# Advice on teaching Tucker to use doggy door?



## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Well, I finally got my doggy-door put into the utility wall Wednesday. I'm working on trying to get Tucker to go through it by opening the little doors myself and placing a piece of chicken on the other side. If I hold both doors open and sweet talk him through he will cautiously go through to the other side. We've been working on it for 1 -1/2 days now.

There is only me at home, so we practice from the inside one set of times, then from the outside the next set of times. He's pretty spooked about the whole idea, though... 

Is there something more or different that I should be doing? How long should one expect to take getting a dog used to a doggy door? I need him to use it because of my work hours that are starting, and the difficulty of always finding neighbors that can come play with him. I am going to put up a dog-run on the outside of the door, where no people or eagles can get to him.

(I have an old cabinet in front of the door...I need it to hold stuff between the dryer and washer. I've opened up the inside so that it hopefull doesn't look closed in to him. I've also put down carpet in the bottom for him to walk on.)

Tips?


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Sounds like you're doing fine and I like the cabinet idea.

Leave him inside and go right outside the deck and have some noisy fun that he can hear from the inside. Ignore him and when he wants to come out bad enough he will. If it gets to be too long for you the first time you try this, go inside the house another way, still ignoring him, and do the same thing later.

Other times go out and sit on the deck with the treat and just open one side of the door just enough that he pokes his nose or foot through. Dont' show any frustration.

They all learn to open the door the first time in different ways. They're almost always reluctant to start with. Blanchi was sort of a slow learner of the door and now she teaches the younger ones. She'll tease them and then hold the door slightly open for them.


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## CapotesMom (Apr 3, 2007)

Just make it a game. It took Capote about a day to figure it out.. Taylor is still timid of it.. but she's not as bright as him..lol. Luckily they only use it at my best friends house. We put one person on one side and another on the other with treats. We'd have them go through and give a treat.. then lower the door so it goes over their back..give them a treat...then keep it open only an inch with the treat near the door so he had to push through to get it...etc etc. They learn pretty quick.. Sooner or later they'll be in and out just for fun to show they can do it.. and then they'll go from there.


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## cjsud (Oct 26, 2008)

I agree it took Hobbes a few days.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I started luring them with treats on the other side of the door. That didn't go to well. Then I used velcro to keep the flap open. I let them go through it several times. Then I put the flap down and went with the no nonsense approach. I just pushed my guys through the door. Fred and Bella learned in a day or 2. 
When I brought Scudder home at 9 weeks old, he used the dog door without me teaching him, within the first hour of being home. I turned around and was surprised to see him on the other side of the dog door. He learned by watching the other 2.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Thanks, you all! 

I have wondered about resorting to pushing him through, but read that that isn't recommended. I need to try to find a way to keep them open...the doors swing like saloon doors, which I really like. (These were talked about here on the doggy door thread by a couple of folks, Tom and I can't remember who else.) I like that they are see through.

I'll keep working on him...


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## mellowbo (Aug 12, 2007)

Do you think the table/platform on the outside could intimidate him?
Just a thought.
Carole


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Carole,
Thanks for the thought, but actually he doesn't have a problem at all with the deck. I think it just looks like a floor to him. From outside he has no problem jumping up and down at will, just to check for possible leftover pieces of chicken, (ha!) It is the part about pushing on the door that seems to be the issue. 

I just had an 8 year old boy over for a bit, and he helped me to call Tucker back and forth through the opening. (Typical of our Havs, Tucker LOVES kids!!) As long as I held the doors open he (Tucker) had no problem hopping through. I didn't even use chicken, just the boy,  But, if I close even one side he won't even attempt to push through. He is so polite!


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## mellowbo (Aug 12, 2007)

lol, yup a polite guy!
It's probably just going to take him some time to get brave enough. Good luck.
Carole


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

We had to teach Lincoln too - it took him a few days. He was more motivated to come back inside (that to go outside) through the dog door, so we used that to our advantage.

We didn't push him through, ever. I think that would have scared him. 

We used food lures to encourage him to come through the opening, and we held the flaps up so the opening was "clear" the first several times. Only after he was used to going through the "hole", did we start letting go of the flap after he was 75% of the way through the dog door, just so he'd start to feel the flap on his back and not freak out. It took several repetitions, but he flies back and forth through it now, when he feels like it (if there is a squirrel or cat outside, or if Scout flies through first). Sometimes he still wants us to open the big door for him though (spoiled)!


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