One of the most popular questions of new dog owners is whether their dog can open doors or not. Teaching a dog to open a door is a tricky concept, but some dog breeds are capable of opening doors. Once you train a dog to open the door, though, you might regret it!
Today we’re going to discuss the answer to ‘can dogs open doors?’ so that you’re equipped with the knowledge to determine if you want your dog to learn how to open doors or whether your dog would be capable of such a feat.
Dogs can open lever-style handles. Don’t think that you can train your dog to open a door that requires a hand wrapped around it, such as a circular doorknob because that’s simply not possible. You can, however, train some dogs to open lever-style handles to better help you in life.
Signs a Dog Can Learn to Open Doors
Now that we covered the basic answer, yes dogs can open doors we want to share some signs a dog can learn to open doors. There’s no point in attempting to train a dog to open the door if they’re not exhibiting the signs of this being a possibility.
Scratches at the Door
If your dog scratches at the door to signal that they need to go outside is one sign that your dog may be interested in learning this trick. As we said, dogs can only open lever-style door handles. So if you’re pooch is often scratching at the door to be let out, then they may have an interest in learning how to do this on their own.
Age of Your Dog
An older dog may not be interested in learning how to open doors. They’ve grown accustomed to having their owner open and close the door, so they won’t feel ambitious to learn this new trick. If you have a younger dog that whines the door, while scratching at it, or whines to come back inside then chances are your younger dog has a desire to learn how to open doors.
Paw at the Handle
Another sign that your dog may be interested in learning how to open a door is that they paw at the handle. This is a tell-tale sign that your dog is curious about how this handle works. They see their owner turn the knob and then they get to run outside. This concept intrigues your pup and you’ll see them watching you turn the handle, this means that they’ll be open to learning this trick.
If you feel your dog is showing the signs that they want to open a door, you can work with a dog trainer to develop this skill. Of course, you can watch videos online to learn how to train your dog to open doors, too. The internet is a vast knowledge source that can teach you anything, including how to teach your dog to open doors!