I have a bit of a problem: two dogs, one a daschund, the other a
miniature pinscher.
Installed a doggie door, and the daschund has NO problem going through
it with the
plastic weather shield down. The minpin, on the other hand, will NOT go
through the
doggie door UNLESS I pin up the plastic shield.

How do I get the minpin to go through it? I've tried everything I know
-- coaxing him with treats,
but he still won't budge. I put him through it, and he KNOWS it won't
hurt him, but
seems reluctant to "push" on the plastic shield. I'm stumped!

Can anyone make suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

on Wed, 27 Dec 2006 21:12:53 GMT, "C. S." wrote:

I have a bit of a problem: two dogs, one a daschund, the other a
miniature pinscher.
Installed a doggie door, and the daschund has NO problem going through
it with the
plastic weather shield down. The minpin, on the other hand, will NOT go
through the
doggie door UNLESS I pin up the plastic shield.

How do I get the minpin to go through it? I've tried everything I know
-- coaxing him with treats,
but he still won't budge. I put him through it, and he KNOWS it won't
hurt him, but
seems reluctant to "push" on the plastic shield. I'm stumped!

Can anyone make suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Well, since no one else has offered any suggestions, I will. Please note
that I am not not not a trainer.

Personally, I wouldn't have a dog door, but if I did and had the same
issue you are experiencing, I'd leave the dog who doesn't want to go
through the flap outside, starting in the morning before breakfast. I
feel quite certain that at some point he would come in through it,
especially when he gets cold, or hungry for dinner. Let the other dog
come and go at will and I think the chances are good the other dog will
catch on at some point. If not, I really don't think forcing through it
is going to do anything but make him more afraid. Your next option would
be to leave it pinned up until he gets in the habit of going in and out
through it, over the course of several days or a week (or more). Then
try my first suggestion again.

--
Lynne

http://picasaweb.google.com/what.the.hell.is.it/

Lynne wrote:
Well, since no one else has offered any suggestions, I will. Please note
that I am not not not a trainer.

Well I am even *more* not-not-not-a-trainer than Lynne, and in addition
am lower still than even the basest aol poster, but never mind all
that! All Hail The Google Poster as I have eaten some good dog books in
my day!

The OP says:
I have a bit of a problem: two dogs ....
Installed a doggie door ...
he KNOWS it won't hurt him...
he seems reluctant to "push" on the plastic
I'm stumped!

Dear Stumped,

Add:
2 Dogs PLUS1 Doggie Door PLUS 1 Flap that (by definition) flaps PLUS
Dog 1 going thru said Flap PLUS Dog 2 following Dog 1 going thru said
flapping Flap
EQUALS 1 Flap-in-the-face of Dog 2

And Dog 2 thinketh, "Ouch!"

For Extra Credit: Let the Flap be made of hard plastic and make Dog 1 a
balls-to-the-wall retriever.
Did you arrive at the conclusion that 8 years later Shammie, errh ah I
mean, Dog 2 will still approach Doggie Door with caution? Yes, you
are correct!! ;-)

In order to arrive at the same conclusion as Dog 2 in the Extra Credit
problem above:
Remove the flap and staple a light dish towel over the hole with just a
couple of inches hanging down. Gradually lower the amount hanging down
by restapling when Dog 2 is consistently pushing through it.

Next, go to a fabric or upholstry shop and buy a sheet of clear plastic
and cut to fit. Replace the towel with clear plastic and begin again
with it hanging down just a bit . Gradually lengthen until the plastic
covers the hole.

The most difficult stage for Dog 2 will be when he has to actually push
the plastic to get thru, but the most amusing stage for you will be the
limbo stage that immedietely preceeds that. ;-

HTH!

Susan Fraser (who has managed to be all but forgotten without actually
being gone)
and the AuH2Ok9s:
BeBop a Lu SheBop SH (playing the part of Dog 1)
Shamma Lamma Dong Dong UD MH AX AXJ (playing the part of Dog 2)
and Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya OA OAJ (not even in the equation)

on Thu, 28 Dec 2006 08:02:03 GMT, "Susan Fraser" wrote:

Well I am even *more* not-not-not-a-trainer than Lynne, and in addition
am lower still than even the basest aol poster, but never mind all
that! All Hail The Google Poster as I have eaten some good dog books in
my day!

I don't believe you, except for maybe the book eating part! G

To the OP, Susan's suggestions are way kinder to your dog than mine, and
probably more likely to work for a number of good reasons.

--
Lynne

http://picasaweb.google.com/what.the.hell.is.it/

Wow, thanks so MUCH! The minpin, Rambo, is a rescue from the local
animal shelter. He is about a year old, and I have no idea of his prior
history -- but it makes sense he may have had a bad experience with a
doggie door (similar to what you describe) in his first home.

I will definitely try your suggestion. I do believe it will work too. I
have always had cats, still do, and these (Oscar the daschund/Rambo)
are my first dogs -- love them to death!!!! I've read some books about
dog behavior, but I think the BEST advice comes from dog owners, not
necessarily trainers.

Thanks again!

On Dec 28, 2:02 am, "Susan Fraser" wrote:
Lynne wrote:
Well, since no one else has offered any suggestions, I will. Please note
that I am not not not a trainer.Well I am even *more* not-not-not-a-trainer than Lynne, and in addition
am lower still than even the basest aol poster, but never mind all
that! All Hail The Google Poster as I have eaten some good dog books in
my day!

The OP says:

I have a bit of a problem: two dogs ....
Installed a doggie door ...
he KNOWS it won't hurt him...
he seems reluctant to "push" on the plastic
I'm stumped!Dear Stumped,

Add:
2 Dogs PLUS1 Doggie Door PLUS 1 Flap that (by definition) flaps PLUS
Dog 1 going thru said Flap PLUS Dog 2 following Dog 1 going thru said
flapping Flap
EQUALS 1 Flap-in-the-face of Dog 2

And Dog 2 thinketh, "Ouch!"

For Extra Credit: Let the Flap be made of hard plastic and make Dog 1 a
balls-to-the-wall retriever.
Did you arrive at the conclusion that 8 years later Shammie, errh ah I
mean, Dog 2 will still approach Doggie Door with caution? Yes, you
are correct!! ;-)

In order to arrive at the same conclusion as Dog 2 in the Extra Credit
problem above:
Remove the flap and staple a light dish towel over the hole with just a
couple of inches hanging down. Gradually lower the amount hanging down
by restapling when Dog 2 is consistently pushing through it.

Next, go to a fabric or upholstry shop and buy a sheet of clear plastic
and cut to fit. Replace the towel with clear plastic and begin again
with it hanging down just a bit . Gradually lengthen until the plastic
covers the hole.

The most difficult stage for Dog 2 will be when he has to actually push
the plastic to get thru, but the most amusing stage for you will be the
limbo stage that immedietely preceeds that. ;-

HTH!

Susan Fraser (who has managed to be all but forgotten without actually
being gone)
and the AuH2Ok9s:
BeBop a Lu SheBop SH (playing the part of Dog 1)
Shamma Lamma Dong Dong UD MH AX AXJ (playing the part of Dog 2)
and Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya OA OAJ (not even in the equation)

Terri wrote:
No no no. I MISS YOU! Ya'll still *there*?

Now Terri, surely you learned enough about Cajuns in your time here to
know that we're harder to get rid of than nutria-rats! ;-) Of *course*
we're still here - our only concession to the travails of living in S.
Louisiana has been to let FEMA take out a few pines and haul in 36 cu
yds of new property on our property. We figure we're high and dry now!
(Or is that high and mighty? ;-)

Hug my girls for me. Oh okay, Gris-Gris too. Um, I haven't
seen many new pictures lately of the boy. Ahem.

Girls duly hugged. You're thinking of boy Boog who lives in Canada now
and I *wish* I could hug him! But was absolutely fitting not to lump
Boog and Shammie's alleged daughter Gris-Gris in with the other mere
girl-dogs since we're pretty sure she's really half Tasmanian Devil and
half alien. But at the threat of being spun into butter, I hugged her
too. ((@))

And yes, I'm most re-misty about pictures - althouth Sham and Gris-Gris
have had some glamour shots taken at agility trials. I'll get around to
putting them up somewhere someday...

I just pop in here randomly. So hugs to theTaf-ster... and oh yeah,
Paul-ster too g And a big hug for the ((((((memories of the
boys)))))) that I had the honor of meeting.

Susan (nutria-rat) Fraser, with the (gator-hide) DH Steve
and the (oh-SO huggable) AuH2Ok9s SheBop Shammie and Gris-Gris

Just a brief update to let you know that the "fabric flap" idea is
working great. Rambo immediately went through it, then I lowered it the
next day to cover the entire opening...and he still goes through. I
think it was the hard plastic flap hitting him after Oscar came through
the door that put him off the whole thing!

Will update again when I work up to using the plastic flap again.

Very much appreciate the advice!

On Dec 28, 3:39 pm, "C. S." wrote:
Wow, thanks so MUCH! The minpin, Rambo, is a rescue from the local
animal shelter. He is about a year old, and I have no idea of his prior
history -- but it makes sense he may have had a bad experience with a
doggie door (similar to what you describe) in his first home.

I will definitely try your suggestion. I do believe it will work too. I
have always had cats, still do, and these (Oscar the daschund/Rambo)
are my first dogs -- love them to death!!!! I've read some books about
dog behavior, but I think the BEST advice comes from dog owners, not
necessarily trainers.

Thanks again!

On Dec 28, 2:02 am, "Susan Fraser" wrote:

Lynne wrote:
Well, since no one else has offered any suggestions, I will. Please note
that I am not not not a trainer.Well I am even *more* not-not-not-a-trainer than Lynne, and in addition
am lower still than even the basest aol poster, but never mind all
that! All Hail The Google Poster as I have eaten some good dog books in
my day!

The OP says:

I have a bit of a problem: two dogs ....
Installed a doggie door ...
he KNOWS it won't hurt him...
he seems reluctant to "push" on the plastic
I'm stumped!Dear Stumped,

Add:
2 Dogs PLUS1 Doggie Door PLUS 1 Flap that (by definition) flaps PLUS
Dog 1 going thru said Flap PLUS Dog 2 following Dog 1 going thru said
flapping Flap
EQUALS 1 Flap-in-the-face of Dog 2

And Dog 2 thinketh, "Ouch!"

For Extra Credit: Let the Flap be made of hard plastic and make Dog 1 a
balls-to-the-wall retriever.
Did you arrive at the conclusion that 8 years later Shammie, errh ah I
mean, Dog 2 will still approach Doggie Door with caution? Yes, you
are correct!! ;-)

In order to arrive at the same conclusion as Dog 2 in the Extra Credit
problem above:
Remove the flap and staple a light dish towel over the hole with just a
couple of inches hanging down. Gradually lower the amount hanging down
by restapling when Dog 2 is consistently pushing through it.

Next, go to a fabric or upholstry shop and buy a sheet of clear plastic
and cut to fit. Replace the towel with clear plastic and begin again
with it hanging down just a bit . Gradually lengthen until the plastic
covers the hole.

The most difficult stage for Dog 2 will be when he has to actually push
the plastic to get thru, but the most amusing stage for you will be the
limbo stage that immedietely preceeds that. ;-

HTH!

Susan Fraser (who has managed to be all but forgotten without actually
being gone)
and the AuH2Ok9s:
BeBop a Lu SheBop SH (playing the part of Dog 1)
Shamma Lamma Dong Dong UD MH AX AXJ (playing the part of Dog 2)
and Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya OA OAJ (not even in the equation)