Big Paws Only Dog Forums
BPO Food Forum => Food Discussion & Information => : Bosmum July 11, 2005, 11:50:46 AM
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yes or no. And if yes, then what's the best type? We just adopted a 4.5 month old rottie/dobie mix and we'd like him to have access to our laundry room when we're not home. How easy is a dog door to install?
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I know this will make me seem dense but I never thought thru the dog door installing process until I got one for my birthday. Dog doors make a permanent hole!! I know that should have occurred to me but it didn't until my Dad so nicely questioned if I really wanted to ruin a door I would have to replace before I sold my house and the dog door would not be reusable.
I have since decided I will wait until I have moved to Chicago to install my dog door. Though then I will have to have a fence because I'm scared with just an invisible one other dogs will come into my house via the dog door. I think having a dog door would be cool, I'm just scared of what animals might use it to come into my house. How would you prevent unwanted guests (just curious??)
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In our case, we just bought our first home and we plan (God willing) to live in it al LEAST 10 years.
I saw something on TV a couple of weeks ago...it's an electronic dog door. The pup wears a collar with a little remote device that allows the door to unlock right before they enter. Unless the collar comes within a foot of the door, the door does not open.
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I would love to see the sized dog door that would fit my beast.
Tina
Just cut the door in half and leave the bottom half open, that would work for you.
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Jack probably huffs and the door comes down. :)
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I think that we should invent a dog door for big dogs, maybe something along the lines of a garage door??? Same idea as before the dog wears a collar the door opens and goes up ect???
Think it would work??? It would save me from having to go to the door all the time, especially with 2 dogs, I don't know how people handle it when they have 3 or more!!!!
Nina
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We should request a BARK activated door.
That might get a little annoying though.
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Rocco thinks I am a bark activated door opening. When he is ready to come in he will sit right in front of the door and bark at 20 second intervals.
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We people come in handy sometimes.
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Rocco thinks I am a bark activated door opening. When he is ready to come in he will sit right in front of the door and bark at 20 second intervals.
LLLOL!! I totally agree greek4! Merlin is the designated spokes-dog for my crew. He waits until all canines are finished and go up on the deck, then he joins them and barks until I open the door to let them all in.
Nina, It is not as hard with three or four dogs as you may think. They all go out at the same time, because heaven forbid that anyone gets left behind for anything, and they all come in when they are all done, because again, no one wants to be left out.
I have contimplated a doggy door, but as someone has already mentioned, you can't really controll what critters have access. Since the danes are so big I figure that even humans could crawl in, and I am far too paranoid to take that chance.
Stella
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That is true stella, if I had a doggie door and a human came in Dilbert would most likely lick the person, and Harley I think would attack, she is protective when people try to enter and are not invited, which is a good thing I suppose
Nina
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Bosum,
I saw what you are talking about on tv too and it looks very cool. They also have a remote type thing for the water outside to automatically turn on the faucet when the dog approaches it. My only conern with your questions is that the remote collar thing uses a magnet type device to slide the door open, so if you are using when you are not home then anyone could get it. It would also be easy (I think) to make a magnet thing to break in with. So, I don't know. When we get a house we are planning on the remote thing to be in use when we are home only so we make sure no unwanted people or creatures come walking inside. ;D Good luck in finding something that fits your needs!
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I would hesitate to get a dog door for these three reasons:
1. Outside doors are VERY expensive (it costs well over a grand to replace one), and like someone has already pointed out, you would have to replace the entire door if you wanted to sell or decided you didn't want the dog door anymore.
2. Any door that is large enough for one of our giants to go out is also large enough for a person to come in. In today's society you have to be careful about protecting your home.
3. I would be concerned about my dog being outside unsupervised. I'm too protective about my baby, and it would make me too nervous.
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We have had a dog door for the past 5 years for our Newfs and it works well! It is the biggest that is made so short burglars could walk in without stooping but, as the dog trainer explained to me, nobody wants to meet the dog that needs a door that big! As far as other critters, our cats have mastered it....and at the moment the door is taped shut because of the creatures they bring in....whatever is left of them! That is a big drawback! If you don't have cats, it shouldn't be a problem. All the other wild creatures (skunks, racoons, coyotes, feral cats, etc) that live in the neighborhood want nothing to do with our dog's territory! They are just to big!!!
There is a website....I think it is dogdoors.com (????) and they have a huge selection...ev en the ones that work on a magnet.
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I have a small dog door for the poms and cats. When Willow ges here (very cute mantle marked merle dane) I think I am just going to have to be the door opener. I wdon't want to put in a dog door that big.
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I thought long and hard about a dog door, but then decided that I may as well just leave the back door standing wide open, because a dog door for the three I have will accommodate a burglar any day. So, I opted not to install a dog door at all. I try to take short trips away and there is always someone here, but I realize that is not a viable option for everyone.
I'm being sarcastic, of course, but wouldn't it be so neat if we gave up all of our electronic crap and material possessions so we could live without worrying about thieves...then we could just leave the door open all the time and throw a can of tear gas inside each time we come home...in case there are any lunatics hiding out waiting for us. ;D
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Actually, on a more serious note, most of the people I've spoken to who have been burglarized were hit by people they knew. I am fortunate to have never known anyone like that, but whenever I ask that is usually the case and it amazes me.
About eight years ago my mother left her home in the care of a friend she'd known for several years. That so-called friend loaded a UHaul with my mother's stuff...a lot of antiques and irreplaceable family heirlooms. When my mother came home...well... you can imagine.
There are a lot of strangers who will not bother a house with dogs. In fact, they will go for a house with a security system before they bother the dogs. But, if it is someone the dogs are familiar with, then they may let them right in. And the culprit could be anyone...the big brother of our child's best friend, for example.
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About eight years ago my mother left her home in the care of a friend she'd known for several years. That so-called friend loaded a UHaul with my mother's stuff...a lot of antiques and irreplaceable family heirlooms. When my mother came home...well... you can imagine.
There are a lot of strangers who will not bother a house with dogs. In fact, they will go for a house with a security system before they bother the dogs. But, if it is someone the dogs are familiar with, then they may let them right in. And the culprit could be anyone...the big brother of our child's best friend, for example.
:o That is a terrible story! I feel so bad for your mom.
I know that when we come home zoey is quiet and starts wagging her tail as soon as she confirms it is us. But when we are home and someone comes to the door, zoey barks like a madwoman because she knows it can't be us. Sometimes I wonder is she barks when we aren't home and someone comes to the door, I think she does but I am not sure. I think the sight of my barking 100+lb dog would probably put off most burgulars. But I also think that if they weren't intimidated and gave her some cheese she would want to be their friend instead of protect the homestead.
I saw this show on discovery channel or something called 'it takes a theif' that have a fake burgalur break into peoples home to show them how unsafe they were being about protecting their house. anyways, the episode i saw the people thought their two med-large dogs would fight the burgalur, but instead they just followed him around sniffing him.
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That is a terrible story... but it is true in most cases. MY grandmother's house was burglarized too, by none other than her neighbor. But yeah, I can't see anyone trying to come through a dog door when they don't know what is waiting for them on the other side. I knew a couple of thieves in my younger days, known of them were that dumb.
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No has mentioned the reason why we decided not to get a dog door. We had the door open one day cause it was a great day and I fell asleep on the couch when I woke up it looked like I had been put out. There was so much stuff out in the back yard from couch pillows to towels from the bathroom to socks and underwear and shoes. NEVER again will I make that mistake plus what someone said about the cats bringing in things, well I don't have cats but my dogs something catch things and bring them on the porch but if I came home and found a dead animal in my house I'd freak
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never thought about that maybe thats what they were doing
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The first time I brought Lucy over to Nikki's house (when we first started dating) Mutt met Lucy and I at the front door, they sniffed and said hello, then Mutt went off on his own. We, Nikki and I, walked Lucy around the house a bit and ended up in the kitchen next to the back door.
Suddenly there's this whirring sound and as Lucy turns to investigate, Mutt comes popping out through this little mechanical door. Lucy stood and stared and sniffed and waited very patiently, she thought she found the "Doggy Dispenser" and was eager to see what kind of pup might come out next.......... .........
Since then Mutt's electronic dog door is known "round here as the "Doggy Dispenser"
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LMAO re> the doggie dispenser..... lolollololol too funny
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\Suddenly there's this whirring sound and as Lucy turns to investigate, Mutt comes popping out through this little mechanical door. Lucy stood and stared and sniffed and waited very patiently, she thought she found the "Doggy Dispenser" and was eager to see what kind of pup might come out next.......... .........
lol :D
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Would that be like the PEZ dispenser?
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:)
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only you moon! only you!
;D
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Damn, those must be really small doggies!
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I am thinking about installing commercial sliding glass doors that open on movement. This seems like the only thing that may work for my beast. Anyone think this is a good idea?