If you have a doggie door available, or are considering installing one, here are some considerations that relate to house training.  Some of the most chronic house soilers we have worked with are dogs who have always had access to a doggie door.   Why is that?  Because owners made a few assumptions when their dogs were puppies. 

1. They assume that the availability of a dog door is the same as house training a puppy.   The dog door will not teach a puppy house training skills. 

2. They assume that having a dog door means the puppy knows where the potty zone is located.

3. They assume having a dog door means the puppy knows how to get to it when it needs to void.

4. They assume having access to the outside will reinforce toileting outside, but for a puppy it might seem better to potty inside, where it’s warm and dry.

5. They assume having access to a dog door means the puppy understands that when the dog door is closed, pottying inside isn’t an option.  

Basically, while a dog door is very convenient, and wonderful for a dog’s quality of life, it’s not a perfect tool for teaching clean house training skills to a puppy, some Best Practices will help.  

• Don’t use the door during the first two to three weeks of house training to ensure the puppy learns the core house training skills. 

• Open access to the dog door during week three of the protocol, once the puppy is showing you they understands where to potty, how to get there, and who/how to communicate their need.

• Once the doggie door is open, continue with the house training routine as outlined here, but instead of opening the door to let the puppy out, toss treats out the dog door to teach the puppy to run out the dog door instead of waiting to be leashed up. 

• You can also go out the door ahead of the puppy and call it out through the dog door and then toss a treat in the potty area. 

• Either way, the goal is to teach the puppy to run to the door, then run out the dog door, to the potty area.   

• Be sure to go OUT with the puppy, so you can be sure they have relieved themselves, and also click/treat for successful potty outside. 

If you follow these tips, and take time to House train your puppy before introducing the potty door, your puppy will have some understanding on the desired behavior, and its success will be greater.   Once the puppy is fully house trained, access to a dog door is very convenient, just remember to close the dog door often during house training so you can be sure the puppy has learned the core house training skills.