How to Install a Dog Door in a Glass French Door

Running around in the front yard and chasing the neighborhood cats is one of the basic canine pleasures that you would not want to deprive your dog of.

But what about the times you are at work? While you obviously cannot leave your house door open when you are not around, you cannot just lock your dog outside your house for hours either! A pet door is a must! But what if you only have a French door for your backyard?

The perfect win-win solution is to install a dog door in your French door. Some of the benefits of which include: 

• Your pet can come and go as they please 
• You don't have to cut into a wall or solid door
• The doggie door fits seamlessly for a polished look 

We’ll walk you through how to install a dog door in a glass French door. Dog door solutions for French doors might seem a bit challenging at first, but the process can actually be quite simple with some guidance!

If you haven't already, check out the Utah Pet Access French Door pet door. This is a pet door made specifically for French doors, which will save you a lot of hassle.

If you want an alternative solution for having a glass French door with pet door, keep reading, and we'll explain just how easy it can be. Whether you’re looking to install double french doors with doggie door or another variation, we’ve got you covered!

Determining the Type of Your French Door

To begin installing your pet door for French doors, you’ll first need to determine the type of French door to select a suitable pet door for your dog. French doors simply mean any door or patio door that has segmented panes of glass in its frame. There are even sliding door French doors! Most of them of single pane, not dual-pane. First, identify which type of French door you have to understand how to install your doggie door for glass French doors. Generally, there are two types of glass French doors:

1. One Piece of Glass with Grid-work

Let’s get started with the process of installing a pet door for French doors! If your door has one pane glass piece, the process of installing a doggie door in a glass French door may prove to be a bit difficult. Dog door installation in glass doors requires a few key steps, so read carefully.

The reason is that you will need to have a new piece of glass cut with a hole to fit the French doors with pet door of your choosing).

2. Multiple Panes of Glass, Individually Framed

If your door has individual panes of glass, you can simply get one or more glass pieces removed and replace it with a custom-built dog door that perfectly fits inside the hole you have created.

The number of glass pieces that you will have to get removed depend on the size of your dog. For a large dog, you will have to remove more than one glass panes or perhaps cut into the door frame to accommodate your French doors pet door. 

Installing a Dog Door in the Glass French Door

Based on the door glass you have, the process of dog door installation may vary greatly. Ideally, your doggy door may take up the space of one glass piece or more than one. It could even cut into the doorframe below the glass if need be. Considering this, it might not be an ideal DIY task that you would want to do. You may find it challenging to cut the glass or amend the door frame to fit the door unit in.

Let us go into the detail of the installation process for each.

For Single Pane of Glass 

The best way to install a dog door in a single-pane French door is to replace the glass pane with   one that has a dog door installed at the bottom. You can also get the existing glass pane removed, get the desired dog door insert installed in it and get it put back. Follow the steps mentioned below to successfully install your desired dog door in your glass French door that has one piece of glass.

Step 1: Measure Your Dog 

The foremost thing to do is to measure your dog from feet to shoulder. We would suggest you take the measurements twice to make sure you have the correct numbers. This would help you to get the perfect door flap size to suit your dog.

Step 2: Contact a Local Glazier

It is highly recommended to hire a local glazier who can cut the glass pane for installing the dog door. It is not a DIY task, so make sure you let a professional take charge.

Step 3: Choose a Suitable Dog Door

It is important to note that dog doors, in general, have different ranges of thickness. To choose the most suitable one, you should consider checking the thickness of the glass pieces of your French door for determining the perfect fit.

Step 4: Let the Glazier Remove and Cut the Glass Piece

Once you have bought the ideal dog door for installation, the glacier will do their job by removing the one-piece glass pane from your door and cut it the size of the dog door.

Step 5: The Installation Step

After cutting the dog door-sized glass piece from your French door, the glacier will install the dog door and put everything back together to give the final finish.

For Multiple Panes of Glass  

The steps to installing a dog door in a French door that has multiple glass panes are as follows:

Step 1: Measure Your Dog

Measure your dog from feet to shoulder. This will allow you to get a dog door that is comfortable for your dog to pass through. For confirmation, retake the measurements to ensure that you get the ideal door frame size for your pet.

Step 2: Determine the Correct Height

Take a good look at your multiple-paned glass French door. You will note that the glass pieces  on the door are quite high. Hence, make sure you first think about the height that you would want the dog door to be installed.

For large dogs, the height might not be much of a problem but if you have a small dog, you would want to cut through the door frame to get to a suitable height.

Step 3: Remove the Desired Glass Piece

As per the height you deem suitable, choose a glass pane that you would want to replace with the pet door mount. We would recommend you hire a local glazier to remove the glass pane.

Step 4: Measure the Hole Opening

When the glazier has cut through your glass door, take careful measurements of the opening of the hole.   

Step 5: Order a Custom Dog Door

Keeping in mind the size of the opening, you can get a dog door custom-made to make sure it fits into your French door perfectly. You'll want something that is insulating and energy efficient, as exterior doors with pet doors can let in some cool air. The best pet doors for this job are the Hale Pet Door Custom or, if you don't need custom, the dual flap Endura Flap!

Step 6: Hire a Professional Installer

Once you have your hands on the desired dog door, call a professional installer to ensure a safe and successful installation of your French door pet door. Most pet door installations are self-explanatory and simple, but you never want to take chances with glass! We hope this quick guide helped explain how to put a dog door in a glass door. Get a dog door installed in your glass French door today and let your furry friend enjoy their freedom!

We hope this quick guide helped explain how to put a dog door in a glass door. Get a dog door installed in your glass French door today and let your furry friend enjoy their freedom!