Dogs are naturally very curious creatures.
These furry friends of ours possess a decent level of intelligence and can therefore learn a lot of things quite fast.
One thing they can learn pretty quickly is to open a door.
Their curiosity will push them into trying hard to find out what lies on the other side of a door.
In a bid to understand this behavior a little better, it is not uncommon to find yourself wondering “Why Does My Dog Open Doors?”.
Several factors may be behind this behavior. It may just be a case of curiosity. Your dog may just want to see for themselves what is found on the opposite side of the door.
Another major reason is that dogs do not usually like to be left alone. Take a situation where you have left them in one room and left them to go in another room.
They will try their best to open the door to follow you to where you are. This is also because they get anxious when they are separated from you.
Your dog learning to open doors is not an entirely bad thing.
However, there are situations where it is better that they do not know how to go about this.
Picture a situation where they are able to open the door to your refrigerator for instance.
Can you imagine the amount of damage that you can incur here?
So a lot of training is needed to control this behavior.
In this post, we shall seek to highlight the factors that may make your dog open the doors around your house more often.
We shall also touch on some strategies we can use to control this behavior in your little pup.
Reasons Why Your Dog May Be Opening Doors
1. He Or She May Just Be Curious
Curiosity is a trait that is not perverse solely in us humans — Dogs are some of the most curious animals around.
The fact that they are intelligent means that they will use it to seek answers to what they perceive are problems.
They like figuring out things as well.
How many times have you seen them wanting to have a look at what your reading?
How about the times when you are so busy in the kitchen and they would like to see what exactly it is that you are making?
This applies to doors as well — A closed-door will not be enough to keep your dog away.
They will try to open it to view what it is that lies behind the closed door.
They will seek to establish if there is anyone behind the door.
They have a persistent will and they don’t stop until they achieve their goal.
2. They May Do It Because They Like To Be Beside You Always
Dogs are known to love unlimited physical contact.
This communicates to them just how much love and affection you have for them.
Now picture a situation where you try to take this away from your dog — There will be trouble here.
You may need to leave them behind and go into another room.
You may need to leave your house altogether.
This may require that you close the door behind you and leave them on their own.
The separation might leave them trying to open all the closed doors in search of you.
This is because they like to always be beside you.
Therefore, they will try to open all doors that may seem to hamper them in their search for you.
3. Your Dog May Be Suffering from Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is another issue that seems to get the better of dogs.
Experts have always recommended that you adequately train your dog to stay on their own whenever you are not in the room or even in the house.
Why is the training deemed so necessary?
This is because of a condition called separation anxiety.
This refers to the condition where your dog will always be scared of being separated from you.
If you add a door to the problem, you will have a recipe for disaster here.
Your dog may start behaving in all sorts of weird ways.
It gets moody, agitated, and super aggressive as a demonstration of its anxiety.
Learn More:
Tips to Make Your Dog Calm Behind a Closed Door
1. Train Your Dog
You can use crate or cage training.
This involves placing treats in a cage or crate to lure the dog inside.
Thereafter, close the door.
You need to do this repeatedly while increasing the time the dog spends inside the cage or treat.
Once they get comfortable in the crate or cage, they are bound to be comfortable being locked on the other side of the room on their own.
2. Create A Positive Environment in The Room Behind the Door
You can place toys in the rooms to enable them to feel at ease.
Through this, they won’t feel abandoned.
3. Try To Exercise Your Dog Thoroughly
Another great trick is to “tire them out”.
Here, you will be required to play with your dog or take them for long walks.
If they get tired, they are more likely to fall asleep in a room on their own.
You can lock the door and they won’t notice a thing!
Final Thoughts
While the act of your dog opening doors may not entirely be worrying, it is certainly concerning.
This is because it points out the fact your dog may be unable to stay on their own.
It may also show that your little pup may be suffering from separation anxiety.
It may also not be a good thing because they might damage a door or even get hurt when trying to open a door.
An example of this is a refrigerator door.
There are however tips to prevent your dogs from opening every door in the house.
Changing your door handles is a good option. Closing the doors altogether is another option.
Figure out whether your dog opening your door will be more beneficial or it is a potential route to a lot of damage then act accordingly.
