Scratching the Door to Come in the House

[jamie]

Hi! I have a 4 month old lab pup that scratches on the door when he wants to come back in the house. I mean he really goes at it too. Kinda like a "let me in or I'll dig my way in" deal. What I did was make a doggie door bell. It is a small cow bell with a small tennis ball hanging down from a string. All he has to do is grab the ball in his mouth to ring the bell. I've been working with him on it for 5 days or so. I must be doing something wrong though, 'cause he just isn't getting it. I just can't seem to get him to grab that ball and pull on it. I will put it in his mouth and he rings it and I give him a treat (a very small piece of hot dog). But he won't grab the ball by himself. If I can get him to do that, I am sure he will make the connection (hopefully ) that ringing the bell opens the door. His best buddy Chester cat figured it out all on his own (or maybe by watching me try to train Duce). He rings the bell now when he wants to come in. Any ideas on how to get the dog to do it? Or am I totally taking the wrong approach? This pup by the way is pretty laid back most of the time, kinda on the lazy side even. He is a dream on a leash. First time I put him on it was like he was already trained. Jamie

[Tammi21]

Wow I know how you feel, my dog is the same way. I got a wireless doorbell and put it down low enough for her to ring it. All the time I was putting it up I was like “wow this it a good idea” but she just wont ring it.
If you find a way to train your dog to do this would you PM me?

[jamie]

I thought of trying a wireless doorbell, I think that would be a good way to do it. I just rigged something with what I had on hand already. Husband and son and friends think I'm a little nuts , but that said they have been reinforcing the "ring the bell" to come in behavior for me. I think that Duce is just fighting it a little because the scratch method has worked so well for him so far. Hard not to run to the door and open it up when a dog is scratching it all up. He trained us! I've considered the idea of removing one of the bells (one hangs inside and one outside) and getting him to ring it while its not hanging up. Maybe get him use to putting the ball part in his mouth. He has rang the inside bell a few times by just rubbing his nose against it, he did want to go outside when he did it so that is good. However, it would be better if he would grab the little ball in his mouth and give it a tug, that way we would be sure to hear it. That is one reason why I like the doorbell idea, at least if you get them to press it, you know you would hear it in the house. I'd hate for him to lightly ring the bell and not get the reward of coming in the house. I think the biggest problem with the way I'm doing it is that I still have to open the door if he scratches it. He scratches, (I go arrrrr lol) I get up and go to the door, I tell him through the window to ring the bell, he sits there real cute, I OPEN the door, I tell him not to scratch the door to ring the bell, he looks at me with a What do you mean? look (duh), I take him to the bell, put the ball in his mouth, he rings, I say good boy yeah! and we go inside. When we practice I sit out there with him. I put a little bowl with little hot dog pieces right inside the door. I tell him to ring the bell, he doesn't, I place it in his mouth and say ring it, he does, I open the door and give him a treat.
*sigh* Any ideas?
Jamie

[Kona]

"I think the biggest problem with the way I'm doing it is that I still have to open the door if he scratches it. He scratches, (I go arrrrr lol) I get up and go to the door, I tell him through the window to ring the bell, he sits there real cute, I OPEN the door . . ."

Any ideas? Yes. Stop rewarding him for the old behavior!

Two things you might want to try. First, figure out what his favorite toy is, then have a really super fun play session, just you and him and the one toy. Then take it away from him for a few days. Just make it disappear. Then attach it to the ball that you want him to pull with his mouth. The first time that he goes outside by himself, don't respond to him at all until he sees his toy and puts his mouth on it.

Second idea, have him skip a meal or two and attach a food treat to the ball. Same as with the toy, put him outside and only open the door when he puts his mouth on the ball that rings the bell.

[Brooke]

I've never used a bell of any kind but I've heard of people putting peanut butter on them.

Once the dog goes for them and rings, praise and be happy but rush outside and give a better treat or reward.

[jamie]

I don't want to reward him for the behavior, but I can't figure a way around it. I've tried to ignore the scratching and wait until he rings the bell, but he is relentless about it. I've tried opening the door and telling him no scratching, ring the bell. Then I leave him out there and he goes right back to scratching. I understand that every time I open the door when he scratches he wins and it reinforces the bad behavior. Now, he seems to get the idea of ringing the inside bell to go out (he had been scratching the inside of the door to go outside too). He nudges it with his nose though instead of grabbing it. Outside he will have to grab it and pull/shake it in order for us to hear it inside. Maybe when he scratches I can go out the back door, make him ring the bell, then let him in. It still seems to me he would be rewarded by getting me to come outside....... Don't know.
The cat is consistent He's got the trick down. ;D Maybe he'll teach the dog.
I'll keep working with him on it and try to think of different ways to approach it. The toy/food idea is something I can give a try. I even know the perfect toy. Duce doesn't seem too into peanut butter. My last two dogs loved the stuff and it made giving medicines super easy. Maybe when he gets a little bigger he'll decide it is one of man's most yummy treats, I hope so.
Jamie

[Kona]

"I understand that every time I open the door when he scratches he wins and it reinforces the bad behavior."

So . . . ? As I said, stop rewarding the behavior that you don' want, and motivate him with play or hunger to do what you want.

Here's a third option: pick either if the first two methods that I suggested, then go outside with him. Sit in a chair close to the door, and ignore him. Read a book, do a crossword puzzle, whatever. If he comes to you for play, use your negative word marker to let him know that you do not wish to be interrupted right now.

Normally he seems to be scratching at the door to initiate interaction with you. Now you have taken that away from him. You are outside but you don't wish to play with him. You aren't inside so there's no need to scratch at the door. If he chooses to scratch at the door anyway out of habit, you can use your negative word marker. If he ignores you, use a long line to give him a leash correction.

If, as I said, you are also using either food + hunger or a favorite toy that he hasn't been able to play with, he now finds another way to appease himself. The moment he touches the ball + food or ball + toy, give him big praise, bring him inside, and continue to play with him.

You repeated that you know that what you are doing isn't working but you haven't said what advice you've tried. A bad habit is hard enough to break, but a bad habit which you choose to reinforce is never going to be broken.

Let us know what new technique you have tried, and whether or not it is working.

[jamie]

Update:
Duce is now ringing the bell to come in and go out. He still scratches (just a little) every once in a while out of habit. I think he just forgets. But in general he rings the bell now. I knew the weak point in my training was opening the door when he scratched - period. Like Kona said rewarding the dog for a behavior that I wanted to stop. What eventually worked was this. I made the door as unattractive to the dog to scratch as I could. I gobbed vaseline all over it and hung a small loaded mousetrap from the the knob. And most important - I ignored the scratching and would only open the door if he rang the bell. It worked in two days. After all he did know HOW to ring the bell he just felt in his doggie mind that it wasn't necessary. Warning though for anyone who might want to try this. The vaseline is messy and disgusting and visitors will think 'what the he** happened here?' ;D I have a metal door and I was able to clean it off pretty well, but the wood porch has a vaseline spot and some doggie vaseline dog prints. I've scrubbed the porch a few times and it is better, but you can still see it. I'm hoping that when we clean the deck with the pressure washer it will come off. All worth it anyway not to have to put up with the dog scratching the door to pieces everytime he wants in. Thanks for the help and suggestions. Jamie

[Brooke]

That is a great update! Thank you for letting us know how it worked out for ya.

[Kona]

It's so frustrating giving in to our natural human instincts when we know full well that we don't see things the same way that dogs do.

I'm still laughing about the Vaseline. Good for you for figuring out something that worked so well.