12 Reasons to Pass On a Smart Pet Door For Your Dog

Making a dog a permanent family member is a huge responsibility. There are so many factors to consider and so many choices to make. Potential dog owners must factor in size, breed, male or female, indoor versus outdoor, food, commitment, lifestyle, safety, training, treats, toys, spaying/neutering, and microchips, among others. While all of these aspects are significant, one major decision to make is this: How will your dog be contained?

With the exception of farm dogs and/or dogs used only for hunting purposes, the overwhelming majority of dogs are considered “indoor dogs.” Although the time outdoors varies depending on breed, temperament, and the owners’ living environment, the truth is that dogs would rather be with their owners — whether inside or outside — more than anywhere else. Every dog owner I have ever known lives inside a dwelling; therefore, so do their dogs!

Dog doors —  small openings that allow pets to enter and exit a building on their own without needing a human to open the door — have been around for centuries, since the domestication of animals. In the late 14th century, the renowned English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, in his iconic Canterbury Tales, even wrote about a cat hole used to let pets outside.

Obviously, dog doors have evolved greatly since the late 1300s. The newest “breed” of dog doors is the smart pet door. Smart pet doors differ a bit in technology, but they are basically electronic doors that enable Fido to come and go as he pleases. The advantages of these new smart pet doors over traditional dog doors are plentiful. These pros include convenience for owners (no getting up and down constantly to let your dog in and out), enhanced security against unwanted “guests” (birds, rodents, strays, raccoons, etc.), manifold activation methods, and compatibility with technology (such as smartphones and home voice-activated systems like Google Home and Amazon Alexa).

While these alleged advantages seem too good to be true, in many cases, they are. So, then, let’s dive into the 12 reasons to pass on a smart pet door for your dog.

1. Cost

While many lower-cost smart pet door options exist, you need to keep in mind that you are investing in your home and family members — both the furry friends and the humans. “Cheap” is not the way to go if you’re buying a smart pet door for your dog.

Some smart pet doors cost close to $3,000, and that doesn’t include installation. That kind of money can buy an expensive French bulldog or a Bernese mountain dog. Similarly, $3,000 would buy three cute dachshunds. You need to weigh the risk-reward equation when you are considering purchasing a smart pet door for your dog.

2. Learning Curve

Your puppy or full-grown dog will have to get used to the smart pet door. Depending on the dog, it can take a few times up to several weeks to become acclimated to its new portal of coming and going. The dog’s learning period may be comparatively small compared to the life of the dog. However, you will have to figure out how to successfully monitor the dog while it’s still getting used to the new door.

3. Housetraining Issues

Especially for a puppy, a smart pet door can interfere with housetraining. Certainly, it would be nice if your dog could just relieve itself when it wants to. However, what about those times when it cannot, like when you’re on vacation or staying with family or friends?

Oftentimes, dog doors backfire when it comes to house training. The dog will use the door to go outside and play and then come inside to use the bathroom. Moreover, most dog trainers recommend leaving the dog door shut completely until your puppy is fully house-trained.

4. Voiding Warranties

Not to stereotype, but most people who can afford an expensive smart pet door can also afford expensive doors. Accordingly, installing a smart pet door will almost certainly void any door’s warranty. Depending on your location, family size, and door usage, this point might not be applicable, yet it calls for consideration. Although alternative locations for placing smart pet doors (walls, windows, sliding glass doors, etc.) exist, similar warranty issues apply.

What if you’re renting? Check your contract, but the likelihood of your being able to install any type of pet door is minuscule. Additionally, someday, you will probably move. Will a dog door — even a nice, expensive smart pet door — negatively affect your home’s resale value?

5. Heating and Cooling Loss

Even though smart pet doors are much more efficient than old-school flap doors, you will still have some heating and cooling inefficiency based on trips through the door and your climate. Obviously, the cost of energy waste is most likely low, but it could be a major factor in extremely hot or cold climates.

6. Barking Problems

As I mentioned previously, my dog barks at ear-damaging decibels. If your dog barks incessantly, you most likely bring it inside to mitigate your neighbors’ annoyance. However, if you are away from home and your dog has access to the outdoors whenever it spies a bird, squirrel, or chipmunk, your neighbors have good reason to complain.

Dogs are creatures of habit, and instantaneous barking is something you do not want to allow to cultivate. At best, you can apologize to your neighbors and remedy the situation. At worst, you could be receiving a visit from your local animal control.

7. Mud and Dirt Tracking

Dogs get dirty. They don’t care if it’s raining and if they’re muddy. Smart pet doors don’t have (at least not yet) carwash-type cleansers to ensure that your home remains pristine upon your dog’s re-entering. If you can live with dirt and mud, then this factor may be a non-factor. Yet again, it is worth considering in the big-picture decision.

8. Relationship Disconnect

Think about it: If your dog has free reign on his own comings and goings, less effort is required of you to spend time with it. If a dog can let himself out and play by himself, an owner may even inadvertently spend less time with their dog. Other than being just plain sad, this possibility minimizes the all-important bond between an owner and his dog.

9. Increased Aggression

Coupled with the aforementioned potential disconnect, a smart pet door can make a dog more aggressive. Especially for alpha males, a dog with so much control over his own choices can lead to a doggy entitlement of sorts. This privileged mindset will become amplified. This amplification will manifest, especially when your dog experiences conditions he cannot control, such as in public and staying away from home. Honestly, this aggression will develop much more from your dog’s frustration than from his natural temperament.

10. Home Alone Problems

If you live in a suburban setting or neighborhood, it’s probable that you have erected some sort of fence to contain your pup. When alone, dogs can find ways under or over fences that you’d never dream they could. This problem presents not only potential danger for your dog (getting lost, hit by a car, sprayed by a skunk, etc.). It also presents potential liability for you if he were to damage property or worse, bite someone. Owning a pool only increases the likelihood that your dog may get hurt or, in a worst-case scenario, killed.

11. Unwanted Animal Intrusions

Even though most modern flap doors these days are designed to keep unwanted animals such as rodents, birds, and snakes out, no opening is foolproof. Even if the sensor is linked only to your dog, lots of smaller critters are sneaky and fast. I can picture my dog chasing one of the ubiquitous chipmunks or moles on our property straight to a doggy door. When he gets to the door, he is close enough on the rodent’s heels for both of them to enter the door simultaneously. Does a smart pet door mitigate the chances of this scenario happening? Absolutely, yes. However, the risk of unwanted animals in your house still exists, even with a modern door.

12. More Dangerous Intrusions

A huge advantage of a smart pet door over other types of dog doors is extra protection from burglars or criminals While even most old-school dog doors are difficult for a human intruder to breach due to their size, any dog door presents a compromise. Especially for large-sized dogs, doors may be big enough for extremely clever criminals to devise a plan to breach even the most secure and technologically advanced dog door. The chances are extremely small that an electronic or microchip door could be breached. However, the stakes involved should certainly warrant consideration.

Alternatives to Smart Pet Doors

Smart pet doors have certainly revolutionized the dog door industry, and few alternatives exist that are not a step backward in accessibility and safety. However, there are a few ways for your dog to get outside that reduce the negatives that dog doors present.

Consider putting a dog door on a patio or screened-in porch. That way, animals and insects can only reach that limited environment and not the main area of your house. Plus, a patio door gives you a chance to clean your dog off if it’s been rolling around in the mud or some other unsavory substance.

Another idea is to invest more in training your dog, whether that be you or a professional trainer. A professional dog trainer will help you build a better bond with your dog by decoding various dog behaviors. As well, with a trainer, your dog will learn basic commands much more quickly and consistently. Dog trainers will also help you communicate better with your dog.

Dogs want more than anything to please their owners but many times don’t know what their owners want due to lack of or poor communication. Finally, dogs are animals, and as such, they sometimes have behavior problems that you as an owner cannot decipher. Professionals who regularly deal with aggression, separation anxiety, and consistent obedience will translate into a better bond with your dog.

Finally, let’s go back to the fact that dog ownership is a monumental responsibility. Before adding a furry friend to your family, be honest with yourself. Do you truly have the energy and time it takes to raise, train, and live with a dog? Is your family away from the house most of the time, or do one or more of you have the liberty to stay and/or work from home most of the time? No matter how much you want to add a dog to your family, you may be doing the dog a favor by passing on it to let a family more equipped to give the dog a fulfilling life adopt it.