My dog, Marley, is, like most dogs, the goodest boi. But he also has a lot of anxiety, mostly when I am not home. I panic every time I come home and Marley is not there to eagerly and enthusiastically (and loudly) greet me at the door because I know that he has locked himself inside some room in the apartment.
How does he do this?!
Marley can easily close doors. He also can open them, if it’s a latch-type handle and he can push the door open (he also has figured out how to open outdoor gates — ridiculously smart and motivated doggo). But, Marley does not have thumbs (surprise!), which means that he can’t pull open doors! So when he fully closes a door by pushing it with his nose or his front paw(s) and it latches, he cannot open it again.
He knows that the secret to opening the door is the handle (I know this because I’ve 1) seen him try and 2) his scratch marks are centered around the door handle), but without a way to pull open the door he’s completely stuck and in even more of a panic. He’s destroyed more than one door (not fun).
Finally, I decided to help out my poor, anxious, and brilliant dog by building him a dog-friendly switch to activate an automatic door. This project solves two things:
1) It reduces my dog’s anxiety and potential danger if he locks himself in a room and panics and does not have water, and
2) It also reduces the likelihood that my dog will destroy a door.. which is expensive.
But I rent! I can’t go drilling massive holes in the wall or replace the door handle and whatnot. What to do?! Put on my design thinking cap and create a project that I can easily take down when I move, leaving little to no trace of my dog-friendly home automation modification.
That was the motivation and story behind my most recent project build: A Dog Door Opener! The tutorial is a step-by-step guide for how I made a dog-friendly automatic door.
Bonus: I used the micro:bit, which is a great tool to learn how to code and how to work with hardware, yay! I also incorporated a robotics kit for kids made by BinaryBots, which was super useful because it had a strong motor compatible with the micro:bit and many of the mechanical parts and pieces I needed to make this project. It also helped keep the cost down, since strong motors and mechanical parts can get expensive, quick.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the project! I also would lovelovelove to see if you build this, and if so, what you make! Feel free to share here or tag me on social media: @jenfoxbot or @foxbotindustries!
Happy making, friends! Let’s go forth and make our homes and buildings more pet- and people-friendly!