Homes with Dog Doors: The Listings I Love Most

I’ve walked through hundreds of homes over the years—from sprawling estates to sweet little cabins tucked under redwoods. I’ve seen grand staircases, infinity pools, wine cellars, and stunning designer kitchens.
But you want to know one of the features that always makes me smile?

A dog door.

There’s something about spotting that little flap tucked into a slider or side door that immediately tells me: this was a home filled with love.

It says there were daily walks and muddy paws. That someone once stood at the sink and watched their golden retriever chase squirrels across the yard. That there was barking at delivery trucks and warm bodies curled up by the fire at night.

Dog doors—like scuffed baseboards or a slightly-too-worn sofa—are proof of life. They say, we didn’t just live here, we belonged here.

And I know that journey firsthand. I remember wondering if we’d made a mistake when our little girl was just a puppy—when sleep was scarce, shoes were chewed, and everything felt uncertain. I remember those late-night moments, lying on the floor next to her bed, asking myself, Is she sick? Is this just a bug or do we need the vet?

I’ve googled symptoms, changed schedules, rushed home from dinners, and once fed her leftover rice and scrambled eggs, because we ran out of her food and the store was already closed.

These aren’t just moments—they’re chapters. Tiny, emotional snapshots of a life being lived with another creature who loves you unconditionally. And when I walk into a house with a dog door, I know those chapters are baked into the walls.

As a real estate agent, I notice these things. I file them away like small, beautiful clues. Because so often, my buyers aren’t just looking for square footage and views—they’re looking for a feeling.

A place their dog can run free.
A spot in the sun where a cat will nap.
A yard for a future rescue pup.

Pets shape how we live in our homes—and often, how we choose them in the first place. I’ve toured homes where buyers spent more time checking the fence line than the kitchen. And I’ve worked with sellers who cried when I told them the next owner also had a dog and would love the garden just as much.

It’s a small detail, but it says so much.

So yes, I’ll always have a soft spot for homes with dog doors. Because they remind me that home isn’t just a structure—it’s a place where the messy, loyal, joyful parts of life happen. A place of training pads and late-night worries, of first walks and final goodbyes, of muddy floors and full hearts.

And that, to me, is always worth highlighting.

Sometimes it’s the smallest door in the house that tells the biggest story.