Dog Running Out of Door

tuckerandmattie

New Member
tucker is always trying to get out of the door. when he does he will not listen to anything. he wont even come to his favorite treat or an open car door. any ideas would be extremely helpful
 

Jean Cote

Administrator
Staff member
That's because he has associated more pleasure to being free and running around outside, than to coming back to you and having a treat.

I'm a little short on time right now, but you first have to set up your rules. I never let my dogs walk out the door before sitting first. I even make them wait while I open the door, and they are not permitted to go outside until I say my "Okay".

You can start training your dog to Wait by reading and practicing the Wait lesson located in the Level 2 of the Classroom. Eventually you can make him wait while you walk in and out of the door, and even walk up to your car and back.

I would keep a long line, i prefer the cotton web ones, so that if he runs away you can always step on the line and bring him back inside immediately.
 

luna may

New Member
I'm currently training Kesem to sit and stay until released when I open any door for her, so that hopefully she won't exit our front door on her own if we accidentally leave it open...
So far so good! :msnyipee:
 

desertwife

Well-Known Member
Hi Jean, I'm addressing you because your posts seem sensible to me and I really need help with this. My original post is inthe behavioral problems board, "running" that should fill you in. Today my puppies did it again. shot out the gate ignoring their names and I had to chase them down. Today I got so disgusted I pulled them out of the car, drug them in the house and crated them for a good while. When I have my attention on them they do obey "wait", at the door and gate. they know many tricks, work together and seperately. But, if I am not focused on them adios and they completely ignore me if the gate is open for a second. My other post talks about my neighbors three labs. I called his wife and she said they chased thier labs down, brought them home, spanked them all the way to the kennel every time they had to chase them and kept them there a couple hours. These dogs won't leave the yard when the gate is left open even if I walk my dogs by! I can't imagine having to do that but this is out of control.Every second i have to focus on mine or they scoot by me. Gosh, I am tempted to get an electric wire and once and for all teach them not to pass a point without permission. They do know their names, all their commands, many tricks too. your take on alternative training might help. thanks for advise. Linda
 

snooks

Experienced Member
this is a huge worry for me too. i trained a wait at every door starting with ones that are safe like back door to yard, bedroom etc. leash if u need to. body block to stop. if they hesitate stop click treat.

also independently teach a wait with a hand signal and voice cue. they tend to pick up better on voice where they don't with verbal if at all exited. do some loose leash walking in the house and click treat, take 3 steps click stop treat. be sure to click then stop and feed treat in heel position beside u. hold it there till pup goes back for it. soon he'll stop when u do, u can then start using the wait. i use a hand palm straight back arm straight down in front of pup's face. then step side 1 step if he stays click treat while in position, work up to step anywhere and walk around puppy. go a little further, come back c/t in position.

stay close enough so u can touch to correct. eh-eh..wait. the leash def helps here but don't use it to correct since u want this to be a leashless behavior eventually. for now it just prevents escape. keep it short, move through things fairly quickly, keep it fun, use good meat or cheese treats, and stop while pup still wants more. once u get this down on leash, at doors inside, do the back door. wait, go out, block any attempts to bolt, be leashed so bolting won’t succeed.

release the dog after rewarding in wait position. i use free. pick a word not often said so there will be no accidental releases. i used to use okay but i had too many releases by conversations.

get all this other stuff pretty solid before working with a danger door to outside. i would tether or leash. a tether may be safer at first...not to furniture...a dog can pull 3-4x its weight and my girl actually popped the huge couch up enough to slip the leash out from under it. use a banister, bolt in a stud etc. i use a bungee to soften any hard pulls.

ask for wait, go to door open close, c/t for a wait, correct eh-eh back to position wait. go to door open close. if dog pops up before u get there come back. reposition; try again. keep it short, work on getting longer open doors. it often helps to have a rug or threshold or some barrier they know not to cross. with me its rugs. this is a pretend wall u do not cross unless i say free any u are leashed. i stop and do a wait every time we exit that door.

up the ante by having some knock or ring the bell. take ur time since this is a set up, correct, back to position as needed to get to the door. add the doorbell when ready. just go slow, do it 2x a day or so for short sessions. repetition & consistency are key. best of luck!! if i have visitors and we're not solid i leash or crate until everyone is calm.
 

alee

New Member
You should try what Jean suggested in saying ok before letting your dog out. And if he does get out run to where the dog can see you drop or fall to the ground and cry and sob really loud, this will hopefully bring the dog back. Thats one thing my sibe has never tried running out the open door, I could stand there with the door wide open and he wouldn't go out.
 
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