Train him. Put him on his leash, tie him near the door, tell him sit and stay (if he doesn't know these, you'll have to teach him them too -- you can do all three at once). Open the door. If he moves toward it, give him your correction sound (mine is uh-uh, for instance). Keep doing this. When he does what you want, go crazy praising and petting him and give him treats if you train with treats. I don't always use treats, but for really difficult or important behaviors I do use treats.
Do this for 5-10 minutes at a time a few times a day, if you can.
Also, whenever you are taking him out with you, make him sit and stay before you open the door. Make it as much as a habit for you and your family as it is for your dog. Consistency is essential.
In the meantime, if your door opens a lot, you might want to leave a leash on your dog all the time so you have a better chance of grabbing him if he makes another break for it.
My last dog was a wonderful pedigreed yellow lab that I got from a family who re-homed him because of this exact behavior -- he was a runner. It took less than 2 weeks to get him to the point where he automatically sat and waited when I opened the front door.
Good luck! |