HELP! Doggie Door Issues
 

OK - here is my second issue. Using of a doggie door.

My 1 year old Tera is quite finicky. Her new "brother", Koda, is a rough and tumble boy. They are both small yorkies. Tera weighs about 3 3/4#, whereas Koda is growing, but is only 2.5# at 4 months. I think they will both be between 3 1/2 to 4# when grown (according to the yorkie growth charts).

When we bought Koda, he was already used to a doggie door. We decided to replace our full glass door with a storm door complete with doggie door built into the bottom. Koda took to it, and runs in and out constantly. Sometimes he just likes to go out and run around. (We have a smaller section fenced off because we have a pretty large back yard. We want them in the smaller enclosed area.)

Now Tera is another thing. I have tried and tried to get her to go through the door. If you hold the flap open, she will tentatively go through the door. I've tried luring her through with a treat, but this usually doesn't work unless I have the flap partially open. Koda will go back out and back in to try to encourage her to use it, but no, she doesn't. (Not even with the treats that she loves.) She will just sit there and cry for you to open the flap.

I don't want to ruin the flap by taping it up, but think I'm going to have to do that for awhile to allow her to go through the opening. If I can just get her to push through instead of tentatively tapping on it, and then the magnet closing again.

Any suggestions on this one?

Sorry to ask two questions at once, but these two things are really bugging me right now. Thanks in advance for any help that is offered.

Can you put a piece of tape or paper over the magnet so it doesn't work so well?- until she gets the hang of it anyway.
Maybe you can play crazy with Koda outside and see if she doesn't want to join the fun (don't give in..)
A trail of treats that she can smell on the other side?
Is there a step down? maybe a little box or carpet piece to help the transition.
Wish we had a doggie door!.

Ooooo...tape over the magnet! Now that's an idea I didn't think of. Thanks! I'll try that!

I have tried the trail of treats...hehe. Koda ends up eating them. I'll let you know what happens. That just might work!!

When I was training my baby to use a doggie door, my son sat on the outside with a treat. I took Tia, and gently "pushed" her up to the doggie door, then just gently pushed her thru it, so she saw that if she pushed on those flaps, she could go thru....it was not a wall or a closed door! My son was on the other side, and made a HUGE deal of her coming thru by herself, and gave her the treat. After doing this about 4 times, she had the hang of it, and she now pushes thru any "closed" door or doggie door she comes to with no problem! (Her pushing open doors that are ajar...like the bathroom door, or the laundry room door, is one of those "consequential side effect" of learning the behavior...and she joins me in the bathroom, the laundry room, etc...!!)

I don't know what kind of door you have, but the one I have has little metal tabs on the sides of the door for the magnet. these can be removed easily and put back on after she is comfortable with going in and out. I had to do this for my furbutt. I suppose you don't really need to put them back on, but I hated the sound of the door swinging back and forth without them. I put them back on after about a week or two and Jaxon is fine going in and out now.

Well, I've tried pushing through on one end, but not with someone on the other end. I've also tried being on the other end encouraging her. I'll have to try this...see if hubby can help me push her through. Thanks for the tip!

Our magnet is a strip along the bottom. I don't think we can remove it, but will take another look. Thanks for suggestion! :)

My Male Sneakers (3.5yo/13lbs now) slams through the Doggy Door like a Tank, but, when I got Becca (1.5yo/8lbs now) she was very timid about using it.

What I did was remove the heavy plastic Flap with the attached metal magnet strip, and taped a Baggie in it's place. That was VERY easy to move through, and after a couple days, I replaced the original Flap, and she booms through it now like it wasn't even there. :D

You shouldnt be using a doggie door with yorkies. They are often stolen so whem they do go out you need to know it so you can watch them

Instead of pushing, try picking up her paw and "pawing" at the door.

When we got our doggy door, we pushed (always gentle, of course!) Zeus through and it wasn't "clicking" with him. Then I tried that (pawing at the door) and THEN pushed him through once the door opened a bit. That was the "clicker" for him. :)

Good luck!

chachi,

You always give good advice, I look forward to reading anything you say.
In ALL cases, one should make sure that the area which they go into is secure, maybe with...

High Fence,
Locked Gates,
Adequate protective Canopy, for protection from flying predators,
Thorough check of Bottom of Fence for possible exits,
Cover from Sun/Rain if they're stubborn and want to stay outside,
Water,
Elevated (dry/cool) place to lay/sit,
Adequate window(s) for observation of their activities.

I have all these things in place, and I'm sure I forgot something. But when one is careful, I think a Doggy Door is not as risky as one would think, and in my case, EXTREMELY handy, because of their MANY trips to the Potty, and frequency of the Zoomies. :D
Additionally, in my case, both mine are highly territorial when here at the house, and they'd raise all kinds of h*ll, if someone approached for any reason (friend or foe).

Good advice!
my doggy door goes from the kitchen to a 3 season porch where i keep the litter box for my cat and a pee pad for Jaxon. He never goes "outside" unattended.

Good luck! My older boys (1 and 3) have always used the doggy door, no problem...and our newest baby has also figured it out. But, our little girl Bryleigh is terrified of it! We, too, have tried everything! But, our babies are potty pad trained and the doggy door just leads to a small outdoor play yard with indoor/outdoor grass.... Its just a place to get a fresh breath of air.. and is only "open" we were are home even though it is a very small fenced yard inside of our very large fenced backyard!! Dont want any boogy man stealing my precious angels!!!

Now I know one would think your dog would be safe in a privacy fenced back yard but its not always the case and since Ive been on here Ive heard of yorkies stolen out of privacy fenced yards. Also it was on our news that they were being stolen out of privacy fenced back yards in our city. Any one who steals a yorkie isnt just doing it randomly they have watched you with the dog they know you have it and are looking for the opportunity to steal it. Im just saying I think everyone should be careful about thinking thier yorkie is safe in their fenced yard

I don't agree with this. I think when the right precautions are taken then its fine. I have see some people on here who are not letting there yorkies go out into the back yard but in a small completely enclosed area that has sides and a top and seems very safe and like a good idea for small yorkies. Mine has a doggy door and has fun run of the yard she is also a bigger yorkie and doesn't look like a standard yorkie because of the fact she is bigger and has floppy ears. Also we can pretty much see our whole back yard from the back door and kitchen window so she is mostly watched when she is out there as well as both our neighbors know her and us and would say something if someone was being nosy or something but we would no if someone was hanging around watching her. I love love love the doggy door.