Any tips to teach my Coton to use a doggie door?

by Karla
(Georgia)

I got a great doggie door for a sash window that leads to the deck. My dog (a 4-yr old female Coton de Tulear we just adopted 4 weeks ago) is still very skittish. I think one of the reasons she doesn't want to use the door is because of the noise the magnet makes, and she doesn't seem to want to push the flap. I've been trying treats, and so far, she has only gone through the door 2-3 times, while we held the flap open. She zooms through the door so fast, she doesn't even stop for the treat. Even "yummy chummies" (she loves those stinky treats).


She will scratch on the window next to the flap, but won't even try to push the flap. I would like to teach her that it's OK to do potty on the deck, in case I can't make it home on time... Although she goes potty just fine on the sidewalk when I take her out for her walks. Any tips?

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Oct 05, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		training dog to go through doggie door
by: Anonymous

Hi there. Our Coton had the same issue. Would never use her nose to push anything. It took a few weeks, but now she uses her nose for everything! In fact, I get no privacy in the bathroom unless I lock the door! All it really took was treats - Cotons will do anything for a treat. Stand on the far side of the doggie door and open the flap a little so that she can see that you have a treat. Lure her outside and give her the treat with praise. Then do the same to lure her inside. She'll get it eventually!!! My coton still prefers to be let out, but she has no problem nosing her way if needed and happily makes her own way inside.
Apr 24, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		thanks
by: Karla

thanks for the feedback. I'll give those a try!
Apr 23, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Leave the door open
by: Iris Miller

Hi, I do not have a doggie door but the same problem applied to my dog with a crate door. He would go in his open soft crate, rarely into the metal one (so now I put the soft crate inside the metal crate with the door open and he will go in on command "go in". I bought a portable nylon folding travel crate (for car rides and visiting family) that has a zippered nylon mesh door. My dog Tuffy does not like to be locked up and did not like this new crate. I put this travel crate in the living room where I play with him. I left the mesh door rolled up with it's velcro clasp, and when we were playing fetch I would casually toss one into the crate and tell him, go get it! I also threw his kong toy and a treat in there. He would run in and grab it and run out and I would exclaim Good boy! Yaay for Tuffy! So it became a fun game for him. He eventually felt safe to go in there ,and I then let the soft mesh door down flapping open so he could go in and out. He likes to run in there when we play chase and I say Gonna get Tuffy! Get you! he runs right into that crate and knows he is safe.No more problem with the door. I sure get my daily laugh with this game. Maybe with your new dog, who is very smart to scratch at the door, (my Coton just stares at me and expects me to read his mind), if you leave the door off or put a soft mesh cloth or fiberglass screening over the opening it might be less fearful. It is more important first to gain trust, let the dog get oriented to the doors in and out, and the new surroundings, take her out on a leash and let her/him sniff out their new territory and choose a place for your dog to go, continue to go to the same place about half an hour after a meal, more often until you see a pattern of your dog's elimination habits, and teach them the cpmmand "pee-poop"and highly praise using the command good boy/'girl make pee"etc. and show love with play and reward with treats. There are ;also grass scented pee pads to put on your deck, we used them indoors when Tuffy was younger, but now he is two and has his spots to go pee/poop in the yard, he refuses to use the pee pads, rain or snow, we must go out. I hope this helps.

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