Types of Dog Doors
It used to be that a doggie door was simply a piece of heavy-duty plastic or metal attached to a hole in your door. But today's technology has changed the product to give you options for safe, effective and secure doors.
You can still find the simple, low-tech door flap around today, and you may prefer this style. The advantage is that it doesn't have any fancy electronics that might get messed up and cause the door to stop working. These door flaps are reliable and hardy, and easy to install. You can also find dog doors that swing open to let your dog out, but won't let her go back inside. This can be a good choice to keep strangers out, but won't work so well if you expect her to use the door while you're at work all day.
If you're looking for a little more security and control over what kind of creatures use the door, then you will probably want an electronic door.
This is a built-in door that opens only when activated by a chip on your dog's collar. The chip ensures that random dogs, raccoons, or even small children won't enter your home through the doggie door.
Take your electronic choices even further by checking out the collar chip that opens your regular sliding glass door. This is a device that you install on your existing sliding door, and when your dog approaches the door, it will slide open on its own.
After You Install the Dog Door
Finding and installing your choice of Dog Doors is just the first step. Now you'll need to get your pooch accustomed to using it. You can do this in a few short training sessions by placing your dog on the outside of the door (use a leash or another person if you think she might bolt). Call her from inside the door, physically demonstrating how the door works by lifting up the flap to look at her. When she goes through the door, praise her and offer her a treat.
If she's anxious about going through the door, you can gently move her through the door while holding on to her, speaking to her soothingly and calmly the whole time. When she gets to the other side, praise her and offer a treat. It usually won't take long before she's using the door happily and comfortably.
