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Subject: Slipping past me when I go out the door

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ChiefMom

Newbie

06/30/2008 10:50 AM
Hi, I'm new to this site and I already love it. I have a little 7 month old rat terrier named Chief. Chief is a slippery fellow and believes that whenever I am going out the door he can come too. I try to block him or push him back, and even pick him up and puthim back inside as I'm closing the door. When he has gotten by me he runs into the yard usually but several times he has run across the street and I have to dash after him. I am afriad a car will come along one day when this happens... What can I do to teach him to step back away from the door and to only go out when I let him?

You love your dog and I do too, but be a good neighbor and take the poo with you.

Crystal

Ratastic

06/30/2008 10:56 AM
He needs to be taught sit and stay.

Mom to Guenhwyvar, When life gets hard, take a long hot bath and enjoy knowing the door locks and your phone is on silent!!

swatson6

Attention Starved

06/30/2008 10:59 AM
I agree. He NEEDS to learn the sit/stay command. I am sure Nora will chime in soon with some advice. My Jack used to do this too. He has learned stay, but we also got an invisible fence and ran it around the front also as extra protection. I could leave the door open now and he would just sit and watch.

Sarah

rattytatty

Training Moderator

06/30/2008 11:00 AM
At his age... he's fully capable of learning to "sit/stay" while you go out the door. If you have a friend who can help.. put your dog on a leash and have your friend hold the dog in a sit position while you open the door... go out.. come back in.... and treat the dog for staying in position. It will take some time, but eventually the dog will learn that when you go to the door and say "sit... stay" that is what he is supposed to do. You need to be consistent. Don't do it sometimes and not other times. You are right... if you live in an area where there is lots of traffic, learning this could save his life.

~Nora~ Mom to Hoss, Lil'Bit, Buster & Bailey, CGC, NA, NAJ

buttonbutt

Firehouse Big Dog

06/30/2008 11:31 AM
Teaching the STAY command will do the trick. Button went to Obedience Class and got that one down pat. Zipper did no go to class and has pretty much learned it from Button.

Peggy Mom to Button & Zipper My sweet RatTexans

RatsRule!

Ratastic

06/30/2008 4:50 PM
Yes- sit/stay is really the way. If you haven't gone to or started obedience training yet, I'd highly recommend it. It will help immeasurably! I read somewhere too that your dog should be taught that you are always the first in or out of a door way (this is part of you being the alpha). So the sit/stay, or just stay will help with that and the slipping out at the same time. Be consistant, be patient- it will be worth it to keep him out of the street! Good luck and WELCOME!!!

~~ Life is awesome when you share it with a couple of Ratties! ~~ Terri, proud mom of Chloe & Bonnie! ```````````````````````````````````````````` Ratbone Rescues Application Coordinator

jtabor

Rattie

07/05/2008 6:10 PM
General obedience training is definitely the way, but be careful, I must warn you that obedience training can be addictive. I teach my dogs from babies on that they are NEVER allowed to go through a door ahead of me unless I command them to. It saves a lot of headaches. There is nothing worse than trying to walk out the door with an armful of stuff and having a dog run under your legs. I start teaching "wait" by commanding my dog to "sit" in front of me. Then, I say "wait" and make a pushing movement in front of my dog's nose, and then take a step to the side, immediately step back in front of the dog, TREAT YOUR DOG WHILE STILL SITTING, and then give a release word to break the sit. use--"Yes". (I teach "Stay" the same way.) Next step--command "wait" and back up a couple of steps. Call the dog to you and treat. Pretty soon, you should be able to leave the dog and call him from across the room. Then, put your dog at a "sit"while in "heel" position, say wait and use the hand signal in front of his nose, walk away, turn and call your dog. Once the dog understands that you want him to wait while you walk away from him, start commanding him to wait on one side of an indoor doorway, walk through the door, and call your dog to you. Next step is the garage door if you have one, and finally, put him on "wait" and call him outside. I'd begin the exercises with my dog on leash at each step, and then start working off leash when your dog is about 80% reliable. Use lots of treats, but make them tiny, about the size of a pea. I use cut up pieces of Natural Balance dog food, or a break a McDonalds chicken mcnugget into tiny pieces.l If your dog is not particularly food motivated, then do your training before regular feeding times. I know this sounds like a lot, but if your rattie is anything like mine, he'll pick it up in a flash. Just be patient. Meanwhile, I'd either be sure I had him on leash when I opened the door, or I'd crate him if I were going in and out until he gets more solid. Good luck.

tauney4

Pack Leader

07/05/2008 6:22 PM
i have taught tauney and my chi i say "NO" real firmly and they no they can t go out the door when i do!! and after they have listened i tell them to be good boys and girls!!!!

LoriRode

Rattie

07/05/2008 6:53 PM
My Two Cents: You can practice with every door in your house. Go around now, and close EVERY door. Then, when Chief follows you around the house-and I'm sure he follows you around the house-he is a rattie, isn't he?- as you approach each door, you need to develop two commands. 1) Wait until I go through the door, and then , when I release you, you can come too. and 2) Go ahead and go out the door now. We also have a 'we're leaving the house and you are not coming with us, so stay calm until we get back' command. We use 'Wait' with an upheld palm for the do-not-proceed command, and 'free-time' for the release command. We use 'Out-you-go' or 'In-you-go' , with pointing for the go through the door command. We use 'Patrol' for the be good til we get back command. (Husband was in the Army.) You should also have a "you goofed' sound or word for when you get any response other than the one you're hoping for. Watch the TV shows The Dog Whisperer or It's Me Or The Dog for those. Cesar uses a "ssst-ssst" sound. Victoria uses a firm 'at-at' in a rising pitch. I agree; the bolting is a serious problem. My foster dog Bart is a bit of a bolter, and my new adoptee CocoBean is such a velcro dog that she would go with me every time. So, practice at every door, use the uh-oh sound and go back through the door if Chief proceeds you without permission. Once he's looking at you for permission at every door, then you can start with the 'out-you-go' commands.

jtabor

Rattie

07/07/2008 8:24 PM
Great advice, LoriRode. I love the Patrol command, and tauney4, see you are already a dog trainer. Jan

rattytatty

Training Moderator

07/07/2008 8:53 PM
You can also use this when crate training, to keep your dog from bolting out of the crate when you open it (Is he crate trained?). I use the "wait" command, which simply means.... "you cannot come out of the crate until I say 'ok' ". This discipline will carry over into other behaviors you wish to train...

~Nora~ Mom to Hoss, Lil'Bit, Buster & Bailey, CGC, NA, NAJ

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