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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

dog flap!!?

14 replies

fancyacoffee · 16/03/2016 22:58

anyone got one? useful/worth it? am thinking of getting one for my small yorkie just so he has a bit more freedom when we are out and we dont feel the need to rush back after 3 hours out. thanks dog lovers! x

OP posts:
TheFlyingFauxPas · 17/03/2016 10:04

I don't think the suggested 3 hours is just to go to the toilet though 😞 It's so dd isn't permanently alone, has company and you can check they're ok. Left alone to let themselves out dd could get into all sorts of trouble. Choke on a twig, fall off something high, get stuck somewhere, get stolen, permanently bark, miss you and think you've left him, eat something dangerous, have a parcel delivered on his head, be carried away by a large bird, anything...
Just so you don't have to rush back after 3 hours 😞

pigsDOfly · 17/03/2016 13:13

I think TheFlyingFauxPas has pretty much covered every eventually:) but tbh it's not something I would contemplate getting for my dog.

The risk of your dog being stolen is the one that I would be worried about and the risk of injury is probably strong, particularly with a small dog.

Rather than rushing back after 3 hours I'd be worrying the whole time I was out and would probably feel the need to rush back after about 15 minutes.

Original poster
fancyacoffee · 17/03/2016 13:24

Totally see what you're saying re the risks. Hadn't actually thought of that. Thanks both. No dog flap for us.

OP posts:
trevortrevorslatterfry · 17/03/2016 13:57

Yes we have a dog flap and it's fine for 2 small dogs to use.
Back garden is fully fenced so they can't get out and no-one would want to steal them

Florin · 17/03/2016 14:20

We moved last year and inherited one. Honestly don't know how we lived without it and why everyone doesn't have one. No getting up and opening and closing the door every 5 minutes like other people I know with dogs seem to do. Dog just goes out when she wants the dog flap is also in her room so if it isn't suitable for her to be out in the rest of the house (like if a non dog lover is over of dc has lots of small friends over) then I can shut her in her room which is very spacious with her bed, water and all her toys and she has free access to the garden so I don't feel guilty about putting her away. However we never leave the house without closing the dog flap (it has a solid panel you slide in) we also close it at night. I would be too worried about someone stealing her (she is one of the most popular breeds to steal).

TheFlyingFauxPas · 17/03/2016 14:24

You never know what they may do fancy. DD has just noticed next doors have a brush next to the fence. He will NOT leave it alone! I've asked them to move it. He's been going crazy in that corner scrabbling at the fence, barking and trying to dig underneath. I hate to think what he'd do if left to his own devices Grin

pigsDOfly · 17/03/2016 16:14

Love the idea of having one for dog to use while you're in the house as Florin has.

I sometimes wonder if my dog thinks she's a cat - very possible as she grew up with my two cats - as she does that thing that cats do: when she's out she wants to come in and when she's in she wants to go out, some evenings I'm up and down like a yoyo with her.

trevortrevorslatterfry · 17/03/2016 16:22

O yeah ours use it while we are in the house! When we were puppy training we got sick of being freezing with the back door open all the time so got the dog flap.

Just had to "post" the puppy through the hole a couple of times with someone on the other side holding a biscuit and he got the idea straight away Grin

LimeJellyHead · 17/03/2016 19:48

We've always had a dog flap. I like the freedom it affords our dogs. But, as others have mentioned, do think about the safety aspects too. I work from home and also have a very enclosed garden, so our dogs are 100% safe to come and go as they please. Also I don't use it as a way of staying out longer.

It was a funny old thing this week. We have always gone the whole hog teaching our dogs how to use the dog flap. We just adopted a new rescue and I hadn't got round to showing it to him yet. The other night he got up, trotted off downstairs and straight out the dog flap to do his toilets. What a clever boy Star

GreyHare · 18/03/2016 11:23

I would never have one, especially after chatting to someone whose dogs got out of the garden whilst she was at work and terrorised some livestock, she had visits from the police and dog warden, and was so so lucky her dogs weren't shot, all because she was at work and the dogs were free to come and go freely from the house through a dog flap.

MrsWooster · 19/03/2016 08:57

I had one for my lurcher and it was brilliant. Would never not have one if when I get another dog.

pigsDOfly · 19/03/2016 19:49

A dog flap for a lurcher? It must have been huge Grin

partystress · 20/03/2016 18:09

Always had one - first 30 years ago. Provided your garden is secure it lets the dogs have so much more freedom. I am a worrier but honestly, unless you are watching them like a hawk the whole time you are with them, they could get into trouble any time you let them out or off the lead.

Kaffiene · 20/03/2016 19:26

We have a cat flap that seems to flip flap all day long with 2 cats and a JRT. Enclosed garden. Not thought about it being a danger !?

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