If you are reading this you probably have a dog that wants to run ahead of you out the front door, right? If you do, this is surely a problem you’ll want to know how to control. The good news is that is is not all that hard a problem to correct.
- You will want to start this type of training with one of the house’s inner doors-not the front door. This will make it a lot easier to control the dog until he learns not to go charging through doors in front of you. Approach a closed door somewhere in your house-bedroom, den, whatever-and I bet that before you can even open it you’ll notice your wayward dog trying to get in front of you so he can run through that door before you. . If he’s had obedience training he’ll already know these two very basic commands, and do what you say. Once he is in position, make sure you give him a reward and lots of affection and praise-make him feel good about the training. Wait a bit before opening the door, so he gets relaxed in the sit position, rather than just ready to spring up again the moment you reach for the doorknob. OK, when he relaxes, go ahead and open the door. Once he sees the door opening he will probably leave his sit position and lunge towards it to run through it. This will probably happen at first, but don’t let it upset you. Keep working on getting him to sit and wait until you are sure he has it down.
- The next step is to try opening the dog just far enough for you to slip through. It is less of a temptation for him if the door is just partially opened. He may try to get up from his sit and stay position, but quickly return him to his spot and again command him to sit and stay. Until he shows you he can stay in his sit position even after you have gone through the door, you will just keep repeating this stage of the training.
- Now you can try the training at the front doorway-which is a harder test of his training. He knows this is the door that leads to the great outdoors and fun, so he may be more anxious to leave position and run out the front door than a bedroom door. Therefore, be ready and put his leash on him before going to the front door and opening it. For a larger breed, it is a smart idea to put one end of the leash around the front doorknob, so that if he does charge out, he won’t get very far. The leash will stop him much easier than your arm, and it’ll teach him not to try that a second time. Go back to the above step in case he tries to run out.
- Make sure you repeat this training daily several times, for perhaps 15 minutes per session. To really reinforce this behavior, every time you come to a door (or curb or a boundary) make sure your dog sits and waits for your command to move forward. Making your dog stop at each curb is also is relevant to boundary training your dog.
Well, now you know that it is a simple process to train your dog not to run through the doors ahead of you. Obviously, if you haven’t already obedience trained your pet, you can see that is an important priority in order for you and your dog to have the best time together. Please click here for more helpful advice on training your dog and solving behavior problems- www.BehaveDoggy.com.
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