How to Stop a Dog From Door Dashing

Teaching your dog to wait at doors can save its life.

When your dog runs through an open door, it is not only annoying but potentially dangerous. A dog that escapes from your home risks being hit by a car or encountering an unfriendly animal. Teaching your dog to remain on one side of the door until you allow it to go through is crucial training that could save its life. Embark on this training with patience and consistency. Everyone in your household must always require the dog to wait before going through a doorway or your dog will learn it can sometimes get away with door dashing.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 6-foot leash
• 10- to 20-foot leash
• treats

1. Attach a 6-foot leash to your dog and walk it to a door. It is best to begin at a door that opens onto a fenced yard in case your dog escapes your grip.

2. Tell your dog to sit. When it does, open the door slowly. If your dog remains seated with the door open, give it a treat and signal that it is OK to go outside. If your dog breaks the sit when you open the door, shut it quickly and give your dog a stern "No." Repeat this process until your dog holds the sit.

3. Practice at a closed door with your dog off leash once it consistently waits for your command before going outside.

4. Bring your dog, on leash, to an open door once it has mastered the previous step. Physically block the dog from going through the door by placing your body between the dog and the threshold. Say "Wait," and quickly allow the dog out the door. Extend the amount of time between the "wait" command and access to outside as your dog begins to understand what you want.

5. Repeat the last step without the body block. On leash, tell your dog to wait as you step over the threshold. If your dog does not wait on the other side, immediately say "No" and walk the dog back inside to try again. If your dog obeys, allow it to come outside, increasing the wait time with each successive attempt.

6. Walk a few steps out the door and say "Wait." Correct your dog as you did above if it crosses the doorway. Release it outside if it obeys.

7. Walk out the door to your fenced yard and leave it open, with your dog off leash. If your dog follows but waits at the door for your signal, reward it with treats and allow it outside. If it goes outside without waiting, correct it and bring it back inside. Repeat the process, but hide around a corner to see if your dog will obey even when it thinks you aren't there. Practice at doors to an open yard by attaching your dog to a longer leash. Anchor the leash to a sturdy piece of furniture. This will be self-correcting.

Tips & Warnings

• Never practice this training if your dog's bladder could be full.

• Your dog can sit, stand, lie down or walk around beginning with step 4, as long as it does not place a paw over the threshold until you allow it.

• Train in a distraction-free area until your dog has mastered the task.

• Dogs do not generalize. Practice these steps with your dog at all of the doors and gates in your home that it is not allowed to freely walk through.

• Keep your training sessions between 10 and 15 minutes. Most dogs lose interest at this point, and you risk making training a negative experience for your dog.

References

• Partnership for Animal Welfare: Teaching Dogs Not to Run Out the Door
• Susquehanna Service Dogs; Waiting at Doors; January 2011