Adding a Doggy Door to Your Home

Having a doggy door is a great idea because it is convenient. When your dog feels the need to go to the bathroom, it can head right out the door to the backyard without bothering you. There are times when you may be in the middle of something and do not have the time to get up and open the door, so it makes sense to have a door available for your dog to get through. Even if your dog just feels it needs some fresh air, it can head on out through the doggy door at any time.

Installing a doggy door is not as difficult as it may look. Before you can install a door, you need to take some measurements to ensure that your dog will fit through it. After all, you would not want your precious pet getting stuck on the way in or out. You simply need to take measurements of the dog from the shoulders on down, as well as its width.

You may have multiple dogs. In that case, measure the dog that is the biggest first to ensure that he or she can get through the door. Smaller dogs would be able to fit through the larger opening with no problem. Once you have the measurements, you can focus on adding the doggy door to the door that leads to your backyard.

After you have installed the door, you need to show your dog that it is there. At first, your dog may not know what to do with it, but a little training will help. The door may include a flap that your dog would have to gently push to leave the home and to come back inside. When your dog is first getting the hang of it, make sure to reward it with a treat of some sort so that your pup knows he or she is doing a good job.

Have patience if your dog does not seem to understand the whole concept of the door, especially if your dog has gotten used to waiting around for you to open the door. In the beginning, you may need to leave the flap open until your dog realizes that it can be opened with a simple push. Some dogs may assume that they cannot get through if they are unable to see the opening when it is covered by the flap. If you practice enough, your dog will eventually get the hang of it.

When your dog begins to use the door, it is a good idea to put the flap back down instead of leaving it wide open. If your dog starts to get confused, head out to the backyard while leaving your dog inside and then call your dog's name while peaking through the flap. You may need to offer a treat to encourage your dog to come through, but the effort that you put into the training will be worth it when your dog is using the door on its own.

By showing your dog how to use the door continuously until it gets the hang of the whole process, your dog will get used to this new way of getting out to the backyard. You will start to notice your dog becomes comfortable with going right in and out without any extra assistance, which is the whole purpose of the doggy door.

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