This is a specific conversation about Pet gates — containing dogs safely — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
A Lurcher and a rabbit under the same roof — that's a setup that needs some careful thinking. Gate choice comes down to three things: your dog's size and jumping ability, the width of the opening you're blocking, and whether you can fix to a wall or need pressure-mounting. One firm rule upfront: pressure-mounted gates are never safe at the top of stairs. For a sighthound who'll be eyeing a rabbit on the other side, you also need something sturdy enough that it won't flex or rattle loose. So — how big is your Lurcher, where are you looking to put the gate, and is wall-mounting an option for you?
He's a 2-year-old Lurcher, pretty lean but about 27kg and around 70cm at the shoulder. I want to block the kitchen doorway so the rabbit can have the run of the living room but the dog can't get in there. The doorway is about 80cm wide. I can drill into the walls, that's fine.
inparticular.ai
Good — wall-mounting gives you a much more secure setup, which matters a lot with a Lurcher. They're not typically climbers, but they are athletic and they will lean and push if they're motivated. What's your rabbit's breed roughly — small like a Nethie, or a larger breed? I'm asking because the gap at the bottom of the gate is the key variable for letting the rabbit pass through freely without giving the Lurcher any ideas about getting underneath too.
She's a medium-sized rabbit, a Rex, so probably about 2kg. She can hop pretty low under things — I'd say she needs maybe a 15cm gap at the bottom at most, ideally a bit less. The dog definitely can't squeeze under anything, he's too big for that.
inparticular.ai
Perfect, that makes this straightforward. I'd go with the Safetots Extra Wide Baby and Pet Gate. It's a wall-mounted, screw-fit gate that fits an 80cm opening without needing an extension, it's rated for large dogs, and crucially it has a bottom bar gap of around 8–10cm — enough for a Rex rabbit to slip under comfortably, but nowhere near enough for a 27kg Lurcher to attempt. The frame is steel so it won't flex when he leans on it, and the single-handed adult latch is firm enough that a dog won't accidentally knock it open. It opens in both directions, which makes kitchen life much easier. That's the one I'd buy for your exact situation.
That sounds ideal. Is there anything I should watch out for when fitting it, given the dog is going to be pushing against it?
inparticular.ai
Two things worth doing when you fit it. First, use all four wall fixings — don't skip any even if the doorframe feels solid. A determined Lurcher pushing repeatedly will find any weak point. Second, check that the pressure spindles on the gate frame are tightened fully after fitting and recheck them after the first week, because the initial settling can loosen things slightly. Once it's solid, it'll hold easily against a dog his size. The rabbit will figure out the gap within a day or two and you'll have clean separation between them.
Brilliant, thanks. I'll order that one.
