Jumping dog on door

Question
QUESTION: We have a 7 month old puppy. We adopted her from a rescue shelter and was told she was lab/border collie mix. We think she may have some pitbull in her also. She's a great dog. The problem we have is, she is outside in the backyard while we are at work. When she hears the door start to open, she runs, full force into the screendoor. We have been to puppy training and she has learned the word "wait" (inside the house). I tell her to wait while she is on the porch and other side of the screendoor and she will sit and wait until I open the screendoor. How do I get her to stop running into the screendoor? We won't be able to put the glass down during the warm weather because she will ruin the screen.

ANSWER: I am confused. You say she sits adn waits when on the porch but you say she runs and hits the screen door full force.

Puppy training is insufficient training. All dogs need complete obedience training and socialization skills. Your puppy is acting as a puppy, by running to its owner.

First, don't leave the screen as the only door, keep the glass door in place before the dog rips the screen out of the door and then you have a repair job.

Put a barrier between the screen door and where the dog is coming from so it can't make a full force head on charge. A chair, box, other item that the dog has to go around. You can also get some plastic tape 2-4 inches wide and make a big X on the screen. It may be invisible to the dog, just as we can focus through a screen door to see through it.

When doing obedience training, there should be an exercise of stop wait while you cross a threshold. We use standard aagility pieces for this, you can use any door way, broom or other object that serves as an opitcal cue.  Heel the dog to the door/broom. Tell ti sit, wait. step across the door threshold, broom whatever, then call the dog to you. Reward when it does it right, no reward when it does it wrong.  Use the word OVER or THROUGH as the command word to cross the threshold item. We teach OVER, and use THROUGH for tunnel exercises.

Regards,
Henry Ruhwiedel
Westwind Kennels LLC
www.dogkennel.org


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: After our dog runs into our screen door, which has glass covering the screen during the winter months. She will sit on the porch after I open the back door. She has learned what the word "wait" means and will sit on the porch when I say "wait" until I open the door. Our problem is her running into the screen door when she hears us opening the back door. I am afraid as she gets bigger she will run so hard that the glass will break.

Answer
OK, my response stands. The dog needs training, and follow the blockade process. Train the dog.  You can have one person make the arrival noises that set the dog off, and a second person controlling hte dog on a lead. If a second person is not available, put a lead ont he dog and tie it so the dog cannot get to the door, a foot or two away. Then go away for a short period and return. The lead will stop the dog and the dog will learn not to get close to teh door until you arrive and let it in.  Its being a puppy and it wants to be with you. You should actually crate the dog while you are away, not let it run loose outside where it can get into trouble.

regards,
henry Ruhwiedel
Westwind Kennels LLC