Our dogs always want to be on the other side of the door. Doesn’t matter which side they are currently on, they need to be on the other side of it. I’d thought that this was only a temperamental trait among cats, but no, it applies to dogs as well.
We have a set of bells hanging on a cord hung over the doorknob. Sirocco is the only one that uses it. He’ll go over to the door, ring the bells with his nose, and we know he has to go out. He has us so well trained.
The problem comes from the fact that we have three dogs, so they set up a rotation for going in and out. First one will go outside, then several minutes later the next one will want to go out. When I let him out, the first one comes in. Then a few minutes later, the third one will want to go out. When he goes out, the second one comes in. Rinse and repeat, repeat, repeat.
Houdini goes outside just to lie around in the sun, Major goes outside to bark at something, and Sirocco bolts outside to chase the squirrels. (Can’t let those squirrels run around in our yard with impunity!)
Sometimes this rotating in-out is a minor inconvenience. Other times it is a pain in the ass, like when I’m trying to get some work done. Why not ignore them, I hear you ask. Because if I don’t let them in and out, they sit there all day scratching at the door (or ringing the bells in Sirocco’s case) which is both annoying and damaging to the door. And they whine. Also, if there is the chance the dogs are going outside to do their business, then I figure they need to go outside. I have to spend enough time cleaning up after the dogs as it is.
Maybe it is time to invest in a doggie door.
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