So Does It Matter Who Goes Through The Door First?

[Acadianarose]

Now that I know that the alpha human theory is not true, I am wondering if all of these little things that supposedly teach the dog who is the boss is are necessary.

 

Do I have to go through the door first, walk first, eat first, etc.? Does it matter at all?

[a_daerr]

It's a good idea to teach your dog to wait politely at the door from a safety standpoint (so they don't go bolting anytime they see an open door). But to answer your question, no. Letting your dog out the door first won't lead to them being "alpha" or "dominant" over you. The whole not-letting-the-dog-walk-through-the-door-first notion was wrongly interpreted by researchers among a group of captive wolves. They picked up on behaviors of wolves snarling and posturing over who could get through an open door first. But they later determined that this was a group of wolves who had been thrown together from various sources, so they were acting more like rival wolves than wolves in a common pack. That behavior has never been seen in wild wolves (or in domesticated dogs), leading most animal behaviorists to believe it has absolutely no credible basis.

[Batmom]

No. Doesn't matter.

 

Here dogs go through the door first so it's easy to close it after us all, and they eat first so they're content during people dinner.

[rascalsmom]

No. Doesn't matter.

 

Here dogs go through the door first so it's easy to close it after us all, and they eat first so they're content during people dinner.

Same here.

 

Funny story--back when we had Rascal, Ruby, and Buddy, and my friend had two greyhounds (one female, one male), and we dog-sat for one another---my Ruby always wanted to be the first dog in AND out, and so did her girl Tiger. It was pretty funny to watch those two jockeying for position, to be the first one through the door.

Buddy, who was returned twice before we got him, allegedly partly because he 'wanted to be top dog' always stood patiently in the house, or on the patio, till both of my girls were through the door.

 

Of course those instances are both about dogs deciding among themselves who goes first--not people or dog--but cute stories nonetheless.

[Hubcitypam]

No. Doesn't matter.

 

Here dogs go through the door first so it's easy to close it after us all, and they eat first so they're content during people dinner.

Exactly. We don't work on an Alpha system here. I'd say it is more of a system of mutual respect.

[claudiav]

No. Doesn't matter.

 

Here dogs go through the door first so it's easy to close it after us all, and they eat first so they're content during people dinner.

 

same here.... dogs go first so we don't repeat accidents and shut storm doors on tails (leading to partial tail amputations) and pups eat first (1) b/c I take an hour to eat and (2) b/c they would refuse their food if they smelled something better... no one here has any confusion about who the leader of the pack is.... they each know their place...

[rschultz]

One of our trainers told us that we should go in the door first. Well, that lasted about a week.

[Fruitycake]

My dogs wait at the door before going outside, which is a safety issue instead of an "alpha" issue. I want to know if there's a rabbit or squirrel (alive or dead) or cat or something nasty on the steps before the dogs go out and get it. It also helps because I can make sure that everything is settled before one or the other gets to go out (someone's stepped over or on a leash, etc.). Mine are release-able individually, though that did take a while to train the non-grey (It took Al a long time to learn that when I say "Monty" I am not saying "Allie and Monty"). A quiet "neh" and pointing to Al would get her to sit again and let him go through first.

[TheFullHouse]

No. Doesn't matter.

 

Here dogs go through the door first so it's easy to close it after us all, and they eat first so they're content during people dinner.

 

 

Same here.

[Guest k9soul]

I like for mine to wait until I say "okay" but they do go out before me so I can close the door behind me easier. Mainly I just don't want them to get into the habit of bolting out the door for their own safety, nothing to do with alpha theory stuff

[Guest Impossiblealto]

I don't agree with that theory either. Actually it's better to have the dog go through the door first because I have to close the main door, and then the screen door. He has such a long tail and also have to make sure I don't close the door on it

 

However, I always make him sit before we go out the door, and he has to wait while I close the two doors.

[JohnF]

No. When I come back home I carry my stuff in first, then get the ramp for the dog to come out of the back of the car. When coming back from a pedfestrian walk the dogs goes in first because it's easier.

He or she who controls the food and decides IF there is going to be walkies is the Boss!

[krissy]

My dogs go through the front door ahead of me, but I do require that they do it politely. They cannot drag me. I do it because I have twice caught Summit's tail in a door and had to deal with a tail injury. Much easier to avoid if the dogs go first.

[NeylasMom]

Now that I know that the alpha human theory is not true, I am wondering if all of these little things that supposedly teach the dog who is the boss is are necessary.

 

Do I have to go through the door first, walk first, eat first, etc.? Does it matter at all?

Makes no difference. However, teaching your dog good manners is a good thing so if you're dog barrels through you to get out of the door and that's a problem for you for instance, then yes, do teach your dog to wait until you tell him to go through. However, you just do that by teaching a solid "wait" cue and then he can go through when you say the release word, either before or after you've gone through, whichever you prefer. Same sort of thing with meals. He can eat whenever, but I do think it's nice to teach some good manners/impulse control by teaching him to do a sit or down stay, or using the same "wait" cue as above and having him wait until you've put the bowl down and released him to eat.

 

And of course, for your own sanity and everyone else's, teach your dogs loose leash walking skills. The point is, it's all about good manners and teaching skills that make our lives with our dog's better. Has nothing to do with who's "alpha". Sadly, I think some people buy further into the theory because when they do start doing that stuff, some dogs learn the skills you could otherwise easily teach using reward-based methods and it seems to "work".

[Guest chickenpotpie]

she's required to wait until I allow her to walk though, but yes, she tends to go inside first because its easier for me. going out, she waits until I go out first.

[Guest Rhea]

It depends on if you're trying to go somewhere without them

 

On the rare occasion that I leave Dane home, if I'm by myself it can be a bit difficult to make my escape. If mom and dad are here, they can call him to them so that I can get out the door XD The other day he managed to squeak past me and he just stayed in the garage and wouldn't even come to the door, even when I went back in. (I have managed to trick him back inside with that in the past, but he is a smart cookie XD) so I just gave up and grabbed his vest and his harness and packed him up in the car with me.

[Acadianarose]

Whew! I am so happy to hear that!

 

Several years ago when my dogs were puppies, you were supposed to “establish yourself as the alpha dog” or your dog would dominate you. I trained them, but never really followed much of the alpha dog teachings, mainly because it was so inconvenient and my dogs never showed the slightest bit of dominance. And much of it seemed stupid, mean and/or dangerous. Toby (the lab) does wait to be invited through the door, but through the years there have been times when he was not allowed in (like if we were eating) so he just learned to wait until I said come in.

 

I have tried to go in before Payton, but I have squeeze by him, let him in and then go back out to close the door. Too time consuming. I feed them before we eat, or it would be total chaos.

 

I am teaching him patience and not to knock me over running through the door. He knows “wait” and will listen. I also make him wait to eat. He is doing a great job learning self control. We are still learning to walk on the leash without pulling (I think that has been the hardest thing so far). But I am so happy that I do not have to waste any more time on all of that crap that is not doing any of us any good.

 

Payton is my first new dog in many years (obviously) and first greyhound. I really appreciate all of the help. Thanks everyone!

[Guest lunasmom]

I agree with what everyone else has been saying, I usually have my girl wait at the door until released to go through it. It is usually easier for me if she goes through the door first, but I don't want her dragging me outside or bolting out an open door either. Like NeylasMom was saying, it is more about manners, safety, and impulse control than who goes through the door first.

[NeylasMom]

But I am so happy that I do not have to waste any more time on all of that crap that is not doing any of us any good.

[Acadianarose]

It depends on if you're trying to go somewhere without them

 

On the rare occasion that I leave Dane home, if I'm by myself it can be a bit difficult to make my escape. If mom and dad are here, they can call him to them so that I can get out the door XD The other day he managed to squeak past me and he just stayed in the garage and wouldn't even come to the door, even when I went back in. (I have managed to trick him back inside with that in the past, but he is a smart cookie XD) so I just gave up and grabbed his vest and his harness and packed him up in the car with me.

 

So funny that you say that...ever since his first trip to Petsmart last weekend, he tries to run out into the garage everytime we go to leave. He will just stand next to the car waiting. I have to tell him to stay while we are going out the door, which he has a really hard time doing.

[Hubcitypam]

Several years ago when my dogs were puppies, you were supposed to “establish yourself as the alpha dog”

You can never establish yourself as the Alpha dog....because you are not a dog. Edited October 16, 2013 by Hubcitypam

[Acadianarose]

You can never establish yourself as the Alpha dog....because you are not a dog.

 

I meant to say alpha and leave it at that. "Dog" automatically follows "alpha" my mind.

Edited October 16, 2013 by Acadianarose

[Burpdog]

I have not read all the replies. Who goes first depends on who I want to go first (if I even care)

[ramonaghan]

Add me to the list of those who now let the dog go first after a "tail in the door" incident...I did it within a day or two of having Sweep here and fortunately she was fine, but it was an early introduction to the GSOD! Glad I am not the only one--I felt horrible! Practicality and safety trump dominance theory here.

[Feisty49]

One of our trainers told us that we should go in the door first. Well, that lasted about a week.

 

 

Same here about the trainer. I did teach Annie to wait, though, until I exited because I lived in the country and wanted to check out what animal might be around before she came out. Though I'm no longer in that living situation, I occasionally still make her wait until I exit just to keep her listening to me. It's like any other "training" exercise where I want her to respond to a certain tone of voice ("Annie, Come Here!" is one that comes to mind).