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A doggy door can add a great deal of convenience to your life. It will save you from having to get up every time your pup needs to go outside to use the potty, as well as allow her to go in and out to stay warm, cool or dry during inclement weather.
In addition, a doggy door will give your dog the luxury of being able to go out to the yard on her own. This can make leaving her home while you are at work much easier because you will have the peace of mind that she can enjoy some fresh air during the day.
This is especially true for small dogs since they tend to have smaller bladders and need to potty more often than their larger cousins. Read on to find out how easy it is to train your small dog to use a doggy door.
Most dogs will learn to use a doggy door on their own within a single training session. The exception are those who have fear or anxiety about either the doggy door itself or of being away from their people. In both cases, patience and consistency will give you the results you are looking for within a week.
Of course, you will want to make sure that your yard is safe and secure before letting your small dog outside without supervision. Check the fence line regularly for signs of digging under or other potential weak spots that could result in an escape.
Remember that small dogs can be vulnerable to predators such as hawks, alligators and foxes. If you live in a rural area where such predators may be common, it may not be a great idea for your little dog to spend time outside unsupervised. In addition, rural areas are fraught with the possibility that unwanted guests may decide to use the door to get in your house! Racoons are notorious for learning to use doggy doors to access the tasty goodies in your kitchen!
Before you get started with training, make sure you have a few things ready to go:
Appropriate Door: You want to make sure you are using the right sized doggy door, especially when working with a small dog. The larger flaps of big doors can be difficult for your little guy to push open. If you have a multiple dog household with a larger dog, try removing the magnet clips from the flap for the first few weeks so that your smaller dog can get used to the flap.
Identify Fear: If your dog seems to have some anxiety about the door, make sure that you do not use the 'Push' method since it could make his fear worse. Bring plenty of patience to your training sessions and use the 'Fearful Dog' method for best results.
Make it Fun: Try to approach training time like it is a fun game that you and your dog are playing together. This will help keep them motivated, and remind you not to spoil the game with impatience. Keep sessions brief, and stop the game before your dog is bored or frustrated.
The Fearful Dog Method
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Patience
If you have a dog that seems to be fearful of the doggy door, then it is important that you bring some patience to the training process. If you get frustrated, it will add to her stress about the doggy door, making the problem worse.
Getting close
Start with the flap completely off of the door. Every time your dog gets close to the door, say “Yes!” followed by a reward. Practice on both sides of the door until she is voluntarily getting next to the door and waiting for her treat.
Other side
Move to the opposite side of the door and call her close to the door. Say “Yes!” when she gets close, and pass a treat through the door to her. Repeat 5-10 times.
Head through
With the treat in your hand, hold it a few inches on your side of the doggy door, encouraging her to put her head through to get it. When she does, say “Yes!” and let her have the treat. Be patient and just wait until she does it. Repeat 10-20 times, slowly extending the distance you are holding the treat from the door until she steps through.
Step through
Once your small dog is stepping through the door for a treat, wait until she is all the way through before marking and rewarding the behavior. Continue repeating until she is confidently moving through the door on her own. Repeat 20-30 times to really get her confidence up.
Replace the flap
Add the flap to the doggy door. Hold it partially to fully open, encouraging her to come through the door using the treat as a lure. If necessary, go back to taking her head alone through the door for a reward. Start to raise the criteria like you did with the open door while you slowly help less and less with the flap.
Increase distance
Once your little dog has some experience using the doggy door on her own with you right on the other side, start to increase the distance you stand from the door until you are a few feet away and she continues to confidently use the door.
Doggy door only
For a few weeks, stop your small dog from using the people door. Leave her on the other side and call her through the doggy door, continuing to reward her with food or praise when she uses the door. Soon she will be using it confidently on her own.
The Push Method
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Gentle push
This method will require 2 people to work best. Start with the flap off of the door. With one person on either side with some treats in hand, gently push your dog through the door. As soon as he is on the other side, say “Yes!” and give him a treat.
Call through
The person on the other side can call the dog through to their side. If he does not go through on his own, a gentle push can be used again. Continue to say “Yes!” with each successful use of the doggy door, followed by a treat. Repeat 5-10 times.
Help less
Start to help less and less until he is using the door on his own when called by the person on the other side.
Replace the flap
Put the flap back on the door. At first you may need to push the flap open before he will go through, but help as little as necessary. Each time, help less and less until he is going through the door on his own. Repeat 5-10 times.
Add distance
Each person should start adding some distance from the door with each repetition. Continue calling the dog through and marking and rewarding each successful enter or exit. Continue repeating until he is confidently using the door on his own.
Doggy door only
Stop allowing your dog to use the regular door for a few weeks. This will encourage him to use the doggy door in order to go out to potty. In addition, you can put his dinner on the other side of the door to encourage him to use the door on his own.
The Lure Method
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Set up
Start by removing the flap of the doggy door. This will make it extra easy for your small dog to take those first steps through the opening.
Lure her head through
With your dog outside, close the door and call her back inside through the doggy door. Use the tasty treat to encourage her to come through the door. When she puts her head through the door, say “Yes!” and give her the treat. Repeat 5-10 times.
Lure through
Waiting patiently, use the lure to get her to step through the door. As soon as she steps through the door, say “Yes!” and giver her the treat. Repeat 5-10 times.
Fade the lure
Hold your hand without the treat to lure her in or out of the doggy door, calling her through. Be patient and when she comes through the door, say “Yes!” and reach into your bag for a treat. Immediately start abbreviating your luring movements until you are standing on the other side of the door and she is coming through for her reward on her own. Repeat 5-10 times.
Toss the treat
With your dog on the same side of the door as you, toss a treat through the door while she watches. As she goes through the door, say “Yes!” and let her get the treat. If she immediately comes back through to your side on her own, mark and reward again. Repeat 5-10 times.
Replace the flap
Put the flap on the doggy door. At first you may need to partially or fully push the flap open to help her know it is okay to breech the flap. Continue to mark and reward each successful pass, slowly giving her less help until she can use the door on her own.
Written by Sharon Elber
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 01/19/2018, edited: 01/08/2021
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Training Questions and Answers
My dog is okay with going through the dog door but he just does not get going outside to pee!
April 9, 2020
Diesel's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello Grace, It sounds like you may need to back up the training and start with taking pup potty on the leash. Check out the article linked below and follow one of those methods to establish a solid potty training habit first - so that pup will become self-motivated to go outside when they need to go potty. Since pup is older, you can adjust the times to take pup potty every 3-4 hours, instead of 1-2 hours. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-puppy-to-poop-outside I especially recommend teaching pup the Go Potty command and rewarding with treats when pup does potty outside - you want pup to become more motivated to go outside and to associate going potty outside with something good. Details on teaching that are in the article I linked above. When pup is thoroughly potty trained in general and to the point where they alert you when they need to go out, then add back in the doggie door. Start by taking pup potty on leash like you normally would, but send pup potty through the doggie door, then follow after by opening the door and going with them, walking them around still, and repeating your normal potty training routine like you have been (saying Go Potty and rewarding when they go). Eventually, begin sending pup potty through the doggie door, following after, but not having a leash on pup. Reward after they go potty. Next, send pup through the door, go outside, but don't follow pup, tell them to Go Potty, watch them go on their own, then give a treat when they return. Finally, send pup through the doggie door, tell them to "Go Potty" as they are on their way through the door, and stay inside - watch from the door or window to see if they go. After they go, call them back, and reward them when they come back inside if they went potty while outside. Practice this with scheduled potty trips until pup begins to go potty through the door on their own when they need to go - when that happens, if you do catch them doing it on their own, have a treat ready for them when they return if they went. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
April 9, 2020
My husband just recently passed away and he was the one who always told him go potty and he would go out the doggie door. Since his passing he will go up to the door but will not go out it. Even if you put his treats in the path outside the door he will not go out
Sept. 24, 2019
Blackie's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello Wanda, First, I suggest you go outside first and another person tells him to "Go Potty"...He may be staying inside because he is worried you will leave and wants to be where you are. If that works, then take him potty this way for a while until he realizes that this is the new normal and goes through the door without delaying. Once he will go potty easily when told to, then change the order and send him outside first, then follow him through the door after - so he expects that he won't be alone even if he goes outside first. You may have to use the leash to guide him through the doggie door the first time you make him go first (loop it around the door so you are standing inside still but guiding him outside with your arm reached out the open door. You can also practice this with the door open so he is just passing through the doggie door and still in the same area he entered it from when he exits it (inside or outside - depending on whether your door opens out or in). Every time he goes through the doggie door, give him a treat when he is outside. When he will go outside before you and you are following him out afterward, then take longer and longer to follow him out there, until eventually he finishes going potty before you get outside . When that consistently is happening, then stop following him outside. After he goes potty outside you can also give him a treat so that he learns to go potty faster. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Sept. 24, 2019
My only comment from reading your post is this..I am so very sorry for your loss! God Bless you and I am praying for you, that God will give you peace and your dog will comfort you. I lost my mom and my dog was heartbroken too about her “grandma”.
Sept. 14, 2020
Denise D.