Dog Training Tip Please

[shelaghfishface]

my boxer Bambi thinks nothing of jumping up at the back door and opening it 2 mins after i put her out... Rocky the shar-pei is 2 foot shorter so cant reach but has started scratching the [wooden] door
( Its not just the noise tho thats major.. all the heat goes out when the door is left open.. ie, if im upstairs when she gets in etc)


its driving me nuts! if i lock the door i get the joy of hearing the handle swing up and down..it might seem like a minor moan but they are not left out for prolonged periods id just like them to do what there told!
i also invested in the taller [90cm] baby gates so that if she needs to be contained either within the kitchen.. or lounge.. she just jumps right over them like a hurdle horse!

sitting here listening to the handle bang and swing.. i only just put them out

HELP please.
shelagh

ps just to add theres plenty for them to get up to outside, toys, other stuff to play with, plenty of playing room and cover
please dont reply with advice like.. if you have dogs this is to be expected.. it really isnt at all..hence why i ask for advice

 

[simonas]

ha ha I emphasis She as my springer does the same, if I leave door open he'll spend ages out there if I shut it he panics I guess and wants to come back in, I think its a seperation anxiety kind of trait

 

[Baccus]

I find positive reinforcement works best (remember even kids think getting yelled at is some form of attention and better than no attention.... dogs are similar), so when you have some free time I would set myself up near the door and let the dogs out and then shut it. Before they have the option of trying to open the door themselves or scratching at the door open it and call them back inside for a minute or two, then put them out again. I would only do this around 3 times each time you can give them a training (education) session, and vary the time between shutting the door and calling them back inside. Rather quickly the dogs should learn that you decide when they come in and go out and learn that just because the door is shut doesn't mean its for ever and ever. Its a similar re-education technique to what is used for seperation aniexity dogs, but at least you don't ahve to keep leaving the house.

 

[sammy86]

Not everyone is a advocate of negative reinforcement (we were agaisnt it ourselves) however our Airedale is hugely stubborn and positive/treat based training just wasn't working. so we tried the water spray. Its worked wonders. As soon as the dog is -going- to misbehave, squirt him, he didn't like it, it took about 3 squirts to stop him - now you just have to show him the spray bottle and he thinks again!

It puts the dog out a bit, but it dosn't hurt them, and they get the messege.

(we used it when he was trying to take our food from the coffee table)