How do you let your dog out?

[LucNesbitt]

We're actually getting ready to replace our existing back door with one containing a dog door since we're not home during the day. Right now, he's not trustworthy enough to stay out in the house, but once he is, I want him to have a way to go outside when he needs to. We're gone almost 11 hours a day for work and I don't think it would be fair to him to not give him a way to go outside when we're gone. Since we have a fenced back yard, I'm comfortable with him being outside.

I've looked at several electronic doors as well since we have two cats that I don't want to have easy access outside. For those of you with cats, they're more expensive, but look to be worth the money if you want to allow your dog outside, but not your cats since the transmitter or magnent is on the dog's collar. A couple of the nicer models allow you to set how close the dog must be to the door for it to activate and open as well.

 

[Des11]

Hi

I am also considering a dog door, but that is because I get paranoid all the time about "did I let the dog in" and it is like 6 degrees outside. I almost did it once and have not shook the fear yet. Chance does not bark, so I was in my car reversing out the driveway and I look up and see Chance staring at me with this look like ......................"where on earth do you think you are pulling off to with me still outside????"" BUT no barking. If I had of left him outside that day he would have froze to death. Surely. I have had that fear since. I have turned around and even left work, because I could not matter of factly remember if Chance was inside when I left. And soon, I may be leaving earlier than my kids in the morning within the next year or so, so he will DEF need one by than. I would not want that responsibility on them. They are too young to handle any guilty they would feel if THEY left him outside vs. me.

 

[Des11]

Ohhh. I forgot, Chance is bell trained)

He uses it sometimes, cause I usually knows when he wants to go out. He wants to be out, if there is any form of a playmate outside, i.e. me, the kids, or the neighorhood kids. He wants to go out first thing and right after he eats his breakfast. He wants out when I come home, after dinner and before bed. But again, if there is a playmate outside HE WANTS IN!! No fun should be had without him. He is a big kid.

 

[d&dpetersen]

We have an electronic doggy door. It's a staywell 861. It's great since we live out in the country! It has a little transmitter that is placed on the collar and the door unlocks when the pup approaches that way nothing but the pup can come through! Sally loves it......the kitty hates it because he can't go out though!

 

[Alex C.]

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.

I want to do the same thing. We have a sliding glass door where the bells hang. After that, its a lengthy walk (patio room) to the door that goes outside. I want to put the doggy door there so she can run in/out, but still have to let me know she wants in/out so I can open the glass door. I want to get an idea of how to make her a potty place before she goes into the fenced yard. She used to go in a corner, but now goes everywhere and its killing my grass :(. This is going to be even more important since I am looking to adopt another.

 

[TrooperThorn]

We have a doggie door that connects to their dog run. They can hang out in the laundry room/ kitchen during the day and they have 24 hour access to the back yard. We love it.

I have one complaint with the doggie doors, though. Most brands have a door flap and an outer ring flap that acts as a seal. A lot of the time, their feet get stuck in the outer ring and they pull it loose. It's easy to fix, but very annoying when it's broken; AC escapes and flies and dirt gets in. If money was no object, I would get the kind that has push open doors (kinda like a bus' door).

 

[Coopster2208]

Our dogs are bell trained, and we also have the doggie door. The door is good and bad. The door is great because they can come and go as needed. We try and go out with them when we hear the flapping, but not always. Drawback, we have two, so they go out and play, roll around in the dirt, dig in our sand box and come barrelling back in COVERED in dirt! Also, they bring us in little gifts (i.e. branches, pine cones, grass).

As anything, it works but has it's drawbacks! Best of luck!

 

[mygirlrosie]

No doggie doors here. She rings a bell when she wants out, so it's pretty obvious to us that we need to open the door. Mostly, though, I'm not interested in seeing a raccoon in my kitchen, LOL! Didn't you see Over The Hedge?

 

[Coopster2208]

Mostly, though, I'm not interested in seeing a raccoon in my kitchen, LOL! Didn't you see Over The Hedge?

May God help any racoon (or squirrel) that decides to come into our house through that door! It would be on Cooper and Bauer's turf... no mercy to it, or my belongings!

 

[rrrmarie]

I don't have a dog door. I decided not to get one. What if Tre goes out and runs on the mud, then tracks it in the house. I like to monitor Tre when he goes in and out. Sometimes he wants to go outside to BARK at the air. And I think my neighbors get mad at us when it's about 12 midnight. So, I would rather open and close the door for him. It's okay, cause it makes me get up off my ass and do something.