Training the Dominant Dog: Doors
Ideas for avoiding the mad rush out the
door
MetPet.com Staff Writer
Does Max bark and whine frantically whenever he thinks you are going for a
walk? Does he leap in the air, dance around or scratch at the door?
As soon as you open the door, does he nose his way out and down
the street with you in tow? Instead of waiting for you to open the
door and walk out so he can follow, your dog bolts out and expects you to
follow him. These are common behaviors of more dominant dogs who think
they are in charge, at least sometimes, of the household.
Here are some gentle ideas for shaping the behavior of the dominant dog and preventing
these annoying and potentially dangerous behaviors. If you can teach
your dog to follow you out the door and not the other way around, it can
also help his behavior in other ways. If your dogs knows that he is not in
charge, he will relax and be a happier dog all around.
If your dog follows you out of the door, you can prevent other behaviors
such as chasing the neighborhood cat or startling pedestrians. Since
you are
walking with him at least two or three times a day, everyday, that is about
1,000 chances during the year to be top dog in your household. Even if
you have simply been letting him through the patio door to the backyard, it
is important that he go through this procedure and not bolt wildly down the
garden path.
Putting on the leash
Your dog knows the routine and, as soon as you reach for the leash, open the
closet door or put on your coat he goes ballistic with anticipation and
excitement. Many dogs are so excited that it is barely possible to
attach the leash. In this terribly excited state, he bolts through the
door and down the street.
In this overly excited state, he can pull you off of your feet, cause you
to slide down the steps, run into pedestrians or even cause a traffic
accident. To prevent unfortunate incidents, it is important to
take the excitement out of going out the door.
First, make him sit and then pick up the leash. If he becomes overly
excited, stands up, scratches at the door or jumps at the gate, put the
leash back.
Have him sit again and try again. Repeat until he becomes
thoroughly bored of the process and stays sitting. This may take 5
minutes or 15 minutes but he will eventually get the idea.
Opening the door
His typical behavior may consist of staring at the door until you open it.
Like a racehorse in the starting gate, he is just waiting to see the glint of
daylight before he makes a dash for the great out-of-doors.
Again, it is important to take the excitement out of the situation.
Instead of tugging at his leash or yelling at him to calm down, which only
increases his excitement, simply close the door. If he
stands in front of it, open it slightly so that he backs away and, if he
bolts for it again, simply close it in his face.
Repeat the process until he is sufficiently bored. This may take
another 5 or 10 minutes but it will save you from being yanked out of the
door.
Human first, dog second
Now that he is no longer bolting the door, make sure you step foot
outside the door first. If your dog has always walked in front of you
tugging you along by the leash, this will be a big revelation to him.
He may try and push you aside but do not let him. If necessary, close
the door, make him sit and start over again. The flat of your hand a
few inches in front of his nose can help him understand that he is to wait.
Plan for a little extra time
It is much easier to teach Max to be calm if he isn't in dire need of a trip
outside. So plan for an extra half an hour in the beginning to go
through this procedure.
This is a gentle method for walking out of the door. There is no
need for anger or tension and, in fact, the calmer you are the more quickly
your dog will learn the new routine.
It may take a day, a week or several weeks for your dog to understand
this new state of affairs but it will make many other parts of your relationship
run much more smoothly. It is well worth the extra effort! Once you
understand this procedure, you can also use it with car doors and garden
gates. It will improve your relationship with your dog and make
walking him so much more pleasant.
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