Too smart for his own good - Help please!

[R0ckets]

We have a 1 year old rescue and he's settled in beautifully and despite some hiccups we're slowly seeing him turn into a lovely family pet however he's too damn smart for his own good despite training, brain games, puzzle toys etc.

Anyway his new game is to open doors and despite blocking with baby gates, using childproof locks and now changing the blooming handles from lever ones to round knobs he can still get the doors open when left unsupervised.

Despite extensive googling I have not found any other solutions and am hoping you clever lot can help me outsmart the four legged fiend.

Oh ours is 11 mo and a total teenage dickhead, driving us crazy but he's lovely when he's not humping and eating the sofa

Would a wedge door stop under the door from the outside stop him? Obviously won't work if the doors open inwards.

Just put high-up bolts on the rooms he’s not allowed in?

If he’s otherwise non-destructive but just doesn’t like closed doors (my rescue is like this), then allow him to ‘escape’ the rooms you shut him in, but prevent him from entering the ones he mustn’t go in. With high up discreet bolts.

Now this is exactly the issue we had. I ended up getting heavy duty hook and eye locks and we have them on the internal doors downstairs. It's not ideal but it absolutely works. We tried everything, but apart from the hook and eyes it was all a game - a game he could win 🙄

Does he jump the extra-tall baby gates? What about putting two babygates on the door - one on top of the other? Awkward but could work?

Have you recorded him to see what sort of state he's in when he's left alone?

I'm so curious, what sort of dog is Bear?

Cos I want one!

I agree with the thinking on this.

If he's going into rooms he's doing it for a reason and the reason is unlikely to be just because he enjoys opening doors.

I'd start with the WHY and work back from there.

Is he bored while you're all out?
Is there something in the room he wants?
Is he trying to get out of the bit of the house he's in?
Are there specific rooms he tries to get into?
Which room does he target first?

Those kind of questions. That may lead you to the why and give you other options to dissuade the behaviour.

Otherwise it's lockable door handles that have emergency release on the other side. Like you get on bathroom doors.

Thanks for the advice looks like I'll be going lock shopping. Although it's encouraging to see others have such clever pups.

Unfortunately wedges won't work as the doors open inwards and yes he can jump tall baby gates like they aren't even there reminiscent or a bloody Olympic hurdler.

He's recorded whilst we're out and is absolutely fine apart from getting up to mischief. I blame the teenage hormones. Like any teen the minute you say no he deliberately does the opposite. 😅

He's a complete mix of a dog I've no idea what kind of breed unfortunately a real heinz variety and one of a kind. Although you're all very welcome to borrow him if he outsmarts the locks.