The Best Dog Gates for Keeping Small Dogs Out of Rooms They Hate

Last Tuesday Georgie ate my sock and acted like I’d wronged him when I took it back. He’s always been a drama king, but the sock incident was next level. He then proceeded to stand at the top of the stairs, staring into the abyss of the living room (which he’s decided is his personal hellscape, mostly because Teddy has a habit of napping there sometimes), and let out this mournful, operatic howl. You know the one. The one that sounds like he’s channeling a thousand generations of wolves, even though he’s a 9-pound morkie who thinks a stray leaf is a mortal enemy. Anyway, you asked about gates to keep your new pup out of certain rooms, specifically the ones they inexplicably hate, and Georgie has strong opinions on this, so I’ve got some thoughts.

Why Georgie Hates the Living Room (and Other Areas)

Okay, first, let’s address why these little gremlins decide one room is the absolute worst. For Georgie, the living room is a territorial nightmare because Teddy, his golden retriever brother, sometimes sleeps there. Teddy is the calmest dog on the planet, but in Georgie’s tiny, opinionated mind, Teddy is a usurper. He’ll sit in the hallway, nose twitching, silently judging the entire room. He also hates the laundry room because the washing machine is a monster, and the guest bedroom because it smells “weird” (probably like guests, Georgie, because that’s what it’s for). So, for us, it’s not about keeping him *in* a room, but keeping him *out* of ones he finds offensive or, more practically, out of trouble. We tried just closing doors, but Georgie is a master of the silent door scratch, and frankly, I like being able to walk between rooms without a full-on door opening and closing ceremony every time. Plus, sometimes I need to hear if he’s plotting world domination from the kitchen.

The Gates That Failed Us (and Georgie’s Judgement)

My first thought, like any rational human, was “cheap and easy.” So, I grabbed the Regalo Easy Step Walk Thru Gate ($40 on Amazon). It seemed fine at first. It was tall enough, easy to install, and theoretically portable. Georgie, however, found it an insult. He’d stand there and bark at it, as if it were a sentient being daring to cross his path. More importantly, it had a bar at the bottom that was a trip hazard for me, and for Georgie, it was apparently a launchpad. He’s small, but he has the vertical leap of a kangaroo on espresso. He never actually cleared it, but he put a good effort in, and I spent a lot of time fishing him off the top bar. Also, the pressure mounts were a disaster on our plaster walls. They left scuff marks and started to pull paint. Not ideal.

Next, I tried a freestanding gate, the Frisco Extra Wide Arch Wooden Dog Gate ($85 on Chewy). This one I was genuinely excited about. It’s solid wood, no pressure mounts, and it looks like it actually belongs in a home rather than screaming “temporary pet containment device.” It’s 71 inches wide and 30 inches tall, so theoretically tall enough to discourage Georgie’s espresso-fueled kangaroo impressions. The installation was straightforward—just place it in the doorway and adjust the extension bars. For about three days, it worked brilliantly. Georgie couldn’t vault it, couldn’t knock it down, and the house looked 10 times better. Then he figured out that if he threw his full tiny body against it at just the right angle while running from the kitchen, the whole thing would shift and create a gap just wide enough for him to squeeze through. One afternoon I found him triumphantly perched on the forbidden guest bed, looking supremely satisfied with himself.

This led me down a rabbit hole of increasingly complex gating solutions. I briefly considered a retractable gate, but those feel flimsy, and honestly, the ones I looked at had mixed reviews about durability with dogs who actually have opinions. I also researched those fancy sliding barn-door style gates, but at $200+ and requiring actual installation work, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t just throwing money at the problem.

What Actually Works (Kind Of)

Here’s what I’ve learned: there’s no perfect gate. There’s only the least-worst gate for your specific situation and your specific dog’s IQ level and stubbornness quotient.

For us, the combination that’s won the day is a two-pronged approach. In the living room entrance (the main trouble spot), I use the Frisco gate, but I’ve added a simple Carlson Extra Wide Pressure Gate ($50 on Amazon) on top of it. I know this sounds overkill, and it probably is, but hear me out. The Carlson gate is lightweight and shorter—about 20 inches tall—so it doesn’t look like much, but it serves as a secondary deterrent. Georgie can’t get a running start against the Frisco gate without hitting the Carlson gate first. It’s not that he’s too dumb to figure out the system; it’s that he lacks the patience to deal with multiple obstacles. He’s a drama king, not a strategist.

In the laundry room, where the washing machine lives, I just use a simple Evenflo Top-of-Stair Hardware Mounted Gate ($60 on Amazon). This one is actually bolted to the wall (so no pressure mount damage), and it’s sturdy enough that I don’t worry about him knocking it over. It does require drilling a couple of holes, but if you’re renting, most landlords won’t object to fixing small holes when you move out. The hardwired approach means no shifting, no wobbling, and Georgie respects it in a way he doesn’t respect the pressure-mounted gates. It’s also baby-safe if you have human children, though I assume you’re gate shopping for dog reasons.

In the guest bedroom, I’ve actually just gone back to closing the door. It’s not ideal for airflow or anything, but it’s the least-used room anyway, and it keeps Georgie out of trouble with his weird phantom odor complaints. Sometimes the simplest solution wins.

The Real Talk About Dog Gates

If your dog is genuinely determined and athletically gifted, no gate is going to be a permanent solution. A motivated dog can learn to jump higher, squeeze through smaller gaps, or just apply sustained pressure until something gives. What you’re really doing with a gate is introducing friction into their decision-making process. Georgie could probably learn to clear the Frisco gate if he was truly motivated, but it’s easier for him to just accept it and move on with his life. The double-gate system adds just enough friction that he’s decided it’s not worth the effort.

You also need to think about your own lifestyle. If you’re constantly opening and closing a gate, you’ll get frustrated and stop using it. If you have to drill holes or deal with wall damage, you’ll resent the gate. The best gate is one that actually fits into your daily life, even if it’s not the most aesthetically perfect or the most technically sophisticated. For me, that’s the Frisco gate with the backup Carlson gate and a closed door where needed. For you, it might be something different entirely.

Also, and I can’t stress this enough: measure your doorways before you buy anything. Seriously. I made the mistake of assuming all my doorways were standard, and it turns out my guest bedroom door is slightly narrower than the living room archway. This is why I have two different gates. Not my finest moment, but it’s a lesson learned.

Bottom Line

Georgie still hates the living room. He still hates the laundry room. He will still occasionally stand at the top of the stairs and let out a mournful howl that sounds like he’s being actively tortured. But at least he’s not actually accessing these spaces and eating weird things or knocking over the laundry basket or being dramatic on the guest bed. The gates aren’t a miracle cure for whatever psychological issue he has with these rooms, but they do keep him out of trouble, and they let me pretend I’m in control of my house, which is basically what pet ownership is all about. If your pup is anything like Georgie, expect to do some experimentation. But hopefully, somewhere in the world of hardwired gates, pressure-mounted gates, and freestanding solutions, there’s one that will fit your doorway and your patience level. Fingers crossed it works better for you than my first few attempts worked for me.