[Dailydrool] Dog doors, sorry this is kind of long

[A. Woodrum]

We have had pet doors (since we have both dogs and cats we try not to
discriminate) for at least 20 to 25 years, they are wonderful.  The first
one was a one piece unit that fit into the track on a sliding glass door
(picture a sliding glass door panel that's as tall as the other doors but
about 14 inches wide with a flap in the bottom) and fit the cats and the
Dachshunds.  Used this for many years in my condo and also the last house.
In fact, it's leaned up against the garage wall, waiting.

 

This house does not have any sliding glass doors, so we installed a Medium
pet door in the wall, which was great until we got Gracie.  She arrived
skinny and could barely squeeze through, and after adding a couple of pounds
she started to get stuck in it.  So we took it out, enlarge the opening and
put in a Large pet door.  Gracie and Anna go out once or twice in the middle
of the night to pee, so we leave it open.  Pet doors are really great,
especially for the seniors who have to pee in the middle of the night (dogs,
not people).  We have not had any problems with animals coming in (except
the neighborhood cats to eat our food).  Highly recommend them.

 

Cons - we really messed up when we picked the wall to put the door in at
this house.  The sunroom, which has the back door, is a long, narrow room.
It's set up like this, starting on the left - about 3 foot of wall - back
door - 2 foot of wall - 2 large windows - 2 foot of wall - closet.  The
first bit of wall was out because there's brick on the other side.  We
picked the next bit of wall, which is on the right side of the back door,
but should have picked the bit on the far end of the windows.  Because you
can reach in through the pet door and unlock the back door knob and
deadbolt.  We did not think.  We do have storm doors with very heavy special
locks, so you can unlock the back door but you are not getting through the
storm door.  Well, that is until we installed the LARGE door for Gracie the
Chubby girl.  Any small or slender adult could get right through the pet
door and into the sunroom, so could youngsters, and unlock any lock you want
to install.

 

Now this was not a problem until the last two weeks - when we had two
attempted break-ins, both targeting the pet door.  They did not get in but
my guess is only because the criminal was too big or fat to squeeze through.
In both instances I found the back door unlocked and ajar, but the storm
door (special lock) kept them out.  Well, the first thing I did was to use
the slide to block the top of the pet door, the slide is low enough so
adults cannot get through the flap but high enough so that the girls can get
in and out.  Once I had my distances figured out I put screws through the
slide, through the frame and into the wall.  Then I added a very large
hook-shaped lock up high on the back door, no way to reach it from the pet
door, if the burglars can get to it they are already in.  And a padlock on
our back gate and the gate to the alley instead of a pin.  No more leaving
the house through the back door, now front door only and walk around the
house and down the drive to the garage.  

 

So this is something to think about, a good sized pet door does make your
house a little more attractive to criminals.  If your dogs are crated at
night, you could lock the pet door and avoid any problems.  We've been here
almost nine years and have never had a problem before, but the gas company
had contractors in our alley and yards replacing pipes and gas meters and
such a couple months ago, they did not ask permission but used my alley gate
for quick access for weeks, my guess is because of the way the burglars are
accessing my yard one of this bunch saw the pet door and is now involved in
the attempted break-ins.  Sorry for the long story, but it is all something
to think about if you are planning to put in a Large pet door.

 

Anita Woodrum

awoodrum at clear.net

 

 

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