# Teaching a pup to use a dog door?



## nktigger99 (Aug 22, 2006)

Trying to teach Abby to use our dog door.....she will not even try to go through with the flap down. We can open it for her and she goes right through. Right now since the weather is mild today I taped the flap up and got her to go through with treats and her ball. 

Anyone have any ideas or tips for me? She is 10 weeks old. She has done great with potty training. 

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## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

wait till dinner, put her on one side of the door, show her you pushing the food bowl through the door and leave it on the other side. Don't tape the door up, just let her work it out. Make it a high value dinner with some extra tasty-ness in it.


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## nktigger99 (Aug 22, 2006)

I tried that last night with porkchops(left overs).....no go she just scratched the door and cried. 

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## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

nktigger99 said:


> I tried that last night with porkchops(left overs).....no go she just scratched the door and cried.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


But what did you do next?


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## nktigger99 (Aug 22, 2006)

She did it for about 15 minutes....then she went and laid down and slept

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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Each GSD puppy that I've had has always followed one of my other dogs through the dog door. Easy peasy. Well, if you have more than one dog, that is. 

So barring that, I would get someone on each side of the door, and lift the flap half way up, and call her through. Back and forth, back and forth, big party on each end. Try not lifting the flap up as high after a while. If she won't go through it when it's all the way down, take your hand and just push on the bottom of the flap to show her that she can move it to make it open. She's a smart girl. She'll figure it out. I bought an 8 month old Italian Greyhound one time that was clueless, and ended up just shoving him several times out the dog door. _He_ figured it out.


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## nktigger99 (Aug 22, 2006)

Okay got her to use the door with the flap down....now have to get her to connect that to going out and doing her business. 

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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Potty training and doggie door training are two different things. Once you have each down solidly then you tie them together. I find the best way to do that, is when you first get her up in the morning out of her crate & she has to pee gently push her out the doggie door. They hit the cold air outside and pee. My boy came home at 12 weeks and fully had everything down by 14 weeks with only a few accidents ever.


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## Bogee's Boss (Mar 27, 2014)

Sorry cant help my puppy followed my other dog once and it was a done deal! Maby she would follow u or a child thru? Lol good luck.


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## TAR HEEL MOM (Mar 22, 2013)

My shepherd uses the door no problem./ My lab WILL NOT even try it. It's OK with me because I don't want them using it when I'm not home anyway so it's no big deal to walk to it and push the plexiglass out.


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## nktigger99 (Aug 22, 2006)

I can send her through the door now and say go potty and she pees......but will not go out on her own accord. 

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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

nktigger99 said:


> I can send her through the door now and say go potty and she pees......but will not go out on her own accord.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


She is too little... She doesn't want to be by herself yet. Get her used to the yard. Go out and walk around it with her in the day time, then go out and walk around it at night. She still wants to be with you. Make it a comfy not so scary place to be by herself.


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## nktigger99 (Aug 22, 2006)

Today is the second day we introduced the door.....she just now started going out the door alone....she went out twice just now....most of the afternoon the backdoor was open all the way since the kids were playing outside. 

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## trcy (Mar 1, 2013)

My first dog figured it out on his own and then he taught every dog afterwards. 

I never wanted to show the puppies when they were really small. We have a pool so the longer it took them to figure it out the better. Once they are pool safe it all good.


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## nktigger99 (Aug 22, 2006)

She has figured it out....goes outside to potty all by herself....she will take a chewy outside to chew on from time to time. Man that girl is smart!!!!

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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Ya Abby! Russell learned to use our dog door when he was about 10 weeks old. I'm telling you, these guys _are_ smart!


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I would continue to let her go in and out the dog door, and also go out with her through the regular door. She'll figure out that both ways will get her outside to potty. Russell never had a problem with going to the outside door if the dog door was closed.


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