pro's and con's of doggie doors...

[Mel]

Spike is not house trained yet by a long shot so this is something i was thinking about for the future...

I can see the pro's of doggie doors, giving you more freedom to go out for longer.....any other pro's ?

I know some people who have cat flaps/doors and have had other cats or foxes coming IN to their houses .....is this unlikely with a dog here already do you think ?

what are the con's ?

thanks everyone !

[deepnite10]

we ve been using a doggie door for 6 yrs now..and i wish d i had nt been so stubborn about installing one..

other members of the family who have dogs have always left their dogs for a weekend to traind using it..their dogs would play with ours and on command mine go out and the others just follow suit..after a few reps. they re pretty much train d in its use..

it may be due to the scent of the dogs that keep other creatures from coming in..and when the dogs hear anything they go and investigate pretty quickly..so far, no intruders have enter d..

during the change of the season s the flap does get worn to the point where you ll need to replace them..they ll warp a bit on the edges and allow the cold air to enter and warm air to escape..same situation when your trying to keep your house cool during the summer..

another inconvience is when the exterminator goes into the back without
letting me know in advance..*even the real fat guys can run real fast*

[Mel]

Originally Posted by deepnite10

another inconvience is when the exterminator goes into the back without
letting me know in advance..*even the real fat guys can run real fast*

this really made me laugh out loud

thanks for the info, it's good to know that you don't have the problem of other critters coming in, intruders are a worry but we wouldn't need a huge door as Spike is a mini and will probably only grow to 25 - 30 pounds.

well, potty training is on-going so this will be something to think about hopefully in the not to distant future

[lindamarie]

deepnite......that was tooooo funny!

We don't have one but our friends do. They have a year old Silkie Terrier who uses it just fine! It was already there for their former Silkie, George, who has gone to Rainbow Bridge. He used it for 13 years!

[Nikkiey]

Just wondering if you have since installed a doggie door and if so how are you liking it so far?
We just recently bought one for Juneau and are trying to train him to go through it, but he's terrified. We've tried the, "Give a treat when he smells it, give a treat when he touches it, give a treat when he puts one paw though, give a treat when he puts two paws through...etc" but we're getting no where. We've even tried putting him on the other side of the door than us and sit there with the most aromatic dog treat/food that we can find and he still refuses to come through. We won't give up though, but it sure is getting frustrating!!!

[deepnite10]

try holding the door open with something..you could try enticement..but, seeing you folks inside could be just enough from him to come in on his own..

a dog that has been walked on a leash will feel much more secure when you introduce him to the door..open the door and gently lead him thru a few times..i ve never gotten around to teaching them another command to go outside other than *potty*..upon that command they all march out whether need to or not..

another thought..for the first few days..don t install the flap..just leave it open and go outside....then leave it open partially and see if he go s thru..

[Nikkiey]

Good suggestion with leaving the flap off! I'll be removing it tonight and hopefully that will help.

I tried propping the flap open, but he just looks at it and then at me with the look of, "No way, not a chance"

I even got desprate enough to crawl through it myself to show him it was all good. I think all I accomplished there was a good laugh for my husband...

[deepnite10]

we ve got quite a few pet dogs throughout the family..and whenever one of my family members want to doggie door train one of them they bring them over for few hrs..

they see my dogs outside and of course want to play..but, are reserved about going thru the door..but, seeing them outside really keeps their interest in going out..

i remember when we trained our first dog on its use..we simply had to drag her thru..seems they re startled by the door hitting them on the butt
as they went thru..but, they all seem d to get use to it as it was more enticing to go out and play vs. staying in alone..

another way to train is to leave the patio door open and allow them to walk out with you on a leash..after several trys at this..repeat it thru the doggie door..

[Labralover]

I think the doggie door can be a great alternative for pets with a lot of energy that can't make up their mind if they want in or out! I agree that there is a learning curve for the dog, but using some of the practices above will hell ease them into it. One caution, when it rains, make sure you don't have a muddy, wet dog with free access to the house. Our washer and dryer got a good workout this past spring because the kids never seemed to remember to shut the door. Needless to say there were a lot of towels on Ace and the carpet from the muddy mess!