TRAINING
1. Use a handful of your dog’s favourite treats, get your dog excited
about the treats by letting them sniff and lick the treats without
actually giving them one.
2. Before starting your training, assess whether your dog would be
more motivated to come in through the pet door or go out through
it. If your dog loves being inside the house, you should start this
training with them outside. If they’re always excited to get a chance
to get outside, start with them inside the house.
3. With your dog on one side of the pet door and you on the other, lift
the flap of the pet door all the way up and call them, using an excited
voice and with lots of animation. Wave the treats so they can see
them on the other side of the pet door.
Reward any attempt to come towards or through the door with lots
of verbal encouragement, but don’t let them have the treat until they
make it the whole way through.
4. When they come all the way through, pet and praise them, and give
them some treats! Then, leaving them where they are, go to the
other side of the pet door, lift the flap and repeat the same exercise.
Do a few repetitions going each way then take a break. This training
can be stressful and exciting for your dog, so you should do short
sessions to avoid burning them out.
5. After your dog has had a break, repeat the exercise. If they’re coming
through with no hesitation, repeat the exercise holding the flap up
only halfway. Your dog may be troubled by feeling the flap touching
them, so you’ll need to use lots of verbal encouragement to convince
them that it’s no big deal.
6. Once they’re going through with the flap halfway up, continue doing
short sessions with them, gradually lifting the flap up less and less,
until you’re to the point where they’re pushing through the door on
their own.
7. Now try to get them to do it without you calling and offering them
treats. You can do this by leaving them on one side of the door and
scattering some treats on the ground on the other side of the door.
If your dog comes out on their own, you’ll know they’re getting the
idea. Repeat this for a few sessions, and you’ll soon find that your
dog is using the pet door on their own.
