How to Install a Pet Door

We all love our pet but sometimes when they keep forcing us to take them out for a walk or to do their business, we may get irritated, especially if it's in the middle of something important. They may also get annoyed when we refuse to take them. So, it's better to give them the liberty to go out whenever they want, just by installing a pet door.

This is a very simple way of getting rid of the most common difficulty faced by most pet owners. Pet door installation is a very simple procedure and it requires very common things that you can easily get from the market.

A pet door is usually installed at the back door of the house. It is made in the bottom part of door which has a locking mechanism and can be easily used by your pet. The size of the pet door will obviously depend upon the pet you have.

If you have a cat then the door will not be big but if it's a big dog then you may have to get a bigger pet door to make sure he can pass easily without hurting himself. So, here are some easy tips to install a pet door.

• Pet door (according to the size of your pet)
• Tape measure
• Masking tape
• Pencil
• Drill
• Jigsaw
• Screwdriver
• Exterior caulking

►First thing to do is to measure the height of your dog's chest from the ground which will give you an idea of the height of the dog door. Mark this height on the door which should lie horizontally on the center of the door. With the help of a pencil marker extend the lines vertically and horizontally to about a level of four feet from the height marked.

►Now take the pet door template and place it on top of the door so that the center of the template comes exactly above the intersection point of the lines drawn. Check that it is placed straight and in one level. Now with the help of a pencil, trace the outline of the template which will give you a rectangular box structure.

►Now take a drill and drill four holes on the four corners of the rectangle. Always keep the drill vertical while drilling. Make holes of about ½ inch depth. Now insert the jigsaw into one of the holes and cut across the line of the rectangle. Completely cut out the rectangular part from the door.

►Put exterior caulking all around the opening of the rectangle so that the pet door remains water tight. Now place the pet door frame on the rectangle and press it. Remove the excess caulking and cover it with the help of painter's tape so that it doesn't come out.

►Now put a security panel on the pet door from the inside of the door so as to prevent the entry of other wild animals when you are away from home and also to restrict your pet from going out at night.

So these were some easy steps to follow while installing a pet door. Now all you have to do is train your pet to use the pet door. Don't worry at all, as it takes just a few hours to train them. Pet doors may raise some security concerns as pet doors for big dogs are usually big and hence even human beings can go through them.

Hence, while installing a pet door keep in mind that your door lock is quite away from the pet door. You can also check if your hand can reach the door knob through the pet door. If it does not then your house will be secure. But to remain on the safer side it's better to have pet doors for small pets.