Best Sliding Glass Pet Doors

Sliding-glass pet doors are the only option that works for renters and the easiest install in the entire category. The aluminum panel drops into the patio-door track on the slider side, and the patio door closes against it. The dog uses a small flap built into the bottom of the panel. Installation typically takes 20-30 minutes with a tape measure and a screwdriver. The single most important factor is height — measure your patio door's track-to-track height precisely; PetSafe's adjustable model fits doors up to 80 11/16 inches and Ideal Pet Products goes slightly taller, but a door that's too tall by even half an inch won't seal. The tradeoff is that the panel permanently reduces the patio door's open width by its footprint — usually 7 to 10 inches — so if you frequently move large furniture through that door, factor it in. Most panels include a slide-in locking insert for security and travel, and the flap itself is typically the same magnetic vinyl design used in cut-in flap doors. AKC's installation guidance applies here too: the flap aperture should clear your dog's shoulder height by an inch, so size up if your dog is on the bigger end of the manufacturer's weight range.