Train Your Puppy to Exit Without Pulling or Bolting
During potty training, urgently rushing your puppy out the door is often necessary, but it is important to set aside time to teach your puppy how to walk through doorways politely. As your puppy is getting older and stronger, training a polite exit and entrance through every door should be high on the list. In addition, teaching your pup how to exit the crate, playpen, and vehicles is just as important.
Permission to go through can be a different cue than your stay release. For example, you can use “ok” to release through doorways and “break” for ending a stay.
The Dangers of Crate Rushing
A large dog that rushes through the crate as you are trying to open it has the potential of causing injury. Many dogs will bolt through a crate as it opens. As professionals, we have a technique for opening crates of unknown dogs from bottom to top with our side facing the crate to prevent injuries, as crate rushing is all too common. Instead of having your puppy form the habit of rushing through crates, work on polite exits. When your puppy does not have to go outside and has had some exercise, so he is not overly excited, cue him to go to his crate (I.e. kennel-up). You might have to direct him with a lure if he has not yet learned the cue. Leave him be for a few minutes with the door closed. Return to him, and as long as he is not whining or scratching at the door, calmly open the door. For double latch crates, open the door from the bottom up so that you are standing as you let your puppy out if possible. This is so that you can maintain control. If your puppy begins to rush out before you have given permission, close the crate and immediately try again. The moment your puppy is not actively trying to push through the door as you open it, you can release him from the crate by saying “ok.” You do not have to treat him for this. Calm praise will do. Repeat the exercise again. If you would like to treat your puppy for returning into the crate on cue, that is a great idea!
Make a note for yourself to repeat the practice a few times over a week or two, but more importantly keep the exercise on your mind as you are letting your puppy out each time. If your puppy has to urgently go outside, use the “ok” right away rather than opening and closing the crate, but otherwise, you should try to wait for your pup to not be trying to shove through the door before you release him out.
Doorway Manners
Another way to work on releasing through with “ok” is at doors. Your puppy should never bolt through an open door. This is important because you want your pup to learn, even if someone leaves a door open by mistake, he should never cross that threshold without permission. If you use a dog door with the option to freely exit, that will be a different situation.
Whenever you allow your pup out the door, you can use the “ok.” You always want to make sure your puppy is not pulling when you release her though. Another exercise is to ask for a formal sit at the door and you go out first as your puppy stays and then you call your puppy to you and through the door. It's a great idea to mix it up and work on both techniques. The goal is that your puppy is paying attention and walking politely through doors rather than bolting through. Being pulled through a doorway is not pleasant and now is the time to teach your puppy how to handle doorways properly.
Vehicle Exits
Your puppy may be too little to hop out of your vehicle on her own, but you can still make sure you are only taking your pup out when she is calm. You never want to let your pup out of the vehicle if she is jumping at the door or windows trying to get out. When your puppy is getting out on her own, you can use the same cue “ok” as permission to exit. Work on this in many different places so your puppy has good travel manners right from the start.
With practice, your pup can learn to be polite at every doorway.
Note: If your puppy seems nervous or hesitant entering new places, encourage your pup to follow you through. This is not uncommon and soon your puppy might be rushing doorways and need to practice the tips from this post.
