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The Ultimate Pet Door

| Posted in Construction Techniques on January 13, 2008 03:04am

I am looking for wisdom and advice from you seasoned professionals about a dog door. I live in Minnesota where we have summer for a few hours in August and the rest of the year it’s a mite chilly.  The dog door lets in way too much cold air.  There has to be a better way.

Here is what we have now.  A standard pet door with plastic flaps and magnetic latches leads through the basement wall to the fenced-in run outside. There’s a 3′ X 3′ enclosed “foyer” between the wall opening and the rest of the basement.  At night a sliding panel closes off the foyer from the rest of the house.  Ugly and not an ideal solution.

We are finishing the basement so the old system has to go.  What I need is a solution that prevents as much cold air instrusion as possible when the door is open, and looks good when the hatch is closed.  Any and all suggestions are welcome.  FYI, getting rid of the dog is not an option.

Thanks all

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Replies

  1. plumbbill | Jan 13, 2008 04:03am | #1

    How much energy efficiency do you want.

    I have friends that hung a bell on a rope the dog rings the bell when he wants out. ;-)

    “We need to be a country of tall fences and wide gates.”

    Fred Dalton Thompson

    1. User avater
      Luka | Jan 13, 2008 04:38am | #3

      Must be a northwest thing.I have friends who did the same.


      A man, convinced against his will... Is of his own opinion, still. ~Anne McCaffrey

    2. User avater
      BarryE | Jan 13, 2008 04:42am | #4

      Here in the midwest the dogs let themselves out. They sometimes have trouble getting back in though, they seem to lose their keys a lot.

      Barry E-Remodeler

       

      1. plumbbill | Jan 13, 2008 04:47am | #6

        You guys actually lock your doors in the midwest.

        “We need to be a country of tall fences and wide gates.”

        Fred Dalton Thompson

        1. User avater
          BarryE | Jan 13, 2008 04:51am | #8

          Well yeah, other wise you would have the neighbors dogs coming into the house at all hours of the night. Makes it hard to sleep.

          Barry E-Remodeler

           

      2. Danno | Jan 13, 2008 04:45pm | #18

        They lose their keys because they don't have pockets in their coats. Need to put little purses on their collars or something (or one of those retractable key rings on a chain that attaches to a spool that usually clips to a belt loop, but you could clip it to the dog's collar)--or maybe a fanny pack. I've found that not having opposable thumbs made it hard to work a key. In that case one of those touch pad locks should work.

        1. Robrehm | Jan 13, 2008 05:53pm | #21

          They don't carry money or  keys well because of a lack of pockets. My dog claims that's why I have to pay for everything. I don't let him drive because we would be driving through fields, yards, etc. chasing birds. It takes forever to get where we are going and it gets hard on the truck.

          How is that automatic door working out?

          1. Danno | Jan 13, 2008 10:04pm | #26

            My dog claims that's why I have to pay for everything.

            I had a friend like that--he had pockets, just didn't carry money in them.

            I don't let him drive because we would be driving through fields, yards, etc. chasing birds. It takes forever to get where we are going and it gets hard on the truck.

            My dog likes to jump in the car and sit in the driver's seat, but doesn't even know how to drive, so there we sit. She seems content with that, but it's boring for me.

            How is that automatic door working out?

            Pretty good, but the pad gets paw prints all over it.

             

            Seriously, I put a bell on a springy door stop by the door and "trained" my dog to make the bell ring when she wanted to go out--but that was all the time, not just to "use the bathroom," so I had to take the bell down--she had me well trained to come and open the door when it rang though! It was like the sit coms when the sick person is given a bell to ring when they need something and the well person is constantly running for the bell. 'Course, my life is pretty much like a sit com anyway.

        2. User avater
          BarryE | Jan 13, 2008 06:32pm | #22

          I hear they are working on a paw recognition device, that why they don't have to memorize a code.

          Barry E-Remodeler

           

          1. Danno | Jan 13, 2008 10:08pm | #27

            I hear they are working on a paw recognition device, that why they don't have to memorize a code.

            That would be primo. My dog has trouble memorizing stuff. (Well, she does seem to remember certain routes we customarily take when we go for walks, but she's not good with numbers). A tongue print recognition device might be even better!

          2. User avater
            IMERC | Jan 14, 2008 12:01am | #30

            A tongue print recognition device might be even better!

            in cold weather...

            this should be good.... 

            Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

            WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

          3. User avater
            bp21901 | Jan 15, 2008 09:36pm | #33

            I agree, the cold weather - tongue combination would not be a good thing. This will solve the problem...no keys to lose. All you have to do to get the dogs face in the right position for the scanner is to put a picture of a crotch right below it. Since they always want to do the boy/girl identification thing that way, it'll work every time.http://www.cdwg.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=1257740

    3. User avater
      Heck | Jan 13, 2008 07:48am | #12

      Pavlov is rolling in his grave.                        

      1. User avater
        Luka | Jan 13, 2008 08:10am | #13

        And drooling, too... If he followed the link in post #11.


        I'm gonna grow me some wings. And I'll learn how to fly !

        1. User avater
          Heck | Jan 13, 2008 08:18am | #14

          not if he's on dial up...                        

          1. User avater
            Luka | Jan 13, 2008 08:22am | #15

            Why not ? What else does a dead guy have to do ?I'm alive, (I think), and I waited the entire half hour for the flippin site to load up on dialup.


            I'm gonna grow me some wings. And I'll learn how to fly !

          2. oldbeachbum | Jan 13, 2008 11:53am | #16

            ""I waited the entire half hour for the flippin site to load up on dialup""

             

            I hear the Alaskan Way Viaduct is for sale.                 Want in?  :0)...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it.  -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!

          3. User avater
            Luka | Jan 13, 2008 12:29pm | #17

            I'll pass.I lived within 100 yards of the alaskan way viaduct for more than ten years.I'll give you a nickle if you'll go tear it down, though.But make it look like an accident. I don't want any trouble coming my way because you did a lousy job...


            I'm gonna grow me some wings. And I'll learn how to fly !

          4. oldbeachbum | Jan 13, 2008 09:04pm | #25

            Run-away ferry?  Two birds with one stone....The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it.  -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!

      2. User avater
        maddog3 | Jan 13, 2008 06:37pm | #23

        hmm that's a damn fine name for a dog.

        .

        .

        ., wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?

  2. Sasquatch | Jan 13, 2008 04:33am | #2

    Petsafe.com has doors that seal very well.  They also have some options.  After 2-1/2 years, when my dogs started to put a little wear on our door, I had a reasonably priced replacement door sent in two days by using their website.

  3. Scott | Jan 13, 2008 04:44am | #5

    We've got one of the plastic/magnetic strip ones that I think performs very well. There are no interior drafts at all, although I suspect an IR camera outside would see considerable radiant leakage. Maybe it's just a case of a different manufacturer.

    I suppose you could also use double doors. build a small, stylish, dog-sized 'mud room' against the side of your house. Put one door through the interior wall and another on the outside envelope of the doggie mud room. This would provide an insulating 'dead air' space between the two.

    Scott.

    Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”



    Edited 1/12/2008 8:46 pm by Scott

  4. User avater
    basswood | Jan 13, 2008 04:48am | #7

    Add another dog door on the inside of the foyer to make a small air lock between the two doors.

    1. Aunchient | Jan 13, 2008 06:12am | #9

      Well, that was what I was thinking, so maybe it's the best idea. Lot of comedians on line here. Dog used to have his own key but he kept losing it in the snow. Maybe he should just practice yoga and learn to hold it all day. Thanks for replying, in jest or for real.

  5. Jay20 | Jan 13, 2008 06:17am | #10

    About two months ago I installed a pet door from High Tech Per Store. http://www.hitecpet.com  It was pricey but better than anything else I could find. Jay

    1. Aunchient | Jan 13, 2008 06:31am | #11

      Thanks for the link.  Pricey indeed but it solves all my concerns.  I think I'll have to roll this into the remodeling budget. 

      1. Jay20 | Jan 14, 2008 02:19am | #32

        Installation was easy. Had to work with the dog for about an hour. The slight noise when it opened and closed scared her. Dog treats on the other side of the door solved that issue. There is a battery back up incase the power goes out. Jay

  6. User avater
    McDesign | Jan 13, 2008 05:03pm | #19

    A revolving door is by far the most efficient.

    Or the full NASA airlock.

    Be creative!

    Forrest

  7. User avater
    IMERC | Jan 13, 2008 05:06pm | #20

    put an insulated dog house against the outside wall in front of the dog door...

    seal it in  place...

    put a thermal rated doog door on the dog house...

     

     

    so yur the one that run off with our summer...

    we want it back...

     

    Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming

    WOW!!! What a Ride!
    Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

  8. renosteinke | Jan 13, 2008 08:52pm | #24

    I've been noticing the same thing as I improve the insulation of my place. Never noticed before, the pet doors now seem to be major heat leaks.

    You mentioned that this was a basement exit into the back yard. That being the case, I'd suggest an insulated 'dog house' be placed next to the house. Make a 'channel' for Fido to pass through. I don't think you'll need a second pet door; simply blocking the wind from the flap, and creating a 'bubble' of lost heat ought to make a difference.

    Depending on the orientation of this entry, making the roof from Lexan might have a real 'greenhouse' effect, and heat the area.

    1. fingersandtoes | Jan 13, 2008 10:26pm | #28

      A Lexan roofed dog house would be very neat looking, and I imagine the dog might like the view too. Perhaps this is more a cat than dog thing, but I notice they like to see what's happening outside before barging through their pet doors.

       

      1. User avater
        basswood | Jan 14, 2008 12:19am | #31

        I built a domicle for a customers dogs that featured skylites:

  9. sisyphus | Jan 13, 2008 10:33pm | #29

    Two doors side by side (or whatever) one door to go out and one to come in. Each door can be spring loaded to create a tight seal.

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