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.

How to Train Puppies: The Essential Guide For New Puppy Owners

Puppies are like little sponges.

From around two weeks of age, they begin to see, hear and walk, and from around three weeks of age they start exploring the environment.

Between five and sixteen weeks is the prime age for learning.

This post will give essential information for new puppy owners who want to start training.

Puppy socialisation from eight weeks

By eight weeks, your new puppy will already have learned a lot.

A good breeder will support young puppies in their early learning by introducing them to different sights, sounds, smells, people, dogs and other anaimals. The puppies will start building up a bank of experiences which will help grow their understanding of the world and how they fit into it.

This aspect of early training is often called ‘Socialisation’ but ‘Exposure’ explains the process more accurately.

Positive early experiences help young puppies to grow into well rounded confident individuals.

I talk more about puppy socialisation in my previous blog post.

Consistency is the key in training your puppy

Consistency in training in the early weeks will reap benefits, for example, if the breeder took the puppies outside to toilet at regular intervals, and you continue to do this, they will quickly learn that they should toilet outside and you will be off to a flying start.

My youngest dog, Flash, was a breeze to toilet train because his breeder had started the process from a very young age and we carried on with the training when he came home.

Puppies are always learning, its important they’re learning what you want them to know and not what they are learning from the environment.

You have a wonderful opportunity to influence your puppy’s development and grow them into a family member that will be a joy to be around.

What to do when your puppy comes home

In the very early days of your puppy coming home, you can set them up for success by ensuring they have adequate sleep and rest, regular food and drink, and trips outside to toilet.

During this period, you can spend time playing and handling your puppy to start building a bond.  You can play simple training games which will increase their desire to be with you, and help later when you want them to come back to you.

By paying attention to these basics, you will save yourself so many difficulties in the longer term; if you miss these opportunities for early training, you may find yourself dealing with more difficulties than you needed to.

Failure to progress with toilet training can lead to frequent accidents in the home which in turn generates more cleaning and can lead to frustration.

A puppy that has too much freedom will entertain itself, and may become destructive, have difficulty settling and become over tired, they may become fractious and nippy. They will learn to self reward away from you by interacting with the environment, for example, playing tug with the curtains.

Early training and appropriate exposure supports the development of a well adjusted puppy and reduce the likelihood of behavioural problems developing.  Whereas failure to provide appropriate training and exposure can lead to anxiety, insecurity and aggression.

How my Puppy Training Bundle can help you

My Puppy Training Bundle consists of two hours of one to one training to help you with any aspect of puppy training.

I can visit before the puppy arrives, and help with choosing equipment and setting up the environment to make the first few weeks as easy as possible. This can be especially useful for first time puppy owners.

Alternatively, I can visit as soon as the puppy comes home, and help with settling the puppy, starting toilet training, crate training, and early training games to help loose lead walking and recall.  

You can find more details here.

Don’t delay training your puppy

I often hear new puppy owners say they will ‘see how things go’ before they commit to any training.

I presume they think they that it can’t be that difficult to train a puppy, or maybe the puppy will grow out of toileting in the house, or barking, or biting, or chewing the furniture, or (insert any unwanted behaviour), and they will save their money.  

In fact, the opposite is true, the more a puppy practises a behaviour, the better they get at it, and the more they will do it.

This applies equally to desirable behaviours and unwanted behaviours. A little help in the early days can nip problems in the bud or prevent them altogether.

Essential Puppy Training Basics

Remember the puppy you are training today is your dog of the future.

Try to keep this in mind. If your puppy develops bad habits, this is how your dog will behave.

Build a great relationship with your puppy.

Make training fun.

Puppy Toilet Training

Consistency is everything.

Start toilet training as soon as puppy comes home.

Take puppy outside for regular toilet breaks, after sleep, after eating or drinking, after play, if they are circling or sniffing, or if they have ‘that look’ in their eye.

During their time outside, let them sniff and walk around.

Do not interact with them, you don’t want to distract them.

Pair a word or short phrase with trips outside, later you will be able to use this as a cue for your dog to toilet. I say ‘quickly, quickly’.

Give verbal praise and a food reward when they toilet.

If your puppy toilets inside, do not scold them, take them outside in case they haven’t quite finished.

Clean up any accidents immediately, use an enzymatic cleaner to remove all traces of odour and prevent the puppy toileting again in the same place.

If you find your puppy will toilet indoors when you’re distracted, try putting them in their crate when you are unable to supervise them.

My previous post on toilet training goes into more detail.

Puppy Crate Training

Think of the crate as a den or safe space, this will really help you introduce it in a positive way.

A crate can keep your puppy out of harm’s way when you’re busy and unable to supervise them.

A crate provides an opportunity for downtime, by limiting a puppy’s options and encouraging rest.

Make the crate an inviting place for your puppy by placing some treats, a chew or a filled food toy inside.

Spend time each day in several short sessions, showing your puppy that the crate is a good space to be. You can use their daily food allowance for this training.

Make sure the size of the crate is suitable for the size of the puppy, if the crate is too small, they will be cramped, and if it’s too large, they may rest in one area and toilet in another.

I wrote about crate training in more detail in a previous post.

Recall your puppy

To start recall, build on your puppy’s desire to be with you.

Back away from them with arms wide open and make a noise to get their attention.

When they get to you, reward with verbal praise, cuddles and a treat.

Repeat this often, practise in the house to start with, then you can move to the garden.  

More details about dog recall are in my previous post.

Walking your puppy on a lead

You can start training your puppy to walk nicely on a lead in the house or garden, but without a lead.

Have a small amount of their daily food and reward them for standing next to you.

Take a step forward and reward them for coming with you.

Create a reward history by giving frequent food rewards and lots of verbal praise.

Other puppy training

I cover the above tips and more in my previous post on training my own puppy.

Puppy socialisation and training

The importance of exposing puppies to new sights, sounds, and experiences cannot be stressed enough.

The aim is to make every experience a positive one, this can start in the home by exposing them to the washing machine, hairdryer, vacuum cleaner, visitors, and other pets.

Before they are fully vaccinated, you can take them out in the car, visit different places, such as the park and cafe (as long as you don’t put them down).

You can take them to explore on public transport.

If they are worried about a noise or experience, you can move away and reassure them using calming strokes, gentle verbal praise and a treat. You can get closer again once they are feeling more comfotable.

Once they are fully vaccinated, puppies can begin exploring the outside world under their own steam. At this stage you will be supervising them closely and without any pressure to interact.

They do not need to meet every person or dog. In fact it’s better for them if they don’t.

I call this “none of your business training”, see my previous blog post on puppy socialisation.

The dangers of over-socialisation on your puppy

I do not recommend allowing strangers to pet or give a puppy treats.

You and your family need to be the most important people to your puppy.  

Over socialisation with other people and dogs can make it very difficult for you to teach your pup a reliable recall. This is a situation I am often called to help with as a well meaning owner has encouraged their puppy to interact with everyone in the park and their puppy has no interest in their owner whatsoever and will not come back when called.

Puppy Training Classes for socialisation

In puppy training classes, each puppy has their own space, the aim being that they learn to work with their owner whilst in the company of other dogs and people.

They will learn to wait patiently without jumping up while their owner talks to another person.

They will learn to watch other puppies work and take turns.

Later on in the course, they will learn to recall away from other puppies.

Common puppy training mistakes to avoid

Don’t leave it too late to start training your puppy

I advise all puppy owners to start simple training to build relationship and the foundations of loose lead walking and recall as soon as their puppy comes home.

If you do this it will make more formal training so much easier.  

Don’t expect too much too soon when training your puppy

Keep training fun and enjoy the process. Avoid putting yourself and your puppy under pressure.  

Understand that all puppies are different and learn at a different pace.

Try not to compare your puppy with past puppies or your friend’s puppy.  

Consistency in puppy training

Your puppy will learn what you want more easily if you are consistent.

This applies to every aspect of training.

How I can help you train your puppy

If you need help and support with any aspect of puppy training, you can book one-to-one sessions with my Puppy Training Bundle.

As part of the bundle, you can message me on WhatsApp Monday to Friday and I can support and guide you through any hiccups.

I run Foundation Training Classes for puppies, we cover walking on a lead, recall, leave, sit and stay, polite greetings (not jumping up) doorway manners, play, and preparation for vet visits.

You can find more details about dog training classes here.

When you have the correct support, you will be able to educate your puppy and they will grow into well adjusted adult dog that is a pleasure to have around.

Puppy Socialisation

When I got my first puppy, I was thrilled and eager to do everything right.

I followed the advice I was given, which was to introduce her to lots of dogs.

Little did I know, I was setting myself up for future problems.  

Puppies do not need to play with other dogs

I let her play with every dog we saw, as long as their owner agreed.

I soon realised, she had no value in being with me, all she wanted was to seek out other dogs.

As she grew up, she became too boisterous to play with other dogs and I prevented her from going to meet them which caused frustration and reactivity.

Her recall was non existent and walks were stressful.

Dogs need their owners

As I learned more about raising puppies and training dogs, I realised that the early experience of letting her meet so many dogs had prevented her from seeing me as a fun and engaging companion.

‘You think your dog needs dog friends, they don’t, they need you to be their friend’. Larry Krohn

With my next puppy, I did things differently. I made sure that when we went out, we were doing things together.

We played games and had fun. We saw other dogs but this puppy was with me and did not expect to meet them.

I have continued this approach with subsequent puppies and they all stay with me when we’re out and see other dogs as ‘none of their business’.

The misconception of puppy socialisation

There is a persisting misconception among  puppy owners that ‘socialisation’ means their puppy meeting as many different dogs as they can.

You will see owners of young puppies going to great efforts to introduce their puppy to other dogs.

Puppies don’t need to meet every dog they see.

The puppy is likely to prefer the company of other dogs over being with you.  

This will have a negative effect on your relationship and affect many aspects of your training, including recall.

If your puppy is accustomed to greeting every dog they meet, there will come a time when you don’t want them to meet a dog.

When you deny them access to another dog this can cause frustration which can progress to reactivity.

For a whole variety of reasons, some dogs will not be suitable for your puppy to meet, they may be elderly, in pain, nervous, or they might not be friendly.

You do not want to expose your puppy to bad experiences. Negative experiences can have a very powerful effect on a puppy and can be very difficult for them to overcome.

Introducing the puppy to an unknown dog and exposing them to what could be a bad experience is not worth the risk.

What should you do about socialising your puppy?

It can be really helpful to  think of socialisation as ‘exposure’. You can expose your puppy to other puppies and dogs, so they get to see them. but crucially they do not greet or play with them all.

They look at the other dog and look back to you, and you reward this great choice with verbal praise, a piece of food or a little game.

You are teaching your dog to focus on you in the company of distractions, this will really help build a bond between you and your puppy and advance your training.

Puppy training classes can be a great environment for practising exposure. All the puppies are in class to learn new skills and they can learn to work with their owner whilst in the company of other puppies that are also working with their owner.

We reward the puppy for focussing on the handler rather than on the other puppies. Initially we reward every check-in with the handler building confidence and relationship. This is so powerful for elevating the relationship between puppy and handler in the presence of real life distractions and will stand them in good stead for real life situations.

Training my puppy in the first 3 weeks

Training Puppy to take food

The first thing I taught my new puppy Flash was to find food and take it from my hand.

This was a new experience and he got the idea very quickly.

This is a basic requirement for any training which includes luring and for rewarding by hand.

Training Puppy to follow food

Once Flash understood about the food, I was able to tech him to follow food in my hand.

For such a young puppy, following food was done calmly, I didn’t want to over excite him and I also wanted to avoid him losing his footing and slipping.

Soon, I was able to lure him around my legs into the Middle Position.

This kind of game teaches him that it’s fun to stay close to me and later on will help with loose lead walking and recall.  

Training Puppy to search for food

We played some very simple games searching for food in packaging such as egg boxes and packets.

I love this kind of game for building confidence and drive.

It is easy to vary the set up and keep it interesting.

Training Puppy to work for food

We made meal times more fun by filling a Puppy Kong with his kibble.

Flash quickly got the idea that he could release the kibble from the Kong by flicking it with his paw.

We mixed it up a bit by boiling and mashing some vegetables and putting it in a Kong.

He found this more challenging because he had to work harder to get the food out.

We will continue to practice this as it will build his ability to stick to a task.

Training Puppy to stay close

Young puppies like to stay close and I used this to have him follow me around the garden, this is the very beginning of walking on a loose lead and recall.

He was rewarded for staying close with verbal praise, cuddles and puppy treats.

Training Puppy to sit

Teaching sit by holding a piece of food above his head and slowly lowering it until he is sitting.

He does not get the food if he is jumping up.

Once the behaviour is reliable, I will add the cue.

We did some training with the Place board, teaching Flash that the board is a good place to be by feeding him on the board.

He was rewarded for staying on the board.

Place board training is really useful for teaching basic gun dog skills.

Your New Puppy - The First Three Weeks

Getting a new puppy is a huge step, we have two dogs already and moving to three feels like a big change.

Getting a puppy

I gave up work at the end of February to start my dog training business.

I was already musing about getting a puppy thinking it would be great for the business to record the puppy’s training and working through puppy struggles and would help me be more in tune with my puppy clients.

It became more of a reality when I found out that the breeder who provided one of our older dogs happened to have a litter due.

Choose a good breeder

It was lovely to watch the pups grow in the updates that the breeder sent.

We didn’t meet our puppy until the day we collected him as we already knew the breeder, but of you are dealing with a breeder for the first time it is recommended you visit at least once before deciding on having a pup.

We met our puppy’s mother and siblings, and his father visited, so we have lovely photos of the family group.

It is recommended that you always see your pup with Mum and litter mates but this was the first time I was lucky enough to meet Dad too.

After some paperwork, we officially welcomed little Flash to our family.

Taking our puppy home

On the journey home, Flash was in a crate on the back seat.

He was very settled, we travelled the three and a half hours home in one go and when we got home he went straight out into the garden and did a wee!

That night, he settled and slept well, he was in a small dog crate by my bed, and when he woke, I took him outside and he did a wee and settled straight back to sleep.

Over the next two weeks, he woke up twice at night to wee, night time trips to the garden are accompanied by at least one of my other dogs but we keep it low key and it hasn’t developed into night time antics.

Early puppy training

There have been many things that I wanted to get right with Flash, one of the most important was having a puppy that could settle but I think he has already read the instruction manual!

When popping a puppy into a dog crate or puppy pen, it is important to consider whether all their needs have been met; could they be hungry, thirsty, need the toilet?

If these needs haven’t been met, we are not setting them up for success and it is unlikely they will settle.

Sometimes it can be difficult to be sure; there are a couple of pointers which have helped me with Flash.

The first has been, that if he is whining, to observe him for a few moments, whining seems to be part of his settling process and does not mean he needs anything, if he looks calm and comfortable, I give him time to fall asleep.

This has helped me to not bring him out of the crate unnecessarily.

If the whining is accompanied by agitation and restlessness, then he may need something, a trip to the  toilet or a drink, for example, in which case, I would bring him out of the crate.

I have tried hard to get this right because a puppy will soon pair whining with getting let out of the crate which can lead to more whining. 

I also try to initiate releasing him from the crate, i.e. not waiting for him to whine or ask to come out.

Puppy Play

Flash likes his toys and will play happily in his pen or crate.

He remains settled with all the comings and goings of deliveries and visitors, he is fine with the vacuum cleaner, and even if he does get disturbed usually manages to settle himself.

This is a really useful skill and helps puppies realise that they do not need to be involved in every activity, some things that happen are none of their business!

If puppy understands this and is content to spend time sleeping or awake playing in a crate or pen, this is an important step in preventing struggles related to being left alone.

Introducing a Puppy to other Dogs in the Home

We are a multi-dog household and we already have gates on internal doors and stairs, and dog crates, so it is easy to create a safe space for each individual dog.

Puppies can be annoying to older dogs, play fighting and biting ears, and they have to learn how  to interact appropriately, so it is important that access is supervised.

It is not fair on an older dog to expect them to put up with a puppy.

If this behaviour is allowed to continue unchecked, one of the older dogs could get cross and make a bad decision leading to harm.

Puppy Biting

On occasion, Flash has been prone to biting and nipping, more so than any previous puppy I have had, there may be several factors contributing to this, possibly hunger, teething, and over-stimulation.

Activities which cause him to become excited seem to trigger biting, I have made a point of keeping these interactions very short, maybe just a couple of minutes and then settling him again.

He has a variety of chew toys, such as a rope toy and some teething toys, occasionally he has also had a small carrot from the fridge to chew, this helps soothe the gums, as would a Puppy Kong stuffed with boiled mashed vegetables.

I have selected puppy toys which are appropriate for his size, and he is supervised when playing.  

Toilet Training the Puppy

Toilet training is going well, Flash gets the opportunity to toilet at least every hour and more frequently if he is showing signs he may need to go.

We don’t wake him up to toilet - we encourage him to be happy toileting on different surfaces which is really useful if you are away from home.

We have a verbal cue to toilet which is useful if you need to go on a journey and you want your dog to toilet before they get in the car or attend a training group.

Crate Training your puppy

Crates can be really useful in the first few months of having a new puppy.

A crate is a safe place, like a den, and should be comfortable and welcoming, a place where your puppy will choose to hang out.

Covering the crate can be useful in helping puppy to settle.

Having the radio or television on in the background can also help puppy to settle.

Why use a dog crate for your puppy?

Using a crate helps ensure the pup gets enough rest and sleep, most need about 18 to 20 hours a day, and can help with toilet training.

A crate can help pup settle on their own and learn to be independent.

Having a dog that is able to settle in a crate is also very useful if they need to spend time at the vet’s.

Crates are often used as a safe space for travel.

A dog will settle much more easily and cope with a potentially stressful situation, if they are already happy in a crate.

A dog crate is never used as a punishment.

It’s important to introduce your puppy to the crate in the correct way.

Encouraging pup to enter the crate of their own accord by placing some of their daily food allowance or some treats in the crate will help them understand that it is a good place to be.

You can get puppy used to having the door closed by closing it briefly and rewarding pup well with the door closed and then opening it.

Rewarding when the door is closed helps pup associate the closed door with good things and helps them feel comfortable.

My experience with crate training

Lex, my english springer spaniel, had surgery at 13 months old and, due to complications which occurred after surgery, had a period of crate rest which lasted for 3 months.

Initially, he really did not like the crate at all and we used high value food, mainly chicken, that he really liked, to get him used to the idea.

It was well worth the effort because he was able to settle happily in the crate during his recovery.

We still have the dog crate and he chooses to go in there sometimes to relax and snooze.

Toilet training your puppy

Puppies don’t know about toilet training - we have to show them what we want.

How to toilet train your puppy

The good news is that if you go all in on toilet training you can, in most cases, achieve really good results in 3 weeks.

Remember that very young puppies may not have the neurological ability to control their bladder and bowel until about 12 weeks.

I’m not suggesting that we leave toilet training until then, it just might help understand why some puppies take a little longer to get the idea.

It’s also worth knowing, that in some cases, smaller dogs can take longer to be fully house trained.

What do I have to do to toilet train my puppy?

Probably the single most important factor in achieving a pup who is toilet trained in a short space of time, is for the owner to be really vigilant.

The goal is that our puppy will alert us to when they need to go to the toilet, but to start with, we need to be very observant and offer the pup the opportunity to toilet frequently.

A toilet break is needed after any change of activity, for example, after eating or drinking, after play, and when the pup wakes up from sleeping.

Aside from these times, you might notice little signs that they need to toilet, such as sniffing, spinning and agitation.

When puppy needs to toilet

It is my preference to take my puppy outside in the garden to toilet; I choose a specific area where they can sniff and toilet comfortably.

This is a calm interaction, we don’t want to make it exciting because this will distract the pup from what they need to do.

Likewise, if your pup is running around and playing, it might be good idea to put them on a lead, so they are less distracted.

I add in a verbal cue, I say ‘quickly, quickly’, adding a cue can be really useful later on.

Once they toilet, I reward calmly with a small treat and verbal praise. I wait a few moments before taking pup back inside.

Some clever pups will realise that if you take them straight back inside after toileting, their exploration ends and this may lead them to delay toileting!

Consider where your puppy is when they need to toilet

It’s important to consider where your pup is in the house, as this relates to their activity and the amount of supervision they need and will ultimately effect their success.

If your pup spends time in a crate, they will not need much supervision - they are unlikely to toilet in the crate -you will just need to take pup out after eating or drinking and when they wake from sleeping.

If they are in a puppy pen, they will need more supervision as they have more room to move around and therefore more choice in what they do - they are more likely to toilet in a pen than in a crate.

If the pup has free range in a room or larger part of the house, they will need close supervision as they have more choice about where to go and what to do.

Puppy toilet accidents will happen

There will be accidents, the best thing to do is to soak up the puddle with disposable towels and clean the area with an enzyme cleaner to remove all traces, otherwise the pup is likely to return to the area and soil there again.

There is no benefit to getting upset about accidents, the pup did not do it to upset you, they are not being naughty, they are learning, and with your guidance they will soon be fully toilet trained.

Are you a new or first time puppy owner?

Ginny was my first puppy. She came to us at 11 weeks old. I had wanted a boxer for years, she was literally a dream come true!

I had read up online about what to expect and what equipment I needed. I bought food, a crate and some toys, but I was clueless! I certainly wasn’t prepared for the feelings I had when she arrived. which weren’t dissimilar to how I felt when bringing home a new baby!

Puppy Blues

I didn’t know it at the time but ‘Puppy Blues’ is a thing.  

During the initial weeks, it can feel as if your life has been turned upside down, there’s extra mess to deal with, puppy crying and possibly difficulty settling.

Then there’s anxiety about whether you’re doing things right, depleted physical and emotional energy which can lead to overwhelm.

Add sleep deprivation into the mix and it’s not surprising that some new puppy owners regret getting the puppy.

What to do when you get a new puppy

Hiring a trainer for support during this period, can be a real help, and our Puppy Training Bundle package (2 sessions) is ideal for new puppy owners.

The first session can take place before your puppy comes home, if you wish, and can help with things like setting up the environment and choosing equipment.

If you have no experience of having a puppy this will give you an opportunity to ask questions so that you are better prepared for your new arrival.

If you prefer, the first session can be soon after your puppy comes home.

The second session is usually 2 weeks after the first.

Hopefully by this time, you will be feeling more confident; however, your puppy will be growing and changing, with new challenges to consider.