Teaching your dog to respect certain limits is necessary to inculcate the basic rules of obedience and maintain healthy relationships with him.
This process, which can break the heart of some masters, allows you to participate in the animal’s well-being, in particular by teaching it not to become hyper-dependent on you.
It is also an excellent way to ensure the safety of your children by preventing the dog from accessing a bedroom or a playroom where they would escape your supervision.
Why prohibit a room of the house to his dog?
Learning to be alone
A particularly important facet of canine education is learning to be alone, which should allow your animal to learn to live on its own to cope well with your possible absences.
Indeed, many dogs tend to be glue pots, to follow their master wherever he goes, constantly walking in his footsteps and jumping at the slightest of his movements to start his step.
This behavior, if it can be perceived as endearing by the masters, actually reveals a malaise in the dog, which clearly presents an anxiety disorder called “separation anxiety” or “abandonment neurosis”.
or Dogs with this disorder are often animals acquired from a pet store from an unscrupulous breeder, who were badly weaned and separated too early and too abruptly from their mother.
In the natural order of things, puppies are indeed pushed away little by little by their mother, thus slowly learning to explore their environment on their own and to live on their own.
It is also possible that a dog manifests this disorder after a trauma, or that it is hereditary.
Finally, some dogs have separation disorders due to being overprotected by their masters, as is often the case with small dogs, wrongly considered to be more fragile.
Be that as it may, this pot of glue behavior should not be tolerated by the masters, in order to allow the dog to learn to detach himself from “his human” and not to fear moments of solitude.
This is all the more important since anxiety disorders in dogs can cause unbalanced, aggressive or destructive behavior, and ultimately lead to physical illness.
Learning to be alone is therefore crucial to treating this type of disorder and preventing them from developing in a balanced dog.
The dominant-dominated relationship
Canine education through hierarchy is debated in the sphere of canine behavior professionals, because it is readily considered obsolete and it is now largely favored positive education.
The principle of hierarchy is in fact based on methods aimed at inculcating in the dog that his master is the dominant one , the leader of the pack.
To do this, the master makes all the decisions in the home and survives all the needs of his dog so that he never has the feeling of having to take initiatives.
This method can go wrong when the master assumes that he must be feared by his dog to mark his dominant status, and then resorts to violent or brutal methods.
I therefore remind you that no educational technique should include the slightest violent act, whether physically or by word (aggressive tone).
In addition to being counterproductive, this could traumatize the animal, which could develop anxiety and deviant behavior (aggressiveness, uncleanliness, destruction of property, etc.).
In fact, the master is generally even more violent, placing the dog/master relationship in a vicious circle which often results in the abandonment of the animal.
A good education based on hierarchy must be combined with the methods of positive education, ie punctuated by rewards to encourage good behavior and prohibiting punishment aimed at sanctioning bad behavior.
If you have a dominant dog (Beauceron, Czech Wolf, Husky, etc.), the relationship of domination will be achieved by respecting the limits inculcated by positive education and the avoidance of taking initiatives.
This last point means that you will have to apply yourself to educate your pooch so that he only acts when you give him the order.
So your dog should only follow you when you give him permission, and he should learn not to join you in a room if you haven’t invited me.
Rituals are also very important in defining a dominant-dominated : this is particularly the case with meals distributed after those of humans… And rooms in the house reserved for humans!
Finally, before embarking on such an education, be aware that you will have to pay particular attention to your doggie, because for him to manage to act only under your orders, you will have to solicit him very regularly.
Safety
An essential point of life with a dog is safety, because all animals, even the gentlest ones, remain by nature unpredictable.
To avoid accidents, dogs should never be left alone unsupervised with children, even if you have blind faith in them.
It is therefore interesting to prohibit your doggie from the rooms of the house where your children play out of your sight.
Similarly, prohibiting a room in the house to your dog guarantees the safety of your guests, especially if they are afraid of dogs or if your faithful companion is a bit wary of strangers.
How to teach your dog not to enter a room?
If your dog suffers anxiety disorder or just has a difficult temper, the best way to teach him not to enter a room is to seek help from a professional trainer.
On the other hand, if you are doing well in dog training and your animal is quite a good paw and has a balanced mind, you can very well manage on your own.
Prerequisites
You must carefully choose the room or rooms to which you wish to deprive your dog of access at all times : you must stick to them at all costs, and you cannot change your mind along the way.
Ideally, your dog should already know the basic commands for calmingdown, such as “sit”, “lie down” or “stay”, as well as the meaning of “no”.
In the case of a puppy, this exercise can be integrated into his education, so it is not necessary that he already knows the basic commands.
If the room in question does not have a door, plan a barrier that will block the passage of the dog to facilitate his learning and not to put him in a situation of failure until he understands where you are coming from.
Carry out your education sessions over a range of free time where you will really have time to devote to your dog, even if the sessions should not be too long so as not to leave him (15 minutes maximum).
Finally, the door of the room must remain closed during your absences to prevent your dog from going to the forbidden place when you are not there.
Conduct of the training session
First, start by attracting your dog’s attention with caresses or games in an authorized room.
Be consistent: don’t make him come directly to the forbidden room, don’t call him on the doorstep and don’t encourage him to go there, since he is not allowed to go there .
Instead, make him follow you aimlessly, or let him follow you naturally if that’s his habit: the ideal is to perform the exercise in “situation” or in a moment that most resembles your daily life.
Cross the threshold of the door of the forbidden room, and order your dog to stop with a command that he knows well (“sit”, “lie down” or “stay still”). Always use the same order to make it easier for the dog to learn.
Then take a few steps around the room, watching your dog out of the corner of your eye and without prompting.
Option 1
If the dog stayed put and didn’t follow you, walk out of the room and reward him warmly with treats and petting.
Go back to play with him in an authorized room, and repeat the exercise four or five times to complete the session.
You can perform several sessions of 4 or 5 exercises per day, provided you space them out well so as not to tire your doggie.
Never reward your pooch, either verbally or with treats, while you are in the forbidden room, because he might want to join you there to celebrate his success.
Gradually stay longer in the room while your dog stays in the doorway. Do not force him to stay there, and do not pay attention to him: if he leaves to do something else, so much the better!
Between each session, make sure your pet does not enter the room by leaving the door closed or installing a barrier.
Option 2
If your pooch isn’t cooperating, it’s either because he hasn’t understood your expectations, or because he wants to stick with you (separation anxiety).
Firmly say “no!” when he joins you, and lead him back to the doorstep before ordering him to stay there again.
Repeat the exercise 4 or 5 times, then move on if nothing works: the longer the session lasts, the less your dog will be concentrated and the less convincing the results will be.
It is important to take care not to put the animal in a situation of failure, as this could traumatize it and cause it discomfort that would complicate its education.
In some dogs, especially Terriers, learning can take quite a long time, as they are by nature less focused and more stubborn than other breeds.
Be patient and always consistent, and don’t hesitate to rework the order you use to tell him not to move in other situations before trying the forbidden piece move again.
If after many sessions no progress is emerging on the horizon, I recommend that you seek the help of a dog trainer to unblock the situation.
Frequently asked questions on how and why to ban a room for my dog
Why ban a room for my dog?
Prohibiting your dog from entering a room in your home is important to teach him loneliness, so that he can live well with your absences.
It is also an essential aspect of the education of a dog operating strongly by hierarchy, and an essential security measure for masters who have children.
How do I deny my dog access to a room?
The important thing is to be very consistent and stick to your decision: the forbidden room must always be the same, and the dog must never have access to it.
Positive training methods are the most effective in inculcating orders and rules of life in a dog, so the ideal is to reward his successes and not reprimand mistakes warmly.
What if I can’t teach my dog to stay out of a room?
If you encounter difficulties, ask a professional dog trainer for help: they will suggest a technique that best suits your dog’s temperament.
Note that in some dogs, education can take time, so you have to be patient and persistent.
Can I teach my puppy not to enter a room?
Yes, it is even strongly recommended for its psychological balance. In addition, puppies learn faster and easier than adults.
Teaching your dog not to follow you around your home is essential to inculcate the fundamentals of solitude and independence.
Gluepot dogs, as endearing as they are, are often actually very anxious, so much so that being away from you is unbearable for them.
To allow your dog to learn to bear your absences and to live by himself when you are not at his side, I strongly recommend that you educate him not to enter a room in your home.
Is your four-legged friend a real pot of glue? Have you thought about forbidding him a room in your home to teach him to get rid of your presence a little?
Share your experience or ask us your questions in the comments of this article!