Is Buying a Pet Door for Your Dog or Cat the Best Decision that You'll Make All Year -- Or the Worst?

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Considering a Doggie Door? Here's the Good and the Bad

If you are like most pet owners, the idea of a pet door can be both intriguing and frightening at the same time. While as a pet owner you want nothing but the best for your dog, you also have the same standards for yourself and your well-being, so the idea of a doggie door is one that needs to be explored thoroughly. If you are seriously considering a pet door for your beloved four-legged family member, it would behoove you to do a little research of your own – or read this article, of course.

Pet Doors: the good news

If you were in a “grass is greener on the other side” type of mood, then you’d smile happily at the thought of a pet door and all of the convenience that it brings with it. With a pet door, the first thing you wouldn’t have to do anymore is take Sparky outside to use the bathroom. Instead, when your furry friend feels the urge, he can simply let himself out through his pet door. In this scenario, both pet and owner are living in the lap of luxury and are nothing short of happy with life.

On the flip side of the above scenario, when your dogor cat is ready to come back in the house after a period of hard play in the back yard, the pet door is there like a friend in need to welcome him back in with open arms. In fact, similar to children when you first start to give them a bit of freedom, the pet door is your pet’s very own taste of independence.

And then of course, the dog door represents potty training at its very best. If you start them off young, it doesn’t take your pet long to equate using the bathroom with going outside. Considering this, the pet door is almost symbolic for promoting timely bathroom use, and a clear reward system for a pet knowing just what to do when he gets the urge.

If all of the aforementioned pros are appealing to you, then hold on to your seat because there is more. Installing a pet door is a relatively cheap expense; for as low as $50, you can purchase a pet door at your local pet store and install it yourself. Many consider the installation to be rather simple, and in a few hours your pet door will become your pet’s new favorite thing.

Pet Doors: the not-so-good side

Of course, to every pro there is a con, so while raining on your pet door parade isn’t the goal, the goal is to ensure that you understand both sides of purchasing a pet door, so first things first. Just as the doggie door is designed to allow your dog or cat to come and go with ease, it is also a reality that other animals may be able to come and go just a freely. As simple as pushing his head through the door to ensure that his body follows, you may look up one day and think your pet has finally come inside; only to discover that the “pet” isn’t your pet at all.

In addition to outside pets being attracted to the pet door, it is also very possible that your young children may be attracted to this door as well. No, we’re not equating children to animals (necessarily), but we are saying that a toddler could just as easily view the small door as an amenity for them. Once this happens, you have to not only watch the child, but possibly take the door out of commission while your young one(s) learn who the door is really for.

We previously mentioned that purchasing a pet door could be as low at $50, but what we didn’t mention was that a pet door can also cost upwards of almost $300; not to mention that if you really don’t know what you’re doing, you may end up spending additional money in installation fees. Purchasing the pet door itself sounds simple enough, but when you consider the skills you need to cut and measure a door, you may start to realize that you are a bit in over your head.

At day’s end, we know you only want the best for your dog, but in every case you have to consider both your dog’s needs and your personal preferences. Similar to other family members, as pet owners we are often excited about the growth and maturity of our pets, and a doggie door is a great example of the type of progress our pets can make. If you’re more of a free spirit, we’d bet that the pet door is right up your alley. Aside from the possible high cost (installation) and unwelcomed visitors, your more relaxed personality would make you a great candidate for a pet door.

On the other hand, if the idea of paying for a pet door reminds you too much of previous home renovation projects, and the thought of having someone (or thing) other than your pet walking through your pet door, then we’ll go ahead and assume that a pet door isn’t necessarily the right move for you. As we mentioned before, you have to make sure that what you’re doing for both your pet and yourself is something that can satisfy all parties involved. Either way, understand that a new pet door opens up a bunch of possibilities (good or bad).

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