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on the sliding glass door that leads out to the sunroom, so that my dog can go out through that door and then take his doggy door over to his designated “toilet.” His toilet is a small, fenced-in area with gravel and artificial grass, which allows me to keep his messes contained for easy cleanup and hose it down periodically.
My dog wears a collar that triggers the Power Pet Roll Up Door’s sensors to open when he approaches, and then the door closes a few seconds later. The door immediately rolls up against the slightest resistance, so it doesn’t even faze him if he stays in the threshold too long, much less hurt him. While some dogs are averse to having a flap rub against their head or back, this door’s roll-up mechanism doesn’t get in their way.
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Compared to the inexpensive doggy door I already had, the Power Pet Roll Up Door for sliding glass doors is quite sophisticated. High Tech Pet offers the same doggy door in both door and wall mounting options, and each comes in three different sizes.
The pet door panel locks into the sliding glass door when needed.
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I’ve been using my door for over a month, and my dog got used to the system within minutes, the same night I installed it — and this is not a super obedient, highly trained dog (sorry, dude). I taught him how to go in and out with some treats, and he quickly grasped the mechanism. Within a week, my family left for an overnight trip, leaving the dog at home with his automatic feeder and water dispenser until we returned the next day.
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There are drawbacks and downsides to the door; the app is the main one. I’m sure the company plans on improving the app through updates, but the app crashes sometimes, particularly when setting schedules, or gives me occasional issues connecting to the pet door. Most of the time, though, I have no issues controlling the door remotely.
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My dog is reactive and doesn’t play well with other dogs, so boarding him causes anxiety and requires medication. Because of this, he ends up staying by himself in a small confined area or crate, which we don’t like as it adds to his stress. Being able to give him the freedom to stay comfortable at home, where he likes to be most, and enjoy the confidence of going in and out as needed did wonders when we returned from that trip, even if it was just for one night.
This door has literally changed our everyday life — it’s become second nature to our dog. Instead of having to coax him out of the house with a treat, he immediately walks up to the door and is happy to go in and out because he knows he has full control over that aspect of his life. And I love that for him.
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Truly, if you’re a pet owner who wants to give your dogs a little bit more independence or simply you’re simply looking for a solution for a doggy door that doesn’t stay open the entire time or you don’t have to go and manually lock with a panel, the Power Pet Roll Up Door

