Sizing Information for Hale Pet Doors

Hale Pet Door

Sizing Tips and Information

But I Can Fit...

We've all seen the funny internet videos and photos of animals squeezing through pet doors that are obviously too small for them. But while we may laugh at their antics choosing the correct size pet door is actually a matter which can affect your pet's long-term health and well-being.

Matching the Door to Your Pet is Important

If a door is too short it can injure your pet's hips and back over time. If it is too narrow it can damage their fur or skin when squeezing through. If it is too tall (off the ground) it can hurt their underneath sides as they scrape over it. Pick the door that is comfortable for your pet.

Hale Offers Lots of Choices

One of the things that sets Hale Pet Door apart from its competitors is the wide variety of standard sizes we offer to fit almost any animal and almost any application. Many pet door companies only offer small, medium and large sizes but we have 12 standard sizes that are designed to work with not only the size of your pet but the size of the installation location.

We also offer custom-made doors of almost any size if your dog is larger, your space is constrained, or your installation location is unique. For more information on custom sizing, pricing, and ordering, please click here.

We are pleased to be able to provide you with the following information to make choosing the correct pet door easy.

Hale Pet Door Standard Sizes

From "Small" to "Giant" our 12 standard sizes work for most situations. Shown in our "Door" model.

Size	Passage Opening	Rough Opening	Tip to Tip	Pet Width	Pet Shoulder Height*	Pet Weight
Small	5 1/2" x 7 1/2"	7 3/8" x 9 3/8"	8 3/8" x 10 3/8"	Up to 4"	Up to 7"	Very small cats up to 8 lbs.
Small Medium	6 1/2" x 9 1/2"	8 1/2" x 11 1/2"	9 9/16" x 12 9/16"	3"-5"	9"-13"	Most cats, small dogs 6-12 lbs.
Tall Small Medium	6 1/2" x 12 1/2"	8 1/2" x 14 1/2"	9 9/16" x 15 3/8"	3"-5"	12"-15"	Small, tall dogs 12-25 lbs.
Medium	8 1/2" x 12 1/2"	10 1/2" x 14 1/2"	11 9/16" x 15 3/8"	6"-8"	12"-15"	Dogs 10-35 lbs.
Tall Medium	8 1/2" x 16"	10 1/2" x 18"	11 9/16" x 19 1/16"	6"-8"	15"-20"	Tall Dogs 30-45 lbs.
Large	11" x 16"	13" x 18"	14 1/16" x 19 1/16"	8"-10"	15"-20"	Dogs 40-55 lbs.
Tall Large	11" x 19 1/2"	13" x 21 5/8"	14 1/16" x 22 9/16"	8"-10"	21"-24"	Taller Dogs 50-95 lbs.
Tall Large Plus	11" x 23 1/2"	13" x 25 5/8"	14 1/16" x 26 9/16"	8"-10"	25"-27"	Tall slender dogs to 110 lbs.
Extra Tall Large	11" x 27 1/2"	13" x 29 5/8"	14 1/16" x 30 9/16"	8"-10"	24"-31"	Very tall, slender dogs to 120 lbs.
Extra Large	14" x 19 1/2"	16" x 21 5/8"	17 1/16" x 22 9/16"	11"-13"	22"-24"	Large dogs to 120 lbs.
Extra Large Plus	14" x 23 1/2"	16" x 25 5/8"	17 1/16" x 26 9/16"	11"-13"	25"-27"	Larger dogs to 150 lbs.
Giant	15 1/2" x 27 1/2"	17 5/8" x 29 5/8"	18 9/16" x 30 9/16"	12"-14"	25"-31"	Most Giant Breeds

*This measurement varies depending on whether your pet door is installed in a door, wall, screen, window, etc. and how far off the ground the bottom of the pet door is. Please make sure you order a door tall enough for your pet.

For Cats and Small or Medium Dogs

We have five sizes perfect for cats and small or medium dogs up to 20" high, up to 8" wide, and up to 45 pounds.

Pictured above left to right: Small, Small Medium, Tall Small Medium, Medium, and Tall Medium

For Larger Dogs

Taller breeds that aren't too wide usually fit best in this category. This includes dogs from 8" to 27" tall weighing between 40 & 120 lbs. and no wider than 10" across.

Pictured: Large, Tall Large, Tall Large Plus, Extra Tall Large

For Larger and Wider Dogs

Our widest and tallest pet doors designed for the biggest breeds whether height, width or both. These accomodate dogs from 22" - 31" high, 11" - 14" wide and over 100 lbs.

Pictured above L-R: Extra Large, Extra Large Plus, Giant

Measurement 1 - Width

Width – This is the easy one. Simply measure your pet at the widest point and add an inch or two for safety. If your pet is long-haired, don’t forget that this may make them appear wider than they really are.

Alternately, you can open a door just wide enough for your pet to pass through and measure the width of the opening, again adding an inch or two for safety.

Measurement 2 - Height

Height—The pet door flaps should be at least an inch or two above the top of your pet’s back not the head. To get this height, measure your pet from the withers (top of the shoulders) to the floor. Remember that your door won’t be placed completely at floor level. If you have more than one animal, measure the tallest one.

If you have trouble getting your dog to stand still to be measured, you can try standing next to your dog, putting your fingers level with his shoulders on your leg and then measure from the floor to that spot on your leg.

Measurement 3 - Rise

Rise—This measurement is generally only applicable for panel models which come with the rise built in. Door, wall, screen, and window models can usually be mounted at whatever height is comfortable for your pet. If you have a short-legged dog or an older dog that can’t lift his feet very high, or if the door is installed with a step on either side, consider ordering a “no rise” door. Our standard rise on panel models is 5” or 10”.

Measure Your Pet for the Correct Size

There are three measurements to take into consideration when choosing the correct size door: 1) the width of the passage opening, 2) the height of the opening, and finally, 3) the “rise” or the lip at the bottom of the door that the pet must step over to use the door. Use the following guidelines to ensure a proper fit for your pet.

An Easy Way to Measure Your Pet

Some dogs just won't stand still to be measured so here is an alternative method you can use to get the best size pet door for your animals and location.

Alternate method: Make a sample door opening out of a large piece of cardboard based on the above size chart. Place it in any door opening and experiment with height placement. Order the size most comfortable for your pet.

Measure Your House to Make Sure It Fits

If you have limited space for your pet door, you need to take into consideration both the rough opening size (the hole cut into your door, wall, etc. represented in green below) and the tip to tip size (the outermost frame measurement represented in beige below). Using the graphic below and the chart above as a guideline, measure your available area and see which standard size best fits your situation, keeping in mind the size of your animal (see section above about how to measure your pet). If necessary, we can supply a custom size door made to fit your available area while providing the largest possible passage opening for your pet.

Measure Your Pet Door To Replace the Flaps

If you need to purchase replacement flaps the size listed on the replacement parts page is the approximate passage opening. The actual flap size is a little narrower and a little taller (due to the top metal bar attachment). If you are not sure of your door size, the easiest measurement to take is the tip to tip size. Measure the outermost frame distance as shown in beige in the graphic below. Use the chart above to translate the tip to tip measurement into a door size and order the appropriate size flaps. If you have a custom size pet door or require further assistance, please call us at 800-646-4773.

Still Need Help?

For more sizing suggestions, please see our breeds page.

If you need a custom sized door, please see our custom orders page.

Call us at 800-646-4773 or email us at info@halepetdoor.com and we will be happy to assist you with sizing recommendations.

Other Things to consider

Older pets don’t like to use pet doors that are uncomfortable. Make sure you get a door that your pet will always be able to use. If you currently have a kitten or puppy, remember that they will grow.

Mount the pet door so that it is low enough for your pet to comfortably step over. Young pets can raise their legs up to their chest but older pets may have trouble with this.

Make sure the pet door is tall enough for your pet. Hunching over can be hard on your pet’s hips, especially as they age. And the flaps on your door will last longer if your pet isn’t rubbing against the top of the door as he passes through.

If you have more than one pet, make sure you get a door that will work for all of them: low enough for the shortest one to step over but tall enough for the tallest one to fit through comfortably.

Don’t forget that your pet needs access from both sides of your pet door. If you are installing the door in an area that has steps outside, please take into consideration how your pet will have to get through the door. This is especially true of our panel models. They have a standard rise of 5” but can be ordered with no rise (actually about 1” of frame to step over) instead to make it easier for your pet.