Keeping My Garage Doors Looking Great

Four Ways To Make Your Garage Doors Safer For Your Pets

Pets can be extremely unpredictable. Whether you have a new puppy or a kitten, you may be concerned that they could accidentally get hurt by your garage door. Pets can potentially climb garage doors or run under them, getting caught in the mechanical components and injuring themselves. To protect them, you may want to take some of the following precautions.

1. Test Out Your Door Sensor

A door sensor should prevent your garage door from closing if there's anything under it. Test it out by throwing an old pillow underneath the door and attempting to close it. If the garage door doesn't immediately stop once it encounters the pillow, then the garage door is a hazard not only to your pets but also your children, family, and car. A garage door sensor can quickly be replaced by a mechanic.

2. Install a Pet Gate 

The best way to ensure that your pet isn't hurt by your garage door is to make sure they don't encounter it at all. Installing a pet gate directly in front of your interior garage door can prevent them from bolting out before you can stop them. This also has the additional benefit of making it easier for you to unload your car after a grocery trip -- no more animals running underfoot. 

3. Test the Emergency Lift

There should be an emergency cord that you can use to lift your garage door in the event that it fails mechanically. If the motor happens to give out on the door, this is what you'll use. Test out the emergency lift periodically to make sure it still works. If your pet ends up damaging the garage door and getting stuck in it, you may need that lift to get them  back out again. 

4. Complete Some Training

If you have a dog, it's worth the time to teach them to "sit" while the door is going up and down, even if they're just in the yard. Teaching the dog to "sit" on command is simple: take your dog outside on the leash, raise the garage door, say "sit," and reward. Eventually the dog will associate the sound of the door moving with the act of sitting. 

Garage doors aren't optional for the modern home, so many pet owners will need to find ways to make them safer for their pets. Luckily, most garage doors do come with built in safety measures. By testing out these safety measures and properly training your pet, you should be able to avoid much of the risk.


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