Dog doors / flaps

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dilbert

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Does anyone have any experience of using dog doors / flaps to allow them independent access to and from the garden?
 
Yes, I use one. When we first moved to our house, we weren't sure if our old / blind dog would learn to use it - but she did brilliantly. Wouldn't be without it now.
 
I have the giant sized dog flap as I have big dogs. My dogs have full access to the whole of my farm during the day and then at night they come into the back garden and have access to a large room just off our kitchen. Most of my dogs sleep outside and only come into the dog room to eat. I would dislike intensely having to lock my dogs in a house, so I don't. The dog flap gives them access to indoors or outdoors as they choose.
 
I've used a dogflap for years. New dogs pick up using them really quickly and it means the dogs always have access to the garden even if I'm out.
 
I wouldn't be surprised if they did void the insurance, we had a dog flap for a staffie sized dog, and my stepson (aged 10) could fit through it.

Our previous dog was getting old and had toilet issues, and it was wonderful for her. We are at the foot of the pennines, in open country, and it gets pretty windy. It did make the house quite cold. It saved a heck of a lot of mopping up the kitchen floor after accidents. When the dog died we got a lab, and she tried to follow the cat through it and took it clean off the door! I wouldn't dare have one now as Labrador 2 can jump over fences for fun and I wouldn't trust him to stay in the garden alone.
 
Yes, my weim has been using one for years. She stays home 2 days a week whilst I'm working so needed access to the garden, which I made sure was secure enough for her to be in unsupervised. Sometimes I doubt if she goes out at all - especially in winter when it's miserable outside!

I used to have one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Staywell-Or...qid=1375481748&sr=8-1&keywords=staywell+large

I did manage to climb in through that when I'd locked myself out on a couple of occasions, by doing some kind of weird slug with legs impression. I'm 5'8" and 10 stone. It was a challenge but I did it!

Now I have this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Staywell-Ty...qid=1375482845&sr=8-2&keywords=staywell+large

It's much better, more robust and too narrow for me to climb through - fortunately I now have a front door which requires locking from the outside so impossible to lock myself out.

I have no idea about the insurance situation, never really thought about it but might go through my documents to see if it is mentioned. My personal view is that a large dog flap isn't a security risk at all. If you were a burgler would you stick your head through something that large not knowing what's on the other side?

I don't think so!
 
Last edited:
BWa said:
Someone told me that they void your house insurance, any idea if this is true? I assume it's for the larger ones.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't surprise me if this is the case tbh as I can fit through my dogs dog flap lol! My house is never locked though so if someone wanted to break in there are far easier ways than clambering through a dog flap guarded by 7 big dogs :biggrin3: so it would make much more sense for them to just open the front door and walk in .. and then once inside they'll be met by the same 7 big dogs :wink3:
 
Thanks! We only have a small secure yard but think it would be a great idea especially as my working hours are increasing slightly. I don't think anyone would want to clamber into my house. They'd get a mixture of mauling from the SBT and rottie bitches and probably be licked to death and sat on by my male staff.
 
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