How to Train Your Small Dog to Stay Out of a Room

Mickey is a little Poodle who has come to live with a new family that has small children. His new family adores him, but they don't want him in the kids' playroom, because the area always has toys strewn everywhere and Mickey might chew on a favorite stuffed animal or accidentally ingest parts of small toys, especially if little fingers covered in peanut butter recently handled them, making them especially appealing! The plan is to teach Mickey not to enter the playroom. This will give the kids a dog-free zone where they do not have to worry about their toys becoming doggy toys. 

Sometimes owners may want their small dog to stay out of a particular room. Many owners do not want their dogs in their bedrooms if the dog disturbs their sleep, or some families don't want the dog in the kitchen, where they could get into food or garbage, or beg at the table. Owners can establish boundaries with their small dog so that they are comfortable and the little dog understands what is expected of them. Once everyone is clear what the rules are and expectations are well-defined, both dog and owners can be comfortable with their arrangement.. and space!

Small dogs are usually people dogs, and they tend to want to be wherever their owners are. Training your small dog to stay out of a particular room can, therefore, be a bit of a challenge. Especially if the dog has previously had access to that room and now you want to teach him that room is off limits. There are, however, several strategies for setting boundaries and teaching your small dog to respect your space and stay out of a particular room. You will need to be clear and consistent. Make boundaries visual if possible, and do not make exceptions to accessing the room during, or after training, so you don't confuse your dog.  You can use physical boundaries to prevent your dog from entering a room during training or visual boundaries such as tape on the floor at a room’s entrance. Rewarding your dog for staying out of the room, deterring your dog, or distracting your dog from the are all effective to establish a room is off limits.

Baby gates make good barriers to rooms when you are unable to supervise or to keep a small dog out of a room during the training phase. Makeshift barriers with furniture or plywood can also be used. During training, you can use painter's tape or masking tape on the floor at a room entrance to give your small dog a visual cue that will help him understand what his boundaries are. Some methods involve the use of a leash and treats to control, direct, and reward the dog for avoiding the room that is off limits. Training your small dog to stay out of a particular room will require consistency and a significant time commitment in the way of supervision. Stepping over a baby gate every time you want to enter a room during training can be tiring, but patience will eventually pay off!