Running out the door

[beagle_lovergirl]

Usually Belly is really well behaved, but lately she's gotten into running out the door whenever it is opened or just opening it herself unless we lock it (but I can tell she's already figured out how to unlock it if she gets in top of a chair or something to lift her up) She knows the commands Stop & Come but when she's outside and not on a leash she ignores them. It's getting to be a problem since we have to chase her and we live next to a busy street. Help??? :p

[Zen Fox]

My brother's dog gets in to the garbage all the time if no one is around. It's the type of garbage that slides out under the sink. We have to put a chair in front of it, so she doesn't slide it out, which I have no idea how she learned to do. It's impressive that your dog learned how to unlock the door, but the point is, put something like a wooden board in front of the door that blocks her from getting to the lock and disables her from climbing to the lock. It's not the best solution, but it's a temporary one until she learns she's not supposed to do that. At least she'll be safe from traffic.

[xxxpoo]

Buy a screen door :)

[bubbatd]

When we first got Chip, he would run like mad. Seems the previous owner scolded him when they caught him, so it took awhile to teach him to come when called. ( the dog bisquits in my pocket helped.!). I now can take him into front yard, to mail box etc and he'll stick with me. BTW, I did buy one of those red flasher lights to attach to his collar for night outtings.

[opokki]

You can teach her to sit at doors until you give her the release to walk through. Its fairly simple to teach and if you practice it at every door, everytime she should pick up on it very quickly. All you have to do is have her sit before you open the door, begin opening the door slowly and if she gets up from the sit close the door quickly. When the door is opened too far for you to close quickly enough before she escapes just use your leg to block her if you need to. Repeat until you can open the door all the way without her moving from the sit until you give the okay. Do this at every door, everyday and it will become habit for her.

[beagle_lovergirl]

Thanks for the help :) I wish we could buy screen doors but they're not allowed here (neither are doggie doors or anything that changes how the house originally looked like) She does know the commands Stop (which is what opokki explained) and come but she only does it inside the house or on a leash or at the park. Maybe because those are the places I trained her at? maybe I should train her again in different places?

[RedyreRottweilers]

PUt a hook and eye on the door, or a slide latch.

And then do this:

Solicit the dog to rush the door. Immediately slam the door VERY loudly, being careful not to catch the dog in it anywhere. Walk to the center of the room away from the door, and stand for one minute. Do not look at or speak to the dog. Completely ignore it.

After the one minute is up, attempt to solicit the dog to rush the door again. If she does, again, SLAM, REALLY LOUD, and again, go to the center of the room, fold your arms, and stand quietly and ignore the dog for one minute. You need to time this, it needs to be exactly one minute.

After the second rep, see if you can get the dog to the door again. Most dogs won't approach the door again without being coaxed. Once you get to this point, teach the dog the WAIT command. This is easily taught when coming out of the crate with a well timed crate door closing. Un latch the crate door. Say "(dog's name,), WAIT". Open the door keeping a close eye on the dog. The SECOND the dog begins to move, and BEFORE it gets to the crate door, SLAM the crate door, making sure not to hit or catch the dog in it.

Now say wait again, open the crate door just slightly, and if the dog moves, slam it, but not so hard, just enough to make a noise. Do not let the dog out until you can open the crate door and the dog stays. This works very quickly.

Then, on a LEASH, use the wait command when the door is opened until the dog is reliable.

[opokki]

She knows the commands Stop & Come but when she's outside and not on a leash she ignores them.

Too get really reliable responses you need to practice in a variety of locations including some distracting ones. Since she seems to be reliable with Stop & Come without distractions, now would be a good time to begin working on her with these with minimal distractions, gradually building your way up to higher distraction areas. Store parking lots are good minimal distraction areas. This way she will be more likely to respond when it really counts such as when she's running down the street after escaping. ;)

[beagle_lovergirl]

Thanks! That might work

[RedyreRottweilers]

Oh it works. I can't explain how or why, but I have demonstrated this basicly as a parlor trick with problem dogs whom I've never met before, and it works.

Very few dogs will go back to the door for a 3rd time, and I have not once had one come with me the 4th time.

Do it 4 times, whether you can get the dog to come with you or not.

[Doberluv]

Oppoki,

You took the words right out of my mouth. That's how I taught my Dobe to respect the going of of doors. I didn't slam it, just closed it quickly and if he wanted the reward of going out, he had to sit/wait until I gave the "OK." I did the same with sit/wait for going to his food bowl. It got picked up quickly if he broke the sit/stay before I gave the "OK." After a few repititions, he learned that he had to wait in order to get his food. No force, no holding the collar, no scolding....just natural consequences. "You want the payoff? Then do your job and wait till you get the release word." LOL.

[LabMumSF]

You can also leave a short leash on her inside the house for better control, so if she does try to dash out, you can quickly step on it with your foot and stop her.