Teaching your dog to use a dog door is simple. It is an excellent way to provide freedom to your dog to get in and out of the house without having to worry about causing damage to your home. Many dogs are not accustomed to going outside on their own so they may take some time to become used to this idea. It is important for you to establish the correct dog training tricks for this purpose. Once you understand that your dog’s behavior has changed, or is becoming worse, it is important to change the ways of carrying out the training so as to prevent your dog from causing harm to you and other members of the family.
There are many dog training tricks for teaching your dog to use a dog door. Some of these include: To begin with, always walk your dog towards the dog door ahead of him. This should be done slowly so as not to spook your dog. You should also stay close by to give him your support and help whenever he needs it.
The next trick in how to teach a dog to use a dog door is to hold the dog door open while allowing him to move in and out freely. When you have both dogs in front of the dog door, you should allow them to go through. If one dog tries to go through the door, guide it with your body and pull it shut. Do not open the door until you see that the dog is not able to go through. You can open the door a few times and wait for a response from the dog.
As soon as you feel that the dog is ready to enter, guide him in by either nudging him with your leg or putting your arm around his backside. Be sure to keep a slight distance between you and the dog as this will prevent him from biting you when he releases your scent. When he finally walks through the door, praise him and let him know that he has done a good job. Reward him with a treat and a pat of affection.
The most difficult trick in how to teach a dog to use a dog door correctly is the part where he goes in and out of the door without bothering you. To train this properly, you will need to remain right by the dog door throughout the exercise. If you move away to open the door, he will see you and if you open the door, he will go back to playing alone. Keep your distance for the longest time that you can without opening the door.
After some time, your dog may begin to wonder why you are not with him and may start to follow you around the house. You should reward him with treats but also let him know that you are aware of his behavior. Praise him until he understands that it is not acceptable to have him follow you around. You can even begin to use voice commands like “step on it” or “come” to get him to come to you instead.
After a while, you should be able to get him to understand the concept of how to teach a dog to use a dog door. It may take a little more patience on your part, but your dog will soon learn to use the door on his own. Just keep an eye on him so that you don’t accidentally open the door when he is already in there. Once he starts leading the dog through the door on his own, you can remove the leash and walk away.
Once your dog has learned how to use a dog door on his own, you should begin using verbal cues as well. Have your dog on a leash and stand approximately ten yards away from it. Turn on the dog door and speak encouragingly to him. If he stays in one spot and does not budge, use the verbal command “stay” and say it several times in a steady voice until he moves. The dog door is yours to use as he sees fit and any time he doesn’t follow you and continues to stay where he is, praise him and give him a treat. You will find that in no time at all your dog is going to be walking right by you without waiting to see what you are doing!