Hi All, A quick question for you. We are working on getting Harvey to sit and wait for us to pass through doorways before he goes through - this is proving quite a challenge as his enthusiasm seems to know no bounds! What approach did you find most successful? On the plus side, I'm so glad we have been working through Total Recall right from the time that we first brought Harvey home. Today was his third trip to some local woods where we let him off-lead. The door enthusiasm mentioned above pales into insignificance compared to his desire to meet other dogs and people Harvey spotted a GSD and his two owners in the distance a second or two before we did and took off like a rocket - we called his name and 'Come' and he stopped on a sixpence and sprinted back to us at full speed! We were so pleased with him - jackpot reward and lots of praise (and he got to meet the GSD and owners when they were closer). Gives you a warm glow when training goes well doesn't it?
Re: Waiting at doors Well done Harvey for coming back. I wish mine were that good recall although we are improving. : I found getting my two to wait at a door improved 100% after I'd trained sit stay. At first I told them to sit then I'd go through the door then give the release cue and they'd follow. Now they just sit as I get to the door and wait to be released. I'm slowly building up the time I leave them sitting before I allow them through as proofing the sit stay as like Harvey they can't wait to get through a door. It's also made them calmer going through the door except at meal times when they reluctantly sit but set off like rockets when I release. : Before I trained the sit stay I always tried to get them to wait at a door but with mixed results. Works every time now. Jen
Re: Waiting at doors Fantastic Uncle Bob; having your dog stop and return to you despite temptations is the single most important thing you can wish for! Well done!
Re: Waiting at doors Yup. Agree the recall was most impressive. Concering waiting to go through doors, I've never specifically trained for that, but I have worked hard on Lady obeying the "wait" command which I apply wherever needed and that of course includes doors, and stiles or field gates outside, or anywhere elsee for that matter.
Re: Waiting at doors Chip was dreadful for this when I first got him and as he was already 14 months so almost fully grown, I had to train it pretty quick after he almost kneecapped me a couple of times and actually knocked my 8 year old to the floor. It takes a bit of time and some treats - before you approach the door, pup needs to sit at a distance where you can safely open the door - and shut it again should pup move from his post. We had to set off for school 5 minutes early each morning as I simply refused to let him shoot past and it took a few attempts each time. If he comes forward without release, the door closes and we start again. Same with the garden gate. If he waited, my son goes out first, then me, then Chip. I would say don't over do it with giddy congratulations once you're out the door either, a nice voice command and a bit of kibble is plenty. Otherwise I found he'd then charge about on the other side!! He still won't do it automatically, I have to tell him to sit and wait - but once the command is given he's got it down great. Good luck!
Re: Waiting at doors Very well done on this , one of the first things I taught Sam by saying " I go first " , now working on our rescue terrier, not quite so easy as she is always raring to go
Re: Waiting at doors We do "wait" and "inside" as sometimes I want him to go first. I don't want to leave him outside while I go in with lizzie in case he gets distracted. I'm not that bothered inside as long as he doesn't barge and isn't under my feet, he goes first if he's there first and he waits for me to go through if he's already behind.
Re: Waiting at doors [quote author=bbrown link=topic=3682.msg41533#msg41533 date=1387198493] I'm not that bothered inside as long as he doesn't barge and isn't under my feet, he goes first if he's there first and he waits for me to go through if he's already behind. [/quote] I think that like Barbara we treat internal and external doors slightly differently! For external doors, their command is just 'Sit', and they do that until released with a 'Go on' - this is exactly the same at mealtimes too! They sit and wait outside whilst I drop/fumble with the door key, but then I do often release them to go through the door before me, particularly if I have spotted any potential distractions. Internal doors - well, most of the time no one ever shuts them in the first place; if necessary we use 'Sit' / 'Go on'!! Clare
Re: Waiting at doors Thanks for the feedback. [quote author=Karen link=topic=3682.msg41516#msg41516 date=1387186253] Fantastic Uncle Bob; having your dog stop and return to you despite temptations is the single most important thing you can wish for! Well done! [/quote] We were very pleased. We had planned to gradually build-up to this sort of scenario but, well, the best laid plans ...
Re: Waiting at doors Well done on your recall! That's fab. In a similar way to Barbara, I have "wait" and "in" - wait is "just halt there a minute" and "in" means go through ahead of me. I need this to shut him out of a room I am in, and also to go through the ticket barriers on the underground ahead of me. I use "sit, stay" if there are distractions. Eg doorbell rings and I want him to sit while I leave the hall and shut the hall door to open the front door (one day my sit/stay will work while I open the front door - but not yet) or when, say, we are walking into the vet's and there are dogs on the other side of a door. "In" was easy - clicker trained it in no time. Wait was also easy - we started on walks, I got his attention and he'd stop and look at me, reward when I got to him, then added a cue. Sit/stay was and still is work in progress in the presence of distractions! But also clicker trained.
Re: Waiting at doors I also use the sit/stay when we leave to go for walks. He does the sit stay, I open the door, go out, then allow him to come. Otherwise he could knock me down our front steps. He learned this pretty quickly, thankfully!
Re: Waiting at doors As others have posted : Stopping and waiting each time he would lurch forward. Not moving until he backed off and settled. But we also taught ours the 'wait' command at the same time to reinforce. It comes in handy for unexpected situations or to get him back on the lead.
