We all love hanging out in our garages. They are often spacious, convenient, and we can open the door at a press of a button. And while they are quite safe for humans, our beloved pets don’t always see the giant door in the same way we do. Here is a series of tips and things to keep in mind if you and your companions frequent the garage.
The Garage Door is a Moving Thing
We understand why and when it moves, but sparky the dog doesn’t. We cannot forget this. For this reason, it is a bad idea to tie or anchor a pet’s leash to the garage door. In fact, just don’t get in the habit of having your animal hang out near the garage door at all. In or out, so to speak. The garage door is safe in general, but things can happen, and its best to keep things safe.
The Mechanisms and Cables Aren’t Built for Pet Safety
There are moving parts that are generally kept safe from human fingers (and in large part because we know not to stick fingers in places with moving parts), but pets don’t always have the same awareness. Not to mention that cats can get into some pretty obscure areas. Don’t let fluffy the cat make a home up in the rafters while the door is down, because who knows what can happen when it opens. And if our cats can chew up cords on blinds or shoelaces, they can certainly chew on garage door cables. Keep an eye out for these things. Better safe than sorry.
Consider Training Your Pets to Use Other Doors
It is great to hang out with our pets in the front lawn, garage, or driveway, but it’s also best not to encourage pets to hang out directly near the garage door and any of its mechanisms. Perhaps consider only encouraging your pet to use the garage entrance when you are entering and exiting. Otherwise train your animals to use another entryway that doesn’t include a giant mechanically moving door.
Let us enjoy our animals and our garage doors! Keep it safe and fun, everyone.