My dog is as thick as mince

[ALemonyPea]

He is an utter fool.

We have a cat flap, which he uses to go out for a wee when he needs to. However, he cannot get himself back in. Instead he sits and cries by the cat flap, with his head poking through it, until we go open the door for him. It's driving me bonkers.

Any ideas how I can train him to use it?

Is it a smaller gap coming in? Ours used to have a frame which lifted as well on the way out, but didn't on the way back, so he may not be completely daft!!

I'm not sure how you'd train him to come in if he can fit through, do you call him? Rewarding with food just makes our dog do the same thing over and over in the expectation of treats. The cat flap wouldn't stop all day!

It's slightly bigger coming in.

The door sometimes catches so is left open (DHs lovely DIY job) so often I sit on the one side and try to coax him in, he doesn't do anything apart from shake and whine.

I've left him out there for over an hour hoping he would get over himself just do it, but no, still sitting there.

I've even tried to push him through to show him he can do it.

He used to come through no problem last winter, then in the summer I left the back door open all day and he seems to have lost the ability.

He is a JRT, very stubborn and strong willed.

Have you tried taping it open so it doesn't sit in his back as he comes through? Our dog is truly thick as mince and I doubt could be trained to use the cat flap at all! But with the cats we taped it wide open for a couple of days then slowly lengthened the tape until it brushed along their backs as they went through and eventually they had no probs pushing it. Think it's the feeling of being 'trapped' by the flap on their back which they dislike sometimes!

He has no problems pushing it open to get out though, so doubt the feeling of it touching his back affects him.

He is a little pest, sitting there now crying to come in.

Is it higher up from outside?

Treat at the other side to encourage him to come through

I think dog intelligence varies a great deal( like humans) I have a lurcher who is pretty smart, he can pick up a new trick easily and when he was younger was very good at agility leaping stiles squeezing through gaps etc, my friends dog is a very similar breed and just looks utterly baffled by stiles, kissing gates etc. Both beautiful much loved dogs though. I also had a pointer that never worked out how to go backwards and destroyed the side of an arm chair in a panic because she couldn't reverse out of a gap. She also used to fall asleep sitting up in front of the fire ( had to get a guard to stop her falling in the fire. She was a failed gun dog, but again a kind loving dog with perhaps additional needs!

Nope, same height.

I have tried treats on the other side. Have to keep the bigger beast away from them though, that one doesn't miss a trick