# Afraid to go out the door



## Christina_ (Mar 20, 2017)

We brought home our standard poodle puppy, Rosie, last weekend. She's adorable. We had potty training down, but I realized we were picking her up from her pen and taking her outside, and vice versa. We are now trying to get her to walk out the door, and she literally will not! She peed twice on my carpet today because I went to open the door and she ran over to the area rug and went before I could catch her. I don't want her to get used to being carried out, she's going to be a big girl one day! Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I would use a leash to get her from her crate/ex pen area to to door. Be happy and bright about it, but keep her moving so she doesn't have a chance to make a mistake.


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## Caddy (Nov 23, 2014)

Since she got use to being carried out, maybe put a leash on her when you walk to the door. When mine were being potty trained I always had them on a leash anyways, so I could be sure when they went and was right there to supply praise and treats. As for your area rug, roll it up until Rosie (love her name) is completely trustworthy. I took every area rug and matt away during potty training, it's easier to see a mistake on flooring and not as difficult to clean.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I'd make sure she's got an empty bladder first whatever you have to do. And then I'd work on some fun little exercises...all fun and games. Take a tasty treat and toss it out the door on the porch and then repeat. You can use a toy too. I wouldn't reward coming in when you play the in and out thing too much or she may be in a hurry to come back in and won't potty. (at least for a while, then later start rewarding her for coming when called, of course)Then as she's going out over and over, start adding a cue, "wanna go potty?" Or "wanna go outside?" (Or whatever you say when you take her out) Start adding that cue when you are taking her out to potty, just as you start to open the door. Of course, you don't want accidents while you're struggling to try to get her to go out. And too, the anxiety you might feel, worrying if she's going to make it out in time may add to her trepidation about going through the door. So try to relax. If you need to carry her out some of the time, that's okay. Just at other times, work on her scurrying out the door fast as a game...a VERY rewarding game.

Caddy's idea of using a leash would be helpful too.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Maybe I misunderstood. I had the idea she didn't like going through the door at all. Does she go out fine when you go out to play or take a walk? Or is it just for potty that she doesn't hurry and you worry she'll pee on the rug so you carry her out? Sometimes dogs become afraid to go through doors if there's any anxiety associated with it or if they ever ran into a door or all kinds of things.


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## Christina_ (Mar 20, 2017)

Thank you so much for the responses. She doesn't want to walk towards or through the door at all. I have tried the leash, but she plants her feet and won't move. I don't want to pull her across the floor. So I guess I have a leash problem and a threshold problem. She hasn't gone anywhere on a leash really, yet - she plays off leash in our fenced yard with us and the kids, we haven't walked her. Ugh!!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Christina_ said:


> Thank you so much for the responses. She doesn't want to walk towards or through the door at all. I have tried the leash, but she plants her feet and won't move. I don't want to pull her across the floor. So I guess I have a leash problem and a threshold problem. She hasn't gone anywhere on a leash really, yet - she plays off leash in our fenced yard with us and the kids, we haven't walked her. Ugh!!


Put the leash on her and play some silly games with her so she comes to associate the leash with fun. Don't leave it on her when you aren't watching closely since you don't want it to get caught or tangled and have her get upset by it. Don't try to compel her to move by pulling on the leash. If she isn't fully immunized you don't want to walk her in the street of course and young pups really shouldn't pound the pavement for very long if at all, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be using a leash.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Christina_ said:


> Thank you so much for the responses. She doesn't want to walk towards or through the door at all. I have tried the leash, but she plants her feet and won't move. I don't want to pull her across the floor. So I guess I have a leash problem and a threshold problem. She hasn't gone anywhere on a leash really, yet - she plays off leash in our fenced yard with us and the kids, we haven't walked her. Ugh!!


It sounds like you're doing fine...those things aren't a problem. She'll get onto it soon. She must be a very young pup, right? She is just now discovering a whole new world. Everything is new to her and potentially scary. 

What I do when I bring a new puppy home is put on a harness and don't even buckle it all the way...just put it on, feed a tasty treat, take it back off. Or if your puppy is use to a collar already, great. Put a leash on and let her drag it around the house, while you supervise. Like Lily said, you don't want her to get caught on something. It could be dangerous in fact if you're not right there. Lots of play and reward. Wiggle it like a snake and make it into a fun thing. Replace it with a toy so she doesn't get too into mouthing the leash. But do turn the scary thing into a fun and nice thing....just a few minutes a few times a day. Associate everything that's potentially scary with good things...fun, treats, praise. Get her use to it a little and then start doing some exercises with it. I think clicker training is great. You can learn how. And you can coax your puppy to come along side you with no leash at first, making lots of turns etc. (lots of reinforcement...tasty tiny treats and praise) Then put the leash on and do the same thing. Try to avoid pressure or tension in the leash by using a squeaky toy, a silly voice, pat your thigh...make it a game that your puppy comes along with you. I usually teach my puppies that before taking them around with a leash. But you can accustom your pup to a leash too...just in the house in a small room or down the hall.

This is how this trainer gets a sensitive puppy to accept a harness. Anything you can find by this trainer will be a gold mine for you. She has loads of free Youtube videos that you can even subscribe to. Wonderful. I highly recommend you look at some of these. You can do a search for what you're specifically wanting and usually find something.


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

She needs a leash and out the door, tell her potty patch and by by, mine connect the lease with fun. I have never carried any of mine outside, but put a leash on immediately when I got them so they did not get away from me outside. Now they go and come right back, and will stand and wait to come in


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Glory, sometimes very young puppies can't wait to get out the door, it comes on them so suddenly. So trying to snap on the leash and take them out when you think they're needing to go badly takes too long and some people, myself included have had those times where you feel a need to scoop them up and whisk them out quickly...sometimes they're beginning to squat in the house and it's uh-oh! lol. But yeah, at regular times where you want to try to take them out before it gets to be a desperate situation, a leash is the best way. 

But if she's afraid now, of going through the doorway, it would not be good to drag her or force her with a leash. It would just cause more fear and dislike of going through door ways. So, when she's not needing to go out to pee, just afterwards, play a little game and make going through the door way into a fun game. Treats, toys, praise, silly voice. She'll get over that. And accustom her to a leash at other times.


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

Poodlebeguiled said:


> Glory, sometimes very young puppies can't wait to get out the door, it comes on them so suddenly. So trying to snap on the leash and take them out when you think they're needing to go badly takes too long and some people, myself included have had those times where you feel a need to scoop them up and whisk them out quickly...sometimes they're beginning to squat in the house and it's uh-oh! lol. But yeah, at regular times where you want to try to take them out before it gets to be a desperate situation, a leash is the best way.
> 
> But if she's afraid now, of going through the doorway, it would not be good to drag her or force her with a leash. It would just cause more fear and dislike of going through door ways. So, when she's not needing to go out to pee, just afterwards, play a little game and make going through the door way into a fun game. Treats, toys, praise, silly voice. She'll get over that. And accustom her to a leash at other times.


I take all my new dogs older or younger one out every hour if I am home (if not they are confined to the kitchen. I just clip the lease to them at that time and say lets go potty patch in a happy voice. When I got Sage she was so shy, that if anything on the patio was moved she was afraid to go out past it. However, on the leash, she went fine as I was there with her. After I was sure they would not get away from me, then I leave them out on their own.


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