25 Homemade Dog Door Plans: Easily DIY for Beginners

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a dog person. And if you know any cat people, you know how frustrated they get when Fluffy yowls to be let in and as soon as the door shuts, she’s scratching to get out again! Luckily, dogs are way lower maintenance, and if you install a good door, Fido is fine. But those things are expensive! So let’s check out ideas for a DIY Dog Door.

1. DIY Dog Door: the Two-Flap Solution – Instructables

You may be tempted to make a simple two-flap doggie door with car mats. But a sturdier plywood option makes more sense, and you can still construct it using reclaimed wood scraps. You do need advanced handyman skills for this project. And you should be extra careful to keep your DIY dog door waterproof and weatherproof. Secure the dog flaps with magnetic latches.

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2. Cafe Style DIY Dog Door – Flashant

With most pet doors, the hinge is at the top so the door flaps open vertically. But these doors don’t always keep the wind and rain out. A double door is better for insulation and water-proofing, especially if you build it to overlap the hole in the door. But they’re might puzzle your dog. So use a café-style door instead. It opens sideways and the magnetic latch gives easy access.

 

3. Design Your Own DIY Doggie Door – The Honest Kitchen

If your dog only goes out during the day and sleeps indoors at night, a dog door with a flexible vertical flap is fine. If you’re using a dog door with a loose flap, cut a hole in your human door. Sand the sides to smoothen any sharp edges. For the flap itself, use a rubber mat like the mud flap or car mat from a truck. This way, the dog can nudge it open from the inside and/or the outside.

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4. Best DIY Dog Door Ever!! – Tyler Naval

A double-flap DIY dog door doesn’t have to be thick, ugly, or unsightly. It can actually be slim and streamlined if you design it right. And if you position it carefully, then your dog can use the door from either side. But you do need a rigid gate like a metal or wooden sheet you can screw or slide into place as needed. Especially for overnight locks, weekends, or when you’re on vacation.

 

5. DIY Door for Horizontal Window – Down-to-Earth DIY

This design is intended for cats, but it can work for small dogs like Chihuahuas. Especially if they like to hop onto the window ledge. To make the door, you’ll have to wedge a piece of plywood at the edge of your French Door or French Window. You can then buy a pet door from the store and mount it onto the plywood. This resolves the issue of cutting through the glass.

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6. Home Made 5 Minute Doggy Door…..FREE – Frankenfoamy

Here’s a similar idea you can use for a larger dog. It’s cheaper because you don’t need a store-bought doggy door, and it barely takes five minutes. Instead of magnetic latches, you can jerry-rig a PVC pipe and a paint stick to control the flexible flap. For the flap itself, you can use a doormat. Since it’s installed onto a sliding window, it can expand to fit your growing dog’s body.

 

7. Buildipedia’s Build Your Own Dog Door

If you own your home or your lease allows for heavy construction, you can cut a DIY dog door into one of the outer walls. Look for a spot that’s easier to slice, such as a corrugated metal portion or a non-insulated section of the drywall. Cut the door, ensuring the sides are sanded smooth. You can then cover the slot with a makeshift rubber flap or a store-bought doggy door.

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8. Dog Door Flap – Crystal Reimche

How can you ensure your DIY dog door maintains a skinny profile? Simple – use a single plastic sheet or rubber flap! But then how will you make the door a two-way entrance? Well, the outer flap isn’t solid. It’s a two or three-inch frame fitted with two rows of magnetic strips. This way dogs can easily get in or out from both sides. As for the inner flap, line its borders with magnets.

 

9. DIY Dog Door for French Door Window Panes – Howchoo

It’s fairly easy to slot a temporary door into a French Window – we saw an example earlier. Or you can craft a more permanent version by slotting plywood at the end of the sliding door. But if you have a door with muntins or sash bars, you can pop out one or two of the glass sub-sections and install your dog door in the slot. Ensure the slot is large enough and make the edges smooth.

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10. Petway Pet Doors – DIY Fitting Instructions – Insect Screen Door

A DIY dog door could be something you construct yourself using bits and bobs from around the house. These include PVC pipes, dowels, fridge magnets, and car mats. But a DIY pet door could also be something you pick up at the store and assemble without hiring a technician. And if your dog likes to scratch through the screen door, you can install a dog door right on that bug screen!

 

11. A Homemade Pet Door – Mother Earth News

The simplest option for making a doggy door at home is to use flexible mats made of rubber or vinyl. The type you use on the floor of your car, particularly in the rear seat. Vinyl is cheaper, but rubber is more durable. But with this design, you need a hard-lock option for longer trips away. A sheet metal storm door will do, and you can rig it to slide down over the flap and lock it shut.

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12. Petway Pet Doors – DIY Fitting Instructions – Stainless Steel Mesh Door

We’ve seen how to install a DIY dog door on a woven bug screen to stop your dog from clawing through. But while a stainless steel mesh door is paw-proof, you still need an easy access point, so try this customized option instead. The process is similar, but instead of using a box cutter to slice through the netting, use an angle grinder (and safety goggles) to cut out the wire mesh.

 

13. DIY Pet Door in a Screen Door – Heather Laura Clarke

Earlier, we looked at a café style dog door complete with brush strips and a magnetic latch. But if you’re a woodworking pro, you can construct the door yourself using bits of wood and a power drill. And you can fit this door on a metal security grill, a wooden door, or even a bug screen. For the frame, use 10″ by 24.5″ planks. A slow-closing spring hinge helps with auto locks and safety.

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14. How to Make a Screen Door Doggy Door – The Born Maker

We’ve talked about dogs scratching through the bug screen, and here’s a perfect example. Just look at that gorgeous guilty pooch! You can repair this problem or avoid it altogether by making a safer door for your dog to bound through. You’ll need to take the door down and replace the screen with something pet-proof, so why not install a DIY dog door while you’re at it? It’s easy!

 

15. How to Build Your Own Large Pet Door

If you’re shopping for pet doors at the store, you’ll soon notice some sizing issues. Probably because larger dogs mostly stay outdoors so the store assumes you only need a dog door for smaller pooches. So if your pet pal is on the bigger side, just make the door yourself. It’s not complicated. But double-check that the (human) door can handle all that in-and-out rattling.

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16. How To Install A Pet Door In A Screen Door

The most convenient options for weatherproofing DIY dog doors are magnetic latches or brush strips. They both allow easy movement for your pets while keeping out bugs, raindrops, and drafts. You can add some flashing as well – it will redirect any moisture runoff that might pool at the base of the door. This kit has a built-in locking system so you don’t need a rigid outer cover.

 

17. Install a Pet Door – Extreme How To

DIY projects range from simple things a five-year-old can do to complex tasks requiring pro tools and skills. And the name of this website tells you where this one falls! Check it out if you need your DIY dog door to poke through a wall rather than a door. And be sure it doesn’t void your lease or get you evicted! Build a raised platform outside the dog door to prevent injuries.

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18. DIY Doggy Door | Mini Sliding Barn Door Style!

We’ve seen a couple of café-style doors, now let’s look at a barn-style door for your city-slicking pooch! It’s the same standard idea – a strong frame with a sturdy flap. But instead of sticking to that boring rigid board to lock it shut, install a decorative sliding barn door that expresses your dog’s personality. Use it to keep him indoors for the night or secure the house during vacations.

 

19. How to Make A Pet Door out of a Basement Window + Go Pro Doggie Cam

Basement windows may seem pointless, but they make great DIY dog doors. This is a fairly complex installation though, heads up. Inserting the door is easy, but being a basement, the vertical security gate won’t take and you may need a horizontal sliding one, or a wooden shutter. You’ll also need to build a ramp on the inside and a safe landing bay outside of the pet door.

 

20. Doggie Door – How to Build an Almost indestructible DIY Dog Door

Most dog doors are made for ‘normal’ weather so they’re easily damaged by extreme heat or cold, freezing, or softening under extreme exposure. Some will shatter when things get too icy. Rubber mud flaps can handle hotter summers and colder winters than any store-bought pet door, so that’s a good starting point. Weigh down the magnetic strips to stop them from curling.

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21. DIY Heavy Duty Doggie Door – Soat Mon

We’ve seen DIY dog doors sliced through steel mesh, wooden doors, metal sheets, drywall, and even glass panels. But can you fix one on a concrete surface? Yep! You’ll need some heavy-duty tools though, so rent or borrow them if you don’t have them – they’re too pricy to buy for a one-off project. And unless you’re a seasoned DIY-er, you may not get another chance to use them …

 

22. How to Make Your Own Doggie Door

Your dog may already be used to ‘knocking’ on the front door to get in and out. Or maybe she prefers the back door. Make both your lives easier by sawing through the hardwood to give her safer access. When this kind of door is cut through metal or drywall, wood or aluminum framing helps to smoothen the edges. But this is already timber, and it’s raw, so sand down any splinters!

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23. DIY Dog Door | Easily Install a Dog Door In a Wall

We’re at another wall install, but this one rams through a foam-insulated surface so there’s a lot more to be wary of. Interestingly, the dog door itself is the usual store-bought version with a flexible flap. The trick is in getting through the layers of wall material. And, of course, training your dog to walk through a wall! You may need to pre-check the wiring before cutting any walls.

 

24. Dog Door Into the Garage by FarmShow

These days, the last thing you expect to find in a garage is a car! So why not use it as an alternative exit for your dog? Building a dog flap into your garage wall can seem daunting, but your dog will love it. Especially if the dog already has an al-fresco kennel in that space, since it promises easy access after holding in his business all night. And it’s easier to keep warm and clean in winter.

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25. Making a Custom DIY Doggie Door (and Getting Stuck in it)

Someone on Twitter once wondered whether Pavlov felt the urge to feed his dogs every time he heard a bell. But these beagles went one better and learned to ring their … doorbell… when they needed to get out! So they’re well worth the effort of building this DIY dog door-in-the-wall. And since they’re on the smaller side, the dogs need a staircase or step ladder for easy access. Yay!