fsugrad Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 (edited) So we went out and bought a screen door doggie door so the hounds can go from our pool area out to the (fenced) yard without us having to leave the screen door open all the time. We just tried it tonight with them...I stood on one side (with the doggie door held open) and tried to coax them through with bread. At first Robin was just staring at the bread refusing to go through, but then he finally walked through and we rewarded him. Toby was another story altogether. When he saw what he had to do to earn the bread, he walked away and laid down in his outdoor dog bed on the back porch, refusing to even try. So we led Toby over and after MUCH coaxing he went thru but not before trying to crane his neck far enough through the opening to grab the bread without actually having to walk through the door. My husband, who can be impatient over stuff like this, is already saying "we wasted our money". I told him we need to give them more than oh, 5 minutes before jumping to that conclusion! Anyone have any advice or tips on getting them over their fear of the doggie door? Toby especially seems freaked out over it. At this point I'm having a hard time imagining that they'll get the hang of it and push the door open themselves and walk through. Edited June 20, 2011 by fsugrad Quote Rita, mom to Dakota (Dakotas Dream) & Wish (Kiowa Wish Wish) and my angels Toby (Sol Marcus) and Robin (Greys Robin Hood) Forever missing our beloved Robin and Toby "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." Anatole France Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubcitypam Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I tape the door flap up with duct tape and go out in the yard with lots of treats and fun. You have to get them to go thru with the flap up first unless they are a terrier . I've been lucky enough to always have one that knew the door and when we had a party in the yard the rest came out. I had one girlie cowdoggie foster that seemed to never learn the dog door. I left work early, worried and played dog doorman, which I hate. One day I came home from the store and who came bounding in thru the door but cowdoggie. She just didn't want to use it when she could summon her personal doorman..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Surely you can think of better enticement than BREAD! We taught our English Setters by climbing through it ourselves; of course I was a LOT younger then...but it worked! You have a child, don't you? Would he fit? You're on the right track. Maybe something a little more aromatic and tasty to tempt them? Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsugrad Posted June 16, 2011 Author Share Posted June 16, 2011 Surely you can think of better enticement than BREAD! LOL, Toby and Robin are carb addicts! They gladly wolf down pieces of bread! And I have gone through the door to demonstrate! Now the tables are turned and Robin is the one that's more scared of the doggie door. Major progress with Toby this morning. He actually pushed the door open himself, walked through, and grabbed his milk bone from me. Robin stood there on the other side of the flap, mystified. I feel like once one of them thoroughly gets the hang of it, the other one will copy. We'll see! Quote Rita, mom to Dakota (Dakotas Dream) & Wish (Kiowa Wish Wish) and my angels Toby (Sol Marcus) and Robin (Greys Robin Hood) Forever missing our beloved Robin and Toby "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." Anatole France Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Surely you can think of better enticement than BREAD! LOL, Toby and Robin are carb addicts! They gladly wolf down pieces of bread! And I have gone through the door to demonstrate! Now the tables are turned and Robin is the one that's more scared of the doggie door. Major progress with Toby this morning. He actually pushed the door open himself, walked through, and grabbed his milk bone from me. Robin stood there on the other side of the flap, mystified. I feel like once one of them thoroughly gets the hang of it, the other one will copy. We'll see! Definitely! Takes a little bit, but we had TWO dog doors at one point when we had four dogs (they had a few head on collisions entering/exiting at the same time, so good old Dad actually hacked a hole right through the side of the HOUSE and built a cute little roof and ramp and all!), and they all figured it out "riteawayqwik." Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sheila Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 you could try putting them on leashes and then threading the leash through the dog door and see if you can lead them through. That worked for one of my hounds. My Jane used a cpl times at first and then started balking and the leash trick wasn't working on her. With her I ended up just getting her to put her head through the door and then stood behind her and kneed her in the butt until she went through. One thing I noticed with Jane is that coming in seemed more difficult than going out. My deck is slightly lower than the floor of the house and so I put a paver on the deck right outside the door and that seemed to alleviate that issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onrushpam Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Rita, Robin is shining you on! He knows very well how to use a dog door... did it for many months at our place! Put a cat on the other side of that door and he'll remember riteawayquik! Seriously, put him on one side, go to the other side with the ChuckIt and I'm guessing he'll remember. Once Robin gets it, Toby will probably follow his lead. Quote Pam GPA-Tallahassee/Southeastern Greyhound Adoption "Fate is unalterable only in the sense that given a cause, a certain result must follow, but no cause is inevitable in itself, and man can shape his world if he does not resign himself to ignorance." Pearl S. Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsugrad Posted June 17, 2011 Author Share Posted June 17, 2011 Rita, Robin is shining you on! He knows very well how to use a dog door... did it for many months at our place! Put a cat on the other side of that door and he'll remember riteawayquik! Seriously, put him on one side, go to the other side with the ChuckIt and I'm guessing he'll remember. Once Robin gets it, Toby will probably follow his lead. OMG. seriously?! This is priceless insight, Pam! I can't believe he used a doggie door at your house. He's acting like a total rookie here. In the meantime, Toby has become pretty proficient pretty darn fast!! I'm sure if there were a critter of some sort on the other side he would figure it out. Maybe he just likes having his own doorman/doorwoman?! Quote Rita, mom to Dakota (Dakotas Dream) & Wish (Kiowa Wish Wish) and my angels Toby (Sol Marcus) and Robin (Greys Robin Hood) Forever missing our beloved Robin and Toby "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." Anatole France Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest avadogner Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Gaaa We installed our gigantic wooden insert dog door a few months ago. Augie is my big, goofy boy and he just tared atzzt of it Ava is the dominant hound here so once th DH lured them out into the backyard, i sat inside out of view with some super yummy deli slices. Ava camr right in and Augie followed. They are done a great job with the wide open door. The opaque flap.with magnets on the bottom is a problem. I can get then to go through if they could see out of the opaque and it wasn't so darn heavy. If i lift it enough, the will go through but the heavy magnet srip on the end freaks then out.. I decided to hang a semi.sheer plactic piece of fabric to the spot where the heavier factory proved door flap. My plan is to lure ethem in out ,they get the hang of it. I'll pbobably try a second heavier less pliable fabric and work up their confui I.Ava would jo go right thro!ugh if the magnetic barn did't bang on her back. 2. If Ava do it, Augie will.try too. For emergencies/ more than leaving them alone, we just leave te dog door open. It kills ou AC bills but Ava is having issues wiyh holding it long enough to get out the door. There is a usually a small trickle trail heading out the door. Poor girl is 11 now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaisyDoodle Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 If it's a screen dog door in a "Florida room" screen porch, does it seem like a fun-house room of screens/mirrors to him? Which screen to go through? Has he ever run headlong into a fixed screen door or slider and injured himself? Quote DonnaMolly the Border Collie & Poquita the American-born Podenga Bridge Babies: Daisy (Positive Delta) 8/7/2000 - 4/6/2115, Agnes--angel Sage's baby (Regall Rosario) 11/12/01 - 12/18/13, Lucky the mix (Found, w 10 puppies 8/96-Bridge 7/28/11, app. age 16) & CoCo (Cosmo Comet) 12/28/89-5/4/04 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsugrad Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 Update! I am pleased to report that Toby and Robin have now mastered the doggie door! It just took a few days of training on our part, and both of them overcame their fear of the doggie door. Never underestimate the power of Tostitos!! Quote Rita, mom to Dakota (Dakotas Dream) & Wish (Kiowa Wish Wish) and my angels Toby (Sol Marcus) and Robin (Greys Robin Hood) Forever missing our beloved Robin and Toby "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." Anatole France Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
45MPHK9 Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Never underestimate the power of Tostitos!! No truer words were ever written! Congrats on the training success. Quote Tricia with Kyle, our senior mutt dog Always missing Murray Maldives, Bee Wiseman, River, Hopper, Kaia, and Holly Oaks Holly“You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.“ -Bob Dylan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourofem Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Food overcomes all!!!! Quote Blair, Stella (DND Heather), Lizzie (M's Deadra), Hitch (Hallo Dominant) and House (Mac's Dr. House) Missing my handsome men Lewis (Vs Lowrider) - 11/11/01 - 3/11/09, Kevin (Dakota's Hi Five) - 1/1/06 - 4/18/11 and my cat, Sparkle Baby - ??/??/96 - 4/23/11 "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is, in fact, the most precious and valuable possession of mankind." (Theodorus Gaza) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.