Here’s my dog Gus after going for a walk. Now he has the evil task of just coming into the house. Believe it or not he’s getting better at this than he was. It’s still quite an ordeal. I’m not sure what’s going to happen when it gets really cold and I can’t just leave the door open for ten minutes waiting for him.
He’s an upstairs dog, He goes downstairs in the evening after we’ve been down there for an hour or so… he’ll finally creep down, but he’s not comfortable there unless he’s in my lap in the recliner.
Note: I’m a little out of breath from the walk up the hill from the deck.
He is too cute! I just want to scritch those ears!
My money’s on Gus! My rescue dog (who looks like a slightly larger version of Gus) had so many issues when I first got him that I wondered what was to come! Now, although he’s still a ittle quirky about a few things, he’s settled in very well and is a great friend. Love and patience (and food) will resolve almost everything.
I notice some dust and dirt on the floor just inside the door. Maybe Gus would just like you to vacuum a little more often.
Are you for real Dail? I shake my head in wonder.
Put some grip tape on that aluminum threshold. It looks like that’s the first place he has to put his paws when stepping in. If it is, I’m sure he’s slid sideways a few times making him uncomfortable. He’s hesitating just as you would if you were about to step onto slick ice.
Try throwing a towel over the threshold see if that helps. We had a little dog that used to lick the threshold as she ran into the house until one dreadfull cold morn her tongue stuck while she was on a full gall-up it was quite traumatic for her! Needless to say she never licked it again
Does he play fetch well? Might try throwing his ball threw the doorway afer a few throws inside. I would give him a little treat after he crosses the threshold.
it´s funny how he looks both sides, as if watching before deciding to enter the house…he is sooo cute, I would stay all day playing with him!
Send him a kiss on the soft white coat 🙂
He doesn’t play fetch at all. He coul’n’t care less about his ball. I tried to roll a large soft nerf-type ball (volleyball size) towards him and he shot out of the room.
I’m thinking maybe some 30 degree temperatures might be the solution to the problem. He might decide the house is a nice place to be and not worry about the doorway so much if he’s freezing his little toes off.
Does he hesitate like that going *out* the door?
Does he have the same problem going out the door?
We always carry him out. He won’t even try to go out. He would just run up the steps (near the door) unless we block them off (if he is downstairs) which is unlikely. I’ll have to try to coax him outside but I’m thinking that’s a longshot really.
I say rattle a bag of treats. when my dogs won’t come in, and they hear that sound they are there in a flash
or maybe just lay them inside the door, he may get skittish at the sound
There is a possibility that his previous owner did not want him going into house with dirty paws, now he expects some sort of action from you before he can enter.
There are two ways to deal with this … err problem. Walk him in on a leash, you walking first, with all confidence, do not stop, then walk out, then repeat many times.
If this does not work, get the treats out. While he is standing outside, make him come for them gradually close and closer until he ends up in the house.
Gus Rocks!
Thanks Jon! I love Gus stories and videos. That really makes my day.
This is a classic case of the tail wagging the dog. It didn’t take long for your dog to become master of you and your house. You need to become the alpha dog and make him realize who is the boss. This same scenario is covered every Friday on The Dog Whisperer in the National Geographic Channel.
I think the first floor of your house is haunted and it creeps Gus out.
I’m in agreeance that he may well have been trained to this behavior by his previous owners, perhaps via a shock mat or some other method. When my son watched this with me, he noted the same thing – “he’s acting like he thinks he’ll get shocked.” The only humane cure in that case may well be patience and time – and enough repetition to prove to him that it’s safe and he won’t be hurt or punished for crossing. Reinforcing that with treats may well help. I’m not sure how being the ‘alpha dog’ would work in this case and wonder if it might only stress him out more. He doesn’t look like a dog with attitude, stubbornly refusing, he looks like he wants to, but is stressed at the thought of crossing. (and frankly, I’d love to have a dog who wouldn’t run out of the house the moment the door is open! hmm, wonder if Gus’s previous owners tried to enforce that and ended up making him neurotic…). Good luck, he seems like a very sweet dog.
One cool ass lil dog, he’s gettin there.
Gus has come so far since you first got him. Just shows what a bit of patience and love can do. You’re doing a great job.
I know its been mentioned that you need to become alpha dog and do all that Dog Whisperer stuff but don’t do it. We had a very under socialized Yorkie who had some pretty serious issues and we tried that alpha dog stuff. It just made Fido shut down. In fact, if we tried any of that Dog Whisperer crap, Fido just pissed himself, started shaking uncontrollably and shut down. It took 6-7 months of patience, consistency and love before Fido felt completely safe and comfortable with us but it did happen.
I find Victoria Stilwells positive training methods much more productive.
Thanks for all the Gus updates. Something about that puppy has caught your readers eye, mine included, and we’ve all fallen thoroughly in love with him. I swear you’d get rich off of “I Love Gus” shirts if you made them.
Here is a pic of the late, great Fido.
I have a 100 lb yellow lab that does the same thing he stands at the door and when he does come in he races through as fast as he can. he got his tail shut in the screen door once because the door closes on its own and he was coming through real slow because he didnt want to come inside. I had just pushed the door open for him and thought he would come in not just stand there and get his tail caught
I’m a dog trainer. Gus can get past this. All you need is a hungry dog (fast him for a few meals before doing this, and do NOT do it when you actually need to go somewhere–this is a training session), a handful of something Really Super Yummy (like bacon), and him on a leash. Which way does he prefer to go? If he has one, start going that way first. Walk through the door confidently, and stop on the other side when the leash gets taut. DO NOT release leash pressure. Do NOT drag him, just hold the pressure steady. The only way the pressure releases is when HE walks toward you; if you move back towards him at all, the pressure will go off and he’ll learn that all he has to do to release pressure is slam on the brakes. Dogs respond to most pressure by pushing into it (which we don’t want) instead of moving away from it (which we do want). You are simply going to teach him to move away from pressure.
Crouch down and toss a treat about 3 inches in front of him. Keep the leash taut. If he moves towards the treat, praise happily (not too loudly, or you may scare him–just be warm and happy). Toss another, repeat. If he’s hungry enough, he will move towards you and the pressure on the leash will go slack. IF YOU GET 2 GOOD moves (in which Gus releases the pressure by moving toward you), QUIT while the leash is slack and go back through the door and go do something else. The goal is NOT to get him through the door the first time; it is to teach him to move away from pressure.
Regroup and try again later (don’t feed him anything else in between). If he gets through the door, lots of warm praise and a whole handful of treats. DO NOT try to get him to go back through right then. (Part of the reward is that the exercise is finished then.)
He needs to learn that going through doors makes good things happen: lots of yummy treats he doesn’t normally get, a release of leash pressure, and Fun Stuff on the other side. Do this is several sessions, with the goal being, first and foremost, the release of pressure, NOT to get through the door.
Gus needs you to be calm, confident (not coddling, and not pushy), and expecting of results.
If the above doesn’t produce any success, even after 4 or 5 separate tries, then email me at troglodyke comcast dot net, and I’ll tell you what to do next. In the meantime, plan to carry him through the door if you actually need to enter or depart.
I think that it would be good to have practice sessions with a really tasty treat and plenty of time to kill. Good luck!
After reading your comment about giving Gus a bath every week, it’s no wonder that he does not want to come in! Most dogs hate baths. It removes all of the great smells that they have rolled in.
One of my dogs hates to come in the house through the garage door. He slipped once on a throw rug that was in the entrance. Now he will only come in by way of the front door or the patio door, no garage door for him…
There was an episode of The Dog Whisperer where they had a very similar problem. The dogs would be happy everywhere in the house but simply refused to go in or out without being dragged. Turns out, they were afraid of the wooden floor they had to cross int he passage/kitchen to get out…
They ended up using several rugs to build a ‘bridge’ across the wood… and gradually removed pieces of the ‘bridge’ as the dogs became more comfortable…
Perhaps something as simple as a towel as Unclebuck suggested would do the trick
please dont listen to what all these people say. just keep being nice to me and dont try to turn me into a “trained” dog robot with a totally predictable behavior. while i’m hesitating at the door you are listening to me and understanding my body language.
…Gus…
first time i’ve seen Gus in action. owning two westies myself (used to have 6 at one time) the answer is simple. DOGGIE DOOR. install one, they’re easy. Betcha a million dollars this will work. . .
I just can’t believe that no one else has ever had a dog the was skiddish about it’s ability to keep traction. I’ve had smaller dogs that would never feel comfortable walking on a tiled floor and would act “exactly” like poor little Gus is acting. Sniffing the area where he must walk, or in this instance – step over. I could see where my first post about “grip” tape might not be your first choice (since I’ve only seen it in black), but I guarantee you – his problem is stepping on that aluminum threshold coming into the house.