OMG!!!

[Ann]

I think my doodle just totally forgot I was at the other end of the leash and I almost killed myself!! I took Samson out to go pee. He thinks he saw a bird and shot out, I slipped in the mud (it's raining, otherwise, I would not have fallen) and he dragged me a few feet before he stopped.

I must have looked like an idiot!!! I was full of mud.

I was NOT happy. But, everything went into the wash.

What do I do to stop this behavior? He has done this the past week, everytime I open the door, he shoots out, thinking there is a bird or squirrel, but there is NOTHING!!! ARRRRGGGGHHH!


OK, I just wanted to update. I have been using the harness to take Samson out and making sure I go out first. See....he knows heel and he knows that harness so he stays by me, and it has stopped this behavior so far. Hopefully, if I keep this up, it will train him. I believe I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel and he understands what I am saying when I say "heel".

By the way, I did twist my right knee and my whole right side of my body hurts!! LOL, taking Aleve and Icy Hot helps!! It is alot better today!

Thank you to all of your suggestions!!! They definitely help ALOT!! Love you guys!!

[Linda,Yankee & Finn]

Oh, I hope you feel better tomorrow. I got knocked down at the dog park and I still have the marks. It is totally embarrassing too! Did you look around to see if anyone saw you?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree with the others; put Samson in a "sit" before you even open the door, and then you go out first. Some trainers will tell you that you should never allow the dog to go through any door before you.
Doors, entrys and gates are "flashpoints" for dogs; watch two dogs who are jockeying for dominance at a door and you can clearly see it.

[Leigh & Allie]

I am no expert, Allie is just 31/2 months old. Try this, I read it in "Puppy Whisperer". Open the door just 2 inches. Wait until you see Samson relax then praise him. Then you open the door a little bit more and then close it back to 2 inches, praise him when he relaxes. Maybe that will give him enough time to see that the bird or squirrel is not that interesting. That reminds me of the movie "Up". It just came out on DVD. It is so funny when one of the dogs is talking and then he gets distracted by a "squirrel". If you have not seen it you must rent it. You will see what I mean.

[Karen & Lucy]

I hope you are Ok, This almost happened to me when Lucy was younger. After taking her to obediance classes She was taught to WAIT, I go out first. I also have a flight of stairs to take her out in the car and she used to run down them ahead of me pulling me all the way. She now waits, and then follows me down the stairs. That is the only safe way to do it.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I must agree, teach them the wait command and then you go first. I learned this the hard way as well. I was taking both girls out and I have 2 steps out the back door ...... Lucy bolted and Sophie stopped on the step so Lucy pulled me but I had no where to step without stepping on Sophie so I just ended up falling out the door and just missed Sophie. Fortunately I was just bruised, but from then on we have worked on the wait command at the door and I normally now only take one out at a time!

[F, Calla & Luca]

And until you can reliably train him you can step on the leash while opening the door giving you a better chance of withstanding any bolting out behavior.

[GBK]

I have taught my two to sit until I give the command to "let's go" out the door. They know if they don't sit quietly while we wait for the garage door to open, they do not get to leave the threshold. My big boy would drag me down the steps if we hadn't started this. Sorry you got dragged through the mud Ann, definitely not fun :(