Doggie door
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2007) |
A dog door is a hinged or spring operated door rather than the more commonly know 'flap' set into a door, wall or window to allow dogs to enter and exit a house on their own without needing a human to open the door. Flaps are hung from the top of the opening and do exactly that - flap. Dog doors generally must be bigger than cat flaps and therefore are often constructed differently; except in rural areas they tend to give access to fenced-in yards or gardens rather than the neighbourhood at large.
Dog doors are found to be convenient by many dog owners, because it lets their dogs come and go as they please, reducing the need for trips outside and unwanted behaviour such as the dog scratching on doors or walls or excreting in the house.
Dog doors are generally designed to be safe for any pet. The panels are often designed with soft vinyl that does not trap or injure the dog. Dog doors also sometimes consist of permanent magnets to reduce drafts. Cheap easily replaceable pet doors are made from plastic and as such are not robust enough for boisterous pets.
[edit] Patio door pet doors
Dog doors and cat flaps can be built into structures called patio door pet doors. These structures are intended to be installed in existing sliding patio doors so that there is no need to make holes in walls or wooden entrance doors. An advantage of the patio door pet door is that it need not be permanently installed; it can be transported with the owner when the owner moves to a new home. These doors can be made from thermo-plastics or aluminum and can be found in different colours to match the opening they are placed in. It is important to remember that patio pet doors should be removed when on vacation or long periods when you are away as they are nor as secure and can be removed from the outside. [1]
