Pet Door Glossary

A few of the terms you'll encounter when pet door shopping Electronic pet door Electronic pet doors use collar keys that unlock the flap by sending a signal via an infrared or ultrasonic transmitter or an RFID chip. Some electronic dog doors are also motorized so that the pet does not need to push the flap open. Four-way lock Unlike standard one-direction pet doors, some electronic cat doors and dog doors come with locks that allow four different settings: in only, out only, locked, and open. With such models, the locking mechanism overrides the collar key. Magnetic pet door Magnetic pet doors use collar keys that contain a magnet which unlocks the flap when the pet comes near. Unlike most electronic dog doors, magnetic dog doors don't require a power source or batteries to operate.

Overhead garage pet door

Overhead garage door pet doors are installed within a garage's driveway door. Because overhead garage doors are made of hinged sections, it's very important that the garage pet door be the right thickness and not overlap any of the garage door's joints.

RFID chip

Radio-frequency identification chips are sometimes used in the collar keys of electronic pet doors. Unlike collars that use infrared or ultrasonic transmission, transmitter collars with RFID chips do not require batteries because the chip only needs to be sensed for the door to unlock.

Rise

Rise refers to the distance between the bottom of a pet door's opening and the floor. Pet doors might have a rise of anywhere from two inches for small pets to 12 inches or more for large pets.

Sliding glass pet door

Sliding glass pet doors (aka patio pet doors) are either installed within the glass of a patio door or as a one-piece insert that fits into the sliding door track and has a pet door at the bottom.

Storm door pet door

Storm door pet doors or screen door pet doors are installed within the bottom panel of a front or back door. Because the main door will limit access to the storm door pet door, these doors are best for situations where the pet owner is at home.

Transmitter collar

Transmitter collars or collar keys are worn by pets that are allowed to go in or out of automatic pet doors (electronic or magnetic). The collars typically transmit or receive a signal that causes the pet door flap to unlock and allow the pet to push through.

Wall pet door

Wall pet doors, unlike in-door pet doors, will usually require additional sealing or even double flaps to help keep out moisture and/or insulate against warm or cold temperatures. An advantage of wall dog doors is that removing the door and patching the wall is often possible, whereas in-door dog doors can't be uninstalled.