No change in bad behaviour

this has just really started over the weekend, Ledger stops with my parents while I am at work and has done for nearly 2 years now, their door out into the garden is a sliding one and if it wasn't fully opened then on occasion Ledger would push it right back with his nose until it was fully open. Well this weekend he started licking the side of the door as he pushed it back and then yesterday suddenly started biting/chewing it. It is upvc but he has marked it!!!! telling him no made no difference all I could do was slowly pull it shut get him to sit then get him to wait while I fully opened it again and called him all the way through.

I did rub some tiger balm on it where he had been licking and it did the trick initially but clearly with it being an external door it wore off and he started biting it again today!

Has anyone else experienced this? I cant understand the sudden desire to lick/bite/chew the door and it is only that door! Anyone have any suggestions to nasty tasting things that will be less likely to fade or any other things I can try to stop him before he damages the door.

Sometimes they have momentary lapses in bad behaviour.

I've heard people using Vicks Vapor Rub to good effect. You can also get anti chew spray, I don't know how good it would be though.

I don't know what to suggest really to stop the behaviour, but just had an idea. When I lived at home with Mum & Dad we had a large patio door into our garden and we put some big stickers on it so our dog Judy knew when the door was open or shut. I know this isn't really your problem but it may work as a distraction ???

They sell them on Amazon if you want to try it:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=patio+door+stickers&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=9553440716&hvpos=1t2&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13330917451101503&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&ref=pd_sl_63huainwku_e

I havent found anti chew spray to be any use at all so id rule the one out. Ive heard bitter things eg lemon helps?

I think he may, just may be pushing his boundaries a little, I have caught Moo chewing my rug recently, a strong no does the trick. Maybe keep at it and along with something suggested it might be just a phase Xx

Anti chew spray didn't work for me at all, Zeus used to constantly chew on the ledge of my UPVC door, skirting boards, wooden doors inside the house etc. The only thing that worked and still does is white vinegar, spray some of that on it and with some luck, he won't go near it.

thanks for the ideas, will test a few over the next couple of days

Ok so it seems he only does this when its me that opens that door!!!! and only when I first open it after he has been out he will come back in and out and pay it no attention! He is obviously testing some boundaries and is listening to 'No' and then goes round all 'you told me off' with his tail between his legs. I'm just at a bit of a loss as otherwise his behaviour is really good (improving) and he doesn't do anything like this at home

Could it be that when he wants to go out at home I take him for a walk (I have no garden just a yard) mostly just around the park (3-4 15ish minute walks a day then either a 1hr+ walk or a fetch session til he asks to go home) and when we are at my parents he can go in the garden so mostly just gets let out only having two longer walks a day. When he is at my parents it is usually because I'm going to work so it is my dad who walks Ledger from there

I'm running out of ideas guys please help!

I've tried coating the door frame in vicks and tiger balm, firmly saying No in a variety of tones, spraying him in the face with water and today I tried the 'tssst' noise nothing is stopping him from biting this bit of this one door unless I get my hands over where he wants to bite or slowly close the door with him attached until he releases on his own

I have held him in his collar/harness and walked him through the door but he still tries to go for it and I dont want to be physically restraining him because long term thats not going to be practical every time, he knows he is doing wrong as he does this sulky thing when he is told off and his bottom lip goes and his teeth chatter

It is still only the first time I open the door (and he has done it with my dad but only when I am in the house) after he has first gone out he shows no interest in it, I have spent ages rewarding him going through the door without biting it in all the possible variations from it being fully open to just wide enough for him and he doesnt even look at it

I just really need some help there are some superficial scratches now but I would really appreciate him stopping it before I have to buy a new door when he properly damages it

Have you tried bitter apple yet? It works great with Suki, so much so we just had to show her the bottle and she would stop.

He doesn't know he's doing wrong, dog's don't know right from wrong. The "guilty" behaviour you are seeing after telling him off is him trying to appease you when you shout at him. You need to give him something else to do instead.

He is doing it because ultimately he finds it reinforcing on some level. If it's just because he needs to chew, teach him to chew a Kong or stuffed chew toy, I can provide the links if you need me too.

If he is doing it when the door is open and he just wants to chew, you also need to prevent his access to the open door.

If he is doing it on the way out, then I would engage him with either a ball or tug toy over and over again every time you pass the door.

Create a new behaviour to replace the old one and try not to allow the old one to happen again so he can't be reinforced for it.

I've used bitter apple on a few things & works on some not on others! May be worth a try though

bitter apple spray? ive brought some just in case not used it yet thou

apple cider vinegar mixed with white vinegar in a small spray top bottle works bloody miracles, I swear by it!

It is still only when I am opening the door/ in my parents house but had a bit of a breakthrough today by showing him a biscuit using sit/wait then lobbing it out across the garden before using his release word seems he forgets about the door once he has had a wee

I found that tabasco source works very well. Alfie won't even go near the smell of it never mind taste it! Although it does temporarily dye things pink!!!