How to Keep Your Pets Safe Around Your Garage Doors

two car steel residential garage doo

Many families around the United States have at least one pet. Whether this is a cat or a dog, these animals are considered very special members of the family and people go to great lengths to care for and protect them.

From ensuring dogs have the right safety gear when going for a walk on a hot day to creating safe places for furry felines to climb and explore, most pet owners have their bases covered. However, one area of the home that often goes overlooked is the garage, or namely, the garage door.

Garage door safety practices are an important part of keeping your family members safe, and this includes your fur baby. As the largest moving part of your home, the garage door is powerful and needs to be operated with care. It is a pet owner’s responsibility to know the safety guidelines when concerning the operation of their garage door around their pets. Not sure what these guidelines are? No worries, your trusted team of Garage Door Repair Specialists has made this guide to help you keep your pets safe:

1. Never Leave Your Garage Door Cracked or Propped Open

Many pet owners work closely with their animals to ensure that they know where they are allowed to explore and roam about on their property. For this reason, there is an increasing trend of keeping garage doors open so that you can let your pet in and out of the home without having to constantly open and shut the door. However, this is a very dangerous habit.

Most garage doors open with a spring system. This spring is designed to prevent your garage door from simply slamming down. The tightly wound springs use tension to keep the garage door stable until you give the command to close or fully open the garage door.

Over time, these springs begin to lose tension due to age and wear and tear. By leaving your garage door cracked, you are forcing the garage door springs to work harder. A weakened spring can result in a partially opened garage door suddenly slamming down, which can result in serious injury or fatality for your pet or family member.

Action Garage Door Solution for Fido:

We understand that many pet owners rely on their garage as an entry and exit from their home. If this is the case for you and you want your dog or cat to be able to enter and exit the garage without putting them in danger, we have a solution. Pet doors can be installed on a garage door, allowing a safe entry and exit way for cats and dogs. This ensures your pet has access to the shelter they need without putting unnecessary stress on your garage door springs.

2. Never Allow Your Pets to Chew on Your Garage Door

Garage Doors assembly

We understand, this one sounds a bit odd but it does happen. Younger pets or animals that suffer from anxiety disorders often chew on objects to keep their minds preoccupied or to relieve stress. Sometimes, this targeted chew item can be your garage door.

Pets often choose to chew on the cables. These cables are attached to the extension springs of your garage door, meaning they are under intense tension. When your dog or cat begins chewing or messing with the cable, this can increase the risk of the cable snapping and injuring you or your pet.

Action Garage Door Fido Solution:

It is important to train your animal to know the difference between what is safe to chew and what is not. If you are having trouble controlling your pet from chewing on your garage door, it is best to keep them crated when you are not home and never allow them to have access to the garage unsupervised. 

Make sure your animal has plenty of toys to play with, exercise your pet regularly to burn off excess energy, and if your pet suffers from anxiety, talk to your vet about how to ease his or her discomfort. Proper care of your animal and meeting their needs can help prevent serious accidents and injuries not only with your garage door but in general. It also helps to keep your animal healthy and happy.

3. Never Tie Your Dog to the Garage Door

Garage doors are heavy and may seem like a secure place to tie your pets when you need to restrain them for a few moments, but don’t do it. Unlike a fence post or a tree, your garage door is not stationary or fixed to the floor. It doesn’t matter whether you operate your garage door manually or whether it is motor operated, your dog is in danger of serious injury or death if it is tied to a moving garage door.

4. Avoid the “Beat the Door” Trend

Somehow, racing a closing garage door has become an internet trend but believe our experts when we tell you that is a seriously dangerous one. Your garage door is heavy and can seriously injure both humans and animals.

NEVER try to go underneath a garage door when it is opening or closing. Wait for the garage door to come to a complete stop for attempting to move underneath it. While many garage doors have built-in motion sensors to tell the garage door to stop when something is passing underneath it, a malfunction of these sensors or a person or animal moving too fast can cause the garage door to miss the signal.

5. Always Check the Top of Your Garage Door Before Closing It

Garage Door

This tip is mainly for individuals who have cats who live in or have access to the garage. Cats are notorious for finding high places to perch and rest. While this instinct is designed to keep the cat from predators and give them a good view of what is happening in their world, it is dangerous when it comes to the garage.

A cat perching on top of an open garage door has a significantly increased risk of being crushed when the door is commanded to close. Always check the top of the garage door for your feline friend before attempting to close the garage door to avoid serious injury or death to your cat.

6. Make Sure You and Your Pet Are Safe By Investing in Routine Garage Door Maintenance

One of the best ways you can help prevent injury to you or your pet around your garage door is to ensure that it is in proper working order. Routine maintenance from your trusted team at Action Garage Door Repair Specialists can help you ensure that both your garage door and its safety features are operating properly. We are the experts when it comes to Garage doors for the DFW Metroplex, Austin, and Houston areas. Contact our team today for more information about our maintenance services or to schedule an appointment!

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