a_daerr Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Any tips/tricks on teaching the doggie door? We just had one installed and my boys are both a little skeptical. It's like they have no idea how to work their back legs to step in and out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubcitypam Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Except for the initial door, I've always had a dog to teach them. The best thing is to tape up the flap on the inside with duct tape or something similar. Then go out and have a party in the back yard. Literally. Humans, hot dog pieces, treats, laughter. Usually they give in. Several times in and out and you can repeat with the flap down. If there are 2 of you you can have do an inbetween step of someone inside letting the flap down a bit on their back after quite a few in and outs. Buddy took the longest of any dog I've had - and he had tutors (including Barkley that starts on the bottom step outside and launches thru like a canine cannonball). He took about a month. I had one foster that totally told me she couldn't doo the door. After a month or so of playing doorman I came home from the grocery store and she bounded in from outside. Busted! She was just having me be her butler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_daerr Posted July 3, 2012 Author Share Posted July 3, 2012 Except for the initial door, I've always had a dog to teach them. The best thing is to tape up the flap on the inside with duct tape or something similar. Then go out and have a party in the back yard. Literally. Humans, hot dog pieces, treats, laughter. Usually they give in. Several times in and out and you can repeat with the flap down. If there are 2 of you you can have do an inbetween step of someone inside letting the flap down a bit on their back after quite a few in and outs. Buddy took the longest of any dog I've had - and he had tutors (including Barkley that starts on the bottom step outside and launches thru like a canine cannonball). He took about a month. I had one foster that totally told me she couldn't doo the door. After a month or so of playing doorman I came home from the grocery store and she bounded in from outside. Busted! She was just having me be her butler. I'm making them try it everytime we go out. Truman pretty much gets the concept and will go through (albeit not very gracefully). Henry will poke his head through the flap and look around. Hen did come through it once, but he definitely seems uncomfortable. I don't think he cares about the flap that much, he's more weird about using his legs to step through it. Very funny about your foster! Truman had me lifting him in and out of the car, pretending like he couldn't do it. I guess I was the chauffeur. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubcitypam Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Truman had me lifting him in and out of the car, pretending like he couldn't do it. I guess I was the chauffeur. Heck, 6 months later Buddy is still doing that! It's easier to haul his arse in than mess with him when we are going somewhere. Dog door will happen. Don't lose faith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sambuca Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 High value treats work wonders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teri_d Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 (edited) ha! when we trained them to use the doggie door, we used treats. i would hold up the door and be on the other side with a treat -- they quickly graduated to when they used it i would say "doggie door - good doggie door" and i would go to the counter to get a treat out of the jar close by. win was standing by the door whining on the second training day and i said "doggie door" -- he ran as fast as he could to the counter and stood by the treat jar so you have to watch out for doggies that are smarter than you are lol Edited July 3, 2012 by teri_d Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neighsayer Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 I took in Meeka and Bubba when they were eleven. Meeka just followed my other dogs, and was fine with it by the end of day one! Bubba believed that you cant teach an old dog new tricks! Took him several months. I took the flap out and left the door open for a week. Then I taped a towel over the opening. Then I put just one flap on. It has been almost 1.5 years, and Bubba still can't figure it out with both flaps. I gave in, and use just the single flap. He still has days when he sits outside the door and cries! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Adrianne Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 We taught 12 year old Larry to use our dog door. Well, mostly my son, Seth, taught him by crawling in and out of the dog door and then coaxing Larry to follow him. Larry took to Seth immediately when he got here and wanted to be near him, so he would follow him. He would do it, but it was obvious he was afraid. Turns out he was afraid of the linoleum in the kitchen. Things did go much easier for him when we added a rug all the way across the kitchen from the dog door to the carpet in the living room. It made him feel secure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsugrad Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 I wish my old thread on this was still up. We bought a screen door doggie door a couple of years back so we wouldn't have to leave our pool screen door open to allow the hounds access to our backyard. Both of ours at first refused to go through the door, no matter what treats I was offering them. They'd push on the door with their nose and then back up in fear when the door moved. I even went through it to show them how easy it was. Finally one of them decided to go through it for a tostito and then the other one came around quickly because he wanted tostitos, too! I think it took a total of about 4-5 days (plus lots of praise and a few handfuls of tostitos!) before we had doggie door experts in our house. If my hounds can learn, anyone's can! 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...
a_daerr Posted July 6, 2012 Author Share Posted July 6, 2012 I wish my old thread on this was still up. We bought a screen door doggie door a couple of years back so we wouldn't have to leave our pool screen door open to allow the hounds access to our backyard. Both of ours at first refused to go through the door, no matter what treats I was offering them. They'd push on the door with their nose and then back up in fear when the door moved. I even went through it to show them how easy it was. Finally one of them decided to go through it for a tostito and then the other one came around quickly because he wanted tostitos, too! I think it took a total of about 4-5 days (plus lots of praise and a few handfuls of tostitos!) before we had doggie door experts in our house. If my hounds can learn, anyone's can! I've worked with both dogs on our new door for a few days. We're to the point where they will go in and out when I give them a command. The problem is... I don't think they've figured out that they can go outside whenever they want. They want me to be right there instructing them. Truman is still peeing on the basement floor (near the door) when I'm not home. Any suggestions for this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubcitypam Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 This too shall pass. Buddy did that for a while. He'd nose a corner and stand there until I said "Buddy out" then he'd pop right out. Outside coming in he'd nose a corner and whine. If I left him he'd come in after a few minutes. It took a week or so for him to pass that phase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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