Door Manners
Dog Training Tip-June 2023
Spring is here and we are finally coming out of hibernation a bit! Our dogs love going outside and coming inside …. again, again, and again! We then quickly realize it is time to polish up on those door manners. Now is the perfect time to be proactive and set our dogs up for success ensuring they remain safely indoors as we come and go.
This is a huge safety issue. You do not want your dogs to rush you to the door or worse run out the door into a dangerous situation. Whether you need to quickly grab a package, are leaving to go on a walk or when a visitor arrives at your door. We want a well-behaved dog who waits until we ask them to leave with or without you. It requires self control on the part of the dog and a measure of patience on our end as well.
Self control is a skill our dog needs to practice in different scenarios to be successful. It is difficult! It is important to build it slowly, so they do not get frustrated. We will see it have a cumulative effect in so many other areas of our training. It helps prevent many common behavior problems and will develop those polite manners.
We want our dog to automatically offer us a sit, give eye contact and patiently wait when given their meal, a treat or toy, when meeting others, leaving the house or to simply wait for what you are asking them to do next. You can start by slowing down the delivery of your treats when you know they have a solid understanding of the skill. Try letting your dog think it out and wait to capture those behaviours and reward them for calm settled behaviour. Practice calm behavior.
Let’s touch on self control around those doors. It is important to keep your sessions short. Start with an inside door that does not lead to the front or backyard, as that may be a little too exciting and challenging yet. Start with their harness and leash on and just stand on their leash so they cannot wander. Use your body to create appropriate space in front of the door. We do not want them crowding us or rushing to escape.
Use your marker “yes” when your dog offers a sit and looks to you. Deliver the treats while they are sitting to build their duration. If their bum pops up, then the treat goes away until it hits the ground again. Remember, you want to give them time to think about what you are asking, do not cue them.
When your dog is doing well with holding a sit while offering attention, reach out and touch the door handle. Watch how your dog responds and wait for that attention. “Yes” and treat. If that was way too exciting, you can lure them back into a sit and start again. Meet your dog where they are in their learning and practice short fun sessions. They will enjoy the enrichment and start to understand what you are asking for quite quickly.
You can slowly progress through the steps of handling the knob, rattling it, cracking the door, then opening the door, to fully being able to exit the door calmy and appropriately. Then move this exercise to the exterior doors. Make sure you watch how your dog responds as you teach them what you expect from them.
If they are struggling, just back it up a step to let your dog feel that success. This will help you both feel much more prepared for all those real-life situations that happen everyday and sometimes unexpectedly!
