Dog Door Training: Teaching Your Pet to Use the Door with Ease

How Do I Train My Dog to Use the Doggie Door?

Dog door training will likely take a few days, so don’t be discouraged if your dog doesn’t finish training right away. Every dog has their own comfort level when it comes to training and learning new skills. Be patient and use positive reinforcement to encourage your dog. Keep training sessions brief, then give your dog a break before trying again. Engage in training only a couple of times each day until your dog understands.

Below are the steps to training:

1. Place one person on each side of the dog door.
2. Hold open the door and entice your pet to step through the door using a dog treat or a favorite toy.
3. Reward your dog with praise, a game, and/or a treat when they use the door.
4. Shut the door slightly and encourage your dog to step back through the door with another toy or treat.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4, closing the door a little more each time and rewarding your dog each time they step through the door. Eventually, you should be able to entice your dog through the dog door, even when it is fully closed.

Tips to Help With Training

Training your pet to use a door for dogs will go faster and smoother if you use some of the following tips during your training session:

1. Use positive reinforcement. Make training fun! Play with your dog each time it steps through the door. Even if your training session doesn’t go the way you wanted, finish each training session with a cuddle or play to give your dog a reason to enjoy training sessions. Never scold your dog for not walking through the door, as your dog may come to associate their door with negative feelings or feedback.
2. Short training sessions. Train for no more than 5 to 10 minutes at a time. Short training sessions prevent your dog from getting bored and frustrated.
3. Consistency and patience. Always use consistency and patience when training your dog.

Find the Right Dog Door For Your Home

Before you can train your dog to use their new door, it’s important to buy the right door for your pet and your home. A good quality dog door is important for your dog’s comfort and ease of use.

In addition, it’s important to install a dog door that’s the right size and height for your dog. Using Hale’s dog door help center makes selection simple. See for yourself how mastering training is easy with the right pet door!

Train with ease: Discover the perfect dog door to enhance your dog’s training.