One of the Best Training Tips to Keep Your Dog Safe

I’ve had countless experiences in my neighborhood where dogs rush out the front door, sneak out an open gate, or jump out of a car door to run up to my dogs. Every time the owner explains how they should have been faster to grab the dog or close the door as if lightning fast reflexes are the norm. 

In those situations dogs are going to be faster, sneakier, and more determined than us to get past that threshold and to whatever they want. 

To realistically address this issue we can teach our dogs that it is normal and expected to wait for permission at these thresholds. Whether there is another dog, a squirrel, the mail man, or nothing at all on the other side.

It becomes a lot easier for our dogs to make good decisions if the good decisions are already ingrained into their daily lives. Waiting at the door even though there is a squirrel on the other side becomes a lot easier if they are always expected to wait at the door. 

There are no quick fixes in training this. Patience and consistency are a must. Here are some tips.

-Start off with your dog on a leash.

-If they go before you have released them, stop them with the leash and step in between them and the door. Wait for them to step away from you before you turn to open the door again. You may need to step toward them to get them to step away from you. 

-Wait for your dog to make eye contact with you before you release them.

-Be unpredictable when you release them. If you always release them after five seconds, they will wait five seconds instead of waiting for you to release them.

-Some dogs do better when they are reinforced for waiting with food rewards/praise. 

-Once you start doing this, you need to always do it. A lack of consistency will be confusing for the dog and result in inconsistent behavior from them as well.

Owning a dog means you are responsible for keeping them safe and keeping the community safe from them. A big part of that is teaching your dog skills that reduce the chance of something bad happening. Expecting your dog to wait for permission before entering a new space is absolutely one of those important safety skills.