How To Teach Your Dog Some Important Tricks (And Some Not So Important Ones)

Step 5 Close The Door!

NOTE: This trick may not be good if your dog is heavy enough to break through a glass door, or if you are worried about your dog scratching your door.

That said, this is also a pretty easy trick. It's pretty cool to say Close The Door and have your dog do it.
The key to this one is having a dog who will go after food pretty aggressively

So get those dog treats and...

1. Lightly tape a dog treat to the door you want to close.

2. Now, bring your dog into the room and have her sit. Hold her so she won't just grab the treat.

3. Say Close The Door in your strong voice, saying it only once and then let her go.

4. Pet her and say good dog when she grabs the food and the door closes.

5. If she doesn't close the door while getting the food, try putting it higher, so she has to jump and put her weight on the door.

5. Repeat.

Comments

[blueeyesseto]

Also dogs are smarter then you think mine learnt how to open a flywire door by putting his paw trough the diamond mesh and pulling back so he can put his head in the way of the closing door no training required

Also another tip when teaching a dog to sit also train it to sit when it sees both hands in the air as children often do this when frighten by larger dogs so when the child puts there hands in the air the dog sits more of a safty thing then a trick

[craftinsusan]

My pup won't do this.  He is 65 lbs of submissiveness.  He is so gentle, the door did not even move.  When I put the treat up higher, the door moving made him run for the hills!  LOL 

He does, however do "high five" - I just raised my hand higher and in the "high five" position - after teaching him "shake".  He LOVES high fiving! LOL

Great instructible!

[AzureKeto]

odd as it sounds i wonder if instead of using tape you used a touch of peanut butter to make the treat stick?

[Gjdj3]

The dog would appreciate that! Haha.

[JonH2O]

If the dog doesn't close the door while getting the food do I tell them BAD?

[Gjdj3]

No, that'll probably just confuse your dog. The best thing to do is to put the treat up higher on the door so your dog will jump for it and close the door. Then tell them good and repeat!