Pet Gate Ideas

Keeping your dog or other small pets away from certain parts of your house is a large concern. Many people use pet gates at the foot of stairs or the entrance to certain rooms as a way to manage this. Various options are available to a pet owner when it comes to the type of gate or other means of corralling their pet.

  1. Pre-Made Gates

    • Gates are available from a number of retailers. Pet supply stores, big box stores and online retailers are able to supply a variety of pet gates. These tend to be plastic or wooden and are comprised of two or more sections that either slide apart to expand to the width of any doorway or hallway or unfold accordion style to the same ends. These retail gates come in a variety of styles and patterns to complement your decor. Extra tall and extra wide varieties are available for larger and more rambunctious dogs. Canvas gates can be used in cars to keep pets from wandering into the driver's area.

    Do-It-Yourself

    • There are many options for whipping up a makeshift pet gate. This can even be as simple as stacking cardboard boxes together to block access to a stairway or hallway. Just make sure the boxes are weighted with something or a dog will be able to easily push them out of the way. Using a large, flat section of cardboard taped to both sides of a doorway can also act as a reasonable deterrent for a wandering pooch. It is also easy to remove and most tape will not damage the walls. Even furniture can act as a pet gate by being pushed into place before leaving your pets alone. Essentially, anything solid or heavy can be placed in a dog's path to keep it from undue exploration.

    Isolation

    • A determined dog may still be able to get past some pet gates, so isolation may be your only option. By closing your dog in a certain area of the house where it can do no harm, like a bathroom or a spare bedroom, you ensure the safety of the rest of the house. Just make sure the dog has plenty of water and ventilation. Also, don't leave the dog in isolation for too long, only a few hours, or it may see to its base needs all over your carpet.

    Training Beyond the Gate

    • Dogs respond to negative and positive reinforcement just like humans. By rewarding your dog for avoiding certain areas and punishing them when they cross boundaries, your dog will eventually learn proper behavior. After enough time of careful training, you can gradually phase out the use of pet gates. Hopefully, your dog will have learned to respect your space, but all dogs are able to make mistakes and misbehave. This is simply part of the dog owning process, but the use of pet gates and training can make it all go quite smoothly.