Doorway Manners: The Essential Life Skill Every Dog Should Learn
Teaching your dog good doorway manners isn’t just about politeness—it’s a true life skill. A well-behaved dog who waits calmly at doorways is safer, easier to manage, and far less likely to dart outside into danger. And the best part? The exact same training can be applied to car doors, car crates, and other “thresholds” your dog encounters daily.
Doorway manners help create a calmer home, a safer environment, and a dog who’s tuned in and responsive even in exciting situations.
Why Doorway Manners Matter
Most dogs become highly stimulated around entry points. Doorways often signal something exciting: walks, new smells, new people, freedom! That excitement can quickly turn into rushing, lunging, or slipping by you before you’re ready.
Teaching your dog to pause and wait:
- Prevents door-darting, which can be extremely dangerous
- Builds impulse control
- Improves safety around cars
- Reinforces the sit-stay in a real-life scenario
- Creates calmer transitions in and out of the house
This simple training habit genuinely has the potential to save your dog’s life.
How to Teach Doorway Manners
When training doorway manners, you can build on a reliable sit-stay by gradually increasing both distraction level and hold time.
1. Start With Your Dog on Lead
This gives you control and prevents your dog from rushing through and keeps them safe.
2. Ask for a Sit and Reward
Position your dog by the door, ask for a sit, and reward them the moment they do it. Keep this low-pressure and easy at first.
3. Add the First Distraction: Hand on the Door Handle
Gently place your hand on the handle.
If your dog stays seated—reward!
If they stand up, simply reset and try again.
4. Open the Door a Tiny Bit
Once your dog is confident with the handle movement, open the door just an inch.
Close it, reward the sit, and repeat.
5. Gradually Increase the Challenge
Bit by bit, open the door wider.
Your goal: the door fully open and your dog still calmly sitting.
Take your time here—this is the key to doorway manners training.
6. Introduce the Release Cue
Once your dog can maintain a solid sit while the door is fully open, you can teach a release cue such as:
- “Okay!”
- “Let’s go!”
Choose one cue and use it consistently. This tells your dog that now they may walk through the doorway with you.
Applying It to Car Doors and Crates
The beauty of this training is that it’s universal. The same sit-stay routine works wonderfully for:
- Car doors to prevent jumping out into danger
- Car crates to stop bursting out
- Baby gates
- Garden gates
- Store entrances
- Vet clinic doors
Any threshold becomes a training opportunity.
Consistency Is Everything
Practice regularly and be consistent with expectations at every doorway—will teach your dog that waiting patiently is simply how life works. Soon it becomes an automatic behaviour.
And that calm, controlled pause?
That’s a habit that keeps your dog safe and makes your life easier.
Door-darting can be dangerous. If your dog needs help learning doorway manners, reach out!