Is there a specific dog door you would recommend for my dog’s breed? What about their weight?
Some pet door retailers will recommend pet doors based on your pet’s breed or weight. However, when it comes to finding a door flap in the right size for your pet, we find that basing it on your pet’s height is the better method for your pet’s long term happiness and health.
We also know that we have a lot of pet doors on our site. It can be hard to narrow down what door you should get even when you do know how tall your dog is. That’s why we have a few recommendations based on the average height range of your dog’s breed:
- Toy - up to 7 ½” tall
- Small - up to 12 ½” tall
- Medium - up to 16” tall
- Large - up to 23 ½” tall
- Extra Large - over 23 ½” tall
Note: all recommendations assume a step-over height of 2”-5”
Toy Dogs - up to 7 ½” tall
Moderate Weather: Cat Mate 234 and 235 Manual Cat Flaps
Extreme Weather: Hale Cat Door for Doors (small)
Electronic Pet Doors: SureFlap DualScan Cat Flap
Small Dogs - up to 12 ½” tall
Moderate Weather: Petsafe Plastic Pet Door (small)
Extreme Weather: Endura Flap Pet Door for Doors (small)
Electronic Pet Door: SureFlap Microchip Pet Door Connect for Doors
Medium - up to 16” tall
Moderate Weather: Pride Pet Doors for Doors (Medium)
Extreme Weather: High Tech Armor Flex Pet Door for Doors (small)
Electronic Pet Door: Petsafe Electronic Smart Door (small)
Large - up to 23 ½” tall
Moderate Weather: Petsafe Freedom Aluminum Pet Door (Extra Large)
Extreme Weather: Endura Flap Pet Door for Doors (extra large)
Electronic Pet Door: High Tech Power Pet Automatic Door Mount (large)
Extra Large - over 23 ½” tall
Moderate Weather: Dragon Pet Door for Doors (large)
Extreme Weather: Endura Flap Pet Door for Doors (extra large)
Electronic Pet Door: Currently, there are no electronic doors big enough for extra-large dogs.
What Is a Properly Fitting Pet Door?
A properly fitting pet door should be tall enough that the top edge does not scrape against your dog’s back when they walk through it. If it does, the door may cause pain towards your dog. You can find out more about how to measure your dog on our pet measuring guide.