Dog Door Hesitancy

[Guest SillyIzzysMom]

I have taught probably 10 dogs to do my dog door. . .but I may have met my match!

 

Some have just watched the others and after a couple of days of help got it right away, I have also used the "gradually thicker and larger" faux-flap method to teach the shy dogs. But this fellow. . .I can't decide if he's that frightened, or just perhaps "a few chicken nuggets shy of a happy meal". But it seems like such an ORDEAL for him!

 

Of course, this is a bad time of year to try to teach it--too cold to just leave it taped open for any length of time, so we've had to just do a couple of "door sessions" every day, but the whole process has been two steps forward then three back!

 

We're just foster-sitting Shazamm, but I thought it would be a good thing for him to learn. . .in fact he is such a sweet boy we've really considered adopting him ourselves, he seems happy here and gets along well with the other dogs. He's almost 8, was bounced recently after 3 years in his previous home. (If we're going to keep him, we have to decide pretty quickly, his foster mom (mangos_mom) is coming back next weekend.) Of course, when I consider adopting him about half the time I think "why not?" then the other half I think, "I need four dogs? Do normal people have four dogs?"

 

Anyway, in a way this whole dog-door thing is playing into the ultimate decision. This sounds awful, but in the long run, the doggy door is kind of a deal-breaker. Obviously, if one of my dogs ended up developing some physical limitations that kept him/her from using it that's one thing, but I'm selfish enough, that I don't want to adopt a dog who is never going to "GET IT". (The problem isn't that he needs to learn it this week (that ain't gonna happen--trust me!) but unless I'm pretty sure that he'll eventually learn. . .)

 

I feel sorry for him and annoyed at him at the same time. Of course, I'm more annoyed at myself, because some of the problem is that I tried to hurry him too much, and that's completely my fault--but at first I think I just didn't realized just how slowly I needed to go.

 

Perhaps with a month of temperate weather, it could be done. . .but at this point I have to say that's only a possibility, not a certainty. If you had asked me a month ago, I would have assured you (probably with a cocky smile on my face) that I could teach ANY dog to do a doggy door. Now. . .I'm not so cocky. . .

 

Have any of you had a dog who because of temperament, age, or whatever could never learn a doggy door? Or ones who you thought would never learn but did? If so. . .any weird, non-obvious hints?

 

M

 

Edited to change title of post to a better reflection of the subject

Edited December 28, 2009 by SillyIzzysMom

[gazehund]

Yep, I have had two. Future never, ever would do the doggie door. Ever. He never made a mistake in the house either so i didn't push it with him.

Pooter will at least do the doggie door with the flap up. I tried your method of adding to the weight of the flap (great idea) but she won't do it. She has been here a year and half and I have given up on her. She won't do stairs either (neither did Future). On the flip side, she never makes a mistake in the house either.

We have a new dog who has not even been here a week yet. He is going through the door with the flap up. I haven't really had the time to work with him on the door with the flap down, but I think he will do it no problem.

My spook? She has done the doggie door from the first five seconds she was in the house. Go figure eh?

[Batmom]

Will he come *in* thru the dog door if he's out?

[Guest SillyIzzysMom]

Will he come *in* thru the dog door if he's out?

 

If the door is taped completely open--he will to in and out. Although he still occasionally stands there and looks at the opening as if to say. . ."Now what do I do?" and if I encourage him to "come on!" he has an "oh yeah!" moment and he'll walk in.

 

He does seem overly concerned with stepping over the threshold--I have a throw rug (rubber backed) on each side so that he never feels like he'll slip. If I, progress however, with something draped partly over the opening we have mixed results (my fault). A week or so ago, he would push through a dishtowel covering half the entry. I got a little impatient and moved that too fast (moving it completely over) and with maaaajor cajoling he would come through.

 

I started thinking that a white cloth towel was so unlike the heavy clear plastic flap that I switched to a "flap" I made out of fabric-screening covered with ziploc bags with a big drillbit taped to the bottom for some weight (without weight it just blows every which way and spooks all the dogs.) The feeling of having to push against that light, but plastic flap does not make a happy boy.

 

I started out with it over most of the flap but have backed off to where it only exptends maybe four inches below the top of the taped open hole. . .just touching his back as he goes through--and he'll do it, but has the shaky legs, like I am torturing him. He's not to scared to take a treat, mind you, he'll stop and eat it half way through if I give it to him so it's not as if he's truly terrified.

 

I work hard to keep the whole process very up beat--the other dogs are thrilled since they get some treats for going through the "door" as well. . .and sometimes he'll go through with minimal drama, other times he seems to kind of get "stuck" and will just poke his head through, then retreat, then maybe one leg, then retreat, then just his head, over and over until I come up and really get down there and call him enthusiastically then he'll creep through all wobbly. Poor fellow. Such an evil new trick I am trying to teach him!!

 

Of course we have made some progress. At first he would stand next to the totally taped open door and just look at me through the window--and unless I moved to completely in front of the open door--where he saw me through the gap he would never come in. Now it's more of the if anything touches him going in or out it's FREAKY!!

 

This is a boy who will go up to anyone for pettings. He is not shy. He does not like weird noises though--but the faux door I'm using isn't noisy (I tried bubble wrap--ooooh noooo!!! the "rustle rustle" wigged him out--he wouldn't even hardly touch it with his nose.

 

Honestly, I think that, because it's been in the 30's here, I have rushed things. I need to slow down and back up until we get back to where we were a week ago. But, even then. . .I just think about that heavy flap and the snap of those magnets every time it closes and I wonder if he'll ever be able to do it?

 

M