Teaching Respect for Door - looking for suggestions! - Page 1

I've taken on the task of dogsitting a 1 1/2 year old beagle for 2 days a week. This little guy doesn't even know 'sit', and he's very fast. The minute I open a door, he's there, waiting to slip through. I am seriously concerned he might get loose, and since he has no recall either, that will be BIG trouble!

Normally, I'd make a dog sit well back from the door before I opened it, then wait for the release command before I let it out, (if I was planning to let it out) but since this guy doesn't even KNOW 'sit' yet, let alone 'stay', I'm a bit stumped.

He came with a chain leash, or I'd leash him in the house. I'm going to put a spare nylon leash on him to help prevent accidents, but like I said, he's REALLY fast, so even that might not be enough.

Just looking for suggestions for the quickest way of keeping this dog safe! I've reached the point where I'm actually thinking of getting out the ol' Invisible Fence collar, and wiring the doors as a 'no go' zone!    It's SO much easier to block a GSD from getting through a door, due to their larger size!

I'm looking for a method I can teach his owners, too, so it has to be gentle. No foot to the ribs...though I've been sorely tempted a few times! Like most beagles, he doesn't give up easily.

I had the owner bring some treats with him today, and we WILL be working on a few basic obedience skills (and yes, I expect to be paid for this! )

Just teather him when you need open the door.  Or better yet, keep a short house leash on him.  Probably needs it anyway.

And work with him on going out the door in general.  Put him on a leash.  Open the door.  When he goes to walk out the door ahead of you, either correct, block or close the door before he gets to it.  Teach him that he's not allowed to go out the door ahead of you. 
 

Is there a reason you can't have your hand on the leash already, before even walking to the door? Any dog I have with no OB is on a drag line in the house at all times. Teach a solid wait or stay command - I have a method that works really well on smaller dogs. My collie can be running down the stairs, or chasing a rabbit outside, anything and she will freeze immediately.

I put a nylon leash on him. He immediately started chewing on it....

Fortunately, after awhile, he seemed to forget it was there.

I've already taught him a fairly reliable 'sit', as long as he's not being distracted by something else.

I didn't have much time to work with him yesterday, because he discovered he could fit through the cat door. It took me a good two hours to get THAT secured!  And as soon as I let him loose in the house agian, he spent quite a bit of time thouroughly testing my repair.

Determined little bugger, that's for sure! He will not let my GSDs take toys away from him, either. He sure has guts!

Is he treat driven. If so let him focus on the treat when the door is opening but i would still have the other hand on a leash just in case the door becomes the reward and not the treat

First, is the irony in seeing how others let/allow their pets to be. And it always doesn't have to be our breed. For me, and I don't want to come across wrong. But for the outcome it appears you would like, could only come from you and time. And I am sure you have other responsibilities.... for yourself and your other clients? If you choose to teach/train... then an indoor leash to the door and your training methods/time. But if junior is all over the house figuring and trying to escape I would crate him and if he's a chewer on the leash I would use a harness where he can't get to the leash.   

I had an issue with my Mal when she was younger wanting to jump out the vehicle as soon as I opened the door. She would pumble and claw, cry and whine at everything in her way including me. She wouldn't settle down for the life of her. She was fine while I drive, but slow down and come to a stop and she freak-out to be the first to exit. It was a problem. I did what Jeff suggested with my Mal to stop her exiting the vehicles before I did.

I think my issue inside the vehicles began because usually she ran around the bed of the truck everytime we went somewhere .. she knew not to leave the bed of the truck till I told her too.

Then when I decided to travel with her inside the truck or take her in one of the other vehicles she freaked to be the first out the door. It's funny too, because all that crazy n skitzin' to exit before me - then she'd just stand there starin' and waiting for me to get out. lol I love her.

First, is the irony in seeing how others let/allow their pets to be. And it always doesn't have to be our breed.


NO KIDDING! I currently have in two of my least favourite boarders. Both weigh around 150 lbs. One is a Dogue des Bordeaux, the other a South African Boerborel. The ONLY time these dogs get a leash put on them is when they come in to board. Neither one has the least bit of manners or training. They are like bulls in a china shop!

Fortunately, the kennel is set up so I am able to 'run' them in and out, and don't have to leash them. The DDB likes to step in his own poop and track it around, and one day, I tied him to a post in an outdoor run so I could wash his feet before letting him in to the kennel. He damn near pulled the post over, and came close to strangling himself!  It's a good thing they are both good-natured dogs, or I would REFUSE to board them!

As far as the beagle goes, this is a small kennel, and I do have time to do a little trianing with him. Frankly, I need the money. He gets along great with my two GSDs, and I can close doors or put up baby gates to keep him confined to the areas of the house where he can't do much damage. He's not fully housebroken, though, so if I have to leave him unsupervised, into the crate he goes! 

Like most hunting breeds, he's very food motivated, and it didn't take many reps at all to get him doing a fairly reliable sit on command. I'll just leave the leash on him in the house, hope he doesn't chew it in two, and keep working on the sit.  When I open the door from the  house to the reception area, the door to the outside is always locked, or at least closed. It's the door to the back deck I have to be careful with, as I frequently go in and out with loads of laundry.