There are a lot of different options when it comes to pet doors – different sizes, different styles and even pet doors for different weather conditions. The PetSafe Extreme Weather Pet Door is specifically designed for homes located in extreme climates. I live in Maine, and we bought this dog door in hopes it would keep out the harsh winter cold.
The first thing you'll need to consider when purchasing a dog door is the size of your pet. I've created a video guide on how to measure your dog for a dog door. My recommendation is to measure your largest dog. If the largest pup in your pack can fit through the door, then the smaller ones will be able to as well.
Weather can also be an issue if you live in a state where a lot of snow and heavy rain are prevalent. Bad storms with high winds and heavy precipitation can cause a major problem if you have a dog door.
If you live in a rural area or an area with a large population of stray animals, you may also get unwanted animals wandering in through your pet door. Some pet doors have a slide-in panel that allows you to lock the door from unwanted intruders. You can also purchase automatic pet doors that are activated with a microchip or sensor so your pets are the only ones that can get in.
PetSafe Extreme Weather Pet Door Review
In my photo above you can see that this pet door has 3 flaps. While most similar products have one rubber flap on each side, this one has an insulated flap sandwiched between the 2 rubber outer flaps. There is also a magnetic seal at the bottom of each outer flap that ensure they stay shut even during windy storms.
We've been using this dog door for years. We moved about a year and a half ago. We used this pet door in our old house and were so impressed with it that we a bought another one for our new house.
As I mentioned, we live in Maine. We've been using this door through many winter blizzards and summer rain storms. I haven't had any problems with the flap blowing open or snow/rain coming into the house.
The installation was similar to that of other in-door/in-wall dog door products that we have tried in the past. The strong metal frame is reinforced with aluminum corners to prevent bending or damage. As you can see in my video review, our dogs have no trouble going through this door.
I have three dogs ranging in size from a 75-pound Labrador to a 30-pound Beagle mix. When you're choosing the right dog door for your pets, you'll need to select a size that is best for your largest dog. The smaller pets will be able to fit through a larger door, but it wouldn't work if it were the other way around.
SIMILAR: How To Teach A Dog To Use A Dog Door
One of the must-have features that I look for when buying a dog door is a lock of some kind. The PetSafe Extreme Weather Pet Door is equipped with a slide-in closing panel that completely locks the door when you don't need it.
Our cats use this pet door as well, so I lock the door at night to prevent them from being able to go out after dark and become prey for wild animals. We live in a very rural area, so the lock is also necessary for keeping other critters from coming into our house.
PetSafe offers this door in 4 sizes: Small, Medium, Large and Extra-Large. There are options for a plastic frame (cheaper option) or the aluminum frame that I mention in my video review.
The door featured in my video guide is a Large size. Dimensions for each size are:
| Size | Flap Opening | Frame | Cutout In Door |
| Small | 5 ⅛” x 8 ⅞” | 7 ½” x 11” | 6 ⅜” x 10 ⅛” |
| Medium | 8 ⅛” x 12 ⅞” | 10 ½” x 15” | 9 ⅜” x 14” |
| Large | 10 ⅛” x 16 ⅞” | 12 ½” x 19 ⅞” | 11 ⅜” x 19” |
| Extra-Large | 13 ¾” x 23 ¾” | 16 ¼” x 27 ⅛” | 14 ⅜” x 25 ¼” |
You can purchase the PetSafe Extreme Weather Dog Door on Amazon for $61.95-$224.95 at the time of this review. While this is more expansive than many other similar flap-style in-door dog doors, it's also much higher quality and offers the insulated flap feature. Take it from someone who lives in a region with a very harsh climate, this dog door is worth the price if you need to keep out the elements.
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