Marcia Lyons

While there are certainly dozens of gates available to purchase, dog gates fall into three basic categories.  There are tension mounted gates, hardware mounted gates and free standing gates.  Depending upon the type of home you have and your dog’s temperament, you can choose the gate best suited for you. To make it more comfortable, place a dog bed and elevated dog feeders.

Tension Mounted
These gates are mounted to a wall or doorway utilizing a spring based tension device.  The gate is fitted, usually through the use of some sort of screw in/screw out mechanism, to be slightly larger than the opening you wish to block.  With compression, the gate fits the opening and the tension keeps it in place.  These gates are great in an area where you don’t intend to go back and forth frequently. These gates will also have a minimal damage impact on your walls as well. You can use these pet gates indoor or outdoor depending on the material.

Hardware Mounted
This type of gate can generally span a larger distance than a tension mounted gate, but can still be used in a smaller opening.  To set up this gate, you will be provided with dry-wall screws that you use to screw the plate into the wall.  The gate is then installed into the hardware.

These gates are great because they can swing open like a little door when you need to get through.  Simply unlock the gate by use of the handle, and let it swing.  Because these gates are usually well-made and strong, they can withstand even the biggest dog pushing against it.

Free Standing
A free standing gate is designed not to have any impact upon the wall.  Even a tension mounted gate can cause some damage to a wall as a result of the pressure used to keep it in place.  These gates have long coated legs that keep the gate upright and reduce the slide factor.  You can move these gates to any area of the house, and they can span fairly large distance.