Bow Wow Barrier 28” White by Smart Retract: Retractable Door Barrier for Dogs and Cats

Reading other reviews on this product made me insane. I bought this, because I needed to open my door, while I'm IN THE HOUSE, to sign for packages, talk to whomever rang the bell, or check for packages on my porch without my miniature dachshund DOGS leading a revolution on my front porch. This product does EXACTLY that. This is not a product that promises to work for cats. It might, but it's not a feline fortress, it's a bow wow barrier. This DOES NOT interfere with my door handle. The very first picture has the Retractable ROLLER anchored to the wall, NOT to the door. The door pulls the barrier out of wall anchored roller. I have a door knob, not a door handle/lever. If your handle looks like anl ~, then change your handle and this product will be fine. Can't imagine returning a $100 product for a $10 fix. Could dogs get under this? No, not if you install it, um, well, as directed. This barrier fills a very specific void, and does just that. How do you enter the house and leave the house with it up? You don't. It's not really meant for that. The product doesn't promise to fill every need...a fills a specific one, for dogs. Not crazy 20ft jumping cats. Why do I need to drill holes in my door? To make it safe, bc the product is literally a dog safety product. If I remove it, there will be holes in my door? Uh yeah, that I can puddy and paint for $5. I'll have to do that for my walls, light fixtures and anything else I screwed into my house. You can't tape this product to the door. If you want to leave and enter the house, with this up? It's not a human access product, it's a dog barrier product. The images for this product are highlight it, not simulate a live event. I love this this item! It might solve problems outside the scope of the intended engineering, but that risk on the person hoping it will solve their issue, that this wasn't made to solve. Rant review over.

I did a lot of research before ultimately deciding on giving this product a chance.To sum things up: perfect barrier for opening/answering the door keeping animals that like to dart out.More in depth details:- take measurements, if your doorknob is too low, this product won’t work for you (doorknobs about 2’11”high from the bottom of the door will work)- this is not going to lock things down like Fort Knox. If you have an animal that can jump high, quickly, like ninja cats or kangaroos, this product might not be for you.- follow installation instructions. this product is not meant to be rigged up. Bungee cords, 3m strips, adhesive glue/tape, zip ties or any other creative ways you think you can install without drilling holes will not work. If you don’t want to drill little holes into your wall or door, this product is not for you.I was worried this wouldn’t work with our baseboards. However, I had an extra piece of wood the same thickness as the baseboard and cut a piece to use as a spacer. This worked perfectly.The retractable fabric is sturdy so if a dog runs into it, the fabric will just bow but will still keep the barrier intact. It’s not flimsy, so I couldn’t see my 13lb - 55lb animals squeezing underneath the barrier.Since this is retractable, the door won’t stay open on its own. Also, the door won’t open fully while the barrier is latched.There isn’t a smooth way to get in and out while latched. Since I don’t have a storm door, this was an easy and inexpensive solution to be able to answer the door and bring groceries in while keeping the dogs and cat from darting out.

Tough to install and it was far too tall for the purpose we needed it for. It appeared it would be able to be stepped over- it can not be. You need to unhook it to go in and out of the door which is cumbersome. The quality was very cheap for the higher price tag. I returned it.

I would have loved to try this product as we have such a big problem with our cats trying to run out through the front door when coming or going. This seemed like a wonderful answer to the issue, however it doesn’t seem like they make a version for doors which open out instead of inward. What a shame. It’s probably less common, but if you have an outward opening door don’t waste your time. I have to figure out how to return this thing now.

This dog barrier gate looks so super, super cool!! Unfortunately my delivery is missing the assembly instructions and brackets so I am unable to install and use it. Seller is responsive and has accepted my return.

This thing was a god-send. I have a very curious little kitten (4 months) and just moved to a much more rural area. For the first time, my door opened right to the outside which was full of bunnies and deer and tons of woods where kitty could get lost forever. I got this gate to help keep him inside and soothe my own anxiety about opening the door. It literally works like a charm. There is no space for him to get through the bottom (I was worried about that) and he does not seem to have any idea that he could try to jump over. I think it helps that he can see through the gate, as it distracts him form trying to get over/under. It's way higher than other gates as well, so I think he would have a hard time jumping over, even if he tried. I literally love it and think it's worth every penny. The one down side is that the directions say to nail the clips into your door. I'm in a rental so that was a no-go. But I got around it easily using double sided for $3 from Staples. Honestly a great purchase!

This gate is attached at the door frame and expands out to hook onto the open door. I decided against keeping this gate as we have a moose of a dog that would simply plow right through it. It would be great to catch sneaky cats or smaller dogs that could run out the door and get lost or hurt.

Three adult humans could not install this item. The expectation of the location of wall studs was very strange. We wanted it for Halloween, and it's pretty slow arrival on the afternoon of the 31st limited our time to fool around with it. We'll try again on the weekend. If matters improve, I'll update this review.