Owners sometimes install pet doors to let their fur babies come and go as they please, which ideally makes it easier for everyone—but dogs don't always pick up on the method.
One such pooch is the Labrador belonging to TikTok user @brandyheath101. When his owner started calling for him to come inside the house, instead of obeying and entering via the doggy door, he stared at her through the window.
In a video posted on the social media site, it seemed like he wanted to come inside as he looked hopeful and his tail wagged. He was just unsure how to make it happen.
Thankfully, his three-month-old puppy sibling stepped in and showed him the ropes. She walked through the flap headfirst, thinking that would be enough for him to follow, but when she turned around he was still stuck outside, the clip showed.
The puppy placed her paw on the door to once again demonstrate to him how the pet door worked, but she ultimately had to go outside once more and bring him with her through the door.
Part of the caption reads: "My goodness he's such a baby."
Even if it's raining outside, the stubborn pooch still won't use the door. His owner shared in a separate video that he hates the contraption so much that he'll wait and bark until someone opens the main door for him. Yet the puppy hasn't given up. She still tries to show him the doggy door isn't as scary as it seems.
This dog isn't the only one who struggles to understand it. A doggy door flap is foreign to most dogs and can be scary to them. But with time and patience owners can train their dogs to use one.
One its website, the American Kennel Club suggests using the positive association method for training. First show your dog the door and then move the flap with your hand, it advises. Praise your dog with treats to help them associate it with a positive thing.
From there, owners should encourage their pet to explore the doggy door flap and reward any engagement, the AKC says. Once comfortable, you can teach them to go through the door by holding the flap open and placing rewards on the other side. They'll eventually graduate to the next step, where you can lower the flap and encourage them to walk through it.
Viewer Reactions
The dog's pity party left people on TikTik cracking up, and as of Monday, the clip had reached more than 482,100 views and 34,200 likes.
"The way he's looking at you like 'not happening,'" one viewer pointed out.
Another compared this to a "kid helping the old folk with tech."
A third person commented: "She's so sweet … She's like, 'Come on you big baby.'"
Newsweek reached out to @brandyheath101 via TikTok for additional information. We could not verify the details of the case.
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