- Picking the size of the pet door.
What size pet door do I need? This can be very easy or it can be a very tricky process. If you have a number of animals and need to accommodate them all, this is decision might take a little bit of working out.
- If you have a small dog and a cat, we can generally get away with a small pet door for your home.
- If you have cat and a medium sized dog, we might be able to install a medium sized pet door.
- However, if you have a cat (or a small dog) and a very large dog, we must accommodate for the larger pet. This is where it might become a little tricky. Do you want your small dog or cat using the pet door? If so, we need to make sure they can actually push the door open and get through it, as the larger door is much heavier and they might not be able to use it.
- There is another option we can do and that is to install 2 pet doors into the one glass door panel. A small pet door and a large pet door to accommodate all animals.
You will need to measure your pet from their knees to the top of their shoulders. Measuring above their shoulders is too high for the pet door and the dog will not be able to get through the door easily.
- Choosing where the pet door will be installed
We like to install the pet doors into glass, why? Because it’s what we do best. Installing them into a security screen door is possible, there are some tiny modifications that are required and in some cases the pet door will not be flush with the screen.
Unlike the pet doors being installed into glass, that is what they are made for.
If you have a glass sliding door that backs onto the alfresco or a laundry door, this is a perfect location to have them installed.
There are also low lite windows: these are the windows that are along the ground and have a sliding window above them. These are great for small and medium sized pets.
- Approving the quote
This is an obvious one, I know! But this is a business transaction and we need to order glass for you. Once the glass is ordered, it cannot be used for another job, it is specifically made for you.
I want you to do me a favour, would you do this for me? Have a look at the windows at the front of your home and now take a quick look around at the windows to your neighbours properties.
They are all different right? Right!
So this is super important, once you approve the quote, the glass will be ordered and you must commit to the purchase of the glass.
- Installing the pet door
This is where the transformation happens. We will arrive and get straight to work.
- Pulling apart the window or glass door
- Taking it to the truck
- Replacing the glass panel with the new glass door
- Fitting the pet door
- Installing the new panel of glass with the pet door ready for your fur baby to use
This process will take up to an hour, it all depends on the size of the door and other skilled elements which our glaziers need to navigate during the installation process.
- Training your pet to use their new pet door
The last step! How do we get our fur baby using the pet door. This is the same training you would have done in dog training school.
Get some treats, the lead and a bunch of patience.
Some dogs will learn in the matter of minutes, some dogs will learn after a couple of days. There is no real time frame, it’s all about the learning process. Don’t worry, they will learn to use it, I promise!
When I taught my dogs how to use their pet door, it thook them a couple of days. I would sit iside the house, have them on a lead and a bag full of treats. Once he would come inside, I would quickie run outside and do the same thing over and over again.
After a couple of days, he was running through the door and all of our hard work paid off.
No more waking up at 2am to let him out to go to the toilet!
