Review: Petsmart Doggy Door

Recently we purchased a doggy door for our two dogs. We realized that to go anywhere for any length of time would be hard, not having any one to watch them. We decided the investment into a doggy door was our best bet, giving us freedom to leave the house for even an overnight trip.

We did not want the traditional doggy door that was cut into an existing door. We had a nice door with a storm door attached and for us this would mean taking down the storm door and cutting a hole into the door.

We opted for a glass panel doggy door that would fit into the track of our sliding door. We did not know such a thing existed until we saw our sons who owned two small dogs. With their heavy working schedule, he said it is something they could not live without and makes their lives so much easier.

We did some investigating and found out quickly that not all doggy doors are made the same. Most places like Lowe’s and Home Dept do indeed carry them but they have to be ordered and are not kept in stock. The cost varied from a $130.00 to well over $300.00. We knew we wanted one that was sturdy and would last for a long time.

We found ours at Petsmart, which after some investigation found they had good reviews on line. We were lucky to snag the last one which was in stock and on the floor. We paid $160.00.

Once home my husband was able to put it in place within 30 minutes. It comes with weather stripping to put between the sliding door and panel making a tight seal. There is a lock that is screwed into the sliding door making it secure. I was pleasantly surprised to find the space between the sliding door and panel was more than adequate to walk through. It also came with a nice locking cover to put on at night to keep any unwanted critters away. The door flap is a nice heavy vinyl of some kind that has magnets at the bottom to insure a closure.

Teaching the dogs to go in and out was like teaching them a new trick. It was fun to watch our puppy of three months to run back and forth as if she found a new game. However our older dog was less amused. It may be that she is slightly set in her ways.She did give in and walk in and out of it after some encouragement.

Having a doggy door is definitely a nice additive to our home, offering us the freedom to still enjoy getting out without worrying about beloved pets.