Training Tips for Setting Invisible Boundaries and Good Door Manners

In this Gretna puppy behavior training session, we worked with 10-month-old Kaya, a Labrador Retriever who needed to learn how to respect personal boundaries and stop door dashing.

When I sat down to chat with the guardians I learned that Kaya is a recent addition into their family. Since they brought her home she has had issues with impulse control leading to poor door manners, trying to steal food from the kids, and invading personal boundaries with the kids.

To help Kaya gain self control I went through setting invisible boundaries around the home. An invisible boundary should always be discussed with the whole family so everyone is clear on where the boundary is and how to establish it. We used this method to train Kaya to stay respectfully away from the front door when guests arrive using our Claiming the Door exercise. To see how I accomplished this you can watch the video below.

Kaya quickly learned new door manners and to stop door dashing. The great thing about this method is that you can use it to establish a boundary anywhere. The guardians can use this same method to train Kaya to stay away from the dinner table while they are eating and to give the kids some personal space when they are playing on the floor.

By the end of this puppy behavior session Kaya was relaxing while the kids were playing, respecting the kid’s personal space and learning the new invisible boundaries that we had set for her. To keep up with this good behavior the guardians will want to use our Escalating Consequences to disagree with her and our Petting with a Purpose technique to reward her for good behavior. We wrapped up this session with Kaya’s Roadmap to Success video, which you can watch below.