Doggie doors are one of life’s greatest conveniences. They allow your dog to come and go as she pleases and can speed up housetraining. While these doors can be handy, some dogs are a little nervous using them the first time. Here are some tips to help her learn how to use the doggie door: 

Start with either the door flap removed or someone holding it open so your dog has a clear line of sight through the door. Most of these steps are best done with you on the opposite side of the door from your dog. Use her favorite treats or toys to lure her through the door. Try tossing the toy or treat through the door to make going through the door more fun and exciting. If she’s still unsure, try rewarding her if she pokes her head and neck through the door. Use this method to allow her  to gradually work her way through the door and reward her with a treat each time she is successful. Make sure you practice going both inside and outside.

Once she can comfortably go through the “open” door, start lowering the flap.  As long as she can see the other side, and consequently the treat or toy, it is usually fairly easy to lure her through.  The challenging part comes when the flap is completely lowered because she’ll need to push it open with her head. To help your dog, try opening the flap just a little, show her the treat and then hold it slightly below the door flap (with your dog on the opposite side) so that she has seen it and can smell it. Once she’s comfortable with pushing the flap open with her head, close the flap all the way and call her through the door or try tossing a treat or toy through the door.  After she learns to comfortably go through you will no longer need to urge her through.

Don’t forget that all this freedom should be earned when she has demonstrated good manners inside and out. If your dog is still having accidents inside the home, crate her with the opening facing the doggie door so she can access the yard. As always, make sure your yard is safe for your dog to be left unattended and make sure she’s not practicing bad habits while unsupervised.