Doggie Door Alarm

My dogs love chasing squirrels. So I wanted to think of a way for the dog door to tell me when they went out.

(2) long cardboard 18" x 6.5"

(2) small cardboard 10" x 5"

(2) aluminum foil sheets

(1) Sponge

(1) MakeyMakey

Scratch Coding Online Program

Scissors, Tape, Paper clips

Take the two long pieces of cardboard and fold them to connect the top. Secure with paper clips and tape. (using cardboard to test the project before I try the real dog door)

Fold the edge of the cardboard so that it faces out. Place the MakeyMakey box (or anything heavy) on the cardboard. This will help keep the structure upright. I placed heavy items inside the MakeyMakey boxes to hold it in place.

Take one of the small cardboard pieces and fold it into thirds. Cut one-third off. Tape the one-third you removed and connect it to the underside of the remaining cardboard piece. Tape it down.

Now, cut a small sliver from the sponge and place it on top of the one-third you removed. Tape it down. This will help keep the step pad open.

Finally, place aluminum sheet on the one-third you removed as well as the underside it connect to. It will look like an alligator mouth. Hold the aluminum foil in place with paper clips.

Repeat these steps for the two remaining small pieces of cardboard.

You will now have three "tattle-tail" steps.

Take two of the pads and place them "outside" the dog door (as shown in picture).

Take the last pad and place it "inside the dog door (as shown in picture).

You will need a total of four alligator clips. Clips #1-3 will be attached to the paper clip on each pad (connect them to the MakeyMakey using whatever keys you will use).

Clip #4 is connected to Earth on the MakeyMakey

Plug in MakeyMakey to computer and open Scratch.

Code Scratch to the sounds or words you would like each pad to make.

Pretend your hand is the dog and test how the pads work depending which direction the dog comes through the door.

That's it!!!