Does providing your dog with an automatic doggie door make sense? I think it does. Let me put it this way. Do you really want to have to get up from a nice nap or a sound sleep to open the door for your dog?
That used to be the way it was around our place. When Max decided it was time to go, we soon learned that it was time to play doorman or suffer the consequences.
The Automatic Doggie Door
Here’s the thing. We wanted Max, our dog, to be able to come and go as he pleases, but we also wanted to be sure that the racoons weren’t going to be able to get in as well when we aren’t home. Seriously. It has been a problem where we live. It’s a somewhat rural area, although that’s starting to change as more land is sold to build new neighborhoods. But for now, it is still an issue sometimes.
The answer we came up with is one of these new electronic doggie doors. They are amazing. You just add the electronic key to your dog’s collar, and when he gets close enough to the pet door it unlocks, and he can go through. Other animals can’t since they don’t have the key. It’s like Max has his own house key. Of course, for the times when we don’t want him to go out, the door can be turned off. It gives us the control we feel we should have, and the security that we need.
Great Value For A Pet Door
These doors are not expensive. They range from under $100 to around $200. But when you think of what you’re getting for the money, I think they provide a really great value for the buck.
Two Way Locking Automatic Doggie Door
One thing to be aware of when you consider the purchase of a pet door like this, is whether it has been designed so that it really is raccoon proof. Some electronic doggie doors are designed so that they lock in only one direction. The dog can push his way out, but coming back in he needs to have the key. Racoons sometimes have been able to figure out that they can pull this type of design open from the outside and gain entrance to your home in that way. If it locks in both directions, they can’t do this, and they’re kept out. Just something to be on the lookout for.
The automatic pet door has been the answer we needed. Maybe an automatic doggie door is what you need too.