# bolting through doors



## leah (Aug 3, 2007)

Kimber's got the sit stay down pretty good. now i need to teach her what i should have when she was a puppy. sit and wait for me to go through the door FIRST. 
right now she bolts right past me almost knocking me down. 
what i would like to know is do i just put her in a sit stay and make her wait till i give her the "ok"? should i use treats?? OR are there other techniques i should use to teach her this?


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

Leash her up, put her in a sit but stand yourself closest to the opening of the door. Move your hand toward the doorknob and correct if she breaks the sit, sit her. Put your hand on the doorknob, again correcting for breaking the sit and putting her back in the sit. Now, start to open the door. When she breaks, shut the door and repeat the above. It might take you a long time to get out that door, but DO NOT LET HER MOVE until you can stand there with the door wide open with her sitting and waiting. You can do this in one session, you just have to be very good with your timing. As soon as she makes the slightest move, you shut the door and replace her back into the sit. Obviously you don't want to work on this when she has a full bladder! She will learn the rules if you keep up this routine. Make sure to give her a release command so you can control when she gets up. You also want to release her to teach her that YOU tell her when to go and that she cannot decide this for herself. 

There is no need for treats; actually getting out the door is reward unto itself. You may want to play a game with her outside or go for a good walk if she does very well with her lesson. Obviously, make sure she is on leash so you can correct her and direct her back inside if she does make a break for it. If she's really insistent about bolting ahead of you, stop the session by unleashing her and putting up her leash and sitting down to watch TV or read a book. Proceed to ignore her for several minutes, then retry. You're going to play the game by YOUR rules, not hers, and she'll have to learn fast that she better stick with your rules or she's going to go nowhere. Dogs pick up on this real quickly!


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## leah (Aug 3, 2007)

ok so basically i use the sit command but not the stay command? i think i got it. thanks for the advice.


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## ShadowGirl (Jan 21, 2008)

I just logged on to ask the exact same question. Shadow does the same thing, where she'll bolt past and shove me out of the way to get outside. Although I have a hard time getting her to sit. I even have to push really hard on her bum to get her down. She just braces against me.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: ShadowGirl Although I have a hard time getting her to sit. I even have to push really hard on her bum to get her down. She just braces against me.


That's the opposition reflex. Pushing on her butt is the absolute WORST way to teach a dog to sit. If she won't sit on command, go back to the basics by luring with a treat, and then marking (yes!) and giving her the treat the second her butt hits the floor. If you want her to sit before going outside and she'll already sit at any other time except then, give the command ONCE at the door and wait. As long as necessary. When she finally sits, praise her and release her to go outside. 

She will eventually learn that she has to sit before going outside, or she'll never get to go. Practice coming into the house too. Make her sit until you release her. If she breaks the sit as you reach for the door, pull your hand away and wait. If she breaks the sit when you start to open the door, slam the door shut and take your hand off the knob. Don't say anything, just wait for her to sit again. Do this over and over again, as many times as necessary, until she figures out that sitting calmly and waiting will make you open the door. If you've already got the door halfway open before she breaks the sit, use your body to block her from going through while you close it again, and wait. 

It doesn't take very long at all for dogs to figure out what they need to do to get what they want, but you have to be patient and let them work it out sometimes. Eventually you'll have an automatic sit with eye contact, while she waits to catch the exact moment of release.


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## ShadowGirl (Jan 21, 2008)

"Pushing on her butt is the absolute WORST way to teach a dog to sit."

Wow, I didn't know that! She does know how to sit, but just won't at the door, like you said. I'll definitely do what you suggested though







Thanks.


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## tracyc (Feb 23, 2005)

Yup. Wait her out. If she knows "sit" (and you're sure of that) then say "sit" once. Only once. Then stand there and wait. Even if you have to stand there (saying nothing) for 2 minutes. 

If she never sits, then she doesn't understand what you want and you need to go back to learning sit from the beginning with treats and hand signals. But if she's just being really stubborn, then walk away from the door and don't let her out (or whatever it was you were asking the sit for). She doesn't get to go outside. Try again in 10 minutes and see if she's ready to cooperate.


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## FourIsCompany (Jan 29, 2008)

I'd love to give you some advice, but everyone else has done such a great job! 

I had this problem, too and I did exactly what DianeM said. 

I use a "wait" command and "OK" to release. CONSISTENCY is the most important thing. And trust me. Once you get Kimber to do it right, don't EVER think you can let it slide. LOL Because if you let it slide once, you just taught her that she doesn't have to do it every time. 

Wait at the Gate Video


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## StGeorgeK9 (Jan 5, 2008)

I agree 100% Diana! this is exactly how I taught my girl, no







w however I have a new dog to contend with for a while that is learning these rules........now the problem is them jockeying for 2nd position out the door......patience will perservere.....right?


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## leah (Aug 3, 2007)

thanks to everyone for the advice!!


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## alaman (May 3, 2006)

I taught my 3 by telling them to sit. Then reach for the door nob or open the door slightly. If they moved, I gave them the corrective growl I use and kept repeating until they sat until I went out the door and gave them a release. Same on entering home, kennel, car, etc. and leaving same. Practiced until they got it.


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## IliamnasQuest (Aug 24, 2005)

The doorway is one of those places where I don't tell my dogs to sit. Part of my role as the "leader" is that I control the doorways, and to me that means not giving a command. It means teaching the dogs that they don't have the right to bolt forward or push through until I tell them they can go. It really makes things easier when you've got a whole group of dogs (I have five). It also helps tremendously in stopping dogs from just running out a door that happens to get opened by someone else (who may not know to say "sit" or "stay").

I don't care if my dogs are sitting, standing, or laying down at the door. They simply know that they're not to move forward. I do this in a very similar way to what's been described except that I leave out any command. I reach for the doorknob, if they move forward I let go and stand there. When I can finally turn the knob without them moving I open the door slightly and then immediately close it. I do this again and again, opening the door a bit farther each time. The dogs quickly learn that moving forward doesn't work, so they just wait. And then I open the door and either step out in front (I do this frequently so as to keep them thinking that *I* have the right to go out without them moving past me) or I tell them it's okay to go out.

I currently live in a big metal building that has four storefronts with attached shop bays in the back (belongs to the family). I rent one of the storefront/shop areas and the others are all rented out to businesses. The front glass door opens out into a large parking lot that borders the main road through town, so there's always traffic. Teaching my dogs that they're not to go through that door has helped keep them safe - if family comes over and they come through that door, the dogs don't step over the threshold even if I'm not right there to tell them to stay inside. Teaching your dogs to sit on command to stop them going through a doorway works, but teaching them that going through the doorway is not allowed without permission takes it a step farther. I used to do it the other way (and my dogs would respond if I told them to sit at the door even now) but I've found this works better.

Either way you do it, it's sure nice not to have a dog that races past you out the door!

Melanie and the gang in Alaska


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## umzilla (Nov 2, 2007)

This is something I love about the UKC/SDA program - there are a few obedience routines that actually include this challenge as part of the routine! It's done with a gate in the trials - in the first level it's on lead, and the next one it's off lead. It's a VERY practical exercise. 

What's nice is that you can easily practice it many times a day, every day......

Christine


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## Achielles UD (May 26, 2001)

I do things a little differently then mentined above. While the above instructions are good, and I do occassionally incorporate this, usually I just use body-blocking.

I use my body (knees, feet, etc (no hands) ) to bar access to the door. I have a fenced in yard out the door so I don't have to worry. I basically keep the dog from the door and do not allow them to exit until I release them with an "outside". I start similar to what was described but if when I reach for the door the dog rushes to the door, I walk into them and make them back up to a certain spot and I do this everytime they move towards the door without an "outside" command. Having multiple dogs, I also use either a collective "Boys, outside" or single "Malfoy, Outside" , etc and teach that only that dog whose name was used is allowed out at that time. Works extremely well for me







I also don't have to use obedience commands of stay or sit... just the door does not open and that dog does not go out or get permission to get close to the door. I bar access with my body and they learn to move out of the way. I find that a lot of dogs that don't respect the doorway and rush through also have not learned to respect space. In other words, they seldom move out of the way if you are around them. So in using bodyblocking I teach them to stay out from under foot and not rush the door.


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

We teach a "wait" command.. the dog cannot come through the threshold of the door until they are released.. The thing I like is that the dog is free to do what ever it wants (move about on the otherside) just not come through the door.. So he doesn't have to hold a sit/stay, down/stay.. 

I use this command for getting in and out of the car, the crate, my gates and the front and back door..


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## Skye'sMom (Jul 11, 2004)

> Quote: I use this command for getting in and out of the car, the crate, my gates and the front and back door..


Wait commands are great - different than 'stay' since it is usually short and the end result is that the dog gets to do something it really, really wants to do.

In addition to G-burg's list: wait at the top or bottom of any steps, at the food bowl before eating, before going after a ball or toy you throw - the list is endless and the dog has fun.

"Wait' is a wonderful tool to use!


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

I also use 'wait' command which means 'no moving forward' for us. She waits at the door, then when we get out she waits for me to close the door, put on gloves etc. She can sit, scratch herself, down, sniff, it's just no forward movement. I've tought it with body blocking without treats as I can still remember.


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## butch33611 (May 4, 2007)

I used to have the same problem with Sarge. I also did the, the door wont open until your sitting. You wont be going outside until I release you to go out.

Heres a short video we did. Watch the end and youll see how the door thing works now:

http://www.sgttech.us/butch/sargetraining.wmv


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## StGeorgeK9 (Jan 5, 2008)

Some how I taught "freeze" instead of wait....I taught her wait using a treat.......now when I say wait......she doesnt move a muscle except to follow with her eyes......the other day her paw was up when I asked for the wait......the paw stayed in that position......until I released.


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