If your pets use the Power Pet Door, you know how it works: your dog wears a special ultrasonic collar, the electronic pet door opens, your dog walks through, and the door closes and locks behind them. But if your dog is still in training, or if you have multiple pets coming through, you may want the door panel to stay propped open for several seconds. If your pet collar isn't working for some reason or if you just want your pets to come and go through the opening, you can even prop the door open for a couple of minutes. It's a small, almost obvious feature once you know it's there, but it fills a gap all other doggie doors leave completely unaddressed. You can command your smart dog door to "hold open" with the push of a button in the Power Pet Door app.
What hold-open actually does
The hold-open feature manually props the panel in the open position, similar to propping open a screen door. It's a deliberate, temporary override rather than a permanent setting, and a smart pet door makes it easy to switch back to automatic operation once you're done.
Why this isn't the same as just removing the flap
Traditional pet doors require putting a hard cover over the door each time you want your dog to stay in, and removing the cover each time you want your dog to go out. Since most pet parents will just take the cover off to let their dogs roam throughout the day, they're letting hot or cold weather inside all day long. A built-in hold-open setting that seals air-tight when you're done keeps the frame and seal intact — you're changing the door's state, not disassembling it.
Getting back to normal operation
Just press the "hold open" button a second time in the Power Pet Door app, and the door resumes its previous behavior — whether that's automatic collar-based unlocking, a schedule, or a specific access mode. It's worth double-checking the door has actually returned to its intended setting after using the hold-open feature, especially before leaving the house or overnight.
Keeping your smart dog door secure while it's propped
Hold-open mode trades security for convenience temporarily, so it's worth being mindful of how long the door stays in that state, especially if you're not actively nearby to supervise the opening. Most owners treat it as a short-duration setting for active tasks rather than something to leave on overnight or while out of the house, which keeps the convenience without leaving the entry point open longer than intended.
Related Reading
Why Does My Smart Pet Door Stay Open When My Dog Lingers Halfway Through? It's a Feature, Not a Malfunction
Ready to Upgrade?
Hold-open mode is one of those features you might not think about until you need it — and when you do, it saves you from wrestling with the flap or leaving the door in an awkward in-between state. It's a simple convenience feature, but it's also a good example of how automatic doors can be more flexible than a standard flap rather than less — you're not trading away the ability to prop the door open, you're getting a cleaner, more controlled version of it. It's the kind of small design detail that's easy to overlook until the exact moment you need it. That's why a smart pet door controlled from the palm of your hand is the safe, secure, convenient, and energy-efficient option.
