Guide · · Updated · 3 min read
Dog doors in New Zealand: how to choose by size and fitting
Three Dogwalk® sizes, two fittings, every colour. One measurement and one look at your door picks the model. The guide, without the breed chart.
By the Pet-Tek International team, Auckland — designers of Catwalk® and Dogwalk® since 1999.
Dog doors are sold by breed and bought by guesswork. A spaniel can be 330 mm or 420 mm at the shoulder; “suits spaniels” is a coin toss. One measurement replaces the guess.
Step 1: measure the dog
Dog standing square, tape from the floor to the top of the shoulder blade. Then the widest point of chest or hips, plus 25 mm. Then floor to stomach — that is where the bottom of the opening goes.
| Shoulder height | Dogwalk® door | Opening |
|---|---|---|
| Small dog, to about 300 mm | Catwalk® Maxi (glass) | 187 × 190 mm |
| To about 360 mm, wooden door | Small Slim Line / Small Tunnel | 180 × 227 mm |
| To about 380 mm, glass | Intermediate Dual Glaze / Slim Line | 216 × 237 mm |
| 450–500 mm | Medium Dual Glaze / Slim Line / Wood Medium | 270 × 300 mm |
Between sizes, go up. Full method in how to measure your dog or cat.
Step 2: look at the door
Glass (ranch slider, glass door, window): a glazier cuts a round hole and the two frame halves clamp through it. Single glazing takes a Slim Line; double glazing takes a Dual Glaze and a new sealed unit with the hole pre-cut. Timber, uPVC, metal or a wall: a wood-fitting door, DIY with a jigsaw.
The glass range
- Intermediate Dual Glaze (G-IDD) — glass 4–32 mm, clear, white or black.
- Intermediate Slim Line (G-IDDSL) — glass 4–13 mm, the lowest-profile frame.
- Medium Dual Glaze (G-DD) — glass 3–32 mm, the full-size door for double glazing.
- Medium Slim Line (G-DDSL) — glass 4–20 mm, for sliders and single panes.
The wood range
- Small Slim Line (W-SDD) — panels 11–30 mm, white or brown.
- Small Tunnel (W-SDDT) — solid doors and walls to 52 mm.
- Medium (W-DD) — panels 5–36 mm, 270 × 307 mm opening, clip-on cover included.
Locks, weather and security
Every door has the factory-fitted 4-way dial. The glass Dogwalk doors take a security clip that holds the dial locked; the Medium ships with locking clips. The flap seals on a brush and magnets, so it does not flap in a southerly.
Two dogs, or a dog and a cat
Size for the biggest, fit at the smallest one’s belly height. A cat uses a Medium dog door without complaint as long as it is low enough.
Still deciding? Find your door, or email a photo of the dog beside a tape measure to info@petnest.co.nz.
Quick answers
What size dog door do I need?
Measure floor to the top of the shoulder blade. Up to about 380 mm: Dogwalk Intermediate (glass). Around 360 mm: Small (wood). 450–500 mm: Medium (glass or wood). Small dogs to about 300 mm fit the Catwalk Maxi.
Can a dog door go in a glass door?
Yes. A glazier cuts a round hole (320 mm for the Intermediate, 385 mm for the Medium) or supplies a new double-glazed pane with the hole made, and the Dogwalk door clamps through it. The slider still slides and locks.
Are dog doors a security risk?
A Medium opening is large enough to reach through, so lock it when you are out and keep keys away from it; the 4-way dial locks, and the glass models take a security clip.
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The doors in this article
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Three taps to the right door
Tell us the pet and the door it goes into; we name the model.