Let me guess, you have a dog door on your house and you never feel safe anymore? If you’re like me then check out my tips on how to secure your dog door from intruders.
Maybe you do not have a dog but have other animals that much one by one are escaping the house through your dog door during the night.
That is really annoying and now with those cold nights, they could get hurt in the land outside.
What you need is a dog door that can be closed from inside and outside to secure your home from intruders or animals
Statistics show that one in every four dog doors is left wide open, which makes it easy for intruders and other unwanted guests to enter your home.
Here are a few tips on how to secure a dog door from intruders: -Install a lock on your dog door. This will prevent anyone from entering your home without your permission.
Additionally, adjust the lock on the pet flap, so it shuts faster when your pet walks through it.
Keep the dog door locked when you’re not home. This will prevent anyone from coming into your house and stealing your dog.
Install a motion-activated alarm on your dog door. This will sound an alarm if anyone tries to enter your home without your permission.
This article seeks to explore different ways you can secure your dog door from intruders while giving your furry friend the freedom it needs.
Takeaway: Once you’ve secured your dog door, you will feel safer letting Fido out to play!
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Keep Those Pesky Intruders Out With These Helpful 10 Tips: How To Secure Your Dog Door From Intruders
I have been an avid dog owner all my life, and one thing I have learned is that you can never be too safe when it comes to your furry friend.
Adding a dog door to your home can make life much easier for you and your dog.
Not only will your pet have easy access to the great outdoors whenever it pleases, but you’ll also be able to avoid having to let your dog in and out every time you want to go for a walk.
When it comes time to install a dog door, choosing the suitable model for your needs is essential.
If you have a large or aggressive dog, you’ll need a door that’s big enough to accommodate them, and you’ll also want to make sure the door is sturdy enough to keep them from pushing their way out.
If you have a smaller or less active dog, a standard pet door will likely be just fine.
Once you’ve chosen the right dog door for your home, it’s time to install it.
If you’re unsure how to do it yourself, you can always enlist the help of a professional.
1. Ensure that only your pet can fit through the door
When carving a door space for your dog, ensure that the area is enough to fit through.
Many dog owners assume that the large the dog door, the easier it is for your furry friend to go in and out.
Yes, it is excellent, but the larger the door is, the higher the risk of your home being broken into by intruders.
This is because a person can also fit in the door.
Therefore, when creating space for the door, ensure that it’s only slightly larger than your pet.
You can do this by measuring your dog’s shoulder width before mapping it out on the door.
This is because the rest of its body is flexible and won’t have any challenges going in or out.
And as such, if a human tries to get in, they will get stuck at some point.
2. Choosing a dog door for your pet
When choosing a dog door for your pet, there are a few factors you will want to consider.
The first is the size of your pet.
The door should be large enough for your pet to fit through comfortably.
The next consideration is the climate. If you live in a cold environment, you will want to choose an insulated and weather-proof door.
The last consideration is the type of door.
There are three types of dog doors: The hinged, the sliding, and the electronic.
The hinged door is the most common type and is the least expensive.
The sliding door is more expensive but is more secure.
The electronic door is the most expensive but is also the most secure.
3. Automatic pet door
We are in a digital era, and as such, you can take advantage of technology when adding a dog door to your house.
You can autofit your home with an automatic dog door fitted with a sensor.
Your dog’s collar should also be autofitted with an invisible chip such that every time it approaches the door, it opens and closes upon entry or exit.
An automatic door not only gives your dog freedom of movement but also ensures that your home is safeguarded against intruders.
The only downside to this method is that these devices are pretty expensive.
But if you want to safeguard your home, then you can be sure it’s worth every penny.
Furthermore, unlike regular dog doors, automatic doors will not permit other animals to enter as they need to unlock the door first.
Thus, protecting you from wild animals.
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3. Make sure the door is out of sight
The positioning of the door is critical.
It’s advisable not to place your dog door in plain sight; instead, it is in a place that people who aren’t familiar with your home cannot see.
The best site is on a wall and at the bottom-most part.
It would be best if the dog could bend over to get in, making it an impossible task for intruders to reach.
It also ensures that your dog can pull a disappearing act before the burglars see where your pet has disappeared into; unless they have pretty good eyesight or use special equipment such as binoculars or cameras.
4. Do not autofit it on the main door
Many dog owners mistake outfitting their dog doors to the main entrance.
This makes it easy for burglars to break in as they can use special equipment to open the door.
They can slide in a wire with a magnet and camera, and with no time, they will open the lock, and voila..! they are in your house.
It’s also easy for burglars to break down a door compared to a wall.
Additionally, ensure the wall is wide enough to take a lot of effort to break down.
More so, nothing can be used to open the door from this point, unless blowing it down or knocking down the wall, which beats the purpose, as they would be discovered.
5. Security alarm
Autofit your dog door with a security alarm.
This would not be your normal kind of alarm, it would detect the weight of your dog, and every time anything heavier than your pet goes or tries to go through, you will be alerted.
The upside of this method is getting notifications on your phone even when away from home.
Thus, enabling you to check.
It would work best if you also have a home alarm, as they assure your home is safe with double-layer protection.
6. Motion sensors
Most burglars use dog doors to enter a home because they are sure they cannot be detected.
This is because they can bend down and squeeze in undetected.
And since most homes are barred from the outside world with a wall or fence, it would be hard for the neighbors to see the thieves.
Thus, allowing them to perform their heinous acts undisturbed.
However, you can protect your home from intruders by installing motion sensor lights around your home.
These alerts you every time a person approaches any side of your house at night or when you are away.
Although it’s a very effective method, the motion sensors are pretty expensive, and to top it; they consume a lot of power.
So make sure you are not breaking the bank as you can use the cheaper and more affordable methods.
7. Security cameras
These are the best, as they give your real-time information of an intruder, allowing you to contact the authority.
They work best when they are used together with security alarms.
Security cameras alone won’t notify you that someone is breaking into your home unless you are in front of the monitor 24/7.
Therefore, when you have the security alarm or motion sensors, you are prompted to check the camera to see what is happening in your house when you are notified of abnormal activity.
And if you notice an intruder, you can act promptly.
Like alarms and motions sensors, security cameras do not come cheap, especially if you need to fit around your home for maximum security.
However, they are a worthy investment, especially if you live in a burglary-prone area or have high-value items in the house.
While inputting your time intervals, ensure that they vary and no day is the same as the other.
This is because some intruders may study your home and your actions before attempting to break in.
So having varying intervals each day is an assurance that someone present is doing it.
You can install some in the room where the pet doors lead into; additionally, you can set an interval of 15 or 30 mins and maybe three times deep in the night.
This will be effective in keeping off all intruders.
8. Timer Lights
Most burglaries happen at night when it’s dark.
Therefore, intruders will be scared off when the lights are turned on abruptly, thinking that the homeowners have seen them.
For that reason, you can autofit your home with timer lights.
The upside is you don’t need to be home for them to be on; you need to adjust their settings and create intervals of when they will be on and off.
9. Display a “Beware of Dog” sign
This is a clever way to keep off intruders as many assume that the dogs are dangerous when there is such a sign, so no one will dare to break into your home.
Even if your dog is a pet, just put the sign; it will chase away thieves as they will perceive your home as not an easy target.
10. Eliminate dog door
While dog doors are convenient to both the owner and the dog, they also pose a severe security risk, and as such, you can choose to away with the door and seal it completely.
However, this will leave you with the task of having to take your furry friend out for walks in the morning and evening.
You would have to train your dog to let you know when he wants to go out of the house.
This eliminates the risks of having intruders in your house entirely.
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Final Thoughts on How to Secure a Dog Door From Intruders
In conclusion, you will leave yourself vulnerable if you don’t secure both the interior and exterior of your home.
A smart intruder can easily put together clues before they commit a crime, like noticing an old dog door flap in a dog house or seeing the flaps inside a home that show that no one would be spared the brutal effects of their crimes.
Securing an exit and entry point like this is cheap and easy and should be added to your nightly watch list routine.
Dog doors are pretty great as they allow your dog to move in and out of the house without disturbing you.
Nevertheless, they pose a security issue when they are large enough to fit in a person or installed on the main door.
This is because intruders can use them to break into a house and commit burglary or other heinous acts.
Do not be alarmed; there are various ways you can safeguard your dog door from intruders.
You can try some of the methods discussed above.
