I tried an automatic roll-up pet door, and it was the smart home fix I didnt know I needed

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A family with children typically thrives on routine, but maintaining a routine is one of the hardest things to do with young kids. Whether it’s a school event, unexpected guests, or a bout of the stomach bug or pink eye — something always derails our routine. However, you can’t afford to skip the routine when you have pets that depend on you for consistency.

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Over time, I have added smart home devices to our dog’s life, like smart feeders, trackers, and pet cameras. Yet the only thing I hadn’t been able to automate was letting him in and out to take care of business, until I tried the High Tech Pet Power Pet Roll Up Door.

Before installing this smart doggy door, I had a pet door that I’d purchased on Amazon and installed in one of the sliding glass doors of my sunroom. I had to keep a sliding glass door leading to the sunroom open to give our dog access, which left us vulnerable to hot or freezing temperatures, as well as to bugs, like wasps, entering the house.

I decided to give the High Tech Pet door a chance, and the results have been astonishing in the best way possible.

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I installed the Power Pet Roll Up Door and glass panel on the sliding glass door that leads out to the sunroom, so that my dog can go out through that door and then take his doggy door over to his designated “toilet.” His toilet is a small, fenced-in area with gravel and artificial grass, which allows me to keep his messes contained for easy cleanup and hose it down periodically.

My dog wears a collar that triggers the Power Pet Roll Up Door’s sensors to open when he approaches, and then the door closes a few seconds later. The door immediately rolls up against the slightest resistance, so it doesn’t even faze him if he stays in the threshold too long, much less hurt him. While some dogs are averse to having a flap rub against their head or back, this door’s roll-up mechanism doesn’t get in their way.

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Compared to the inexpensive doggy door I already had, the Power Pet Roll Up Door for sliding glass doors is quite sophisticated. High Tech Pet offers the same doggy door in both door and wall mounting options, and each comes in three different sizes.

When I installed the pet door, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the makers thought of everything. The Pet Power Pet Roll Up Door attaches to the frame of your sliding glass door with a small latch that is installed with a drill and a screwdriver. A weatherproofing strip for the other side where your sliding glass door closes is also included.

You can close and lock your sliding glass door to the pet door’s panel so that you never have to worry about it staying open or unlocked. You can also open your sliding glass door and access the doorway as needed, even if the pet door panel is installed, which is not something I can do with my other pet door. The pet door won’t wobble since it’s attached to the sliding door frame during installation. I was lucky enough to have an outlet right next to the door to plug it in, as it requires constant power.

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The doggy door features a set of buttons that let you open and close it, turn it on and off, and has two dials to adjust its sensors. You can adjust the sensitivity of the indoor and outdoor sensors to tune the proximity required for the door to activate. You can even turn sensors on or off to control when your dog is allowed to go out or come back in.

I’ve been using my door for over a month, and my dog got used to the system within minutes, the same night I installed it — and this is not a super obedient, highly trained dog (sorry, dude). I taught him how to go in and out with some treats, and he quickly grasped the mechanism. Within a week, my family left for an overnight trip, leaving the dog at home with his automatic feeder and water dispenser until we returned the next day.

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There are drawbacks and downsides to the door; the app is the main one. I’m sure the company plans on improving the app through updates, but the app crashes sometimes, particularly when setting schedules, or gives me occasional issues connecting to the pet door. Most of the time, though, I have no issues controlling the door remotely.

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My dog is reactive and doesn’t play well with other dogs, so boarding him causes anxiety and requires medication. Because of this, he ends up staying by himself in a small confined area or crate, which we don’t like as it adds to his stress. Being able to give him the freedom to stay comfortable at home, where he likes to be most, and enjoy the confidence of going in and out as needed did wonders when we returned from that trip, even if it was just for one night.

This door has literally changed our everyday life — it’s become second nature to our dog. Instead of having to coax him out of the house with a treat, he immediately walks up to the door and is happy to go in and out because he knows he has full control over that aspect of his life. And I love that for him.

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Truly, if you’re a pet owner who wants to give your dogs a little bit more independence or simply you’re simply looking for a solution for a doggy door that doesn’t stay open the entire time or you don’t have to go and manually lock with a panel, the Power Pet Roll Up Door is an amazing purchase.