How to teach your dog to wait at the door?

With the dog on leash, open the door a crack — just wide enough so the dog cannot fully stick their nose through. If the dog immediately tries to move forward through the door, close it quickly, but be careful not to close the door on the dog’s nose. Repeat this until you open the door and your dog pauses, even if it is only for a second. When they pause give the cue “free,” and then proceed through the door. Continue to do this, starting with the door ajar and working up to the door being completely open. With each progression, make sure you are waiting for the dog to not move at all when opening the door before moving on to a wider gap. You can also use a crate to train a dog to wait. With the dog inside the crate, use the same technique described above: Open the crate door a small amount very briefly. If the dog immediately starts to move toward the door, close it quickly. Then, gradually increase the opening and duration. In small steps, increase the amount of time your dog waits at the open door without moving through. Also, practice at different locations with different types of doors. Add distractions to your training sessions. For example, hold up a toy, raise your arms, or knock softly on a wall while practicing “wait at the door.”

The best way to stop a dog from pushing to go out the door is to train a dog to wait for you at an open door. When you combine practicing in an easy environment with breaking the activity down into small steps, you really set a dog up for success. By going at the dog’s pace and marking the behavior that we wanted, it didn’t take long to train the dog to wait at the door as it swung open. I suggested that the guardians practice this wait at the open door exercise with each dog at the same door three times a day for one minute for each practice session. Each practice session should only take a minute or two. Consistency and daily repetition is super important when doing dog behavior modification. If they notice that any of the dogs start to get up out of the sit, that means they need to make the step smaller, instead of reaching all the way for the door handle, only reach halfway. Once the dogs are able to sit as the door is opened completely and consistently each time, then they should bring the best two dogs together and then repeat this exercise, but starting at the begining again with a small reach and working up to opening the door completely.

When your dog is solid with Wait at her bowl, you’re ready to generalize the behavior. The next easy place to practice Wait is at the door. Start with your dog sitting or standing – whichever you prefer. Say “Wait” in a cheerful tone of voice. Begin to open the door just slightly. If your dog starts to go out, say, “Oops!” and close the door. Say “Wait” and try opening the door again. If she stays in place, close the door mark and release. Repeat several times. When your dog consistently doesn’t move for a tiny crack-in-the-door opening, gradually open it wider with each trial, a little bit at a time. Mark and treat each time, but sometimes repeat another Wait without releasing. Practice cueing your dog to Wait, and opening the door until you can open it completely and she stays in place. Once she’s able to Wait consistently with the door wide open, take one step out. Return, close the door, mark and release. Gradually increase the time the door is open while your dog is still waiting. Practice Wait every time you head out, even if she’s going to come with you. Consistency is the key to helping your dog learn quickly.

Start your lessons with a door that doesn’t lead anywhere dangerous or incredibly tempting. Put your dog on leash if you need to work at an exit that goes to an unsecured or particularly fun area, but keep the leash slack—think seat belt, not reins. Open the door just a crack, or even simply touch the door handle, click or mark with a yes, then toss a small treat your dog really loves on the floor behind the dog. Close the door and wait for the dog to eat and reorient. Repeat. If your dog likes the treats you’re using, he’ll quickly start to make some associations: The door opening predicts treats, and Those treats will come from my human’s hands and/or appear a few feet behind me. Observe what he does that you like—whatever’s incompatible with running through the open door—and begin to mark it with your yes or your click before delivering the treat. When your dog has confidently offered this lovely behavior four or five times in a row, begin opening the door a little bit further. As the response becomes reliable at each new level, open the door incrementally wider. If at any point the dog walks through the door, don’t click, don’t treat, and don’t head out for a walk. When, as you open the door wide enough for the dog to move through, he chooses to plant his front feet or look at you instead, you can add a verbal cue, such as “wait.”