# Feel like I'm living in a film, how to stop dog opening doors?



## stencilface (5 January 2013)

I'm not sure if its K9, Marley and Me, and Turner and Hooch, but my dog has certainly been taking notes from somewhere.

He is shut in two rooms in the day which are joined, both carpeted, with windows or french doors to see out of. We shut the kitchen door, which is two small doors with a brass round closing handle, now max jumps at this sometimes when we're out, given away by the amount of paint scratched off.  Today, despite going on a 3 mile run with the OH at 8.30, then another half hour walk at 12.30, we left the house for 3 hours this afternoon (he is left for up to 6 hours in the week without causing a problem) to come back to the kitchen doors open, scratches (from teeth or claws, who knows!) on the brass handle, the bin strewn over the floor and the biscuit/sweet cupboard had been opened  

The reason we shut him out of the kitchen is that its small, and not always possible to make sure no food is out of reach (luckily he didn't get to the quality street behind the sink!) plus the risk of bin raids, but the kitchen doors have glass panes in them.  So I have two worries, he will put his leg through a glass pane and/or eat something he shouldn't (see previous post re xmas cake feast he had  )  I don't want to replace the doors, as we are planning an extension in a years time and it will be wasted money, and can't really make the kitchen reliably food secure (plus don't want him to trash the door leading out from the kitchen!).

Is there anyway to stop him jumping at the door, I'm going to use a clothes drying rack for now, as he doesn't like them so won't go near it hopefully, but I am toying with the idea of using the horse electric fencing on the handles   Would this be feasible, or is there another way to make the doors dog repellant? 

Picture to shame the mutt, as you can see he's almost hooch like, with enough time, I think he could ram his knucklehead straight through


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## gunnergundog (5 January 2013)

Bolts top and bottom of said door and a door curtain on the inside for starters.  If that doesn't work then ADD a physical barrier a distance away from the door.

Am dreading selling my house and explaining to the estate agent all the bolts on the doors!  One male can do levers, knobs, sliding, pull, push....the works.


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## stencilface (5 January 2013)

We have a bolt for the top of the door (well need to take it off another door that doesn't need it first!) and yes, might try and hang something on that side like a towel/sheet or similar to stop him seeing through, that might be enough.  Its just the damage and the risk of him going through it, he has an exceptionally thick and hard head!  

Much as I joke about him being stupid, he's actually not unfortunately, just looks it!

I was hoping there might be an aversion spray of something.


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## Bedlam (5 January 2013)

How about leaving the door open and using a babygate across the opening?


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## stencilface (5 January 2013)

He would jump that I think, or knock it over, or more like try to jump it, get stuck, knock it over 

He's a walking liability.

I need a bigger house, having a dog has made me and the OH actually start planning our extension!


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## Springy (5 January 2013)

Put the door handles on upside down...


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## Honey08 (5 January 2013)

We used to have a spring on the door, like you get on fire doors, set heavy, so you really had to push it to open it which was too heavy for the dog to push but not us.  A curtain or a few  towels hung over the glass may help, or if not may cushion his legs if he were to put them through the glass.


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## Dobiegirl (5 January 2013)

I came home from shopping on day and mine were all hanging out a downstairs window looking really pleased to see me coming up the drive. They had worked out how to open the windows so Ive tied them together and stopped their little larks. They could all have b******d off quite easily so I was gratefrul for that.


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## Skippys Mum (5 January 2013)

Dobiegirl, that made me laugh .

I have cabin hooks on all my doors at my head height - that has finally defeated my power openers!


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## gunnergundog (5 January 2013)

For use (supervised only) when I have bitches in season, I have a dog gate in one door way and then an inverted child gate above it.  The dogs can sniff and see each other through it and possibly (if unsupervised) could mate through it as 'where there's a willy, there's a way!', BUT it serves a purpose as my males are much better when they can see the bitches.

May work for you.....


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## gunnergundog (5 January 2013)

Springy said:



			Put the door handles on upside down...
		
Click to expand...

Nah....a GSP can work that one out easy peasy.....next??


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## stencilface (5 January 2013)

They're not even handles!  They're round knobs you ahve to turn!  I think he just jumps at it until they turn 

Was it hooch that turned round handles? 

Honey08 - dogs weighs more than half what I do, he can open doors my friend can't (as I found out when I left him at her house one day with her dog - he got into the kitchen that time too!) so I think anything a person can open he can.


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## Skippys Mum (5 January 2013)

Oh, and forgot to say, I did away with the kitchen door completely and have replaced it with a wrought iron garden gate.  The dogs are happy as they can see through it but its 6' high so they cant jump it.  

It actually looks okay (ish)


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## gunnergundog (5 January 2013)

Tinselface said:



			They're not even handles!  They're round knobs you ahve to turn!  I think he just jumps at it until they turn 

.
		
Click to expand...

Yep, the technique is put your front paws around the knob, wiggle it, and kick hell out of the door with your back legs!


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## ladyt25 (5 January 2013)

How about something like these (2nd and 3rd ones down)?

http://www.gundogsupply.com/peelpetdesy.html

May just work.....!


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## stencilface (5 January 2013)

Well, after being out for 2 hours this eve, just got back to find drying rack knocked over, door opened, obviously using gunnergundog's technique above, broken into bin and cupboard, smashed the biscuit tin which was a kilner jar (luckily digestives and a cookie) and weed twice on the floor, gah! 

I might start tying him up whilst left,or get the oh cracking on a kennel.....


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## CorvusCorax (5 January 2013)

Remind me again why you're not keen on a crate? 
TBH it might be best for his own safety if he's breaking glass etc. Or as you say an outdoors run.


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## stencilface (5 January 2013)

Just because there's no room for a crate, and october/november he was practically perfect, no toilet accidents or anything 

Kennel/crate might be a serious option though if it continues, I will make space to save my house!  I'm hoping he has been unsettled by comings and goings over christmas and will get better once we're back into a routine, I've still only had him 6 months, so still early days, but so frustrating when I thought we'd cracked it and found out how to keep him happy 

He's going on a looooong hilly walk tomorrow to tire him out properly!


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## CorvusCorax (5 January 2013)

There's no harm in going back a few steps, dogs do not always learn in a linear, progressive fashion. I'll tell you this now, the best performing competition dogs in the world, will spend winter going over things like 'sit' and 'down'!!!

Our house is tiny and I have an XXL Varikennel wodged in between an armchair and a book case in the living room. It's like an extra coffee table


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## stencilface (5 January 2013)

Is that the Giant size, XL doesn't sounds big enough.  I just think I'd feel mean leaving him in there sometimes he's left for 6 hours 

OH is going to install locks on door tomorrow so he can't get in, and put ply over the glass panels and I'l going to find something really nasty tasting to spray on it, something not toxic, citronella or similar?


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## CorvusCorax (5 January 2013)

It's XXL, it's the one they use to transport large dogs in transatlantic aircraft journeys, I bought it from a guy who runs a quarantine kennel. My young dog does eight hours a night in his, hasn't died yet!!! Oh and when I need a bit of peace and quiet  you'd feed worse when he eats something really dodgy and needs opened up? JMO x


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## meandmyself (6 January 2013)

I had to tie my sister's kitchen door closed when I was house sitting for her! Her dog has access to a big kitchen, hallway and has a flap to get into the yard. 

The first day I left him, he got the kitchen door open, ran upstairs and trashed the bedrooms. Scared the life out of me because he'd found a packet of ibprofen and chewed it. I had to crawl around on the floor counting pills. (All whole, thankfully!)

Do the doors open in or out of the room?


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## stencilface (6 January 2013)

Open in, they now have a bolt across and a bolt up into the frame. We've also taken the door knob off, so he can't even turn the handle.

I'm hoping tmrw he'll be good as its a routine day, but aside from going through the door, he can't get in, hopefully once he know he can't get in there he won't try, I'll be putting a barrier in front of it too for the next few days to break his new habit. We are considering a run outside as a serious option, but thinks I would feel mean leaving him outside if we went out at night, he likes his sofa


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