The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs

by Patricia B. McConnell

give a signal like “Mind” or “Wait” in a low, even-toned voice, and then partly open the door. What you do next depends on your dog’s behavior. Most dogs dart forward when they see the door open (or even when you move back toward the door), so be ready to use your body to block the path to the door. Concentrate on not repeating your verbal signal (not surprisingly, this takes some practice at first) and just using your body to impede her forward progress. Some people prefer to close the door before a dog can get through it rather than using their body to stop the dog. This teaches the dog that if she tries to charge through, the door will shut before she gets there, but if she sits and waits patiently, it opens. If you use this method, be sure not to slam the door on your dog. I’ve seen it happen, so my preference is to use my body to block the doorway, but both methods work. Once your dog has paused (either simply stopping her forward movement or, ideally, stopping and looking up at you), even just for a microsecond, say “OK” and let her out the door. Timing is everything here.