Gun Dog Heavy Duty Dog Door
- Heavy-duty dog door designed for large, active dogs
- Durable aluminum frame and 1/4" thick acrylic flap for chew-proof reliability
- Large flap size of 11" W x 15" H accommodates pets up to 120 pounds
- Suitable for installation in kennels, doors, and walls with proper framing
- Engineered to withstand extreme weather conditions
Product Details
The Gun Dog Heavy Duty Dog Door is a durable and reliable solution for large, active dogs seeking easy access to the outdoors. This high-quality dog door features a brushed aluminum frame and a 1/4" thick acrylic flap designed to withstand even the most energetic pets and extreme weather conditions. With a flap size of 11" W x 15" H, the Gun Dog Heavy Duty Dog Door accommodates pets up to 120 pounds, ensuring smooth passage for your four-legged friends.
Engineered by a Labrador owner in Minnesota, this dog door is built to last. Its weather-tight design endures severe climates, and the clear acrylic flap allows your dog to see through it, providing a sense of comfort and ease while using the door. The heavy-duty construction also makes it one of the only chew-proof pet doors on the market.
Installation is versatile, as this dog door can be mounted in kennels, doors, and walls with the appropriate framing. If you have a larger dog, consider the Gun Dog Big Dog Door, or for smaller dogs, the Gun Dog Easy Dog Door. Please note that purchase includes the flap and frame, and any additional materials needed for installation must be acquired separately.
The Gun Dog Heavy Duty Dog Door has received positive reviews from those who have experienced its durability and effectiveness firsthand. It is an excellent investment for pet owners seeking a long-lasting, reliable, and weather-resistant dog door.
Features:
- Long-lasting, weather-tight design for severe climates
- Clear acrylic flap allows for easy visibility and smooth passage
- Brushed aluminum frame offers a sleek, modern appearance
- Designed for medium to large dogs, with a flap size of 11" W x 15" H
- 5-year limited warranty covers chewing, ensuring durability and longevity
- A closing cover can be purchased separately if desired. It mounts on the opposite side of the door or wall from the pet door. A sturdy, ¼” thick polypropylene panel slides down aluminum channels over a 14” x 20” opening. If you would like this closing cover to be lockable, drill a ½” hole through the cover and wall on the inside and insert a short dowel.
Benefits:
- Heavy-duty dog door flap is a reliable option for active dogs.
- Clear flap is easy for dogs to see through.
- Weather-tight design endures severe climates.
- Warranty covers chewing in the case that your dog is an adamant, excessive chewer.
- Great fit for large, energetic dogs.
Size Chart
- Large11"w x 15"h
Flap Dimensions:
11"w x 15"h
The entry way your dog goes through.
Rough Cut Out:
12 1/2"w x 17 1/2"h
The size of the hole needed to fit your pet door into your door.| Flap Size | Flap Dimension | Rough Cut Out | Recommended Pet Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large | 11" w x 15" h | 12 1/2" w x 17 1/2" h | 13" - 23" |
| You can order Gun Dog Closing Covers | |||
Find The Best Pet Door Size For My Pet
A
Pet Height: inches
B
Pet Width: inches
Installation Instructions
Wall Installation
Difficulty
Moderate
Steps
04
Time Required
1-2 hours
Sections
01
Flags
02
Parts
- Gun Dog Pet Door
- Two 1-1/2" wood screws
Tools
- Tape measure
- Tools for cutting a hole in your wall
- Wall framing materials
- Felt or rubber weatherstripping
The Heavy Duty Dog Door ® and Big Dog Door™ are installed on the outside surface of a building, wall or door, etc.
Step 1 Measure Pet Height
- Measure the belly height of your pet from ground level to his underside to find the correct height of the door opening. The bottom edge is usually from 6" to 12".
- For the Heavy Duty Dog Door, cut the opening 12-1/2" wide x 17-1/2" high.
- For the Big Dog Door, cut the opening 16-1/2" wide x 25-1/2" high.
Step 2 Determine Framing Requirements
- If mounted on garage or house wall, frame the depth of the wall to form a tunnel through the wall. (Use 2" X 4" or 2" X 6" material).
- If needed, add a least a 1/2" x 1-1/2" flat outside mounting surfacing.
Step 3 Cut the Opening
- Cut opening, if needed add a 1-1/2" flat mounting surface.
- Place door over opening and use the enclosed two 1-1/2” wood screws to hold door to opening.
Step 4 Apply Weatherstripping
- Install 1/8" felt or rubber weather stripping on surface of building or door.
Door Installation
Difficulty
Moderate
Steps
04
Time Required
1-2 hours
Sections
01
Flags
00
Parts
- Gun Dog Pet Door
- Two 1-1/2" wood screws
Tools
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Drill
- Jigsaw
- Door framing materials
- Silicone caulking
The Heavy Duty Dog Door® and Big Dog Door™ are installed on the outside of a house door or a garage door.
Step 1 Measure Pet Height
- To find correct height of the hole for your dog, measure the belly height of your pet (average installation is 6"-12").
- Mark the height in pencil on one side of your door.
Step 2 Drill Holes
- The Heavy Duty Dog Door hole size is 12-1/2" x 17-1/2".
- For the Big Dog Door the hole size is 16-1/2" x 25-1/2".
- Drill a half inch hole into each corner. Then draw lines to connect the corners.
- Insert jigsaw into drill hole and follow drawn lines to cut out hole.
Step 3 Steel and raised Panel Doors
- If installing on a steel door, cut hole 3/4" larger, glue 3/8" pine, cedar, or plywood strips to inside of the opening.
- If installing on a raised panel door, cut hole in center of door 3/4", glue 3/8" pine, cedar, or plywood strips to inside of the opening to cover styrofoam and install trim to inside/outside of door surface.
Step 4 Hollow Core Doors
- If installing in a hollow core door, use four strips of wood the same width as the hollow between the panels in your door.
- Position the wood so that they are flush with the edges of the hole.
- Either glue, nail, or screw the strips. Frame the outside/inside hole with 2" x 1/4" lengths.
Step 5 Complete Installation
- Use silicone caulking around trim kit for added insulation.
- To quiet door closing, staple 5/8" of the window felt to the sides and the bottom of the pet door.
Training Timid Dogs to Use the Pet Door
Whether you have an adult dog, or a new puppy, teaching him how to use a Gun Dog House Door® (GDHD) will be done the same way. When you install your dog door, make sure you measure the "rise" of your dog (the measurement from the floor to the lowest part of your dog's chest or stomach). This measurement tells you where to place the "bottom" of your dog door. The bottom of your dog door should be an inch lower than the "rise" of your dog.
If you have a puppy you will need to install the dog door one inch from the ground; and you will need to reinstall it at higher intervals as your puppy grows. Another option is to take an educated guess as to how tall your dog will eventually be, install the dog door at the appropriate height, and construct a "puppy-ramp" so your puppy can reach the dog door and go through it comfortably.
Once the frame of the GDHD door is installed in a wall or door, leave the GDHD off at first. Have someone stay inside with your dog while you go outside. Call your dog through the "hole" (door frame without the GDHD). When he goes through and comes to you, praise him lavishly and give him a treat. Now have the person inside the house call him through the "hole." When he gets to them, they should praise it and offer a treat as well. Do this at least 3 times and no more than a dozen. After this, your dog will know there is a hole in the wall or the door especially for him.
Step 1: Leave the GDHD off the cut opening for one full day. Encourage him to use his opening by not letting him use the "real" doors. Instead, you use the real door and say to your dog, "Go to your door!" pointing in the direction of his dog door. You may need the help of someone inside to "help" the dog find his new door. After a half a dozen times, your dog should like this new game! If you have a very young puppy, do not expect them to learn "Go to your door" for many weeks or months; still give them the command in a happy voice, and have someone inside show them where their door is every time. It sometimes helps if you are outside (after going through a real door) and someone else helps your dog or puppy find the doggie door as you call him from outside.On the second day, install the GDHD.
Step 2: Now, you will need to repeat the same exercise as when you first sent your dog through the "hole." But this time, the person on the same side of the door as the dog will need to "push" the GDHD open for him. Each time the dog goes through the door, push the GDHD less and less for him. It is important that the dog gets used to the feel of the GDHD on the back of his head so once your dog has begun going through the door, let go of the GDHD so he feels it on his head and body as he goes through the door. Eventually the dog will need to push the GDHD by himself and dogs are usually hesitant to do this at first. He will probably put his nose down by the bottom of the GDHD and wait for the GDHD to move (after all, it has up to now). At this point, push the GDHD slightly so that your dog can see it is a moveable object, let the GDHD bounce back to the closed position. The best way I can explain it is that you are "poking" GDHD using short, quick pokes. This gives the dog a glimpse of an opening and encourages him to poke the door himself.
Step 3: At this stage, some dogs begin going through the door with ease, others become quite excited, but still haven't figured out that they can push the door open. If your dog will not push the door open by himself yet, remove the GDHD and install a piece of carpet onto the opening. You want the carpet to have a least a _” opening on the sides and bottom. The dog should feel more comfortable pushing the carpet on its own. After 2-3 days, install the GDHD and with our enthusiastic encouragement and praise, your dog should be able to push the GDHD now with no problem.
Videos
Gun Dog "Heavy Duty" Dog Door
Heavy Duty Dog Door In Use by Big and Small Dogs
FAQ
|
Can I use this on a regular house installation? Since this is made for dog kennels, these doors can be loud when they close. We don't recommend them for residential use, but you can install them into a regular door if needed. |
|
Is this available as a large dog door? The Big Dog Door is simply a larger version of this door and has a 15" x 23" flap. |
|
Can I lock the door? You can purchase a closing cover that fits over this door's heavy-duty spring hinges, but it does not come with one. |
|
Is this a great door for large and small pets? It can be pretty heavy, so if you have big and very small pets that will be sharing the door, we would suggest that you take a look at the Easy Door. |
|
Will it insulate well? Yup! This door is weatherproof and energy-efficient. |
|
Can I put this on a wall? Wall installation will work only if the wall is framed out properly. |
|
Is this loud? Because of the plastic and metal banging against each other, it is louder than most pet doors. Like electronic dog doors, timid dogs may have some difficulty using the door. |
|
Does this door swing both ways? Yes, the door will allow the pets in and out. |
|
Would I install this on the inside or outside? Normally you would want to install this metal dog door on the exterior. |
|
Can this be installed in a door? Yes, but if it is a hollow-core door, you will have to frame out the inside of the cutout. Be careful with measuring so that you get the correct frame size. |
|
Can this be installed into a sliding glass door? This is not the best dog door for sliding glass doors. For weatherproof alternatives, try Ideal Pet Products' Ruff Weather series, the double flap Endura Flap pet doors, and Petsafe dog supplies. |
|
How much does shipping cost? Shipping is calculated at checkout. |
Warranty
Gun Dog House Door® Co.
The Heavy Duty Dog Door®, Big Dog Door™, Easy Dog Door™ is covered by a limited lifetime warranty. We warrant this product to be free of defects in materials or workmanship for the life of your dog. Damage caused by accident, improper installation or abuse is specifically excluded from this warranty. Gun Dog House Door® Co. is not responsible for any incidental or consequential damage resulting from use of this product. Normal wear and tear excludes the hinges from warranty. Customers are responsible for all shipping costs.
Partial returns and/or damages will not receive full credit. Items damaged through USE or due to return shipping damage will receive partial or no credit. Should you decide that you wish to refuse receipt of an item when delivered by UPS, USPS, FedEx or common carrier and legitimately ordered the product, credit will be issued minus any shipping custom fees and charges.
Customer Reviews
Size Chart
- Large11"w x 15"h
Flap Dimensions:
11"w x 15"h
The entry way your dog goes through. Rough Cut Out:
12 1/2"w x 17 1/2"h
The size of the hole needed to fit your pet door into your door.| Flap Size | Flap Dimension | Rough Cut Out | Recommended Pet Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large | 11" w x 15" h | 12 1/2" w x 17 1/2" h | 13" - 23" |
| You can order Gun Dog Closing Covers | |||
Find The Best Pet Door Size For My Pet
A
Pet Height: inches
B
Pet Width: inches
Installation Instructions
Wall Installation
Difficulty
Moderate
Steps
04
Time Required
1-2 hours
Sections
01
Flags
02
Parts
- Gun Dog Pet Door
- Two 1-1/2" wood screws
Tools
- Tape measure
- Tools for cutting a hole in your wall
- Wall framing materials
- Felt or rubber weatherstripping
The Heavy Duty Dog Door ® and Big Dog Door™ are installed on the outside surface of a building, wall or door, etc.
Step 1 Measure Pet Height
- Measure the belly height of your pet from ground level to his underside to find the correct height of the door opening. The bottom edge is usually from 6" to 12".
- For the Heavy Duty Dog Door, cut the opening 12-1/2" wide x 17-1/2" high.
- For the Big Dog Door, cut the opening 16-1/2" wide x 25-1/2" high.
Step 2 Determine Framing Requirements
- If mounted on garage or house wall, frame the depth of the wall to form a tunnel through the wall. (Use 2" X 4" or 2" X 6" material).
- If needed, add a least a 1/2" x 1-1/2" flat outside mounting surfacing.
Step 3 Cut the Opening
- Cut opening, if needed add a 1-1/2" flat mounting surface.
- Place door over opening and use the enclosed two 1-1/2” wood screws to hold door to opening.
Step 4 Apply Weatherstripping
- Install 1/8" felt or rubber weather stripping on surface of building or door.
Door Installation
Difficulty
Moderate
Steps
04
Time Required
1-2 hours
Sections
01
Flags
00
Parts
- Gun Dog Pet Door
- Two 1-1/2" wood screws
Tools
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Drill
- Jigsaw
- Door framing materials
- Silicone caulking
The Heavy Duty Dog Door® and Big Dog Door™ are installed on the outside of a house door or a garage door.
Step 1 Measure Pet Height
- To find correct height of the hole for your dog, measure the belly height of your pet (average installation is 6"-12").
- Mark the height in pencil on one side of your door.
Step 2 Drill Holes
- The Heavy Duty Dog Door hole size is 12-1/2" x 17-1/2".
- For the Big Dog Door the hole size is 16-1/2" x 25-1/2".
- Drill a half inch hole into each corner. Then draw lines to connect the corners.
- Insert jigsaw into drill hole and follow drawn lines to cut out hole.
Step 3 Steel and raised Panel Doors
- If installing on a steel door, cut hole 3/4" larger, glue 3/8" pine, cedar, or plywood strips to inside of the opening.
- If installing on a raised panel door, cut hole in center of door 3/4", glue 3/8" pine, cedar, or plywood strips to inside of the opening to cover styrofoam and install trim to inside/outside of door surface.
Step 4 Hollow Core Doors
- If installing in a hollow core door, use four strips of wood the same width as the hollow between the panels in your door.
- Position the wood so that they are flush with the edges of the hole.
- Either glue, nail, or screw the strips. Frame the outside/inside hole with 2" x 1/4" lengths.
Step 5 Complete Installation
- Use silicone caulking around trim kit for added insulation.
- To quiet door closing, staple 5/8" of the window felt to the sides and the bottom of the pet door.
Training Timid Dogs to Use the Pet Door
Whether you have an adult dog, or a new puppy, teaching him how to use a Gun Dog House Door® (GDHD) will be done the same way. When you install your dog door, make sure you measure the "rise" of your dog (the measurement from the floor to the lowest part of your dog's chest or stomach). This measurement tells you where to place the "bottom" of your dog door. The bottom of your dog door should be an inch lower than the "rise" of your dog.
If you have a puppy you will need to install the dog door one inch from the ground; and you will need to reinstall it at higher intervals as your puppy grows. Another option is to take an educated guess as to how tall your dog will eventually be, install the dog door at the appropriate height, and construct a "puppy-ramp" so your puppy can reach the dog door and go through it comfortably.
Once the frame of the GDHD door is installed in a wall or door, leave the GDHD off at first. Have someone stay inside with your dog while you go outside. Call your dog through the "hole" (door frame without the GDHD). When he goes through and comes to you, praise him lavishly and give him a treat. Now have the person inside the house call him through the "hole." When he gets to them, they should praise it and offer a treat as well. Do this at least 3 times and no more than a dozen. After this, your dog will know there is a hole in the wall or the door especially for him.
Step 1: Leave the GDHD off the cut opening for one full day. Encourage him to use his opening by not letting him use the "real" doors. Instead, you use the real door and say to your dog, "Go to your door!" pointing in the direction of his dog door. You may need the help of someone inside to "help" the dog find his new door. After a half a dozen times, your dog should like this new game! If you have a very young puppy, do not expect them to learn "Go to your door" for many weeks or months; still give them the command in a happy voice, and have someone inside show them where their door is every time. It sometimes helps if you are outside (after going through a real door) and someone else helps your dog or puppy find the doggie door as you call him from outside.On the second day, install the GDHD.
Step 2: Now, you will need to repeat the same exercise as when you first sent your dog through the "hole." But this time, the person on the same side of the door as the dog will need to "push" the GDHD open for him. Each time the dog goes through the door, push the GDHD less and less for him. It is important that the dog gets used to the feel of the GDHD on the back of his head so once your dog has begun going through the door, let go of the GDHD so he feels it on his head and body as he goes through the door. Eventually the dog will need to push the GDHD by himself and dogs are usually hesitant to do this at first. He will probably put his nose down by the bottom of the GDHD and wait for the GDHD to move (after all, it has up to now). At this point, push the GDHD slightly so that your dog can see it is a moveable object, let the GDHD bounce back to the closed position. The best way I can explain it is that you are "poking" GDHD using short, quick pokes. This gives the dog a glimpse of an opening and encourages him to poke the door himself.
Step 3: At this stage, some dogs begin going through the door with ease, others become quite excited, but still haven't figured out that they can push the door open. If your dog will not push the door open by himself yet, remove the GDHD and install a piece of carpet onto the opening. You want the carpet to have a least a _” opening on the sides and bottom. The dog should feel more comfortable pushing the carpet on its own. After 2-3 days, install the GDHD and with our enthusiastic encouragement and praise, your dog should be able to push the GDHD now with no problem.
Videos
Gun Dog "Heavy Duty" Dog Door
Heavy Duty Dog Door In Use by Big and Small Dogs
FAQ
|
Can I use this on a regular house installation? Since this is made for dog kennels, these doors can be loud when they close. We don't recommend them for residential use, but you can install them into a regular door if needed. |
|
Is this available as a large dog door? The Big Dog Door is simply a larger version of this door and has a 15" x 23" flap. |
|
Can I lock the door? You can purchase a closing cover that fits over this door's heavy-duty spring hinges, but it does not come with one. |
|
Is this a great door for large and small pets? It can be pretty heavy, so if you have big and very small pets that will be sharing the door, we would suggest that you take a look at the Easy Door. |
|
Will it insulate well? Yup! This door is weatherproof and energy-efficient. |
|
Can I put this on a wall? Wall installation will work only if the wall is framed out properly. |
|
Is this loud? Because of the plastic and metal banging against each other, it is louder than most pet doors. Like electronic dog doors, timid dogs may have some difficulty using the door. |
|
Does this door swing both ways? Yes, the door will allow the pets in and out. |
|
Would I install this on the inside or outside? Normally you would want to install this metal dog door on the exterior. |
|
Can this be installed in a door? Yes, but if it is a hollow-core door, you will have to frame out the inside of the cutout. Be careful with measuring so that you get the correct frame size. |
|
Can this be installed into a sliding glass door? This is not the best dog door for sliding glass doors. For weatherproof alternatives, try Ideal Pet Products' Ruff Weather series, the double flap Endura Flap pet doors, and Petsafe dog supplies. |
|
How much does shipping cost? Shipping is calculated at checkout. |
Warranty
Gun Dog House Door® Co.
The Heavy Duty Dog Door®, Big Dog Door™, Easy Dog Door™ is covered by a limited lifetime warranty. We warrant this product to be free of defects in materials or workmanship for the life of your dog. Damage caused by accident, improper installation or abuse is specifically excluded from this warranty. Gun Dog House Door® Co. is not responsible for any incidental or consequential damage resulting from use of this product. Normal wear and tear excludes the hinges from warranty. Customers are responsible for all shipping costs.
Partial returns and/or damages will not receive full credit. Items damaged through USE or due to return shipping damage will receive partial or no credit. Should you decide that you wish to refuse receipt of an item when delivered by UPS, USPS, FedEx or common carrier and legitimately ordered the product, credit will be issued minus any shipping custom fees and charges.
- Reviews
- Questions
Works well, but is LOUD
The door is definitely heavy duty. The springs are super strong, which is great because they seem like they are going to last forever, but when the door closes, it SLAMS shut. I would recommend these for kennel use, but just make sure that nobody minds the noise of slamming doors.
All you get is Frame and Flap
All you get is a frame and flap. You will need to supply all installation materials. Works well, good wind resistance and durable.
Decent
Really durable, but also very loud. Would recommend against this for your house, plus takes some extra installation time since it doesn't come with anything to seal up the hole in the wall so you have to build it.
Too steep learning curve
I ordered one of these doors to try in a boxer rescue kennel. Boy, am I glad I only ordered one, before replacing all of our kennel doors with this one! Boxers are not exactly weaklings, but we tried several different dogs in the run that we installed this door on. Not one dog would use it. We took our time trying to train them to use it (they were already accustomed to using Hale Pet Doors), but they simply refused. Leaving them in overnight, hoping they would use it when they REALLY needed to go outside resulted in a stinking, wet mess inside the kennel the next morning. I don't see how they can claim that this door is for all dogs. They do make a door that is not quite as heavy, and it does work for the boxers, but - for some inexplicable reason - it doesn't have a magnetic closure, so a heavy wind could probably blow it open. We really didn't want to spend the huge bucks to replace all our Hale doors, which have expensive flaps that some dogs seem to find tasty, but we may have to bite the bullet. This Heavy Duty Dog Door is just TOO heavy duty!
gun door
Got the dog door and rework the opening to the new door ruff opening and put it in work great and has a south opening the door spring will hold the door closed in winds of about 20 mph then it will only open just a little but over all I will give it a 9 as I have tried two other door and they do not stay closed in a 5 mph wind so if you have any wind try this door and think if works the best.
