Q:  The second we open the front door of our house, our dog goes tearing out. Usually he just runs around the lawn a couple of times and doesn't go very far. However, the other day he spotted a squirrel across the street. He dashed after it, and a car came so close to hitting him. How do we stop this behavior?

A:   Dogs everywhere love to dash through open doors. Freedom! Fun! Although this behavior is less dangerous for your dog if you live in an apartment building, it is still a drag for your neighbors – especially those afraid of dogs or those who are unsteady on their feet such as some senior citizens. Also, you don’t want your dog dashing into the hallway if there is another dog on your floor who panics when other dogs run up to him. So it's both safe and considerate to teach your dog to wait patiently for permission to go through open doors.

Your first order of business, though, is prevention – not only for safety's sake, but because the fewer opportunities your dog has to make a habit of door-dashing, the easier it will be to teach an alternative. If your dog is crate trained, crate him whenever you're about to open the door.  Or you can leash him; if it's hard to hold him, tether him to a heavy piece of furniture.