Training Your Dog to Open a Door – Tug Method

Training Your Dog to Open a Door – Tug Method

Did you know you can train your four-legged friend to open a door? This is an advanced trick, but they will be on their way with a lot of patience and consistency! You can teach a dog how to open a door in many ways. However, we will focus on the Tug Method in this article. Before you begin this task, you will need a few items. Grab your dog’s favorite treats and an old t-shirt that you can use to tie to the door. Below are step-by-step instructions for teaching your dog to open a door.

  1. Tie an old t-shirt to the door. Attach the t-shirt to the handle, or anywhere they can quickly get to.
  2. Encouragement. Kneel next to your dog and allow them to play with the new handle. Did you know that dogs learn quickest when they think they are playing a game? Keep it fun and exciting! Do this for a few minutes and see if your dog can figure out how to open the door themselves.
  3. Demonstrate. Does your dog not realize that they can open the door by themselves? Show them. Get their attention and slowly pull the door open. Dogs mirror their owner’s behavior!
  4. Patience is critical. Keep playing with the t-shirt until your dog opens the door themselves. As soon as they do, give them a treat with a lot of praise.
  5. Try another door. Your dog may have learned how to open one door. You should move on to another door and try the same process. Remember that consistency is key to learning, so we recommend you keep up with the training.