Door Dashing

Does your dog make a mad dash for freedom every time he sees an open door? Door Dashing strikes fear in the hearts of most dog owners, as every dog will try it at least once. Knowing what to do could save your dog’s life.

First let’s talk about what you can do to prevent your doggy’s door dashing.

Teach your dog to respect boundaries. I teach “wait” to mean “do not cross that boundary or threshold until I give you permission to do so.” Practice “wait” at any door where there is potential for danger, i.e. the front door, gates to your yard, car doors, or the garage door. “Wait” can also be useful indoors, like for keeping your dog out of the kitchen or dining area at mealtimes. Be sure to proof this behavior with lots of distractions!

Teach and practice “Come” in the front yard. Dogs are situational learners, meaning they won’t apply what they learn in one situation to a new situation without additional training. Most people train their dogs to come in the house, in the backyard, maybe even at the park. But few people think to train their dogs to come in the front yard, or down their street. Have your dog drag a long training line for safety while you are practicing in front of your home.

Teach an emergency recall cue. Make a strong positive association with a particular word, sound or whistle by pairing it with very high value rewards. Generalize this association in lots of places and with lots of distractions. Do not use your emergency cue to call your dog unless it is a true emergency as overuse, or incorrect use, will diminish its value. Practice with your emergency cue once a week to keep the positive association stay strong.

Many dogs door dash out of boredom or frustration. This can be prevented by giving your dog plenty of physical exercise and mental stimulation on a daily basis. Occasionally my dog, Lucky, would remind me that he was feeling neglected by dashing out the door and racing up and down the sidewalk in front of my house. After a few laps he would race back in with a big grin on his face and feel much better.
But in spite of all of your training occasionally the inevitable happens and your dog escapes. What do you do now?

First of all Don’t Panic! Take a moment to look around and assess the situation. Where is your dog headed? Is he in danger of running into oncoming traffic by racing across the street to play with the neighbor children or the dog that just passed by the house? Is she chasing a cat, bunny, or squirrel? Or is he just strolling down the block stopping to smell the roses (or whatever else is there to sniff)?

Second, try calling your dog in a fun, happy voice, just like you practice during training sessions. You may get a big surprise when she comes flying back to you! If she doesn’t come don’t call her again. You don’t want your dog to learn to ignore you.

Third, don’t ever chase your dog. You don’t want him to learn how fun it is to play “catch me if you can.”
Instead:

1. Run away from your dog in the opposite direction, so he can learn how much fun it is to chase you and even more fun when he catches you! (Just a hint, when playing chasing games with your dog always encourage him to chase you. Never let him learn that you can’t catch him).

2. Stop and look at something interesting on the ground. Your dog will want to come see what fun thing you’ve found.

3. You can also try sitting or lying down in the grass and your dog may come over for a cuddle.

4. Use your emergency cue.
Lastly and most importantly, no matter how frustrated, angry or scared you may feel, when your dog finally does come to you, don’t scold him. Throw him a party instead so he will be sure to come to you the next time you call.

Thanks, Tammy, for the great idea for this training tip!

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