Cathy loves her dog, Mark, a Labrador. But she was tired of having to get up from what she was doing just to let the dog out of the house. Mark has this habit of, first, barking softly, and when he is ignored, of following Cathy wherever she goes in the house, staring at her all the while. Other dogs are peskier. Still, Cathy wanted something done. Her online search brought her into a product category - small doors just for pets, doors the dogs can open and close on their own. She started looking more and more into dog door.
She found out there were many kinds of pooch doors - from those mounted on many door types to wall-mounted ones and electronic ones. The closest to what she needed was a simple door-mounted flap variety. Some tips when buying this kind of pet door - know how tall your dog is, as it affects the height of cutting on the door, and the weather where you live.
Remember, when installing a dog door, to make there are no obstructions outside and inside - no cabinets or potted plants the dog can knock over. You're going to need some tool to use in the installation process - unless of course you choose to have the door installed by someone else. Among them are a drill or a screwdriver, a cutting device, a level, a measuring tape, pencil, and drywall saw. Be sure to ask the company from whom you bought the dog door if they have installation videos online or included in a medium in the package. Also, read the installation manual.
You always have the option to hire a handyman to handle the installation for you.
The flaps in your dog door may have some set backs. First is that any animal can come in and out just as easily; so any neighboring pet or wild animal in your backyard (a squirrel, for example) may get in. There's always a possibility that another, a neighboring or lost, animal may wander inside your house through the flap. Second, your house's heat could be reduced since draft from outside may come in through the flap when the dog enters or leaves. Third, if someone plays a prank and seals the flap on the dog door, your dog may not be able to get in or out.
An electronic dog door can be an answer to this. In this set up, your dog wears a collar with a transmitter. The door opens or unlocks automatically when the dog gets near.
Yes you can reclaim some time for yourself. Get a dog door installed. With just the right size for your dog, a decent dog door should maintain a level of freedom and self-sufficiency for your dog.
No comments:
Post a Comment