our backyard. Once in a while Molley will go out there just to lay in the sunshine but most of the time she uses it to go potty. We have a cat but the door's a little heavy (large size) and I don't think cats like the heavy flap in the face. The only problem we ever had is when Carley brought a bag of potting soil in from the garage while I was showering a couple of years ago. Wow! That was a real mess.
superruben
Super Boxer
Ruben will come and talk to me when he needs to go out. We have a tie out where the hook stays right by the door outside and I just clip that on his collar when it's a quick bathroom run. If he is going outside to play I will put him in our fenced back yard.
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