Running out front door!!

[laurasaur25]

I am currently a college student and have a two year old male cavalier named Nicholas. I come home for the summers in order to save on rent. I really don't worry while in my apartment during the school about Nicholas getting out because we don't go in and out a lot and we also use a baby gate when we do. But then when I'm home there are five family members including my teenage sister and her boyfriend. We have a gated front porch and then a screen door in the front. Even though I have told them both repeatedly to latch the screen door (you have to give it an extra push to have it click) they for whatever reason do not. They also then leave the gate hanging open. So now it is often a straight shot to the busy road only about 20 feet from our front door. I spend most of the time now worrying about him getting out and into the street so I either have to watch constantly I just close him in a back room whenever I am there (I wouldn't want to put him back there alone all the time). As I'm sure everyone feels about their Cavs, I would be absolutely heartbroken/sick if something happened.

Are there any training suggestions to keep him from the door? It's not often he tries to push passed us going in/out (especially in since he's excited to greet) but if he notices that the door is open he goes over and pushes it open. I try to watch every minute but this is not always possible obviously.

[Desrae]

I understand your frustrations with other members of the household, perhaps you can talk to them? I know it's difficult, but let them know in a tactful way about your fears for Nicholas.
You can do a bit of training with recall and keeping loads of treats with you- FIRST do this in the safety of an enclosed area such as your back garden- let him out and then call to him with the treat, reward him with lots of praise and with the treat when he comes back to you. Do this repeatedly until you are confident with him... then take him to the park or somewhere else and do it there. Then do it at your front door. Recall is the most important things to teach your dog, it can save his life.

There are other techniques to train your dog recall, but this is how I did it with mine. Also you can just teach him to stay away from the front door, so he won't even go near it when it opens and closes.
Maybe other members will have better ideas or advice for you. Good Luck and let us know how you do.

[BrooklynMom]

This is a tough one since you cannot watch over everyone all the time! Hummm, well, it is only my husband and I at home, but we taught Brooklyn to sit at the front door before she is "invited" to go outside. We initially did this because of training and just getting us out the door first while she respectfully waited til we were gathered and ready, but now, I still do it and stick to it because if, god forbid, the door was ever left open, I would hope she would sit, at least for a minute, and not dart out. Who knows if she would actually do this with the prospects of an escape but, we try!

What about getting a few play pens and linking then together...as a sort of make shift baby-gate area. You could build it as big or small as you want and put it where ever you want.

Also, maybe put a big sign on the screen door, front door and the fence gate, saying "Please shut me so I don't get hurt!" with a picture of Nicholas on it. I think that would grab their attention and just be a gentle reminder "oh yeah, I need to make sure to shut this closed". I think wording it like that instead of just "shut the door!" is better because it reminds them of consequences to little Nicholas if they forget, which I am sure they would never want to face either. And it is a gentle reminder, from Nicholas of course

Good luck!!