Trifecta Of Troubles Part 1 Door Dasher

Now that we are acclimating to the idea of “sheltering in place,” folks are finding time for that multitude of  dazzling projects gathering dust on the shelves of an “I’ll get to it one day” limbo. I am sure my accomplishments are modest compared to yours but I have read and reread War And Peace, taught myself French and translated the complete works of Voltaire, Baudelaire and Flaubert (although, I am told my accent is a bit tweaky). I have totally nailed all the Showstoppers from The Great British Baking Show. And, inspired by the Italian guy who ran a marathon on his tiny balcony, I daily challenge myself with a full on Iron Man course in the backyard, complete with a stationary bike and a kiddie pool. While these feats may not seem like much to you, at one point I would have considered each a task worthy of Hercules. As it was, Hercules had but twelve labors, only one of which involved dog training- taking Cerberus for a walk. This three headed pup was trained for the task of guarding the entrance to the Underworld. Today, there is a Trifecta of Troubles that cause a dilemma at the doors of doggie guardians. Each of these difficulties can present itself as the equivalent of a Labor for the hotshot son of Zeus. 

The first difficulty is the exuberant Iditorod wannabe bolting through the door for a walk. The problem is not that the ardent pup intends to be lead dog, the mad dash is simply what he has been taught. This is not Che Chihuahua plotting to take over your household. You can bet Rocket’s last biscuit, that every day, opening the door has preceded a yahoo moment, since day one. It is almost certain that this disorderly dog will not accept petting politely, will not remain sitting until released to eat and is unruly around his fellows. These additional misdemeanors are 100% predictable- just as if you forget to take a poop bag on a walk you will, without fail, need one. The remedy to this problem is to teach Rocket that he needs to Sit or Wait calmly, before he receives permission to proceed through the door. We need to install a bit of impulse control. We all need a bit more impulse control. (If I spot cheesecake on a client’s counter it is in mortal danger. “Wow, your puppy is quick, he must have snatched it when our backs were turned!”). To rectify a door dasher requires some effort and a change of attitude. To paraphrase Arnold Palmer, “the more you practice the luckier you get.” Several one minute, or more, practice sessions per day will suffice. The attitude adjustment is that Mr Puppy is not going through this door (or greeting this person, or checking out another dog, or eating, or jumping out of the car, etc.) unless he calmly Sits or Waits (his choice of Sit, Down or Stand with loose leash) for permission. No options. A great place to begin is teaching Rocket to Sit nicely to accept his leash being attached, away from the door. A leash is often a predictor of an outing and triggers a frenzy at its appearance. For doggie bounders, at the outset of training, attach a second leash and step on it. Practice putting the leash on, reward (treat), remove. Put it on, reward, remove. Repeat a number of sets of 5 to 10 repetitions, over several sessions until both you and Rocket are 100% successful and 125% bored. Then repeat some more, for good measure. I recall my shelter days, attempting to harness a leaping, twisting, whirligig of a pitbull named Conrad. After twenty minutes of him caroming off the walls and ceiling of his kennel, I finally clipped him into his harness. Whew! Then, I noticed his harness was upside down and we had to repeat the sweaty process. Conrad learned to accept his harness peacefully and to Sit calmly before exiting and entering his kennel. The upshot is that if Conrad could learn calm comings and goings, so can your dog. A helpful stratagem is to teach Rocket to jump onto a table, bench, or piece of furniture for harnessing and leashing. If the dog is small and/or fast or if the owner is tall and/or elderly, this can facilitate outfitting an exuberant pupster. Now, we proceed to the doorway, Rocket on leash. Keep your furry missile far enough from the door so it can be opened without interfering with his Sit. The definition of Sit requires, by statute, a dog to remain in position until released by a release word (Release, Free, Break, OK, All Done, Party Dude) or the dog is given another command, such as Let’s Go, Heel or “Walkies,” to proceed through the door. You reaching for the doorknob or the door opening are NOT signals for Rocket to disregard the Sit and launch his departure. If he breaks the Sit, the door immediately closes and we start over. No options, Rocket. This will take some time and many reps. It will take persistence on your part for Rocket to accept the new meaning of a door opening. He is no longer rewarded with a walk for bolting out the door. Under new House Rules, he will calmly Sit (or Wait) for a treat and only proceed through the portal with permission. Once out the door turn about and continue to repeat the Sit, entering and exiting. Over time, wean the treats and the walk becomes the reward.