# Rushing Down Stairs and Through Door



## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Obedience training, start with sit. Then here, heel....................


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## JulesAK (Jun 6, 2010)

Thanks SRW. She has basic foundation skills like down, sit and stay. I have seen mixed reviews on having them heel up/down the stairs versus having them wait until you have cleared the stairway and then releasing them to go up/down. Still trying to assess which would be most advantageous. Do you suggest heeling through a doorway or making them wait until you have gone through?
Jules


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Making a dog wait for permission to go through a door is a very good habit. That includes exiting a crate of kennel. I admit to often being negligent on this. Making a dog wait until you have cleared the stairs is a good idea as well, especially for anyone with physical issues affecting balance or walking.

If your dog truly knows the sit command you can stop her if she rushes ahead. If she doesn't stop when you say "sit" you will need to work with her more, probably introduce more distractions when training.


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## JulesAK (Jun 6, 2010)

SRW said:


> Making a dog wait for permission to go through a door is a very good habit. That includes exiting a crate of kennel. I admit to often being negligent on this. Making a dog wait until you have cleared the stairs is a good idea as well, especially for anyone with physical issues affecting balance or walking.
> 
> If your dog truly knows the sit command you can stop her if she rushes ahead. If she doesn't stop when you say "sit" you will need to work with her more, probably introduce more distractions when training.


Great advice. I really had not even thought about waiting to exit the kennel. Will start that one today 
Jules


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

JulesAK said:


> Great advice. I really had not even thought about waiting to exit the kennel. Will start that one today
> Jules


It is usually the door they are most anxious to get through so it is the most important time to enforce the rule.


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

I have three Goldens and hardwood stairs in my house. The dogs are all taught the “wait” command for stairs and doorways. I also use it before they get their bowls of food put down. I feed them all in a row in the same room. I start with them in Sit. I hold my hand out like a stop sign when they are puppies until I want to release them from “wait”. My release word is “okay”. As soon as I say okay they can start moving. Sit is the beginning of it. I teach it as puppies and it becomes automatic. My hardest part is getting my husband to have the same rules I have for the dogs. They know who enforces the rules. If they try to fly down the steps I take them back up, put them in sit, and they wait a little longer for the release of okay. My “wait” is literally my hand out like a stop sign in the beginning.


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## FinnTheFloof (Jun 27, 2021)

What I've done is teach a 'wait' command for doors, and now I can use it for anything. The way that I taught it with doors was, on leash, have the dog sit, then say 'wait'. Start opening the door slowly. The second the dog moves, you pull it back and close the door again. If the dog is sitting, the door keeps opening. When the door is all the way open, release with your cue (I use 'ok' but others use 'free' or 'break' or whatever you want) Eventually when he had the hang of it, I moved to making him continue to wait while I walked out the door. I can also use the same thing making him wait for his food, in the car while I grab his leash, at the bottom of stairs, etc.


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## JulesAK (Jun 6, 2010)

Such great suggestions! Thank you everyone. We do wait for her food, makes sense to start using wait for many more things.
Jules


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Not sure I understand the connection to stairs....? 

Is this an apartment or...?


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

Megora said:


> Not sure I understand the connection to stairs....?
> 
> Is this an apartment or...?


Ever been going down an oak staircase, in your socks, in a two story house and had three Goldens rush by you? Normally the first Golden has a favorite toy of all three…. You will quickly learn the importance of teaching them all that they wait at the top of the stairs to be told to come down. I also teach “easy” so they come slowly.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

DblTrblGolden2 said:


> Ever been going down an oak staircase, in your socks, in a two story house and had three Goldens rush by you? Normally the first Golden has a favorite toy of all three…. You will quickly learn the importance of teaching them all that they wait at the top of the stairs to be told to come down. I also teach “easy” so they come slowly.


We have a wood staircase. I actually send the dogs down ahead of me to prevent any pushing down the stairs.


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