Wolfie is Very Determined and I have No Idea How To Stop Him - Page 1

Wolfie has known for a couple of months how to open doors with the lever handles. I have 4 doors like that and I keep them locked. The first time I saw him open it, he was trying to catch a flying insect on the other side of the door. Last week, I found out that Wolfie knows how to open regular door knobs. He wanted to go in and see my hubby who had worked the night shift. I was trying to keep Wolfie out of teh bedroom, so I shut the door to the hall way, and the bedroom door. I watched as he jumped up, put both paws on the doorknob and turned it. I thought it was a fluke until he got to the second door and opened that as well. I keep after him all the time to stop it, but if he is really determined to open that door, he will. He will pretend to lay on the floor and sleep, actually putting his head down and lie on his side. Then he will inch over to the door and rush to open it. It's funny but problematic at the same time. He listens to me for the most part except for this issue. I am taking him to obedience school when the summer is over.  Any ideas on how to stop this?

When you find a cure, let me know.  The only thing I know that is effective is a locked door.

He sounds like Pharaoh's twin. 

I had a house guest this weekend, someone he really likes.  When I was deep asleep, he opened my door and opened the guest room door and quietly hopped on the bed with my house guest.

Some work was being done in the garage.  He was curious.  He opened the door from the kitchen to the garage (a fire door with spring loaded hinges).  He looked at what the workers were doing and then went outside the open rollup garage  door.  Went to visit the dog next door for a while then came back.  He entered the garage again and opened the door to the kitchen.

The front door wasn't locked, I didn't hear the door bell, he opened the door to let them in.

He opened my neighbor's gate. 

He is trying to figure out how to open the car door.  Luckily, that requires opposable thumbs.

Michele

No way to stop it :) I have a cat who opens all doors apart from the front door. A dog who knocks on the front door to come in and who can open all doors and a gsd who hasnt worked any of it out and she just scartches at the floor

I guess I will have to keep an eye on him, and the locking doors locked. He also knows how to open the gate in the yard. I put an extra chain around it, so hopefully he won't figure that one out too.

 I think you are screwed. Just from the way you talk the dog is in charge in your house. I give him another year before he gets hit by a car, after going out the doors, and out the gate.

Thanks for the incredible insight, Jeff. FYI, I have had many GSD's in my ife and I can assure you that my dog is not in charge of my home. We have lived int he same place for 22 years, and all of our GSD's died from natural cause at ages 12 and 13. Wolfie is just a puppy and into mischief.  I guess your pup never misbehaved.

Turn the handles upside down!

Now if you have one that can open Round door knobs then you have problems LOL

One of mine knows how to unlock the deadbolt.

I kept coming home to the back door unlocked and the dog sitting just on the inside of the door. She never went anywhere but I did finally put a piece of tape over the deadbolt and that did stop her.

Melissa

They used to make baby proof things that went around round door knobs and required squeezing them tight to open the door. That should work if they still make them.

 Quote:  I have had many GSD's in my ife and I can assure you that my dog is not in charge of my home.

From everything you have said, I would say that he is. Do you punish him for going out the door ?