Guest kahjul Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 So we installed the dog door yesterday. Its 15 x 20 in the slider. Plenty big enough for my small girls. I taped it open as soon as we installed it. The lab goes through no problem and my spooky girl followed her right through. My diva had to be led through but after a few times had it figured out. By the end of the day they were all bouncing in and out no problem. Last night I took the tape off while they were outside and sat inside with a hot dog. The lab came right in. The spooky girl will jump right through either behind the lab (so the flap is still in motion) or if I barely lift the corner. With a leash on she will go in and out without the other dog. The diva seems to think this is all beneath her. She honestly looks at me like, "so, what, you want me to do it myself??". She is not food motivated so if shes out and I'm calling her in, she flips me off and lays down on a blanket. Same attitude if shes left in and we are all out. She shows no fear of it, simply like its too much trouble and I should just open the darn thing for her. With a leash on she will go in and out it. Is it reasonable to think she'll finally just do it on her own? How long could this take? Is there some other trick? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest k9soul Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 (edited) I have a dog door and now have had 5 dogs successfully learn how to use it. It is a thing they kind of do at their own individual pace. My RB golden retriever was a spooky boy and it really took him some time. I honestly wondered at first if he'd ever get it. He'd seem to get it, and then regress suddenly to being spooked or thinking I needed to open it for him. But I'd just keep encouraging him. I started out holding it open and calling them in, making a big deal when they did. Then gradually I'd let it brush their back as they came in, then hold it some but have them push a bit with their head to come in, just working in phases. It helps a lot when one dog sees the other dogs using it too. I usually find coming in the door is mastered before going out the door. One of the dogs that learned to use it was my parents' smooth collie whom I dog-sit from time to time, and he picked it up just over his various visits. I didn't even actively work on it with him, because he tends to go outside and bark so I actually didn't encourage it. But he picked it up anyway . They all seem to eventually get comfortable with it though. Even my spooky boy completely mastered it after awhile and his regressions stopped. It just may not be an instant thing where once they do it, they have it down for good right away. Oh and also I made the working sessions short on it, I didn't make them come in and out, in and out. One in and one out and that'd be that little session. Then a few hours later another in and out, and so on. Edited March 1, 2013 by k9soul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neighsayer Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 Try holding it half way open so she can put her head through the open part at the bottom. bubba took weeks to do it on his own. I replaced the flap with a light weight towel for a week. I got two brood mommas a week ago. They had just been s payed so I opened the door for the first few days. I was worried about them scraping their incisions. Two days ago, I started holding the flap open for them. By the end of the day, they were doing it on their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest k9soul Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 Oh I forgot, another thing I did was put masking tape over the magnetized areas at the bottom of the door so that the magnet pull was weaker and it made it easier for them to push open. It mind depend a bit on what type of door you have. All going in and out were done through the dog door, even if I had to hold it open every time for awhile. Now it's so ingrained in them that even if I hold the regular door open, they will go through their dog door. I admit when I first got the door I was really discouraged because I thought they'd pick up on it faster, but it took a bit for them to learn that they could open it by themselves. They were used to any door opening being at my hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claudiav Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 don't worry!!! they all get it!!! even my cat got it, and I never taught him to use it.... he just saw my german shep use it over the years and one day i came home and the cat was on the other side of the glass slider... I had to lock him in his room while I was at work or he would have been out all day -- my cat loves everybody and he's decalwed, so i didn't want any harm to come to him... now in a different house, with different dogs... the greyhounds picked it up right away.... but i suspect my boy growls and may have nipped the girl when she came in from outside, and now,when he's inside, and she goes out... she stands on the outside of the doggy door and whines to be let in... i have caught him growing at her a few times when she's coming in, and let him know that is unacceptable.... I don't know why he does it.... and I don't know why she's reacting this way, caue she's the Alpha between the two of them.... Quote Image removed, not within Signature Guidelines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubcitypam Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 It took Buddy the longest of anyone to learn the dog door. I've always found it initially easier to get them to go out than come in for some reason. I just throw a party in the yard with the other dogs, the neighbors dogs bark, dog in question usually wants to check out what is going on out there. I had one dog I thought would NEVER learn so I kept playing doorman. One day I came home from the store and she came bounding home from the back yard. Busted. She knew how to use it, but why lose her doorman? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_daerr Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 I panicked at first too because neither of my dogs 'got it.' I had to hold the flap open for them and coax them through with food. Also, Henry took some time to realize he was 'allowed' to go out unsupervised. My advice is to give her a little time to investigate and get used to it. It took us a couple days, a week tops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest k9soul Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 I'd just add that if your dog hasn't gotten it after a few days not to be too discouraged. My Tasha girl got it very fast. My girl Raven it took a bit longer. Tommy seemed to get it after awhile, but then regress and not get it. But eventually they ALL got it. After seeing my very spooky boy Tommy get it, I'm convinced any dog can Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kahjul Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 Great ideas! I taped the magnet so it doesn't 'want' to stay closed and it doesn't make the clicking sound. She is still preferring me to open it for her but jumps through more willingly. The other 2 are fine with it. It works out well that I have a few days off. Hopefully no accidents inside. Quote 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.