How to Train Your Dog to Use a Dog Door
Schedule training session appropriately., Decide whether your dog would rather go in or out., Get some treats with a strong scent., Stand on the opposite side of the door as your dog., Lift the flap all the way up., Call your dog., Reward them., Go...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Schedule training session appropriately.
It is important to limit your dog’s training to short spans of time when you can give your dog your undivided attention.
Choose a time of day where you won’t be distracted by other tasks, and when your dog is alert and active.Make sure to have your dog’s favorite treats easily accessible as you will want to be able to give them the treat immediately after performing the correct behavior.
Limit training sessions to ten minutes at a time.
This will help both you and your dog avoid becoming frustrated.
You can do more than one session in a day, but be sure to have several hours “rest” in between each session, and don’t push your dog’s attention by going over ten minutes of training. -
Step 2: Decide whether your dog would rather go in or out.
Does your dog love to be lazy and lay inside on the couch, or would they rather be outside running around in the yard? When training your dog, you’ll want them to have as much incentive as possible to go through the door.
If your dog loves being outside do your training sessions so that the dog is inside and you are outside.Practice with your dog going both in and out of the door, but if your dog is not using the door at all, start with getting your dog to go the place they enjoy being most. , Choose a treat that has a strong enough smell so that they will be able to smell the treats from a few feet away.
Put a few of the treats in your hand and close your fist tightly.
Let the dog smell and lick your hand so that they know you have them.You will use these treats as a reward for going all the way through the dog door.
It is important to reward your dog for any progress, though.
In the case that your dog comes to or part way through the door, use lots of verbal encouragement, but don’t give the dog the treat. , Let your dog see you going through the door.
This doesn’t mean you need to crawl through the dog door yourself, but your dog should be fully aware that you are on the other side of the door.For example, if your dog door is installed in the door, then let your dog see you exit through that door (the human door).
If your dog’s door is installed in a normal wall, make sure your dog sees you leaving. , If your dog door is the type that requires a chip, you will have to disable it for training.
Lift the flap as far open as it will go.In the initial training stage it is important that the flap doesn’t hit your dog on their way in or out.
For some dogs this can be traumatic and will make them afraid of the door. , Make sure you use a very happy and enthusiastic voice.
Act as though you have never been more excited to see your dog, and that you really want them to come to you.Using an enthusiastic voice will excite your dog and make them want to come to you. , It is important to reward the dog with lots of verbal encouragement as they come toward and through the door, even if they don’t go all the way through.
If your dog does make it all the way through you should celebrate with them as though it’s the best thing that ever happened, and be sure to give them a treat.Offer them lots of affection and use a very happy tone of voice.
This will show them that they did the right thing, and that going through the dog door is not off-limits.
If your dog is skittish you should use a happy voice and lots of affection, but don’t yell as this may scare them.
Try to adapt the reward to your dog’s personality.
If your dog is easily frightened then keep a happy, but soft voice. , Now you can repeat the process, but this time with you on the opposite side from where you started.
This way, your dog will get used to going both ways.If your dog is still pretty frightened of the door you can stay on the same side as you started, which means that your dog is coming through the door to their favorite place (inside or outside) and to their favorite person (you). , Once your dog seems comfortable with going through the dog door with the flap completely open, have them do the same thing; but this time, hold the flap so it is only halfway open.
This will mean that the flap touches your dog.This may be a bit more frightening for your dog so remember to use lots and lots of encouragement, even if they don’t make it all the way through.
Remember not to push your dog too hard.
If you try lowering the flap, but your dog is too scared to come through, end the session and begin again in a few hours (or the next day) but with the flap a bit more open. , As the training continues and your dog becomes more comfortable with the flap touching them, you can lower it a little more each time.
Keep the training positive and upbeat.
Eventually your dog will go through the flap without you holding it at all.Take it slow, though.
It is important to understand that training may take weeks or months for some dogs.
If you notice that your dog is becoming fearful at any point, stop the training and start again with the flap a bit higher (or all the way up).
It may take patience, but eventually they will learn that the door is a good thing. , Throughout the training, you have been using your calls as a signal to come through the door.
Once your dog seems completely comfortable with going through the flap unassisted, you can teach them that it is OK to go through the flap without you.To do this, put your dog on one side of the door and go to the other side without calling them.
Do something that you know your dog enjoys.
Go outside and play (with kids if you have them).
Run around the yard and make happy noises that will signal to the dog that they are missing out on something fun.
If they come out the door on their own, celebrate with them.
Give them lots of affection and play with their favorite toy with them. -
Step 3: Get some treats with a strong scent.
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Step 4: Stand on the opposite side of the door as your dog.
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Step 5: Lift the flap all the way up.
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Step 6: Call your dog.
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Step 7: Reward them.
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Step 8: Go to the other side of the door.
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Step 9: Hold the flap a bit lower.
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Step 10: Lower the flap more and more.
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Step 11: Have the dog use the flap without calling.
Detailed Guide
It is important to limit your dog’s training to short spans of time when you can give your dog your undivided attention.
Choose a time of day where you won’t be distracted by other tasks, and when your dog is alert and active.Make sure to have your dog’s favorite treats easily accessible as you will want to be able to give them the treat immediately after performing the correct behavior.
Limit training sessions to ten minutes at a time.
This will help both you and your dog avoid becoming frustrated.
You can do more than one session in a day, but be sure to have several hours “rest” in between each session, and don’t push your dog’s attention by going over ten minutes of training.
Does your dog love to be lazy and lay inside on the couch, or would they rather be outside running around in the yard? When training your dog, you’ll want them to have as much incentive as possible to go through the door.
If your dog loves being outside do your training sessions so that the dog is inside and you are outside.Practice with your dog going both in and out of the door, but if your dog is not using the door at all, start with getting your dog to go the place they enjoy being most. , Choose a treat that has a strong enough smell so that they will be able to smell the treats from a few feet away.
Put a few of the treats in your hand and close your fist tightly.
Let the dog smell and lick your hand so that they know you have them.You will use these treats as a reward for going all the way through the dog door.
It is important to reward your dog for any progress, though.
In the case that your dog comes to or part way through the door, use lots of verbal encouragement, but don’t give the dog the treat. , Let your dog see you going through the door.
This doesn’t mean you need to crawl through the dog door yourself, but your dog should be fully aware that you are on the other side of the door.For example, if your dog door is installed in the door, then let your dog see you exit through that door (the human door).
If your dog’s door is installed in a normal wall, make sure your dog sees you leaving. , If your dog door is the type that requires a chip, you will have to disable it for training.
Lift the flap as far open as it will go.In the initial training stage it is important that the flap doesn’t hit your dog on their way in or out.
For some dogs this can be traumatic and will make them afraid of the door. , Make sure you use a very happy and enthusiastic voice.
Act as though you have never been more excited to see your dog, and that you really want them to come to you.Using an enthusiastic voice will excite your dog and make them want to come to you. , It is important to reward the dog with lots of verbal encouragement as they come toward and through the door, even if they don’t go all the way through.
If your dog does make it all the way through you should celebrate with them as though it’s the best thing that ever happened, and be sure to give them a treat.Offer them lots of affection and use a very happy tone of voice.
This will show them that they did the right thing, and that going through the dog door is not off-limits.
If your dog is skittish you should use a happy voice and lots of affection, but don’t yell as this may scare them.
Try to adapt the reward to your dog’s personality.
If your dog is easily frightened then keep a happy, but soft voice. , Now you can repeat the process, but this time with you on the opposite side from where you started.
This way, your dog will get used to going both ways.If your dog is still pretty frightened of the door you can stay on the same side as you started, which means that your dog is coming through the door to their favorite place (inside or outside) and to their favorite person (you). , Once your dog seems comfortable with going through the dog door with the flap completely open, have them do the same thing; but this time, hold the flap so it is only halfway open.
This will mean that the flap touches your dog.This may be a bit more frightening for your dog so remember to use lots and lots of encouragement, even if they don’t make it all the way through.
Remember not to push your dog too hard.
If you try lowering the flap, but your dog is too scared to come through, end the session and begin again in a few hours (or the next day) but with the flap a bit more open. , As the training continues and your dog becomes more comfortable with the flap touching them, you can lower it a little more each time.
Keep the training positive and upbeat.
Eventually your dog will go through the flap without you holding it at all.Take it slow, though.
It is important to understand that training may take weeks or months for some dogs.
If you notice that your dog is becoming fearful at any point, stop the training and start again with the flap a bit higher (or all the way up).
It may take patience, but eventually they will learn that the door is a good thing. , Throughout the training, you have been using your calls as a signal to come through the door.
Once your dog seems completely comfortable with going through the flap unassisted, you can teach them that it is OK to go through the flap without you.To do this, put your dog on one side of the door and go to the other side without calling them.
Do something that you know your dog enjoys.
Go outside and play (with kids if you have them).
Run around the yard and make happy noises that will signal to the dog that they are missing out on something fun.
If they come out the door on their own, celebrate with them.
Give them lots of affection and play with their favorite toy with them.
About the Author
Lori Evans
Committed to making organization accessible and understandable for everyone.
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