Doggy Door – a Guide to How They Work and How to Choose a Good One

If you own several big dogs, then you’re familiar with how much noise and trouble then can put up just to get your attention.
You will have to pause what you’re doing, for example, when your big dog wants to go outside – because you’ll end up with an uneasy big dog that will claw up the walls and doors and furniture.
You let your dog out, and feel a bit annoyed that your dog can take you hostage like that.
What you need is a way to not worry about letting your dog in or out – you need a dog door.

What dog owners notice, when they install a doggy door, is that they seem to have more time to do what they want.
A dog door is basically a framed opening installed on a sawed-off part of your door, or wall if needed.
So you have a broad view of the types of dog doors there are, below is a quick sweep.

The hanging screen or normal dog flap. These are essentially plastic flaps the swing both ways. There are flexible semi-transparent varieties. A variant is the transparent flap, or a light plastic one.
You can get some models that lock on its own after it swings open one way.
This is useful when you’re tired and you’re dog hasn’t come home yet – once it does, the flap locks behind him.

Automatic dog doors. There are magnetic and electronic varieties.
Both of these usually have a mechanism that “senses” your dog and your dog only, and opens the door only to your pet.
So only your dog, which wears a special collar can get in or out. Your dog wears collar with a magnet, if you’re using the magnetic type dog door.
A similar type of sense-and-act set up is found in the electronic variety.

Some more thoughts on the matter

Do check to be sure you get a dog door ideal to your particular dog’s breed, height, and weight.
The online product pages would usually contain suggestions about that, matching model to height or breed.

Security comes first. Since you’re getting a big doggy door, that means a persona can get in. If yours was a small dog then the small dog door would not be much of a problem – but a big door for your dog means someone could squeeze through, not just any other animal you don’t own.
You may want to either get a dog door with lock settings (it can be calibrated so that once your dog gets in or out, it locks up), (2) automatic dog doors that open only when your dog is near, or (3) a custom built variety (in case you’re having it installed on a special type of door or through a wall).