Screen doors give you a great way to allow fresh air into your home, while still keeping mosquitoes and other unwelcome creatures from coming inside to feast.
But if you have a dog (and I am assuming you do), you know that our beloved pups have a special talent for destroying screened doors.
Thankfully, there are a number of dog-proof screen door options that’ll allow you to enjoy the benefits of screen doors while keeping them safe from your dog’s destructive tendencies.
Some of these solutions will require nothing more than hitting the “buy now” button, while others will require a little work. But they are all well worth the effort or expense for folks who want some fresh air flow without bugs and critters getting in.
How Do Dogs Damage Screen Windows and Doors?
There are two basic ways in which your precious pup may damage your screened door:
He may scratch at the door, which can rip thin, fabric-based screens or bend the strands from metal screens. Some dogs may do this because they are trying to tell you they want to go inside or outside, while others may do so in response to some sort of irresistible stimuli, like a squirrel or cat running around outside.
Some dogs – particularly those who are easily excited – may not really register that the door is there while hauling tail toward the door. The result is a high-speed collision, an embarrassed dog, and a damaged door. These kinds of high-speed collisions often result in a torn screen and bent frame.
So, the first thing you’ll need to do is identify the way in which your pup is damaging your door and then decide upon a viable solution. There are a number of different ways to address these issues, so don’t be afraid to experiment with different options until you find one that works well.
7 Dog-Proof Options for Screen Doors
There aren’t many perfect ways to prevent your dog from damaging your screen doors, but we’ve found that the seven strategies and products described below are often effective.
Just be sure to consider your specific situation before making your choice.
1. Screen Grills
Screen grills are protective, usually metal, coverings that are designed to be placed over the lower portion of your screen door.
Most attach to the door via a few screws, so you’ll need to break out the cordless drill to install them.
But they aren’t especially difficult to mount.
Screen grills are probably the simplest and most effective solution for people seeking a dog-proof screen door option. It’s also the solution most dog owners should try first.
There are a number of screen grills on the market, but many of them are plagued by bad reviews.
However, the Guardian Steel Pet Grille is well-rated, and it comes in a variety of sizes and finishes.
Owners also report that it’s easy to install, which is always nice.
Just be sure that you measure your door carefully to end up with the right size grille. Just note that — like many of the other solutions we’ll discuss — you can run into problems if your doors are not a standard size.
Made from metal, available is several sizes and finishes, and easy to install, this door grille will help protect your screens from your dog.
If you would like to save a few bucks, you may want to check out the M-D Building Products Door Grille. It’s pretty similar to Guardian’s product, except that it’s a bit cheaper and you can trim it to fit your door.
There is also a nicer-looking, aluminum grille on the market, but it costs a bit more.
2. Visual Barriers
Simple and affordable, flagging tape can be attached to your screen door to help stop your dog from accidentally charging through the screen.
If your dog has a problem crashing into the screen door when excited, you may be able to stop the behavior by making the screen more visible. One way to do so is by attaching pieces of flagging tape to the screen, just like you would do when setting up an invisible fence.
You may also have success by attaching a solid material to a portion of the screen. You don’t need to cover the entire thing (which would eliminate the point of the screen door in the first place), just place the material at your dog’s eye level. This will normally cause him to put on the brakes instead of flying into the screen.
Obviously, you’ll want to use something that is not going to harm your pet. Materials like fabric, cardboard or thin plastic are good choices. You can find cardboard in a million places, but plastic sheeting (like this ABS plastic) is more affordable than you’d think and looks great.
3. Add a Scratch Shield
A US-made door guard that is easy to install, available in multiple thicknesses, and works without any type of adhesive.
Some owners don’t mind if their dog goes outside, but they just don’t want the dog to damage the screen when trying to push the door open.
In these cases, a scratch shield may be helpful. Scratch shields are large plastic sheets that attach to the door and protect the portion that dogs scratch the most (the side that opens, beneath the handle).
Scratch shields are usually designed for use on solid doors, but they can also work for screen doors in some cases.
The Original CLAWGUARD is probably the leading option in this category, and most customers have been pleased with it. It’s also very easy to install; you only need a pair of scissors to set it up.
If your dog’s nails are problematic, you may also want to make sure that they’re adequately trimmed. While you can’t declaw a dog, maintaining your dog’s nails (and rounding the nails through the use of a grinder) can make a big difference when it comes to protecting your furniture from dog scratches.
4. Install a Screened Doggie Door
If you aren’t afraid of a little work, you can install a screened doggie door to alleviate your pup’s need to scratch.
Screened doggie doors are designed to be installed in the lower section of your screen door, thereby giving your furry friend an easy way to get in or out on his own.
It is actually easier to install these doors than you may suspect (and certainly easier than installing a traditional doggie door).
In most cases, you’ll need to cut a hole in the screen and then sandwich the screen around the edge of the hole between the two-piece frame. From there, you’ll simply need to press the frame together tightly, attach the swinging dog door to the frame and you are done.
You’ll need something to cut the screen with (like boxcutter-style knife), but that’s usually the only tool you’ll need.
The PetSafe Pet Screen Door is the best-reviewed option in the category and most owners were very happy with their purchase. A few customers did report that it was necessary to add a few extra screws to keep it securely attached, but this is relatively easy to accomplish. Additionally, owners report that the pet screen used in the door’s construction was relatively durable.
Durable yet lightweight and easy to install, this pet door is designed to pop right into your existing screen, thereby giving your pet a convenient way to come and go.
5. Replace the Standard Screen with Heavy-Duty Screen
If you love your screen door and don’t want to mar it with a grill or pet door, you can actually remove your existing screen and replace it with a heavier-duty variety, which will better withstand your dog’s claws.
There are a number of pet-proof screens on the market, but ADFORS Premium Pet Screen is likely the best.
Specifically designed to resist the claws of cats and dogs, this replacement screen comes in several sizes and features a charcoal color, which is easy to see through.
Replacing the entire screen isn’t the easiest task in the world, but it is well within the capabilities of the average homeowner.
To replace the entire screen, you’ll need to pull out the existing spline (the rubber strip around the edge of the screen that keeps it attached to the door) and remove the old screen.
Then, you’ll trim your new, heavy-duty screen a few inches larger than the door frame and lock it into place by inserting a new spline around the edge.
You can insert spline without any special tools, but it is much easier to spend a couple of bucks on a screen-rolling tool.
Comprised of a handle and small wheel, a screen-rolling tool will make it much easier to insert the spline and keep the screen in place.
6. Replace the Entire Door with a Magnetic Screen Door
One of the easiest solutions for creating a dog-friendly doorway situation is through the use of magnetic screen doors.
These doors consist of a door-sized mesh screen, which splits down the middle, allowing you to pass through. To keep the door closed, long magnetic strips are attached to each half of the split. Yet while these magnetic strips hold the door closed, they’ll easily separate when you or your dog tries to walk through.
The video above shows a nice example of how these magnetic door screen designs work.
There are a few different magnetic screen doors on the market, but you’ll really need to be selective if you want to get one that works as intended. There are a ton of cheap, poor-quality versions on the market that feature flimsy mesh and weak magnets. This means the screen won’t stay closed properly and it’ll be harder to get it to close in the first place.
My wife and I recently purchased the AUGO Magnetic Screen Door Kit for our office, because we like to keep the door open, while keeping the bugs out.
I’ll be honest, I was a little skeptical. I was worried that it’d be really flimsy, the magnets wouldn’t stick, and that installation would be a nightmare.
But I was wrong on all counts — this thing has proven the be pretty awesome.
Starting at the beginning, installation was a breeze.
And that’s really important to me, as these kinds of installation projects can really test my patience.
The mesh comes with one layer of Velcro already attached around the outer perimeter.
You simply have to cut three additional pieces (for the top and sides), and then stick them to the pre-installed Velcro.
From there, you just take off the adhesive backing and stick it to your door frame. The whole thing took me about 5 minutes.
Note that the screen is a little long for our oddly sized door frame. If that were a big problem, I could fold up the bottom and tape it, kinda like a makeshift “hem.”
But it doesn’t bother us, so I have left it as-is.
Once installed, we were impressed by how well it works.
For starters, the magnets are surprisingly strong.
They connect pretty easily, and they stay connected until you walk through the opening. They do tend to stick to the dog gate and metal door at times, but that’s really not a big deal for us.
And the really cool thing is that, unlike many other screen doors, which only come with a few magnets, this model features magnets along the length of the border. This helps eliminate the gaps that occur with some other screen doors.
The mesh also feels reasonably durable.
It’s made from polyester, rather than metal, so it certainly won’t last forever. But I imagine it’ll last for a year or two before holes develop.
The door features two straps that are designed to keep the screens pulled back (kinda like curtains). We don’t use these straps often, but they may be more useful for others.
Just to be clear, this kind of setup is NOT going to prevent your dog from escaping. In fact, it is designed to allow people and pets to simply walk right through. So, it is not ideal for all circumstances.
But it’s worked really well for us.
An easy-to-install screen door that is available in two sizes, features strong magnetic closures, and comes with straps for keeping the screen open.
7. DIY Screen-Grate Door
Sliding glass doors usually come with accompanying sliding screen doors, but these doors are usually made with very cheap mesh that won’t hold up to even the tiniest dogs. You can replace the screen with heavier-duty mesh as we explained above, but there is also another option.
For the DIY enthusiast, you can make a screen panel that will fit between the edge of your partially opened glass door and the frame. This will still give your home a little fresh air, but it will withstand your dog’s claws. It’ll also help protect sliding screen doors from your dog’s claws.
The best way to do so is by using a length of wire shelf as a frame, around which you can attach some heavy-duty screen. Use a needle and heavy-duty thread (or dental floss) to “sew” the screen to the frame.
It’ll end up looking a bit like this:
You’ll have to customize this kind of panel a good bit to get it to work (and remain bug-proof), but with a little ingenuity, you can create a successful solution. Check out this walkthrough from PetHelpful to get started.
Do you have a furry friend that is determined to destroy your screen door? What kinds of solutions have worked for you? Did you take a do-it-yourself approach or did you just purchase a “plug-and-play” solution? Have you figured out a good solution for protecting sliding screen doors?
Let us know all about your experiences in the comments below.
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