When dog owners think about pet gates, they usually associate them with puppies and hyperactive dogs. But, dog gates can actually be beneficial for every pet – no matter her age, size or breed. Pet gates can keep your dog safe and prevent him from entering areas where he is not wanted.
Dogs are unpredictable by nature. That's one of the qualities that makes them such a fun pet. It's also one of the qualities that gets them into trouble on a regular basis.
You can find pet gates for dogs made of metal, wood or plastic. Some are tall and can adequately bloke off doorways, while others are shorter but cover a much wider area. There are also many types of pet gates available, including free-standing gates, hardware mounted gates and pressure mounted gates.
In this article, I'll review one of the most popular and best-selling pet gates for dogs from Carlson Pet Products. These gates are one of the most cost-effective options and have proven to be very popular among pet owners of both cats and dogs.
There is a lot to think about when choosing the right gate for your pet, and the first thing you need to decide is where and how you'll be using it. For more information on choosing the best dog gate to contain your Fido, check out our article on selecting an appropriate pet gate or playpen.
Most pet owners are looking for a gate that will block off a doorway to keep their dog out of an unwanted room. That's why I chose to review this option from Carlson Pet Products. It's an affordable choice, but is it easy to use and effective at keeping out jumping dogs?
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Carlson Pet Products Extra-Wide Walk Through Dog Gate Review
About Carlson dog gates
This is a pressure mounted dog gate, which means that it doesn't actually attach to your walls or doorway. You expand the pressure mount system until the gate is sturdily secured. It does come with wall mounts if you want a secure attachment and are planning to leave the gate in one place.
Using the pressure mount system is very convenient if you want to be able to move the gate around your home or take it with you while traveling. Likewise, if you rent or lease your home and are worried about doing damage to the walls with hardware mounted gates, this is much a easier option.
Carlson Pet Products has created this gate with 100% steel construction.
Surprisingly, these pet gates are much sturdier than wooden or plastic dog gates, which is very beneficial if you have a large dog or one that jumps. The steel construction also means that this gate cannot be chewed by teething puppies.
As you'll see in my video review above, this product comes with 2 extensions that allow you to expand the width of the gate from 29 to 44 inches. It fits perfectly in a standard doorway and can also be used to block off larger openings. For example, I use this gate to keep my dogs from going down the stairs of our porch when outside in the summer.
READ THIS: 15 Reasons To Consider Pet Safety Gates for Your Dog
I also demonstrate how easy it is to open this gate in my video review. You can quickly open it with just one hand, which is very convenient when you're carrying in groceries or walking upstairs with a sleeping toddler on your shoulder.
Don't worry, the gates latches securely, so as long as you make sure it's closed you won't need to worry about your pet jumping up and opening it on his own.
The most unique feature on this gate is the 10″ X 7″ small swinging gate located on the bottom of this dog gate. It allows our cats to get through to a room while still keeping our dogs out. This is ideal for multi-pet households, especially if you're looking for a way to keep Fido out of the cat litter!
This gate from Carlson Pet Products stands 30-inches tall. It's probably tall enough to keep out most jumpers, unless your dog can really get some air. Also, the vertical slats of the gate prevent climbers from getting over the gate.
As long as your pooch isn't a Houdini dog, this gate should be able to contain him.
READ ALSO: 15 Ways To Prevent Dogs From Chewing Furniture
Is this dog gate perfect?
Unfortunately, I do have one pretty significant complaint. As I mentioned, this is a pressure mounted gate.
That means that you have to adjust it in small increments until enough pressure is applied to the doorway to keep the gate from falling down.
This task isn't that easy with this gate. While other similar products can be adjusted in less than a minute, it takes a while to get this one secured where you want it.
There is a small wall cup (like the one shown on the right) on each of the four corners of the gate. You need to turn each cup individually to apply pressure to the doorway.
This is time consuming, and quite tedious if you're going to be moving the gate around your home or traveling with it frequently.
As you'll see in my video review, it takes me about 5 minutes to readjust the gate every time I want to set it up. It only takes about 1 minute to take it down though. If you'll be leaving the gate in one spot most of the time, this probably won't be a big deal.
For more information about how this pet gate compares to other similar products, you can read (and watch) my Best Dog Gate Comparison.
Overall, these are good dog gates that are in the middle of the price range. You can buy this gate on Amazon for approximately $50. However, you can also find some that are much cheaper, although they are also likely to be cheaper quality as well.
You can also find pet gates that are more aesthetically appealing and will fit in better with your home's decor, but they'll probably cost about twice as much as this one.
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Summary of the Carlson Pet Products Extra-Wide Walk Through Dog Gate Review
PROS:
100% steel construction that is durable and chew proof- Pressure mounted design does not require attaching the gate to the wall with hardware
- Comes with 2 extensions that allow you to extend it from 29 to 44 inches
- Easy-open walk through gate lets you open it with one hand while carrying groceries or other items with the other
- Small 10″ X 7″ gate on the bottom allows smaller pets, like cats, to go back and forth between rooms – perfect for keeping dogs out of cat litter
- 30 inches tall, which keeps out most jumpers
- Affordable
CONS:
- Pressure mount system is easy to use, but very time consuming. It takes me about 1 minute to take the gate down and 5 minutes to put it back up. This is very inconvenient if you'll be traveling frequently with the gate or moving it around your home regularly.
Now it’s your turn
What do you think about Carlson Pet Products Dog Gates?
Have you ever used this gate? Is it the gate you have for your pets or children right now? Why did you choose? If you've tried it in the past and didn't like, please let us know why it didn't work for you. The review that you share could help other pet owners who are looking for the best dog gate for their pet. Feel free to share your opinions and advice.
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