Open it yourself, pup.
I've been on a home improvement kick again. Last night, I decided to get moving on some projects I'd been putting off for some time. Of course, I decide to start with the most time-consuming one first: installing a doggie door.
We had picked it up on Saturday shortly after getting Ozzy. Neither of us particularly enjoys the whole "in-out-in-out" routine that Chloe puts us through, and we were not about to start that up with a second dog. With winter settling in, we couldn't very well leave the door propped open either like we do on nice sunny days. It was time for the private entrance.
Of course, I was missing a bunch of the tools needed to make an installation happen. I ended up picking up some drill bits and a new saw specifically for this project. This $50 dog door was up to $85 now.
It took a few tries at measuring, but I got the template for the cuts both level and even (knowing full well that it would drive the both of us nuts if it looked terrible). Next was to drill a few starter holes. I learned very quickly that this is not the kind of job you bring a cordless drill to. It ran out of battery power before I finished the first hole, and charging for an hour didn't even give me enough to finish the second one.
The sawing took forever too since I had opted for a cheapie manual saw instead of a cool power saw. Word to the wise: power tools are your friend. They save you time, backaches, and cursing under your breath. It also means clean cut lines so you don't have to keep hacking away little bits to make the thing fit.
By 11PM, we were hanging the door back on its hinges, hopeful that the dogs would take to it quickly. Ozzy ran right through like he was born to use doggie doors. Chloe acted like it was the jaws of death waiting to bite her little puppy head off. Not much has changed since that point. It takes a treat or the prospect of someone arriving home for her to dart through the thing.
I hope she decides to get on board with using it. I'd be pretty cheesed off if I spent all that time just to open a smaller door for her.
Jesse
Shauna
I want a reciprocating saw for Christmas. You should ask for one too. And yeah, we have a cordless drill and jigsaw…never…ever…again.
Don’t worry, My Cassie took awhile to get down the door thing. She acted like we were INSANE. We would go out the door and call her out through it over and over. Took forever, and she was a very smart dog! But once she got it, SOOOOO much easier than the whole LETTING her out to potty thing.
Ok neighbor! Your supposed to borrow tools from the neighbor. We need to start swapping tools 🙂 I think the thing that worked for Jake was lots of praising. I’d also go outside a lot and he’d have to come out if he wanted to be outside. That seemed to give him motivation. Having Ozzy around will help too. Dogs seem to learn from each other faster then from us humans. Especially since we aren’t going to be using the doggie door… ever!
She’s used it a few times now on her own without any attempts to motivate from our side. So that’s good. And she bolts through it when I come home in the evening and I go through the garage to the back. Or in the morning when she’s outside and I’m inside pouring her breakfast. 🙂
Can I fit through the doggy door?
Jason… uh… nevermind!
Sounds like fun guys. Max would be all over that like a bee to honey.
Max says no he wouldn’t.