Doggie Doors

[Guest newsurelee]

I had no problems training my first grey, Legs. Lola is half his size but cannot get her to use it...using treats, etc....not working.

[Hubcitypam]

Have you tried taping the flap up with duct tape and you and Legs (and everyone else in the house) go out in the yard? Sometimes if there's a party going on and they aren't included it can be a powerful incentive. Don't stand at the door and coax her -- you guys just have a little party out in the yard within her line of sight thru the taped open door and she might well join you.

 

I had one girl that would NOT do the dog door. I ran home from work to let her out, got up in the wee hours of my morning (like 8 a.m.) to let her out and worried and fretted as I'd never had a dog that didn't learn the dog door in a day or two. After a week or so of this I went to Kroger and as I set my grocery bags down in the living room who comes bounding in thru the dog door? She'd known how to use it all along I think and was using it while I was asleep or gone, she just wasn't doing it when I was coaxing and cajoling her.

[Guest newsurelee]

Have you tried taping the flap up with duct tape and you and Legs (and everyone else in the house) go out in the yard? Sometimes if there's a party going on and they aren't included it can be a powerful incentive. Don't stand at the door and coax her -- you guys just have a little party out in the yard within her line of sight thru the taped open door and she might well join you.

 

I had one girl that would NOT do the dog door. I ran home from work to let her out, got up in the wee hours of my morning (like 8 a.m.) to let her out and worried and fretted as I'd never had a dog that didn't learn the dog door in a day or two. After a week or so of this I went to Kroger and as I set my grocery bags down in the living room who comes bounding in thru the dog door? She'd known how to use it all along I think and was using it while I was asleep or gone, she just wasn't doing it when I was coaxing and cajoling her.

 

 

Thank you...that gives me hope...you're absolutely right about not standing at the door and coaxing her...I put some chicken in a container in front of the door and walked away out of sight...few seconds later she was in and eating the chicken. My Legs and Lola are both special needs dogs...Legs with a broken hock and little Lola with a fairly recent broken leg thanks to their racing...so it might take Lola a little more time to adjust to her handicap and scrunching up to get through the doggie door.

[Trudy]

Jet wasn't interested in the dog door when I first had one. She didn't like it touching her back (still doesn't). She'd learn to tuck her head under Ryan's butt and follow him out, but she liked to hang out in the yard longer than he did, so she didn't normally follow him back in the same way.

One day, about 2 weeks of me still having to open the flap for her I walked away leaving her on the other side of the door. Went to the front door and picked up Ryan's leash and jingled it and said "Ry and I are going for a walk." 2 seconds later Jet's behind was sitting next to me waiting for her leash. She still doesn't like it, but since then, she'll use it anyway.

[Guest kennelgirl]

Jet wasn't interested in the dog door when I first had one. She didn't like it touching her back (still doesn't). She'd learn to tuck her head under Ryan's butt and follow him out, but she liked to hang out in the yard longer than he did, so she didn't normally follow him back in the same way.

One day, about 2 weeks of me still having to open the flap for her I walked away leaving her on the other side of the door. Went to the front door and picked up Ryan's leash and jingled it and said "Ry and I are going for a walk." 2 seconds later Jet's behind was sitting next to me waiting for her leash. She still doesn't like it, but since then, she'll use it anyway.

I heard this one lady say her greyhound wouldn't use the doggie door also. She finally figured it out when flap was up, because it was like the starting box at the track, (opened for them to come out of the box)

[Guest newsurelee]

Jet wasn't interested in the dog door when I first had one. She didn't like it touching her back (still doesn't). She'd learn to tuck her head under Ryan's butt and follow him out, but she liked to hang out in the yard longer than he did, so she didn't normally follow him back in the same way.

One day, about 2 weeks of me still having to open the flap for her I walked away leaving her on the other side of the door. Went to the front door and picked up Ryan's leash and jingled it and said "Ry and I are going for a walk." 2 seconds later Jet's behind was sitting next to me waiting for her leash. She still doesn't like it, but since then, she'll use it anyway.

I heard this one lady say her greyhound wouldn't use the doggie door also. She finally figured it out when flap was up, because it was like the starting box at the track, (opened for them to come out of the box)

 

Okay...Lola will go in and out with flap up but only with a treat on the receiving end. Will NOT even try with flap down. Even though she's in the shaded patio when outside of the doggie door, I'm afraid to leave her out too long because I live in Arizona and well...it's HOT! I sure appreciate all of your comments...it's reassuring to hear that others had the problem and were able to solve it~

[Guest jenni730]

I had problems with my Jessie too...she was terrified of it. What finally worked was twinkies! I had tried everything yummy I could think of, but it was the twinkie that got her! Held it on the inside then on the outside, and after that she used it on her own!

[GeorgeofNE]

We had four English Setters when I was a kid, and two dog doors, side by side (too many head on collisions with four dogs and one door!). We taught them to use it by SHOWING them how to use it.

 

This may not be an option, but I thought I'd put it out there for your consideration!

[Guest kelli123]

What we did with Dove was i hooked up the flap and let here come in and out of the door with no flap. Then put a towel with magnets holding the towel on the door half way down the opening with the flap hooked up and got her used to the towel hitting her back and then gradually lowered the towel to the bottom of the door. So she got used to going through with the towel hitting her back . So then tried with towel off and flap down . NO go she would not use it so i took a corn flower sack towel and wrapped it around the plastic flap held it around the flap with 2 big rubber bands (that are used to hold up garbage can liners) And bingo she would use it .Because she was used to the towel . About 2 weeks of using towel with flap took off the towel and bingo using it like a mad man .Good luck this whole process took about 2 months .

[Guest newsurelee]

I had problems with my Jessie too...she was terrified of it. What finally worked was twinkies! I had tried everything yummy I could think of, but it was the twinkie that got her! Held it on the inside then on the outside, and after that she used it on her own!

 

I'm LOVING the Twinkie idea...the only reason I'm afraid to try that is because I'd have to fight her for them...would not be pretty. Still...I love it! Who's getting trained here...us or the greys? Rhetorical question...I already know the answer for me anyway.