Dog scratching at door

Lucyxxx

Our 4/5 year old Golden Retriever is on his way to destroying our doors. He scratches and scratches and jumps on the front door to get in (he has become very much of an indoor dog - very lazy, hates being outside). It is really really bad, the door looks very bad. I have tried to stop it by waiting until he stops and letting him in the back and telling him to stop and sit but it's not working. I can't really ignore it because I get in trouble and then I'd be giving him what he wants.
Is there any way to get him to stop? He can jump up and open 2 other doors in the house which are also scratched. He usually does this at night to get out of where he sleeps and into the fire when we are all asleep. Is there anything I can spray on the doors that won't deter him from lying there, JUST to stop him from jumping and scratching? Is there anything else I can do? I feel like when I open either door to try to reduce the damage it's just giving in and showing him he can get what he wants. We can't get a trainer.
Generally he is a good dog, apart from the odd stealing etc. He won't play that much and he does it's for a very brief time before he loses interest and lies down again. He is fed Burns High Fibre to get his weight down.


Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Cherry Blossom

Have you tried teaching him to bark to get doors to open? Is there any reason he can't be allowed free access to the house at night? If he's properly house-trained there should be no reason to close him in one room, if he's not, you should be working on that.

Wolfe Tone

Squirt him with water when he does it, will learn quick enough.

Lucyxxx

It's where he's always slept at night and my parents don't want him in further.
I had thought of squirting him with wateer and I did it before but he just kept doing it. I don't want him to associate water with me instead of when he scratches and jumps at the front door because I open the door to see him. Would it still be effective?
Also, he has developed a limp since yesterday. I felt and looked at all his paws but he didn't mind and he didn't do anything at all when I felt them. I was wondering could he have maybe hurt it from jumping up if he slammed down on it? We thought also he could have arthritis, maybe this could be why he's quite lazy (although is grand on walks and can run extremely fast).
Thanks for the replies, I really appreciate it.

Wolfe Tone

I have a golden retriever who is 8, they are just lazy!

I squirted my dog when she jumped on the door, she ran off back to the garden. I would wait by the door and squirt her when she jumped up on it. I would tell her through the door to sit, when she did I would let her in. Now she sits at the back door when she wants in.

DMG_49

MUSSOLINI wrote: »

Squirt him with water when he does it, will learn quick enough.

Get one of them things for spraying flowers / hairdressers use them too

Cherry Blossom

How much interaction does the dog actually get all day OP? Just wondering as it sounds like he's an outdoor dog that is only allowed in a small room as it's cold outside.

Wolfe Tone

DMG_49 wrote: »

Get one of them things for spraying flowers / hairdressers use them too

I just put a hole in the lid of a 2 liter bottle with a corkscrew.

RubyGirl

Mabye hang some bells from the door, it will either frighten him or alert you quicker to him at the door. A dog door is prob out of the question? For his sleeping room door, buy a baby gate and put it up on the door he sleeps in at night and just leave the door open then. U can get it on done deal for cheap enough.