This is something that happens from time to time, but it's almost always fixable with training and/or some tricks.
Some pets are more reluctant/anxious than others and may require more than just showing them how the door works. Be patient, don't rush it, and don't overtrain (short sessions every other day). Above all, don't force your pet to pass through, as this can make them scared of the door.
Show your pet the door opening, slowly opening the flap when someone else calls the pet from the opposite side of the opening enticing them to pass through. When they pass through the door reward them with a treat and praise.
For slower learners, lift and temporarily tie the outside black u-shaped flap seal securely up and out of the way. This does two things:
- Breaks the airtight seal - Dogs navigate the world with their noses, so disrupting the airtight seal to allow the smell of outside air to come through can help the dog to make the connection between the pet door and the outdoors.
- Lowers resistance - More timid or reserved dogs may initially be reluctant to push through the airtight seal. This isn't an issue of physical capability, it's typically just one of unfamiliarity. This kind of "good dog" doesn't wish to break anything or do something it's not supposed to do, so they back off at the first hint of resistance. Tying up the flap seal removes this resistance, and allows the dog to understand that he or she isn't doing anything bad by going through it.
Once the dog has gotten some experience going through the door with the flap seal tied up, you can typically just untie it and return the door to its normal state.
This works for 95+% of dogs. We do have additional tricks up our sleeves to help if you have one of the 5%. Just reach out and contact us:
My Dog Used Another Brand of Dog Door but Won't Use the RANGER Door
It seems counter-intuitive, but we have found that dogs who've previously used a different brand of dog door will often take more training to use our door than their owners anticipate.
The main reason for this is smell vs. sight.
As humans, we rely on our vision to make sense of the world. What we see makes sense to us. Therefore, we often assume that's how our dogs perceive the world, too. Dogs, though, rely much more on their sense of smell.
This is important to understand when upgrading to a RANGER Pet Door. The dog door you're replacing leaked outside air, either a little or a lot. This lets the dog make a smell connection - "The place that smells like outside is how I get outside." Makes total sense, right?
When you replace the old, leaky dog door with a new, airtight RANGER dog door, you eliminate the smell of outside air. While we humans look at it and comprehend that it's a dog door, your dog will often smell it and think that you've just sealed off their passageway.
Fortunately, dogs are smart, so it doesn't take much training to get them acclimated to the new door. The tips above will typically work just fine.