How to Train Your Dog to Close a Door

Hello Madison, Many smart dogs will try this trick when less intelligent ones wouldn't think of it. To get around this, only reward pup with a treat when they go potty outside also. After a week of ignoring the non-potty trips pup should start to understand that going potty also matters. This is likely just an issue of pup fully understanding the training. If after a week or two, pup is still going outside and closing the door to try to get treats when they don't potty, then when they go outside and don't go, then when they come back in you can try crating them or tethering them to yourself but ignoring them while tethered for fifteen minutes to make it less exciting. So going out, closing the door, and going potty while out equals a treat, but going outside, closing the door, but not going potty equals rest time in the crate or being tethered to you and ignored right after for a few minutes. You don't want to directly punish pup for going out and closing the door when they don't need to go potty but you do want to make not peeing outside boring. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Mel, Check out the article I have linked below and the section on how to teach Leave It. In your case I would adjust the Leave It training to tell pup "Wait" instead of saying "Leave It". Once pup is waiting, then reward pup with the toy/treat they are waiting on, opposed to giving a different reward when teaching Leave It. This is called teaching "Wait" - which is similar to leave it, but pup is given the item they left alone with Wait, whereas a separate reward is used for Leave It. Once pup knows Wait well, you can use that command, pulling the toy away when pup doesn't wait, then waiting until pup is waiting to give the toy, to teach pup not to jump for the reward. You can also take a step toward pup when they are being pushy to encourage backing up, and when you give the reward, give it under pup's chin, so pup learns to look down when anticipating a reward instead of looking up and thus jumping. How to Teach Leave It section: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/train-dog-not-to-chew/ Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Chloe, I do not know what all you have tried so far, but I suggest going back a couple of steps. Take the toy off of the door and make sure that you are choosing a toy she enjoys playing tug with. First, work on getting her to play tug with you on command. Wiggle the toy around and get her excited about it. Tell her to "Pull!" in an excited tone of voice. Praise her happily while she tugs on the toy with you. Repeat this game for several days until she will quickly grab and tug the toy whenever you say "Pull!"; do this until she will take the toy and pull even when you don't move it. When she gets to that point, switch out the toy for another tug toy. Practice with each tug toy until you can get her to tug on any toy offered to her, even if it's not moving. Some dogs respond best to the tug game just being the reward - without the distraction of treats. Other dogs do best if you hide treats in your pocket and give one after each good tug game. I would start without treats and if that's not working as well after a few days, try it with treats to see if the food motivates her more than the tugging does - use whichever motivates her best - treats vs. play. Once she will grab and tug on any toy offered, even while it's just being held and not moved, place her favorite tug toy back on the door again. Practice the training like you did with the toy in your hand. Attach the toy with a rope long enough for you to hold the toy in your hand also. Command "Pull" and as soon as she tugs on it, praise and reward with play or a treat. Repeat this until she is comfortable doing it by the door. Gradually shorten the rope as you practice the game and she improves, until it is at the length you need it to be at for functionality. At that point in the training, once she is comfortable tugging on it at that length, only give a treat if she makes the door move when she tugs on it - be careful not to let the door hit her while she figures this out, you don't want to scare her at first. As she improves and begins to intentionally tug it hard enough to make it move to get her reward, only reward if she is making it move more and more. Gradually require better tugs that close the door more and more as training progresses - continue to praise for efforts at tugging, but only give a good game or tug or treat when she makes a bit more progress. As she improves, also gradually loosen your grip on the toy also, so that the toy is being held, then sitting in your hand loosely, then touching your hand next to it, then your finger pointing at the toy only, then point at the toy from further away. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden