Best Dog Door For Winter (Jan 2023 Update)

I recently added a little screened in outdoor room for my cats and dogs to use for a little outdoor time. This pet door works perfectly. The dogs and the cats have no problems using it. It’s big enough for the dogs and easy enough for the cats to use too. I especially like the added inner flap that helps keep the hot outdoor air out. The slide in insert is great too because I like to close it at night to keep anything from possibly getting in the house. This is not the first time I’ve used a Petsafe door and it won’t be the last. Great productJohnnypat

Awesome quality product! Bought 6 for our kennel and are great! Lil pricey but you get what you pay for. Bonus that you can buy replacement flaps if needed.davem88

We got this to install at my grandma’s house. She uses a walker and often has trouble getting up as frequently and quickly as the dog needs to go outside. this is perfect because it alleviates the problem for both of them. This is not a job for one person to install – assistance may be needed to line it up and some kind of sealant might be needed if the cut isn’t perfect. But overall, I recommend! Also, I sized up to large because I couldn’t picture the opening size being enough with the medium, but probably could have gone with a smaller size since the dog has more than enough room.BRMomma

Easy enough to install, but their use of nylon bolts is a downside. I understand it is so you can cut the excess away. But it probably wouldn't have cost any more (possibly a tiny bit more) to engineer the door to use metal hardware so it wouldn't strip as easily. The other issue I have is the "security" snap on door. Because it's snap on and not slid in or lockable, both my dogs have been able to push it off from the outside in. And the door is XL so it's big enough for a person to crawl through, so there is absolutely no security from a person entering standpoint. Other than that, the door works perfectly well for letting the dogs in and out independently, and keeping the heat/cool outside.Chefblue

This was dribbling enough water into my utility room during storms that I had to disassemble it to figure out where it was leaking. I couldn't find exactly where it was letting water in, so once I got it reassembled, I caulked the heck out of it and it seems to be okay for now. Taking it apart and reinstalling it was a major hassle. Most of the nylon screws either broke or wouldn't fit all the way back through, after numerous attempts. Seems to be poorly engineered. And the door where it was leaking isn't even facing in the usual direction of the wind/rain, so I don't know why it leaked so badly.TS777

I have a huge 75lb male english bulldog, a 35lb corgi and an 18lb maltese. I was worried about the small ones getting through this with the double flaps and also it being the super large one, but so far they are better with the door than the bulldog is. This door is great. And since my corgi has the shortest legs I actually put the door a little lower than you are supposed to and it was totally fine. The only thing I don't like about this door so far is the wind does push open the flaps, but it's usually only when it is pretty bad out. And I haven't had a problem with my magnets falling back in line on the bottom of the flaps like some people posted about, so I really like this door!Natalie

This pet door is sturdy and durable. The template didn't line up, so we installed the door without it. I have a very large dog that plows through it at top speed and it has held up to his abuse. I have a tripod dog and she is able to use it without any problems. We did have to remove one of the flaps to get the dogs used to it with treats. It gave us a sense of comfort knowing the dogs could go in and out of the house while we were out of town and couldn't take them with us. I also have a large dog who is terrified of thunderstorms and I hated leaving her when I knew our normal weather patterns would include late afternoon storms. We researched pet doors and this one was well suited to our needs and less expensive than the electric collar types.iou2much

This door was much easier to install than my previous door. Just as advertised it prevents the wind from blowing the flaps open and letting the A/C escape. It has a weather seal already and does not need caulking. I highly recommend this product even if you don’t live in a windy area. Best design ever.evelyn

Being a senior widow im on my own. I installed this myself in a wood door. I thought whats the worst that could happen..buy a new door. Got er in just fine actually was easynancy

We have not installed it in the door yet…but just looking at it, it looks sturdy and indestructible, which is good, because my dog literally eats and tears the doors with the flexible plastic. He's a monster. This should do the trick. Well put together and hard plastic tri-flex door flap. Best price I can find for these is here!!Kim

I have 7 dogs of varying sizes who use this door constantly. The only fault I find is that the rubber gaskets between the slats in the door wear out . Everything else lasts a very long time. I tweaked it by putting piano hinges between the slats and that has extended its use a lot. If I could buy just that part the door would last practically forever! Even with my over-sized pack!HappyKat

In our old house we had this door and loved it. The door was on the north side of the house but always kept the wind, cold and snow out! So naturally when purchasing a different house, my first purchase was another door! This truly is THE BEST door! We substituted metal screws for the plastic ones. The door held up perfectly to our 2 rambunctious Schnauzers too!Terri Nevada MO

I would highly recommend this doggy door. This doggy door is very well made and sturdy. It has a nice piece to slide in when you want to block the door. My friend came over to install it yesterday and the instructions were clear and it even came with a template to help with an uncomplicated install. Now the fun part will be getting my fur baby to use it.Dreambiz

The advertisement for this door does not give you the measurements needed for the wall or door opening which would help in determined the size you order. They are not clear on the fact that this unit is for the door and not the wall. They offer a wall kit for more money if you intend to install this in the wall. The wall kit is not needed if you are a handyman type person but you will have to go to the hardware store and buy longer screws because they are only available when you buy the wall kit. Why not just put the screws in the kit to start with.Otis2

Excellent product! The door flaps are so heavy, even when we had 80mph winds, they didn’t move. They are flexible enough for my two Labs to go through the door easily. With the third insulator flap in the middle, no cold Montana winter winds came in the house. I ended up purchasing an additional cover for the outside.ScottyMolly

This extreme weather pet door is absolutely a perfect fit for our home. It gives my 2 fur babies the opportunity to go outside, or come inside as they please. This means I don't have to constantly go open and shut the door for them. It's great for both my dogs, the big and the small have no issues coming in and out. The 3 flaps are perfect for the SC weather. I can't feel the morning cold or the afternoon heat. The frame was easy to install and if every needed, I can replace the flaps, instead of the entire door. The closure panel allows me to leave my home knowing my dogs will be safely inside. I had doubts about having a doggie door, however this PetSmart door has pushed my doubts to nothing but positive results.Bsteese

I love my Extreme Weather Pet Door, better yet my dogs Love the Extreme Weather Pet Door! This is a very well made high quality Pet Door and gives my pets the freedom to come and go at their own will. This makes life so much more stress free for the owner and the pet. The door has a great magnetic seal on the doors which will help keep out the cold and insects, seals shut with every entry and exit. The door is great about keeping cold drafts out also……a plus! I would recommend the Extreme Weather pet door to anyone seeking a wonderful pet door. Your pet will love you for it and that is the most important opinion. Also very easy install with easy to follow instructions included. Very Pleased!MrMack

We had been looking for an alternative to cutting a hole in our wall and this is perfect. It installs easily into our track and the weatherstripping worked great to fill any gaps. Only downside is it takes up half your entry space to go in and out. Not a problem for us but if you have large individuals that need to go in and out it could be a problem. We had a door at our other house so it only took a couple days for our dogs to get use to the sound of the flap on this one. I love the convenience of not constantly getting up and my dogs love they don't have to wait on me. Great product and would highly recommend.Donna I.

I have purchased two of these dog doors now. The first was the sash window door which was awesome. At the time I was living in Wyoming which has tremendous winds. Other doors wouldn't stay closed in the wind but the Endura Flap prevailed! Now I've moved to Alaska and didn't have a window that would work as a dog door so I bought the sliding glass door model. Just like it's window option, this dog door is top notch. I was using some other brand of sliding door dog door and it was letting so much cold air into the lower level of my house that I avoided going down there, which was annoying since half of the house is down there. Now that the Endura Flap door is in, there's a little cold air leaking in behind the sliding door, but it is LEAGUES better than it was. I have no proof of this, but I am certain that this door will pay for itself in heating bill savings in one winter.Sage

We looked at a lot of doors before we decided on the Endura flap thermo door. It was more expensive that the others, but in my opinion it is well worth it. Installation was easy, although our door was not plum so it took some time to adjust it.(not the doors fault) First night we realize a lot of cold air was seeping thru the back panel of the slider, we tried to put the weather striping on but it did not work very well. I give that a 2. We took black packing foam and cut into strips to wedge between the door and the glass worked very well and does not look to bad, also put some around the doggie door where the space was from not being level. TRAINING was very easy…we took the magnets out of the bottom as the video showed. It took a some muscles and finesse the first time then was easy the next time. Took treats outside, some inside, and our 8 month old lab got it on the second try. Dew to cold and wind after a couple of days we put the magnets back in and she went thru very easily. Great doorLizzy B.

I don’t understand why this is sold as “great option” doesn’t make sense…. If I fit this in the tracks and assuming that it’s a perfect fit, The passageway for humans to walk out is wayyyy too small! You need to dedicate a whole sliding patio entrance only for this item, do not have any hopes that you’ll be able to use it to go in and out or carry something outside, you won’t fit thru it!Amosh83

After comparing price, style and weather insulation, I found Petco had the right patio door. It was easy to assemble, looks great with the matching white trimming and seals perfect, no cold air coming in. The price was just right compare to others. My pets love it, no more getting up to let them out or leaving the door open.mancha2247

My insert is 5 years old now and still my dogs favorite. In the winters the UltraFlex 3 panel dog door keeps the cold out. Yes it does cut down the human passage, but its still very passable. Unless you have a non-standard sliding door.Stand77

This door was provided at a 50% discount to replace another type of door that my dog broke. I installed it yesterday and have already had an issue with “extreme weather.” We had a nice snow storm blow through with a 10 mph north wind blowing directly at the door and it provided little resistance. Our mud room was freezing cold as the wind blew through the extra large hole in the door. It seemed to work well yesterday against a mild breeze and it was definitely more well insulated than the last dog door we had. I am now going to have to figure out some way to buffer the wind approaching the door so that it is not being hit directly by unabated winds. The removable cover is helpful right now, but defeats the purpose of having a dog door…skywalker3939

I replaced my back door with a door that already had a pet door installed in it. Even though the frame was still sturdy the flaps were worn and needed to be replaced as I felt like I was heating the outside here in Montana. It was a pretty old pet door and the flaps are discontinued. Contacted PetSafe and they were amazing to say the least! They got me set up with a XL Extreme Weather Pet Door and my Newfoundlands could not love it more. They go in and out all day long and I feel that I am not hearing the outside anymore! It was easy to install too! Win win! Highly recommend this company and their products!Newfgirl77

My latest product to review is the Pet Safe Extreme Weather Aluminium Pet Door. I received a medium sized door for my dog. I have a nearly 20 pound Boston Terrier and she is able to push the door open with ease. In fact, she is in and out frequently. It was fairly easy to install. This pet door appears to be solidly constructed. My main concern with the door after installation was how air tight it would be. I was concerned about heat escaping during the winter months and also air conditioning escaping during the summer months. So far, the door appears to be perfectly sealed as I could not detect any air escaping. The Boston Terrier loves it!Greg411

After reading all of the reviews, the VERY common problem is the hinge. This is going to be my 3rd or 4th door and second to purchase (the sizable hole is hard to find a replacement for), most EVERYONE has had the exact same broken and weak point of the hinge. Some of these comments are from long enough ago, you would think that the company would look at the common problems and try and fix the issue. But they seemingly have yet to make an attempt to fix the common and perpetual problem of the hinge!!! GUYS COME ON!!!!!!!! Not adding a photo, there are plenty of them on here already.Isaac09

I've had this door for a year now, and after a year of modifying, and remodifying, I give. Simply not a great door for strong dogs. Our doberman broke the door out initially, it was put back in place. The 2nd time he broke it out some of the plastic fasteners broke off. My SO ended up modifying the door with an aluminum strip and all new hardware. It's been broken off several times even with the new modifications. The key backs fall off and we didn't end up using them anyways to begin with. The frame is solid, we got the wall kit which is flimsy and had to seal ourselves but nonetheless it's installed. I'd love to order another model that will fit the already permanent opening. As of current, our heat's turned off until we figure out what to do to fix the door. It's not strong enough for large dogs, they bust it right out!Bunnyfromdahood

Purchased the door about a month ago. We have 4 dogs ranging in size from 6.5 lb to 60 lb. All of them use the door even the little guy. The big dog did not need any training at all he instinctively new when it went click he could go! I was concerned about the reviews but it seemed to me that these were all very large dogs by height and the photos of the installs seemed low to me. I would recommend the product. No more getting up two or three times a night. YAAA I installed it myself, granted I am more of a handyman than most, but I am also over the 65 mark +. So I would expect the young bucks to do it even faster. But you do need to have a supply of the D cells. Batteries are not what they used to be and you only get about a month or a little less use. I am concerned about how long the tag battery will last, time will tell. Great Productricky5437

The PlexiDor is a well made item that in my opinion is worth the price. The fit and finish on the unit is excellent and it even has the person's name on it who made it. That's a pretty good sign they take pride in their work. Installation took longer than expected but that was due to my own lack of skill and not having the right tools. It only took one trip to Home Depot to get what I needed. I am really surprised by how airtight it is. The doors close tightly and I feel very little air leakage from it. I have it installed in a basement door at the bottom of stairs and even though a lot of cold air collects in this area the PlexiDor manages to seal well. I had a looked at doors and was hesitant to get one only because I was afraid of the heat loss. This is a great product and I'm sorry I didn't buy it sooner.DiVo

Pros: Very sturdy, unique design, much more attractive than traditional dog doors. Worked great for a basement door down steps because required less clearance for the saloon doors than traditional flap style. Love the security plate on rails. Cons: Price, Hard to install in older door. Best for newer smooth bottomed doors- took some work to install in an old (thinner than 1 3/4 inch) door with panels. Required building a frame around it on both sides but now that it is in looks great!Katherine R.

This is probably the best money I have ever spent. I live in GA where it gets HOT in the summer but this is insulated so well and there are no drafts in the winter. My 2 50ish lb dogs burst through this many times each day and it is indestructible. I don't have to play doorman anymore! I had one issue with the lock and they sent me a new lock mechanism right away, but I was able to fix it in about 15 minutes without needing to replace the whole lock anyway. Word to the wise, do not caulk the door on the inside so that you can remove it if/when you need to change the lock. Also, they sell a track system to add on that allows you to slide the security plate on daily/nightly (instead of screwing it on), which is super convenient and a great design.Jennifer R.

Haven't installed it yet (have to wait for a rebuilt garage door), but it appears to be exactly what I need. Seems to be easy to install & well built.Pet Owner

I am so impressed with the clearness of the flap. My puppy had been too afraid to use my last one. Flap was hard and she couldn't see through it. Very easy set up and looks nice on the door.FinLila

Why don't you show the flap sizes? Example – 8.1 wide by 12.8 high Also, how much is the shipping – if we choose not to spend $35 or more?quikcarl

Replacing our current door with the identical door which is 16 years old. It had 3 dachshunds running through it and the flaps were in need of replacement. This is a very durable door and I highly recommend it.jimmiekayo

Pet door flaps made very cheap,extremely light weight, when the slightest wind comes along both flaps are straight out to the outside, magnets in the wrong place to hold the flaps, I have had pet doors for many years and NEVER had this problem, I will never recommend buying this one, not worth the money for sure, very disappointed. Will need to look for a better quality door for sure, a waste of money.Kenneth

Dog loves it but presentation is misleading. It does not show that it needs to be plugged into a power supply or you need to purchase an additional battery pack. But after spending the additional hundred dollars for the battery pack it allows the dog to easily go in and out, but remember to change the battery out every two weeks or the dog will get locked outside in the middle of the nightCelestecatcrazy

Learn from my mistake and run far away!!! This door was somewhat convenient when first installed, but I quickly found that the transmitter didn't always work, which left my dog inside or outside at times. However, with the first hard rain, this door became a disaster. The door flap leaked water all over my floor, both under the flap and down through the body of the dog door. I didn't discover the flooding until a large puddle had developed, warping and splintering my hardwood. I spent two hours on my knees mopping with towels and trying to seal things with duct tape as the rain continued to flood in under the flap opening. When I called the company, I was told that, since the door had been purchased over 90 days prior, that "the credit card company won't let us do a refund so we can't" (obvious untruth) and that the owner would only let me return it for store credit. They had no interest in finding out what the problem/defect was and trying to cure it or change it so as not to do this to other consumers. I'm was already out the cost of the purchase, hiring a contractor, and having it installed, and now I have to buy a new door and have it put in, as well as repairing my cupped, splintering flooring. Do they really think I'd want to have store credit to buy another one? This failed experiment has cost me well over $1000 so far. I'd suggest avoiding any of this company's products, and particularly this one.BusyBadgerMom

The door itself works great and at first all was good. Unfortunately the door only works with the collar which is junk and even after you buy their expensive batteries will not work because it is junk. Honestly the first time your dog gets the collar a little wet, for example running through sprinklers it will stop working. Do not buy.aaron.brown03

Took about four weeks from initial order to installation. First door delivered was put together incorrectly and therefore damaged in transit. Waited for replacement door order, it was also put together incorrectly (in same manner), but mostly undamaged, so I was able to reinstall window panes correctly. Door has some minor scratches and minor crunch at top of inside frame, but not too noticeable. Installation went well. Verified that my door frame is square, and frame mounts mounted squarely, but door still hangs a bit on its hinges, showing larger gap at bottom. Left-hinge install instructions still has references to right-hinge details. Actual door frame was within width range of product as documented, but inside handle catches slightly on latch trim piece. Filed down the handle catch to resolve, but inside spring protruded, so need to order a replacement handle ($15). Needed to chisel impression in wood frame to allow latch to seat properly. Otherwise, door looks nice and works properly.Toca37

The assembly wasn't really that difficult EXCEPT – there were no instructions included in the box. Instructions were there for the handle and pressure closure but not for installation of the door. Luckily, there were YouTube videos online.Sharon

Excellent opening size for our pet who is 18 lbs. I purchased the Medium opening. Our sliding door is a custom height of 12 FT, not a normal height, so using the extension included with the patio panel still doesn’t reach the top of the sliding door, which of course is not the problem of the manufacturer of this product. We remedied the problem by using and cutting to size a disposable hard foam cooler, fitted with a foam edge window and door sealer in order to eliminate cool and hot air from coming in and out. It’s not perfect, but works for our pet and for our use.Grace

I currently own 2 doggy door slider inserts from a competitor brand. I got this PetSafe insert to replace one of my inserts that is worn out, and I am so glad I did! At first glance you can see that the PetSafe is far superior to my competitor door. Upon quick exploration, I could feel that the PetSafe door was much better quality. The PetSafe door itself is more substantial and heavy duty just off the bat. I like that spring-loaded panel at the top of the door is taller (than my competitor brand) so that it can accommodate more sizes of sliders. I have multiple different heights of sliders at my house so that gives me more options of doors for me to place the insert in. This is beneficial to me when I have a party for example because I can give my dogs indoor/outdoor access to a secluded part of my house when young children are over. The second part I really like is the extra security with the locking panel to close the doggy door. Whereas my competitor version only has a plastic lock that could easily be broken into by potential intruders, the PetSafe has a very secure metal pin lock. Third, I appreciate that this insert has a slight tint to it. My competitor version does not. When I open the doggy door in the early morning in my bedroom I "hook" my curtains around my original slider handle for my dogs to access the door and I go back to sleep. The tinting on this insert is at least some attempt to block out the daylight. Finally, I like that they include some weather striping to help combat some unwanted drafts. Although I would recommend to combo the weather stripping provided with foam weather stripping to really complete the seal. Overall, I highly recommend this PetSafe doggy door insert, their attention to detail is prevalent making their door superior to competitors.MamaBear34

I'm giving it three stars because it is working but for the price, I expected a higher-quality item. In some ways this unit is too thin for my patio door track and is floppy, and in other ways – specifically the attachment brackets and the door "latch" – it is too wide. I had to come up with another way to fix the panel in place, then insert foam tape because it kept flapping when the door was used or the wind blew too hard, and then buy separate security bars for the patio door. Not ideal. And I also plan that I will need to remove it if I leave for an extended period of time, as this thing is a serious security vulnerability in the home's perimeter now…not that most adults don't already fit through an extra large pet door opening. I wish this had a full closure panel – aluminum, hinged. Maybe I should have just made something custom since I can't cut a hole in the wall of my rental house for an electronic security dog door.Julie D

Great door for insulation. It’s a little heavy for my dog to push out of the way, but I think it’s worth the learning curve.Julie Anne

i really like this door. no more getting up every few minutes to let the furbies out. even my lanky border collie mix can crawl through. very sturdy. would recommend.Snowcat

I ordered this Ideal Pet Door from Walmart.com to replace the same model Ideal Pet Door originally installed over 10 years ago. Walmart.com had the best price and ordering from their website is convenient with fast shipping. This Ideal Pet Door is the same model with slightly different modifications which makes it a better door than my first one. Removing the old door was very easy to do. Replacing the new door was just as easy. All I needed was a Phillips head screwdriver and my fur~kid supervising me. BTW, The original installation took an hour and was placed into a glass storm door with a solid lower panel. The Pet Door is sturdy and comes with a panel that slides into slots on the inside to block the pet door opening. It can be used when travelling or when you want to keep your pet in or out. It has a magnetic strip on the bottom part of the frame and one on the bottom of the flap which keeps the flap closed. I have never had an unwelcome guest come through the door. The Ideal Pet Door is a great value, construction is flawless and replacement parts are available. It has lasted through years of two rambunctious very bad black labs and I am replacing it by choice. It can be installed in doors, storm doors, sliding patio door inserts and in brick walls. Ideal is well know for their quality pet products and has been in business for decades. I personally wouldn't consider any other manufacturer.tami76137

Extremely easy to install.* Looks and functions better than expected in an interior door. The screws were a bit long considering the width of the door. I would suggest using shorter screws because they were hard to screw in completely, and I was using a drill to drive the screws! Overall, the door is an excellent value and I would buy another one if needed. I went with a slightly larger door than typically recommended for cats. One reason is that we are expected one cat to grow large. (We think he's a Norwegian forest cat. Before that we guessed Maine Coon.) Also, there are steps immediately on one side of the door, so I figured extra clearance would help. The smaller door would probably work OK for normal sized, fit cats. (*I traced the part that slides through the door, drilled holes where the screw posts fit through, and just cut along those lines with a jig saw. It fit right through perfectly the first time! I had a moment of minor shock when I wasn't sure if I oriented the door properly since the middle screw posts are not centered. I did, but it would have been a correctable mistake.)shuumai

Had one of these for about ten years and bought a new one. One of our dogs damaged the old one by trying to run in when the panel was inserted to keep him out while a worker was in the house. This broke two of the screws away from the plastic frame. Even though it says aluminum pet door, the only aluminum part is the white door frame. The brown frame around it is plastic as is the wall tunnel. Since we now needed to replace the flaps, it costs just as much to get a whole new one as it did to replace the flaps. Now for the new one – Had it installed for less than a month and spring loaded knob on insert panel is broken (called for free replacement under one year warranty). Door panel flap lengths are adjustable, but don't seem as thick (and durable) as old ones. If this hadn't been a replacement project of an existing one, not sure if I would have decided to install this one or look at other options.AZTom

I am on my 3rd PetSafe door. I started with a smart door but I got tired of constantly changing batteries. I have 4 dogs. I got the double flap door. After about 1.5 years the plastic piece that holds the flaps started to break (little pieces at a time). There is no replacement part for this so I had to purchase a new door. PetSafe did give me a reduced price. Now, I have gorilla tape holding my one remaining flap on this door,since the same part is breaking once again. This part is cheaply made and I feel like you should at least offer a replacement part. Now, I'm facing buying another door…again.Crazydogmom

This is a great dog door for a medium size dog. It is a deluxe unit with dual flaps for maximum weather protection. It also has a slide-in closing door with a secure lock. It looks stylish and it fits (one of our main concerns) through the section of the house that has brick. We had a professional install the unit, unfortunately, it was a little higher on the outside than the dog would have liked (see picture above) which hindered her from going back into the door. I solved this problem by ordering something called the Ten-Eighty Mini Launch Ramp for about $30. It is designed for skate boards and bicycles but it will also work in this application. I needed a little modification to sit flush with the wall and I had it carpeted so the dog wouldn't slip in cold weather. Now the dog goes in and out of the door effortlessly. I hope that this idea helps others in consideration of this great dog door.norman3670