Don't bother with trying to put doggy doors into screen doors and double glazed doors - all too complicated, and difficult. Your double glazing is probably safety glass (as it is in a newish door) and can't readily be cut neatly. If you have a flap for the first door, it will need to be perfectly aligned with the second opening, as it will catch and not open.

Doggy doors don't need to be in an external door. You would be better off finding a blank wall space and getting it installed into the wall.

Best of luck,

Dr Retro

of Dr Retro House Calls

BUILD Architecture Award 2018 · More Info

I know someone who used to have an in wall doggy door with a kennel attached to the external wall 'disguising' the door for added security... Until doggy is observed entering or exiting, I suppose...

We have never required a doggy door with our own/visiting dogs and like the ability to monitor wet/muddy paws (or worse) being brought inside. Once dogs get through the puppy/small bladder stage and have a regular feeding pattern, in my experience they can manage 8 hours overnight easily. During the day, they have been pretty good about learning which door they need to stand by to alert us to wanting out (Or get in the habit of letting them out when you get up to pop the kettle on). A nice sheltered area outside for when you need to be away from home for longer periods during the day might be a better investment than a tricky install?

Great advice puppies aren't puppies forever, just some good training and your very intelligent fuzz ball won't ever need a doggie door, after all they think they are human (poor misguided things) and want to use the same door we do

Thank you Dr Retro House Calls for the invaluable and honest advice and the photos. No wonder I couldn't get my head around it! Will try and figure out options for access through a wall although I have the challenge that my home is elevated on the side of a hill with only two points (front door and laundry door) connected to the ground for access and the rest with an up to 6 metre drop to the ground. The setup for the front door is the same as he laundry.

Thank you oklouise for your thoughts on toilet training and other wonderful ideas. I am so jealous of your well-behaved fur baby! Most of the outside of the house is colourbond so a hole won't be a problem except for the long drop. Unfortunately, the garage is a haven for all sorts of nocturnal visitors and is full of deterrents to keep them out of nice, warm engine bays. Mace is a bit stubborn with the toilet training (apparently common for the breed) despite puppy training but this week had a few nights at a friend’s house while I was in hospital. He took to their doggy door after only being shown once and the only time he didn't venture outside was when a fairly heavy storm and downpour hit Launceston so can’t blame him for that. Thought I would go with the doggy door idea but after this feedback might just have to keep persevering with the toilet training.

Thank you Ruth BT for your ideas and good luck with your training and to julie herbert for your compliment – he is adorable but then I am 110% biased!

Thank you scottevie and what a cute idea about the dog kennel although not practical in my situation. Fortunately, overnight has never been a problem with Mace, just during the day. Seems a renewed major effort with toilet training is the go – even a regular steam clean of the carpets is going to be cheaper than converting the existing set up if he grows out of it. I do have a pet steam cleaner and enzyme spray but would rather it not happen in the first place.

Maybe the doggy door to the laundry from the hallway and he can (hopefully) do his business there is the solution, but it would have been great to get him outside. Hope something here helps you too sallyd 028

Thank you siriuskey - maybe a set of steps to the human toilet - I couldn't be so lucky LOL

think about fencing some hard floored area with a simple baby gate (available on kmart, target, bigW and on line) ...if he has his favourite bed and toys in the temporary goal, combined with strict regular training and walks he will eventually get the message but you must always respond positively when he does and make a restricted space so accidents only happen in a restricted area...i know our dogs are special but they're quite happy in a small space all day as long as they know they can expect your attention and a walk when you arrive home or, weather permitting, a morning walk is even better and they can sleep all day...I was never happy to allow my dog to be left outside alone as they can have injuries (especially if you have tempting rodents to chase) and a special dog like Mace might be tempting to a thief..keep him inside unless you're outside with him

Noooooooooo He could quite possibly fall in, they only think they are human, although we did have someone book to stay in a holiday villa we used to own who said her cat was human toilet trained!,

Sorry we had a little one like that who drowned in our pool because she wasn't supervised outside, fitted through the pool fence easily, so horrible

I am so sorry siriuskey and that would have been incredibly distressing. We hear so often about children sadly drowning but never fur babies. Despite the fact Mace has become part mountain goat in the past week or so, he has only been curious about what happens when the toilet is flushed. I will stop that curiousity now before he realises he could get up or worse, in.

Thank you again oklouise and lisacab for your feedback. I have now re-entered a phase of rigorous toilet training armed with some more advice and experience. At this stage, I will forgo a doogy door and see how I go.

just talking to my neighbour and discovered that their cat flap has an electronic lock that is keyed to the cat's personal microchip and it doesn't need to wear a collar... so, if you decide to invest in a pet door consider this extra option which greatly improves security and excludes other animals

An option which we recommend sometimes is to replace the bottom section of glass with a solid panel and installing the pet door into this. You can then store the glass panel and reinstate it if you move.