How to Get Rid Of Your Pup’s Elevator Phobia
Give your dog a treat at the sound of the elevator “ding.” If your dog is afraid of elevators, it will associate the sound the elevator makes when it arrives with negativity., Enter the elevator then immediately exit., Increase the time you spend on...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Give your dog a treat at the sound of the elevator “ding.” If your dog is afraid of elevators
The first step to training is to recondition this negative association.
As soon as you hear the “ding,” offer your dog a treat and verbal praise, like “Good dog!”When training your dog, break up treats into pea-sized bits.
That way, you can offer lots of treats without negatively affecting its diet.
When verbally encouraging your dog, use a calm, normal tone of voice.
Project positivity and happiness, but avoid baby talk or cooing, or you might risk encouraging its anxiety. -
Step 2: it will associate the sound the elevator makes when it arrives with negativity.
When the door opens, you should enter the elevator before your dog.
Give the leash a gentle tug if you need to encourage it to enter the elevator.
Hold your arm in front of the door or press the “Door Open” button to keep it from closing.Stay in the elevator for about one second, then exit.
Don’t rush your movements, but try to keep them brisk and confident.
Once you’ve exited the elevator, offer another small, pea-sized treat. , If your dog seems to be tolerating the training well thus far, repeat the enter and exit sequence five or ten times.
Gradually increase the amount of time you spend inside the elevator.
Work your way up to the point where you can let the elevator door close.If your dog barks or starts to get anxious, let it take a break from training and start again in a couple hours or the next day.
If it stays calm when the elevator door closes, immediately reward it with a small treat and verbal praise. , After getting your dog used to being in elevator with a closed door, begin training it to stay calm in a moving elevator.
Begin by going up or down one floor, and reward calm behavior with a small treat and verbal praise.If your dog has been more comfortable in the past with one direction, start with that direction.
Otherwise, it doesn’t matter which direction you send the elevator first during training.
Repeat the training sequence at least once a day for several days, and gradually increase the number of floors you travel. , For most dogs, mealtime is a strong positive motivator.
If you have difficulty with desensitization training and your dog doesn’t seem interested in treats, try feeding it a meal inside the moving elevator.Do your best to make sure your neighbors won’t be walking their dogs while food is in the elevator.
If the elevator opens and you’re greeted by another dog, ask its owner politely if they mind taking the next elevator or giving you a minute to finish training., If your pup has four-legged friends who are used to elevators, consider asking their owners for a play date.
Other dogs can help show your pup that using an elevator isn’t scary.If you get help from another dog, make sure that it and your pup have already been introduced and are comfortable with each other’s presence.
Do not confine your dog in an elevator with a dog it doesn’t know. -
Step 3: Enter the elevator then immediately exit.
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Step 4: Increase the time you spend on the stationary elevator gradually.
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Step 5: Send the elevator up or down one floor.
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Step 6: Consider giving your dog a meal in the elevator.
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Step 7: Get help from another dog.
Detailed Guide
The first step to training is to recondition this negative association.
As soon as you hear the “ding,” offer your dog a treat and verbal praise, like “Good dog!”When training your dog, break up treats into pea-sized bits.
That way, you can offer lots of treats without negatively affecting its diet.
When verbally encouraging your dog, use a calm, normal tone of voice.
Project positivity and happiness, but avoid baby talk or cooing, or you might risk encouraging its anxiety.
When the door opens, you should enter the elevator before your dog.
Give the leash a gentle tug if you need to encourage it to enter the elevator.
Hold your arm in front of the door or press the “Door Open” button to keep it from closing.Stay in the elevator for about one second, then exit.
Don’t rush your movements, but try to keep them brisk and confident.
Once you’ve exited the elevator, offer another small, pea-sized treat. , If your dog seems to be tolerating the training well thus far, repeat the enter and exit sequence five or ten times.
Gradually increase the amount of time you spend inside the elevator.
Work your way up to the point where you can let the elevator door close.If your dog barks or starts to get anxious, let it take a break from training and start again in a couple hours or the next day.
If it stays calm when the elevator door closes, immediately reward it with a small treat and verbal praise. , After getting your dog used to being in elevator with a closed door, begin training it to stay calm in a moving elevator.
Begin by going up or down one floor, and reward calm behavior with a small treat and verbal praise.If your dog has been more comfortable in the past with one direction, start with that direction.
Otherwise, it doesn’t matter which direction you send the elevator first during training.
Repeat the training sequence at least once a day for several days, and gradually increase the number of floors you travel. , For most dogs, mealtime is a strong positive motivator.
If you have difficulty with desensitization training and your dog doesn’t seem interested in treats, try feeding it a meal inside the moving elevator.Do your best to make sure your neighbors won’t be walking their dogs while food is in the elevator.
If the elevator opens and you’re greeted by another dog, ask its owner politely if they mind taking the next elevator or giving you a minute to finish training., If your pup has four-legged friends who are used to elevators, consider asking their owners for a play date.
Other dogs can help show your pup that using an elevator isn’t scary.If you get help from another dog, make sure that it and your pup have already been introduced and are comfortable with each other’s presence.
Do not confine your dog in an elevator with a dog it doesn’t know.
About the Author
Isabella Thompson
Committed to making organization accessible and understandable for everyone.
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