Puppy Doorway Manners

I am often asked by new puppy owners how to prevent their puppy escaping through the open front door.

The consequences of a puppy getting out can be catastrophic, they can run off, get lost, or stolen, or get involved in an accident.  

There isn’t time to train a puppy in all the life skills they need to keep them safe in the first few weeks and months.

It is the owner’s responsibility to protect them until training can be implemented and proofed.

The danger of an open door for puppies

Let’s say, you go out through the front door to put something in the dustbin.  

You leave the door open because you’ll only be gone for half a minute.

You don’t notice your young pup following you until they dive over the door step and out towards the road.

Now you have trouble.

Pup is free… you can call, but it’s unlikely they will come back as they haven’t yet learned a reliable recall. You can go after them, potentially causing them to run towards danger.

Why we need to prevent puppies escaping through the front door

The first thing we think of is protecting them from danger.

However, you may not have thought of this..…preventing rehearsal of unwanted behaviours…..

Preventing your puppy from finding unwanted experiences rewarding.

What does this mean?

ONce outside, puppy comes across a tasty piece of chicken on the pavement, or they slip past you, spot a cat and give chase, and you run behind, creating a fun game.

Suddenly the experience you want them to avoid has become something they are eager to repeat because they find it fun.

Puppies are super quick learners and it may only take one time for them to learn that the world outside the front door is suoer rewarding and they want more of it.

This single event can make future training more challenging.

Top tips for keeping puppies safe

Setting up the environment so puppies are kept from making mistakes is known as management.

Close the front door behind you and prevent puppy from accessing the outside world.

They may cry briefly while you are away but that’s alright, assuming they will be safe on the other side of the front door, that’s your call.

Put puppy in a safe space, a crate, puppy pen, or a room with a puppy gate, to keep them safely inside while you go out.

Training your puppy at the doorway

An Open Door is not an invitation

You can train your puppy that an open door is not an invitation to go through.

This takes time and effort, whilst you are working on the training, you can continue to utilise management.  

Doorway manners - teach your puppy to exit the house calmly and only when invited to do so.

Teach a sit-stay using positive reinforcement, gradually increase duration of the sit-stay and proof it against distractions.

An open door is a very high level distraction and this training will take time.

How can I help to train your puppy

My Puppy Training Bundle can address all forms of puppy behaviour and training, including doorway manners.

For more general puppy training, see my previous post on an essential guide for new puppy owners.