New House Comes With Dog Door!

So I'm in the process of buying my first house. When I close in June, we will be in a house that already has a doggie door to the back yard. Therefore, of course I have some training questions.

1. Bear is a little timid of things. If the door we use here is cracked, Goldy will push it open with her nose, Bear on the other hand waits patiently. The few times he has touched it on accident, it seems to scare him. Do I even have a chance of teaching him to use a doggie door?

2. What's the best way to train them to use it? Is there anything I can start doing here before we move?

Thanks for any advice...I'm so excited about all of this, but I definitely want to get off on the right foot in the beginning.

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Permalink Reply by alynne on May 9, 2010 at 8:20pm

Put treats/food on the other side..put you hand through the door with the treats then pull it back...and call them through, once they do it a couple times they will realise it lets them outside and do it on their own.

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Permalink Reply by Karen Dadisman on May 9, 2010 at 9:10pm

Treats will probably work. Rocky was timid with the doggy door at first esp after he tried to follow Rosie through and got bumped in the face with the doggy door. He did not like that at all and it took us several days to get him to use it. We finally had to have me on one side and my husband on the other with Rocky on a leash. We would put the leash through the door and while holding treats, pull on the leash so Rocky had to come through. We went back and forth like this for lots of times before we would use it by himself. You can also tape the door open until he is used to going through the hole. Just keep at it and he will get it.

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Permalink Reply by Tauna and Kota on May 9, 2010 at 9:22pm

I would tape the dog door open first and tempt him with treats. The leash idea is good too. Then after he is used to going through it with it open, I would let it down and do the same thing. We have had a couple semi timid dogs that after seeing the other dogs go thru many times would finally try it. Especially since they wouldn't get special treatment of someone opening the door unless someone was going thru for a reason.

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Permalink Reply by Michelle on May 9, 2010 at 9:34pm

Congrats on the new house! My two stayed with a lady that had a doggie door (dog sitter) My female got used to it after we held it open for her and she walked through a few time and then she got used to the whole deal. Good luck and again congrats on your new home. ^-^

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Permalink Reply by Geri & Sidney on May 10, 2010 at 2:35am

Sidney was also afraid of it at first. We did like many of the others here posted. My daughter and I worked together. I made a yummy grilled cheese sandwich, one of Sidney's favorites. My daughter and I each took a half and went on either side of the door, which we taped open at first. we called him through, back and forth, rewarding him with little bites of sandwich. After he was confident with the door taped up, we put the flap down and worked on it again. Now he has no trouble!

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Permalink Reply by Tauna and Kota on May 13, 2010 at 5:09am

How is it going???

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Permalink Reply by Stephanie on May 13, 2010 at 5:50am

Oh, we don't move until June, but I'm so glad I posted this, I never would have thought to tape up the door for the first little bit.

Right now, we're too busy barking at the moving boxes :)