Dog doors are a great invention that allows your dog to enter the backyard whenever they please. Gone are the days of whining and barking to get your attention to open the door! Your puppy can now enjoy their free time without you having to wait by the cold door until they’re ready to grace you with their presence again.
However, not all doggie doors are made for all types of weather and some have a tendency to let a draft in through the cracks. Unless you want to waste your hard-earned money on extra heating, a dog door for cold weather is a must-have when winter rolls around.
Even in the summer months, insulated dog doors are beneficial. They can keep out bugs, unwanted smells, and smoke from the barbecue party you’re throwing! Winter dog doors simply mean that they’re better insulated and come with stronger closures.
So, let’s get right into the best dog doors for cold weather, shall we? We’ve also included a buyers guide to help you pick the best option for you, and a FAQ section to answer any questions you might have about dog doors for extreme weather.
In a hurry? Here are our top picks!
Best Dog Door For Cold Weather Reviews
Sick of shivering every time your dog wants to come in and out from the backyard?
Well, look no further as we’re about to tell you our favorite dog door for cold weather – it’s the PetSafe Extreme Weather Dog and Cat Door. A few reasons this is the best dog door in our eyes are as follows:
- There are three flaps on the door, keeping drafts at bay as much as possible when your dog enters and exits.
- You get access to good customer service.
- It’s easy to install in a number of different doors.
- Your investment is protected for a year under their warranty.
- Pros
- Better protection from cold weather than standard doggy doors.
- Easy to install.
- Good customer service.
- One year warranty.
- Cons
- You cannot install the door into a wall.
PetSafe is topping our list today with its extreme weather doggy door. You can opt for the frame in either aluminum or plastic depending on your budget and personal preference. The three flap doggie door ensures excellent protection from cold weather – up to three times more than a standard doggy door!
This dog door is incredibly durable and easy to install in either a door or wall. You won’t be spending too much time installing your dog door, no matter what material you’re trying to fit it to. PetSafe offers four different sizes for their dog doors and there is an easy to read size guide to follow as well.
Lastly, PetSafe offers great customer service and has a number that you can call with any questions about your winter dog door. What’s more, they offer a one year warranty for the product so that you know your investment is protected.
- Pros
- Energy-efficient.
- Option to lock the doggy door.
- Four sizes to choose from.
- Cons
- No warranty is included within the price.
The molded plastic on the PERFECT PET dog door ensures that no heat from the house is wasted so you can enjoy the warm indoors without thinking about the weather outside. The dog door for cold weather is also made from two flaps rather than one, making it much better at keeping cold weather out as compared to other doors.
We like that there is a locked option for your doggie door when purchasing this model. When you’re ready to leave the house or go to sleep you can close the door with a firm plastic stopper. This will keep unwanted animals or humans out of your house while you’re not able to supervise the dog door.
There are four sizes for you to choose from – small, medium, extra-large, and super large depending on your dog’s size. The manufacturer also includes an easy to read size guide so that you can opt for the best size for your animals.
- Pros
- Much more energy-efficient than other doggy doors.
- Paint the door to match the rest of your home.
- Option to add closing panels to the front and back of the doggy door.
- Cons
- Only comes in size large.
Another weatherproof dog door from PetSafe, this model is as impressive as the one we looked at earlier. It has a three flap door which is rated at 3.5 times more efficient than a standard dog door with only one flap. This means that no heat will be able to escape through your doggy door.
The plastic frame can be painted so that you can match your dog door to the rest of your decor in your home. Additionally, you’ll be able to easily install the dog door so that you won’t have to waste too much time letting cold air into your house. In our opinion, this is one of the best dog doors for cold weather!
Control who is allowed in your doggy door with a closing panel that you can snap onto the inside of your dog door. This can be used when you don’t want your dog leaving the room. You can also opt for an exterior closing panel to add better weather protection against the winter cold.
- Pros
- Good at keeping cold weather outside.
- Reliable and durable model.
- Great customer service.
- Cons
- If you wanted to install it on a wall you’d need to pay extra.
Do we even have to mention the adorable name of this Ruff-Weather Pet Door? As the great name suggests, this doggy door is excellent for keeping cold weather at bay when you want to remain warm inside. The two vinyl flaps ensure that the wind and rain are kept out of your house at all times.
There is a telescoping frame inside of this winter dog door that ensures excellent energy efficiency as well. The foam molded plastic is highly durable and reliable and you won’t be needing to replace this doggie door for a long time after purchase.
You’ll be able to install this dog door quickly to get you using it in no time. There are four sizes to choose from and you have the option to talk to a customer care team every day of the week.
- Pros
- Tailor the dog door to how you want it.
- Durable aluminum frame.
- Five-year warranty.
- Cons
- Installation might not be the easiest.
Extreme gives you the option to choose a dual flap door or a single flap door depending on how much insulation you want. For cold weather, we would opt for the former option as it is better for efficiency. There are also four sizes to pick from to opt for the best option for your pet.
The aluminum alloy frame is much more durable than a plastic frame so you’ll find that this dog door for extreme weather lasts you longer than a plastic model might. Security is excellent with this dog door, with a security panel included that locks in place twice.
Perhaps the most impressive feature of this dog door for cold air is the five-year warranty that it comes with. You’ll be able to relax knowing that your dog door is covered for half a decade after your original purchase.
Best Dog Door For Cold Weather Buyers Guide
Unfortunately, not every dog door for cold weather is going to work for your dog. There are some important considerations to look out for when you’re shopping around, so be mindful of the factors that we’ll be looking at below.
We’ve attempted to include a dog door ideal for everyone depending on your budget and the amount of insulation you need against cold weather. So, read our factors to consider and get a picture of what the perfect dog door for you looks like.
Size
Perhaps the most important factor to consider is the size of the winter dog door. Most models come in various sizes such as small, medium, and large. These will relate to the size of your furry friend – you don’t have to tell them what size you’re getting if you think they might be offended.
Sometimes owners like to err on the side of caution and get a large winter dog door even though their puppy is nowhere near the size of it. While this might be the best option if you have a puppy that is going to grow into a larger size, it’s not necessary if your dog is already an adult.
If you have a dog door that is too big, it will bring more cold air in than necessary. This means that your house will be overwhelmed with a gust of cold wind when it could have easily been avoided. For this reason, look at the size guides that the manufacturers offer to make sure that you’re only getting a doggy door suitable for your pet’s size.
The Seal
Pet doors work in a number of different ways. Some use magnetic seals while others opt for spring-loaded mechanisms. We recommend opting for a magnetic seal as these close up whenever the door is not in use. This will keep the heat inside and the cold weather outside.
A magnetic seal must be high-quality to ensure that it doesn’t open with a slight gust of wind. A poor magnet might also allow rainwater to creep inside as well, so make sure that you find a doggy door with a reliable seal.
Materials
Some materials tend to shrink in cold weather and expand in hot temperatures. A shrinking pet door will surely let a cold draft inside your home, so make sure to find a winter dog door made of only the best materials out there.
Plastic and vinyl are often used for dog doors but some others use metal within the construction as well. Metal does not shrink in the cold weather, but some plastics are susceptible to this problem.
To counteract this problem you should look for thermal resistant materials making up your doggy door. This will prevent you from choosing one that will constantly bug you with drafts throughout the winter.
Your doggie door should also be insulated enough to prevent the cold weather from traveling through the materials. Some dog doors come with a lot of insulation while others don’t come with much at all, so make sure that you choose wisely.
Durability
When you’re looking for something to work well in cold weather, it needs to be as durable as possible. Cold temperatures can be very harsh and not all things will hold up well in the temperatures – plastic can become brittle and shrink, magnets can get so cold that they don’t work properly.
You should look to the customer reviews to make sure that your doggy door is as durable as possible before you purchase it. Previous customers will be able to give you an unbiased opinion on how well their dog door worked for them so that you can get a better idea of the durability without having to spend a penny.
Weather Resistance
The majority of complaints about dog door for cold weather are that they let in drafts and wind all of the time. Some even go as far as to block the door when not in use, but that takes away from the advantage of your dog being able to leave and enter your home whenever they need to.
If you’re wanting to use a dog door in cold weather, you’re going to have to think of more than only the wind. Your dog door needs to be completely weatherproof so that none of the outside elements can get inside.
Number of Flaps
Some dog doors for cold weather have one door while others have two flaps. The former option is more commonly found on the market and they’re easy for dogs to use. However, only one flap means that you only have one sheet of vinyl as a barrier between your warm and cozy house and the outside.
Two or three flaps allows better protection against the freezing temperatures outside. If one door fails at keeping the cold out, there is another backup door that can pick up the slack. These doggy doors are much more reliable and desirable in cold weather.
Ease of Installation
It’s easy to get caught up in this amazing looking dog door with plenty of features to admire, but it’s important to remember that the dog door needs to be installed into one of your doors. So, you’ll need to measure your door to see whether or not you can install your ideal dog door in the first place.
If you’re panic buying a doggy door at the beginning of winter because you’ve been putting it off for so long, you’ll probably be installing it in the cold weather as well. For this reason, you’ll want a quick and easy installation process so that you can get back inside as fast as possible.
Quality
No one wants to purchase something of low-quality – what would be the point? Your doggy door is no different and we bet that you’ll want to make the most of your dog door for as long as possible before you have to replace it.
So, look for a high-quality doggy door to ensure that your investment is not wasted. While the price might be higher, you’re paying for how beneficial your door is going to be. We think that the added cost is well worth the warmer house and the longevity of your dog door.
Conclusion for Best Dog Door for Cold Weather
If you suffer from cold winters, you definitely need to purchase the right dog door that is better insulated. Otherwise, you’ll be spending extra money on trying to keep your house warm. We’ve provided tons of different dog doors for cold weather that can mount into your backdoor or even into a wall. Now you won’t have to get up off the couch under a warm blanket just to let your dog outside! We hope that you made a selection today!
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you keep a dog door from freezing?
The reason why your dog door is freezing is because of condensation. To counter this you should make sure that there is plenty of insulation around the hole in the door in which the doggy door is installed. You can also use a foam weather seal on the dog door frame to create a barrier.
If this doesn’t work, it might be an issue with high humidity levels inside your home. You can use a dehumidifier to fix this problem and hopefully your dog door will stop freezing in cold weather.
How do you clean a dog door?
Doggy doors can get very dirty quickly before you know it, from muddy paws and wet noses. Luckily for you, there is a simple way to clean your dog door so that it’s not an eyesore. Simply mix some dish soap in a bucket of warm water. Use a cloth to wipe down the door with your solution.
Don’t use any cleaner that has ammonia in the solution on your doggy door, and try not to clean it in freezing temperatures. The door should be allowed to dry completely rather than the water freezing it closed.
Are doggy doors safe?
Dog doors are generally considered safe and not a threat to your safety. Most doggy doors are small enough to not allow humans into the house unless you have an extra-large dog door. However, you can also get locking mechanisms if you’re worried about intruders.
Your dog will hear someone trying to get into your home and go and investigate for you. If a burglar saw a large dog staring at them through the doggy door, we think that they’d be deterred from entering anyway.
Garrett loves animals and is a huge advocate for all Doodle dog breeds. He owns his own Goldendoodle named Kona. In addition, he volunteers at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley, where he fosters dogs and helps animals. Garrett enjoys writing about Doodles and believes that dogs can teach humans more about how to live than humans can teach a dog.
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At We Love Doodles, we’re a team of writers, veterinarians, and puppy trainers that love dogs. Our team of qualified experts researches and provides reliable information on a wide range of dog topics. Our reviews are based on customer feedback, hands-on testing, and in-depth analysis. We are fully transparent and honest to our community of dog owners and future owners.