Just like unloading the washing machine, teaching your dog to open and close a door is a pretty cool trick to brag to your guests. However, this is not the main purpose for this task. This is required for service dogs with owners with disabilities. The dogs are taught to open and close the dog for their owners that cannot reach/don't have the strength to handle the door. Not only this, but if those with disabilities are behind the closed door (perhaps fall in the bathroom) your dog knows how to open the door to the bathroom to check on you and call for help if necessary. Yes, there are downsides to having your dog be able to do this as they may go into rooms when not allowed, but that issue should be addressed individually.
Note: not all dogs will be able to start at the door straight away due to their size and handling type. In these cases, it is advised to start the training with a low cabinet and progress to the door[1].
Opening the door:
Tie a piece of fabric (e.g. a cloth) around the lever handle of the door[2]. The first requirement will be to teach your dog to recognise this piece of material as something to tug on. Practice playing tug of war with the fabric with your dog before tying it around the lever handle. Once the tug is established, teach your dog to tug on the material whilst tied up. Wait for him to tug the door open, treat him whenever this occurs. As they get the hang of it, add a verbal cue such as “open” when he tugs the door open.
Warning: Be sure to lock the front door when you are not home to avoid the risk of them potentially opening the door and chasing you or other temptations such as dogs, cats, and balls, as you leave the house. You may want to lock it for the first three months of training to teach your dog which doors are risky and cannot be opened without a command[3].
Closing the door:
Use Post-it notes as a marker for your dog to touch with their nose. Stick the Post-it note as close to the side of the closed door as possible, and within reach of your dogs nose. Stand next to the door and show your dog the Post-it note. If they do not see it at first, bring their attention to it by tapping it a few times. When your dog touches their nose to the Post-it, praise and treat[4].
Once your dog has learnt how to close the door, begin to add a verbal cue such as “door” to let them know to close the door. Stand next to the door and wait. As your dog touches the Post-it with their nose, immediately add the cue “door”, praise and treat. Repeat this process two to three times a day with ten successful attempts using the cue. Repeat this exercise for roughly five days until you are comfortable that your dog is ready for the next step.
For the next step, begin opening the door roughly five to seven centimetres. Give them your cue, if they touch the Post-it and the door moves at all, praise and treat them enthusiastically. Repeatedly practice this exercise before moving on to the next step[5].
Once your dog understands they need to push the Post-it, start to widen the door and give the command, only treat when the door clicks closed. Start to move away from the door during each command one step at a time. If at all your dog cannot complete a step, go back to the last successful step they completed before continuing. When you are comfortable with their progress, you may begin to lure out the treats.
Once your dog successfully closes the door when you give the cue at a distance, begin to walk around doing daily tasks and cue them whilst you perform other activities. When your dog successfully completes the exercise, make sure to praise and treat.
[1] Cote, J. 2016. How To Train A Dog To Open The Door. Available from: https://www.successdogs.com/dog-training-lessons/how-to-train-a-dog-to-open-the-door/ (Accessed 20 April 2021) [2] DoggyBuddy. 2007. Trick #30 - Teach Your Dog to Open and Close a Door. Available from: http://www.doggiebuddy.com/topics/tricks/door.html (Accessed 20 April 2021) [3] Maher, S. Nd. How to Teach Your Dog to Open The Door. Available from: https://humbledogs.com/how-to-teach-your-dog-to-open-the-door/ (Accessed 20 April 2021) [4] Grace, K. 2021. How to Teach a Service Dog to Open or Close a Door. Available from: https://anythingpawsable.com/teach-a-service-dog-to-close-a-door/ (Accessed 20 April 2021) [5] Grace, K. 2021. How to Teach a Service Dog to Open or Close a Door. Available from: https://anythingpawsable.com/teach-a-service-dog-to-close-a-door/ (Accessed 20 April 2021)
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