What to Use for Replacement Flaps for Dog Doors

Dog doors can be useful in that they can allow your dog to come and go as he pleases. However, if the flap for the dog door breaks, cold air and debris can come inside your home. According to dog musher Shirley Winters, there are several things that you can use as replacement flaps for a dog door. She has a series in indoor/outdoor kennels which utilize flaps on them, and has used them herself for the past 20 years. She now uses only replacement flaps she's developed for her kennel.

  1. Rubber

    • Use rubber, which Winters believes is the best replacement for a dog door flap. She buys several mud flaps, which are meant for the back of a truck or van. The mud flaps are of a heavy duty rubber, but not so heavy that she can't cut them with a jigsaw. Buy a set of mud flaps and then measure out their lengths compared to the length and width of your dog door. Use heavy duty scissors or jigsaw to cut the mud flaps if they are too big. If they are too small, use two or more together to fill up the space. Attach the mud flaps with a nail gun or a heavy duty staple gun to the top of the dog door. Then use shears, the heavier the better, to cut the mud flap into slits. Cut about four slits in the rubber, or five if the dog door is very wide. These will allow your dog to get through dog door more easily.

    Plastic

    • Use plastic for a less permanent and easier fix, says Winters. If you don't have time to get mud flaps, can't cut them, or don't want to deal with rubber, buy some plastic that is intended for interior use in your home. The best plastic to use is that which is meant for sectioning off areas of your home as you do work on walls or flooring. Double up the plastic, cut it to the right width and height for your dog door, and use a staple gun to attach the top of the plastic to the top of the door. Then cut flaps or strips in the plastic with a heavy duty scissors. Four or five flaps should be sufficient for your dog to get through.