Open and close doors

About this task

Dog opens and closes doors, drawers, and other household items using a loop handle or paw.

How it helps: Assists handlers who cannot turn doorknobs or pull doors due to limited arm or hand function.

Required foundation skills

Item retrieval. Tug on cue.

Training steps

1. Teach tug on a rope toy
2. Transfer tug to a loop attached to a door handle
3. Add cue "open"
4. Teach dog to push door closed with nose or paw
5. Add cue "close"
6. Practice on multiple doors in the home
7. Practice with different door weights and types
8. Do not allow dog to tug on doors without the cue

Proofing criteria

Once your dog reliably performs this task at home, proof it in these environments and situations:

1. Opens interior door at home
2. Closes interior door at home
3. Opens a heavy door
4. Opens accessible push buttons on automatic doors
5. Opens doors in public settings
6. Does not tug on doors without cue
7. Reliable on first cue in any environment