Pros and Cons to a Pet Door Awning
If you have a dog door, dog house or kennel, you may have seen pet awnings sold or customer reviews on google about the awnings going over these doors. They seem cute and you might like the idea of giving your dog some natural shade when he’s entering or exiting the house. However, before making your purchase, it’s a good idea to research the pros and cons of using one of these pet door awnings. Is this something you really need or just another way to get pet owners to overspend? Here are some questions & answers that might help you make your decision!
Pet Awning Benefits
- Keeps out the elements - By providing a mini roof for the pet door, even a small pet doggie door awning can actually keep rain, slush, and snow out of your home. If your xlarge or small pooch can never decide whether to stay or go, the dog door awning can minimize slush and water buildup inside the weather pet door itself. If you have an electronic pet door, the awning can prevent it from tarnishing from the weather.
- Provides wind protection - Some pet owners are anti-door mount because they’ve heard that the door can turn their home into a wind tunnel. Indeed, having an open access point can lead to a drafty home, but there have been advances to pet doors for walls that minimize drafts. Certain awning styles can also protect against the wind. Awnings that slope down to cover the doggy door provide another barrier to wind.
- Creates a cozy area - Transitioning from the comfort of your kitchen to the great, wide world outdoors can be a shock for small animals. For shy or small dogs, the front door awning shade can help make the other side of the wall seem a little less scary. It's like added patio furniture for your pet!
- Safety - An awning may make it more difficult for intruders to enter your home via the doggie door by physically blocking the entrance, especially with doors that don't have flip locks
Awning Door Cons
- Added expense - If you’ve spent a lot on a contractor to install the doggie door you may not want to spring for this additional cost.
- May not work with all doors - Before using an awning with a pet door that opens and closes, check whether the awning will impede full usage of screen doors or other types of doors.
- Aesthetics - This can either be a pro or con, depending on how you feel about the look, but DIY decor from homedepot is always an option.
- Door usability - While these awnings are usually used for walls and windows, they are sometimes used for doors. This can hinder the use of the door itself, with the awning being in the way or keeping the door from opening fully.
Ultimately, it’s your decision on whether or not to accent your dog door with a one size fits all or DIY awning. It’s a very inexpensive option for a miniature pet sun shade! Know that there’s certainly more to that door than decoration.
CEO
DOG PERSON🐶
Pets: I have a half border collie, half angel named Mikey.
Fun stuff: My dog's tongue is slightly longer than her face, so frequently her tongue sticks out a little even when her mouth is closed.
