Large Dog Door To Go Into Glass Pane

[White Shepherd mom]

While in our previous house, Casper had a large dog door in the wooden laundry door from which he could come and go as he pleased. Now that we have moved, we have no wooden doors leading to the lawn and my poor boy is finding himself locked outside overnight and when we are not home. Not the way I want to treat him in his old age . My OH doesn't want to put a dog door panel in the sliding door so the only other option is to put a dog door in one of the smaller glass panes. I cannot find any such doors for a large dog.

Can anyone please give me an idea how I can solve this dilemma?

[minimax]

You can get removable (but secure) dog doors for sliding doors, have you looked into those? Can recall the name, but someone else here will remember them.

edit: like these http://www.patiolink.com.au/

they require no modifications to the existing door.

Edited June 12, 2013 by minimax

[Tilly]

Check with your insurance company first ... because any "large" doggy door is just like leaving the door unlocked and open. Large doggy doors allow easy access for intruders ...

[_PL_]

Yep the sliding door inserts (Pig In Mud is another brand) or replace the smaller glass window with wood or laminate.

Finding a glazier to cut a large hole in the window will be harder than trying to find someone who will cut the cat size one. Most say no, or they'll try but can't be held responsible for broken glass. :laugh: From memory, none will cut into safety glass if that's what you have.

I'd make sure the room he can access via the dog door is lockable in case you have any thieves stupid enough to follow a large dog into his own home.

[Tara8430]

You can get removable (but secure) dog doors for sliding doors, have you looked into those? Can recall the name, but someone else here will remember them.

edit: like these http://www.patiolink.com.au/

they require no modifications to the existing door.

I ordered a Patio Link door last week for Abbey, it arrived yesterday haven't undone it yet but they are of very high standards, my aunt has had one for her dog for over a year now and it still looks like new.

Edited June 12, 2013 by Tara8430

[Nushie]

I love my pig in mud dog door insert. Had it for 3 years and everything looks new except for the dog flap itself. Doesnt matter how many times i clean it, it still ends up with pug snot all over it :)

[disintegratus]

my parents have a timber sliding door, and needed a dog door for when we went away on holidays. The door is built like a window, with 8 panes on glass in it. They removed one of the panes of glass and fitted a timber insert with a rubber flap. Looks a bit DIY, but it works :) The dog door can still be "locked" by having the security door open so the flap can't be pushed through. When they sell the place, they'll simply remove the timber frame and put the pane of glass back.

[Clyde]

1371034233[/url]' post='6225651']

my parents have a timber sliding door, and needed a dog door for when we went away on holidays. The door is built like a window, with 8 panes on glass in it. They removed one of the panes of glass and fitted a timber insert with a rubber flap. Looks a bit DIY, but it works :) The dog door can still be "locked" by having the security door open so the flap can't be pushed through. When they sell the place, they'll simply remove the timber frame and put the pane of glass back.

I think this is the safest option. If you put a large dog door in pane of glass I would worry the glass wouldn't be so stable. I have the same problem but don't like the insert doors so I get up during the night instead.

[Staff'n'Toller]

Google search until you find a glazier that specialises in pet doors.

They should be able to supply and fit. You may have to consider the thickness of the glass though, as others have said but the glazier can advise.

[White Shepherd mom]

Thank you for all the replies. Do those of you with the inserts in the sliding doors feel like they are secure? Obviously the flap itself will be big enough for a small person to crawl through but I'm wondering how safe the actual panels feel.

Tilly, you have a point. I have sent my insurance company an email to find out whether we would be covered in the event of a break in through the dog door. I didn't see anything in their PDS so will be interested to know their answer.

Disintegratus, I am thinking of replacing a pane with a home-made flap. There would be no security door on the other side of it so there would be no way of locking it. Probably not the way to go after all.

[disintegratus]

We had a giant hole in our back door (used to be a dog door til my sister's pig broke it) and when we queried it with our insurance company they said it was fine and still covered. We were very specific that it was large enough for a person to be able to get through, but they said that if the main door is locked, it's still covered. I think the theory is that the dogs provide extra security so make up for the giant gaping hole in the door. :laugh: My theory is that if someone has the balls enough to enter our backyard with 4 huge dogs in it, they deserve whatever they can get!!

If you're handy, it wouldn't be too difficult to make a 3-lipped frame to attach to the wooden insert, then get a sheet of metal or even just plywood to fit it so you could still "lock" it. it would depend on how much gap you've got behind the door when it slides open though.

[Lady Flying Furball]

We had a giant hole in our back door (used to be a dog door til my sister's pig broke it)

Yeah, and a dog AND a pig could really be offputting to the theives

[Tara8430]

Another option might by Obrien glass I know if you are metro located then they can do something, but not country areas.

[JackC]

Any companies in VIC like Patio link?

[White Shepherd mom]

I received this reply from my insurer:

"If the dog door is large enough for someone to be able to crawl through it we would require that it have a latch or lock on the door."

How's the dog going to get through if his door is latched or locked? His chances are not great at this stage.

disintegratus, the only extra security my dog would provide would be to cause someone to trip over him as they climb over his sleeping body. I didn't quite understand your DIY instructions about a 3-lipped frame?

[minimax]

You can get ones that only activate if the dog is wearing a device that makes it open, like a sensor on their collar or something. Maybe that would satisfy the insurance?

[RuralPug]

They have said that there has to be a lock on latch on the door, but not that it must be latched all the time! There has to be a latch on your front door for most insurance companies but that doesn't mean you can't use it..

Most commercial pet doors do have a latch and are lockable when required, I'm sure the Pig In Mud and other sliding door inserts probably do as well. :)

[White Shepherd mom]

So I finally convinced OH that we should make a dog door for Casper. We measured Casper and then measured the existing pane and it turns out the pane is 10cm shorter than the dog, being an older dog with mobility issues, he cannot go through such a short opening so that project got shelved very quickly.

I decided to look at the door inserts for sliding doors as per your suggestions, patiolink looks good but pretty expensive for the big size. Has anyone used Modern Pet Doors. They look good on their website with smaller price tag.

I would appreciate your feedback!

[j]

My friends had a pig in mud door insert and loved it

http://store.cityfarmers.com.au/pig-in-mud-aluminium-pet-door-white-extra-large.html

[disintegratus]

I received this reply from my insurer:

"If the dog door is large enough for someone to be able to crawl through it we would require that it have a latch or lock on the door."

How's the dog going to get through if his door is latched or locked? His chances are not great at this stage.

disintegratus, the only extra security my dog would provide would be to cause someone to trip over him as they climb over his sleeping body. I didn't quite understand your DIY instructions about a 3-lipped frame?

Sorry, didn't realise you'd asked

Sorry, I'm not very good at explaining myself sometimes, but what I mean is make the dog door insert, and around the hole, attach 2 extra pieces of timber on the 2 sides and the bottom, so a cross section would look like a "u" shape, creating a lip for a piece of timber (or sheet metal) to slide in and out of. Then you can latch it. Alternatively, you could keep the cut-out piece, and attach it with hinges to the top of the hole, then use a latch to keep it either open or closed.

Hope that made more sense...