Can anyone advise on how to doggy-door train our pooch?

[yssie]

My parents just installed a dog door.

The dog, naturally, is terrified of it.


We've tried tempting him with treats - my mum lifted the flap and I went outside and tried to lead him further and further out, but he refused to put more than two feet outside. With the flap down he won't go anywhere near it (clear flap so he can see me outside waving the bacon!). We've been doing this for a good 7 days now but no progress beyond that.

We tried it the other way, too, put him outside and lifted the flap and tried to coax him in hoping the cold + treat would do the trick, but again - no more than the two front feet. We're really quiet so it's not like anything is scaring him from outside - he just won't go!

He's a 4yo mix of chow and shephard, if that tells anyone something! He's generally not very scared of stuff - he's fine with fences and open doors and slipping underneath the baby gate into the kitchen if we raise it a little, but he doesn't like larger boxes. He's also usually amazingly receptive to training with food - he'll do all sorts of acrobatics on command for a biscuit or peanut butter bone, so this is very odd!

Does anyone have any ideas or advice on how to get him to realize the big bad bogeyman won't get him if his hindquarters pass through? How long should we keep trying the same thing before we try something new?

Thanks PSers!

ETA: it's a cutout in the door with a rubber flap, nothing fancy. It leads to a wooden deck - the floor is the same height, no big step outside or anything.

 

[Miss Sparkly]

We literally shoved our dogs thru the dog door several times until they realized it wouldn't bite them. Of course our dogs are 6 and 10 lbs so it might not work as well for yours. My dad taped his dog door open to let the dog get used to going thru it with no flap in the way and then added the flap but with the cold that might not be the best idea either

 

[yssie]

We literally shoved our dogs thru the dog door several times until they realized it wouldn't bite them. Of course our dogs are 6 and 10 lbs so it might not work as well for yours. My dad taped his dog door open to let the dog get used to going thru it with no flap in the way and then added the flap but with the cold that might not be the best idea either

hehe

I think he's about 75lbs now.. my dad could push him through. Probably. He*really* doesn't want to go... I think if it doesn't work we'll wind up waiting 'til summer, when we can tape the flap up like you say.

Kinda hoping someone has the magic cure though, it's a pain waking up at 5am to let him out every day!

 

[movie zombie]

doggie treats waiting for him on the other side.....i bet if you lift the door only partially and have those treats waiting for him all by their lonesome on the otherside that he'll give it a good try.

MoZo

 

[kenny]

Hungry dog on one side.
Food on the other.

If it doesn't work, repeat with a VERY hungry dog.

 

[yssie]

MoZo - that's an idea. Just tape the flap up and leave, and see if he manages it without us hovering.. We'll try that tomorrow, thanks!

If that doesn't work - Kenny, onto your solution. And if he doesn't, well, he's a healthy boy, one late feeding won't hurt him.

 

[waterlilly]

depending on what the weather is like where you are right now, I'd force him through to get outside and just leave him there. He knows how to use it by now and just needs the motivation to do it on his own.

 

[Laughinggravy0]

Kenny's idea definitely.

One thing. I'm in an a flat so I have to take Molls out sometimes between 11-midnight and between 8-9am. And that can be a pain but it works ok.

But my dear man takes her over to his place during the days, he's freelance and I'm in an office. In summer he'll leave his back door open and she'll go out to wee when she needs to.

What we have found is that it seems to affect her house training. She'll pee, rarely but from time, in doors at his place now. She's normally impeccable and she never pees at my place. So I'm thinking that the process of saying 'Molly come for a wee' and the boots being put on and the lead fetched, the flights of stairs and all that malarkey although a COMplete pain in the A**** some of the time, gives her a set of cues which keep her very clear about when and where.

Difference for you is that the door flap will always be something she can open, whereas my sweetness closes his back door in winter. Interesting tho'.

Anyone else noticed that a dog gets confused if they have free access to outside for some of the time but not others?

Oh and it isn't an infection 'cos my dear man is a vet and we ran tests

 

[yssie]

waterlilly, we'll have to do that if we can't get him used to it, but it'll have to wait 'til the weather clears up - there's 6" of snow on the ground.

Laughinggravy - we were told it would be difficult as he's been let out all his life, but he's normally so quick to pick up on new things given the right motivators, we are very surprised! I think it could be confusing if sometimes she's able to leave herself and sometimes not.

 

[yssie]

It worked!!

We took down the entire door with the doggy flap and put it in the kitchen entrance. Pinned the flap up and left his food bowl and a bunch of sausage treats in the kitchen, and he just went all the way through a couple of minutes ago!! He was doing some very strange neck acrobatics earlier

He's eating now, after missing two feedings 'cause he was too scared to go get food. We'll see if he comes back out or just stays in there for the night

Good call on making him hungry enough Kenny!