# doggy door question!



## ruckusluvr (Oct 28, 2009)

Who here has a doggy door?
i started working 12hr shifts, and on some days the poor dogs will be subjected to being locked in the house for 10hrs. its only maybe one day a week that they will be in the house for 10hrs, most days it will only be about 7hrs.

when the weather is nice i leave the back door open and they go in and out as they please, even at night while i am sleeping. but before everyone leaves we bring the dogs in and shut the door.

i am worried about having a doggy door and them being outside when i am gone. but the whole point of me getting the doggy door is go they can let themselves out to potty.

do you let your dogs use the doggy door while you are gone?

i live out in the country, only two neighbors and they are very nice and would never do anything to harm my dogs. my fence is secure for my dogs, because they will not dig out. and no one would still my dogs because one of them is aggressive. and i have beware of dog signs.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

I don't have a doggy door where I'm at now, because I'm in an apartment for a year, but when we were in our house in Vegas, I am so glad we had one. 

Are your dogs escape artists?
Can they jump your fence?
Are they diggers- to dig under the fence?


If your backyard is secure, I see no problem in letting them have a doggy door to take themselves outside, ESPECIALLY if they are going to be alone for that long during the day.

When we buy a house next Summer, a Dane-sized doggy door will be our first "renovation" we make. :wink:


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

Growing up our family always had doggie doors. I think they are great to have, espically in your case when your gone for many hours during the day.

However, I don't have one right now because Lucky is a barker. She will go outside and bark when we are not home. We don't live in the country, so I don't want to upset our neighbors. 

I think a doggie door sounds like it would work great for you.


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## ruckusluvr (Oct 28, 2009)

thanks guys!
do i leave their collars on them since they will be able to go outside while i am gone?
if i leave the collars on and something happens and they escaped they would have their ID on them.
on the other hand, the can be out playing and get their collars hung on the fence and hurt themselves.

i am trying to be as safe as possible.
my dogs are not jumpers, climbers or diggers and they have always respected the fence.
one of my dogs is bit of a barker, but my neighbors dog never shuts up. i actually told my neighbor i was sorry my dogs bark so much, and my neighbor replied with "oh no, its fine. mine barks all the time. i understand" so we just put up with each others dogs barking.

i feel bad to leave them alone for that long, but is would just be one day a week probably. how mine and my hubby's work schedule works out, they are usually alone only 3 days a week.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

I have seen doggie doors advertised that only open in response to a control on your dogs collar. When we had a 'kitty' door for our cats, my one concern was other animals getting in the house while we were gone ( squirrels, *****, possums, other cats, etc). If you live out in the country, you might want to check into one of those types so you don't come home to an unwanted guest. 

My husbands aunt had a squirrel get in and found out that insurance doesn't cover squirrel damage because they are considered 'rodents'. Apparently her labrador didn't bother to catch it and it had a grand old time in her house!


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

Are they microchipped? I wonder if getting breakaway collars would work? The only problem is if there were to get out and the collar falls off...then no tags. However, if they were to get hung up on something while playing or whatever, the collar would fall off and they wouldn't be at risk of choking to death.

Hummmm.....I'm not sure what I would do either....


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

Ruck,

I see no issue if you are absolutely certain they are ok, can't dig under the fence, etc...

I wish I could do that...I just can't. Harry digs like a savage and can get out...though I've developed some methods of containment by putting treated boards along the fence and sunk into the ground. 

I'd leave collars with info on just in case something happened. 


Nice setup though...good to see you have the option.


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

OOOH, I just read some respond about collars and choking. 

Yeah, that worries me. hmmmmm, now you guys have me thinking. I keep collars on my guys. I suppose I'm more worried about the probability of one of them getting out and getting hit by a car than choking issues, but I'm gonna think about this one. Worries me.


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## ruckusluvr (Oct 28, 2009)

yeah its a tough question
collars on... dog might choke
collars off, no id (they are not microchipped)

in general my dogs do not wear collars unless they are being walked. but i am always debating on what do to.

honestly my dogs are so shy and with Ruckus being aggressive... if they got loose no one could get close enough to my dogs to even read a tag.
but if they were lost they might somehow know to come to other people for help


they make great dane/saint bernard sized doggy doors dont they? yeah, i know i have shelties, but with the fostering and my love for bringing home dogs.. you never know what i will bring home! but wont a dog door with a big flap be too heavy for my smaller sheltie (30)lbs and my mothers shih tzu (15lbs)

30lbs isnt small for a sheltie, actually a bit big. but she is my little sheltie since my other sheltie Ruckus is 40lbs and 19inches tall


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

ruckusluvr said:


> they make great dane/saint bernard sized doggy doors dont they? yeah, i know i have shelties, but with the fostering and my love for bringing home dogs.. you never know what i will bring home! but wont a dog door with a big flap be too heavy for my smaller sheltie (30)lbs and my mothers shih tzu (15lbs)


The one I had in my house in Las Vegas was GSD sized, installed to accommodate Champ, who is pretty big... at a LEAN 90lbs. 
Grissom (18lbs) had no problems whatsoever getting through. :smile:
And even Chesney, when she was about 10 lbs could get in and out.

ETA: I wouldn't worry too much about the collar debate if your yard is secure. 
I would, however, strongly recommend microchipping.


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## jiml (Jun 29, 2010)

I have seen doggie doors advertised that only open in response to a control on your dogs collar>>>

i have the petsafe brand. 

Probs you may have is the door unlock mechanism is a little loud. and the flap is a hard plastic a little harder to train. 

That said, I bought the door do to the concerns w squirrels and such as they are frequently by the door because my wife feeds them. I purchased extra magnets for the door and have never needed to use the locking mechanism. the squirrels can not push it open even when its not engaged.


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## jiml (Jun 29, 2010)

they make great dane/saint bernard sized doggy doors dont they? yeah, i know i have shelties, but with the fostering and my love for bringing home dogs.. you never know what i will bring home!>>>>

the one I have is the large. It works fine for my 80lb coonhound and my mothers fat and very large Lab. St bernard may be pushing it?

http://www.petsafe.net/Products/Doors/Electronic-Doors/Smart-Door-Large.aspx


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