Best pet gate for home office with a Cockapoo

A Cockapoo barging into a video call is one of those things that's funny once and maddening by the third time — so let's get this sorted properly. Gate choice comes down to three things: your dog's size and jumping ability, the width of the opening you're blocking, and whether pressure-mounting is an option or you need to fix into the wall. One thing worth knowing upfront: pressure-mounted gates are not safe at the top of stairs, but for a doorway or room entrance they're completely fine. What's the width of the doorway you're looking to block, and do you own or rent — is drilling into the wall an option?

Perfect — 80cm is well within the standard range, and a non-jumping scratcher is actually the easier problem to solve. You don't need anything heavy-duty. What matters here is that the gate has a smooth, solid surface so she can't get purchase with her paws, and a one-handed release so you're not wrestling with it every time you need to get in or out. Is this a ground-floor doorway, not at the top of any stairs?

Great, that means pressure-mounted is absolutely fine here. My recommendation is the Safetots Extra Wide Walk Through Baby and Pet Gate. It's a well-built steel gate with a solid lower panel — no bars at the bottom for paws to hook into — and a walk-through door with a one-handed squeeze-and-lift release, which you'll appreciate when you're rushing between calls. Pressure-mounted with a good tension system, so no damage to your door frame. It fits openings from around 75cm up to 82cm in its standard size, so your 80cm doorway is right in the sweet spot. At roughly 9kg, your Cockapoo isn't going to push it over, and the solid lower section gives her nothing to scratch against effectively. It's around £35–40 on Amazon UK and has solid reviews from dog owners specifically.

Most dogs settle within a few days once they realise the gate isn't going to budge. The thing that helps most is not making a fuss of her immediately before you go in — just walk through calmly and close it without a big goodbye, so it becomes a non-event. Give her something to do on her side: a stuffed Kong or a chew works well. Cockapoos are clever and social, so the goal is for her to associate the gate going up with getting something good, rather than with being shut out. Within a week or two, most owners find the dog barely notices.

Good choice — it'll do the job without overcomplicating things. Measure the doorway one more time before you order just to confirm, and check the specific listing for the exact fit range. Your calls should be a lot calmer from here.