Neighbors Install Trap Door in Their Fence After Dogs Become Best Friends: 'Fun to Watch' (Exclusive)

The golden retriever and shepherd mix get to enjoy romping across two backyards thanks to their owners' new installation

Two neighbors in California's Bay Area have found the perfect way to keep their dogs, who are best friends, entertained.

Whitney Tipton, known on TikTok as @fun_with_grump ,tells PEOPLE that she first struck up a friendship with her neighbors after they both welcomed puppies into their families around the same time.

"Trapper is a 2-year-old golden retriever and Fritz is a 3-year-old shepherd mix. Their friendship is the sweetest, funniest thing," she tells PEOPLE.

"The dogs were also how we became friendly with our neighbors. We were both first-time dog owners and got to know each other by commiserating with each other’s puppy challenges across the fence."

The two dogs are the perfect "odd couple," Tipton says. "It’s worth noting that our dogs didn’t have this friendship right away. We introduced them slowly and it came in time."

She explains of their current dynamic, "Trapper is a complete goofball, and Fritz is more reserved and serious. Their different personalities are what make them fun to watch."

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Having a dog door built into their fence was "serendipitous," says Tipton, explaining it started as a joke between the neighbors.

"My neighbor had been joking about it for months — she’d text us tragic photos of Trapper’s sad eyes under the fence to make her case," she says.

"Then, one day, my neighbor and I were in her backyard when someone popped his head over the fence to say hi to them. It turned out he was a dog-lover who also lived in the neighborhood and was building a fence next door. As we were talking about the dogs and his handiwork, the idea of the door came up."

It seemed fate had brought them someone who was up for the job, so the neighbors "decided to go for it."

"He was the one who suggested it should latch from both sides so that we would have to coordinate and agree on when it would be open, which we all liked," Tipton explains. "He based the design on the existing fence and human-sized gates ... we couldn’t be happier with it. It turned out even better than we hoped."

The neighbors and their pups have been enjoying the fence for a few months now and so far, "It's been so fun for the dogs and convenient for us, plus it’s impossible not to smile every time we open it."

Both neighbors are also happy that when the dog door is open, it gives the two "double their yard space" to play around in.

"We live in a fairly dense neighborhood. They played together in the backyards before, but it was less frequent and they were limited to one side or the other," she notes.

"Now we can easily open it any time we’re outside together, even if we’re still in pajamas or busy with yard work or whatever else is going on."

The proud dog mom says, "Trapper runs to check the door almost every time he goes outside. Fritz howls when he wants it opened. The dogs’ excitement is contagious and hasn’t died down at all."

The two neighbors are so happy with their decision that they hope other people will try it with their neighbors.

"If the humans and the dogs get along, there’s nothing to lose and lots to gain. Some people online have said we should keep it open all the time, but others have commented that the dual latches show respect for one another, and that’s how we see it," Tipton says. "And if your neighbor doesn’t even have a dog yet, well … neither did either of us when we moved in, so there’s still hope!"

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