Whether you’re looking for a door for an existing dog house you’ve built, one you’ve purchased, or if you intend to make a dog house, there are a plethora of options. Or even if you’re installing an entry for your dog into your existing home rather than a dog house, choosing the right kind of pet door is vital to a secure and functional pet entrance.

I’ve compiled a list of several types, styles, and designs of dog and pet doors one could purchase and use with some reliability. My experience includes a 30+ year history of fabricating and testing enclosures in the husbandry of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. 

However, my passion is our for man’s best friend – the Canis lupus familiaris. And the houses and kennels for them which have my attention. 

Many crappy dog house doors are on the market, and I thought I’d share my thoughts given my extensive animal husbandry experience, to weed out the garbage, and share some of the best pet doors currently being sold.

Truth About Dog Doors From A Real Person!

Tired of all the crappy blog posts just trying to sell some kind of crap? Well, so am I and that’s why I put this pet door guide together.

I’ve built dog houses for years and even built walk-in enclosures for tropical snakes, full-grown 6′ iguanas, and more. In short, you could say I’m a bit of an expert when it comes to animal husbandry and enclosure fabrication.

One thing I hated to see when I first started researching pet doors for my dog house build was the sheer amount of GARBAGE people are trying to pass off as a solution.

Well, I don’t work that way. I only recommend things because I trust the product and believe it will be truly useful information for you.

What you find in those generic blog posts that someone (or a content mill) is just trying to make a quick buck off selling something they’ve got zero interest in. But also in the actual products sold. Most of it is crap they are trying to pass off as a reliable product while you’re just wasting your money on garbage.

A Little Background

Here’s a little to give you a more current background for researching and providing this information.

I live in a cold place (Canada), and winter here sucks. We have to tell ourselves all kinds of things to keep from letting the cold, the dismal snow, ice, slush, and the shorter days (with less light) drive us batty.

When I’m out with the dog in winter, she would often want to hang out. But the fun in the cold doesn’t last long, so I built her a dog house where she could stay warmer while hanging out with me outside. And when it’s bitterly cold and windy, we need an excellent door – one that she can quickly move through and still preserve some of the heat.

Lessons Learned

My dog taught me a valuable lesson – she didn’t want to come outside and go in her doghouse unless she could see that I was nearby. She was a bit of a shadow, always by my side. May she rest in peace. Kiki, the Wonder Dog, lived from 2010-2020, lost her life to Cushing’s disease and cancer. But I digress, back to the doors.

With the lesson that the dog did not want to be alone, I had to come up with a way to let the dog see what was going on outside the dog house. As my first few attempts at making doors were not adequately see-through, the dog did not want to stay in the dog house alone. I had to come up with either a door that she could easily see through or add a window. And my solution would need to keep the warmth in and the cold out.

READ MORE about insulating dog houses.

Here we are at the dog house doors and windows that I have over trial and error. In short, I’ve found it to be the best you can buy. Keep in mind that the best is NOT always the most expensive. Sometimes, it’s a cheaper model that has the best solution. With that in mind, hear me out with each product. 

In the Benefits and Features section, I will describe why the product makes the grade. I hope my guide has helped you weed out some of the garbage and find the solutions you were looking for, so let’s dive right in.

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PERFECT PET The All-Weather Energy Efficient Dog Door – In Multiple Sizes

Specifications

• 5″ x 9.25″ Flap size
• Structural foam molded plastic for extreme energy efficiency
• Double vinyl flap for extra thermal efficiency
• Wall kit for home installation (sold separately) means more places to install this pet door.

Benefits And Features

There are a number of features to this particular pet door that caught my attention. I’ve detailed these benefits below.

1. The frame is a durable molded plastic with structural foam insulation. It’s strong and keeps the cold out. Good call.
2. The double flap creates a vapor barrier that allows for proper thermal efficiency.
3. The magnetic bottom bar of the flaps means that once your dog has barged through, the flaps fall back into a locked position.
4. A sliding and removable panel allows you to secure the doorway when the dog is inside for the night.
5. Easy installation makes this a fantastic option for a pet door.
6. The additional wall kit allows the door to be installed directly into the wall of your home.

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Extreme Performance Locking Exterior Dog Door – In Multiple Sizes

This dog house door can find use on your dog house build, your dog kennel, or even on your home itself. The heavy-duty aluminum door can lock in place, so the house can be secured when you go out. It’s a robust door and easy to install into an existing wood or even steel exterior door.

Like other top-quality pet doors, the Extreme comes with a magnetic bottom bar that holds the door in place when a dog isn’t pushing its way through. And the dual or single flap option allows you to customize the door based on your climate. This door is built with longevity and security in mind.

Another fantastic pet door we strongly recommend here at Dog House Times. And yes, we are an affiliate, but why not boast about something if you believe in it? We may earn a commission if you buy it through our link, but it helps support Dog House Times, so thanks in advance.

READ MORE about sizing a dog house here.

One of the cool features of this well-constructed dog door is the fact that it is semi-customizable. You can pick up yours in either of two designs – both locking, but one is a single flap and the other dual flap. And these two designs come in 4 different sizes, giving you a total of 8 options for a single dog door – fantastic!

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PlexiDor Performance Locking Pet Door

Again I’ve picked a door that comes in multiple sizes. The door has a really cool feature of having a lock that uses a key (all sizes but the small, that is). For instance, you can add the key to your house keyring, and you’ve got a secure entry point for your dog that you can lock when you leave the house.

Benefits And Features

There are several reasons why we chose the PlexiDor for the large dog best pet door. First, it’s a solid and sturdy build. It isn’t a cheap plastic design. And the price reflects the quality – this is NOT a budget door. On the other hand, you get what you pay for here, folks. Further to that, since we’re talking about pet doors for large dogs, you really should consider something as professional and robust as the PlexiDor.

Below you’ve got to see these benefits we’ve compiled. There’s a good reason why this door is one of our top choices. Let’s take a look, shall we?

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READ MORE about dog house designs here.

EXPAWLORER Acrylic Dome Pet Window

Dogs love to smell things, and this window does nothing for smell. As a result, it does let them take a look and keeps children’s fingers out of harm’s way. Just as Vincent Okay Nwachukwu said in Weighty ‘n’ Worthy African Proverbs – Volume 1: “That a barking dog seldom bites is to give a dog a bad name, a barking dog does bite.”

And with the above quotation in mind, we’ve checked out the best, robust, clear acrylic plastic windows for your pet. With stability, clarity, and safety for children, these dome windows provide the best solution to satisfy the pet’s needs and children’s safety.

Specifications

• Acrylic plastic construction
• 12.4″ outside diameter
• 5″ depth

Benefits And Features

There are a few things I like about this window. 

1. First, it’s inexpensive, therefore my accountant (my wife) didn’t get angry with me when I bought it.
2. Next, it’s as clear as glass. As a result, it allows my dog to see through and feel as though it’s sticking its little nose out, the window. And the convex depth means that my dog doesn’t stick it’s nose to the plastic, mucking it all up either.
3. Speaking of plastic, it’s a robust acrylic plastic construction with a decent thickness, making this window highly durable. Certainly this durability matters when your kids are playing ball hockey in the yard.
4. This window is easy to install. The holes are pre-drilled, and as long as you don’t over tighten it, it’s simple to mark the holes, drill them, and put the screws in. That is to say, it makes this 10 minutes installation at most (after you cut the hole, of course).

What You Need To Install It

Assuming we will install this door into wood – like a wood fence or wood dog house, these directives will cover a simple wood installation.

• Pencil or marker
• Drill with 1/8” drill bit
• 12 ¼” Hole saw (expensive, I wouldn’t buy just for this build) 
• OR
• Jigsaw (preferred, you could buy this for less than a giant hole saw!)
• Screwdriver

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Small Dome Window (9.9″ Diameter)

X-Large Dome Window (16″ Diameter)

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READ MORE about dog house costs and savings tips here.

“My favorite DIY dog door is the dual layer overlapping strip curtain design.”

Jeremy Shantz – Dog Owner and Dog House Builder

READ MORE about dog house door ideas here.

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