Teach your Dog to Close the Door.
Using positive strengthening as a coaching method provides many opportunities to have fun with your dog whilst also teaching him to do something helpful.
Coaching your dog to shut the door is rather an easy trick to teach. First you'll need him to be tuned into a positive beefing up reward like the clicker. Every time you reinforce the behavior that he offers he must receive a treat.
Start by training the dog the word “door”. This can be done by targeting him to the door by using food. A small slither of sticky treat at nose height on the door will make sure that his nose touches when he helps himself to the treat. As quickly as his nose touches the door you must reinforce the action with your clicker and the word “door”. Timing is critical as you want to show him the door supplies the click.
Repeat this until the dog is going direct to the door for his click and treat. Then proof the action by quietly leading him away then letting him go until he's returning confidently to the door and his treat for the click. Keep asserting the word “door” when he touches throughout.
When your dog is centered successfully he'll look straight to you for the treat after the click. Finally and with a bit of practice your dog will learn how to go to, and touch, the door from anywhere in the room. Ensure that you continue practicing this till you are certain the command “door” is linked with this behavior.
When the command is established you can begin to withhold the click and treat terribly slightly when your dog touches the door. By making him wait for the treat you'll be inciting a mild frustration, this irritation should encourage your dog to either push with his nose or begin to poke with his feet. Either action will move the door enough for you to be in a position to inspire further. Progress with this until the dog can shut the door.
This can be taught in a few sessions conditional on the dog. Look out for displacement behaviors like scratching the neck or sniffing the ground. These behaviors indicate confusion in your dog and you have to go back to an earlier stage in the dog training process to teach the trick successfully.
Learning the best way to train a dog does not have to be complicated. If you follow proven and time tested dog training techniques, then you'll succeed! Visit this dog forum for more information.
