Gunner was my first Greyhound, adopted in December of 1993. I lost him in September 2000.

He taught me a lot. And I like to sometimes reflect on the things I have learned from my dogs.

The Open Door Story has a few lessons to go along with it.

Gunner was a very smart boy. People generally do not think of Greyhounds when they are considering which breeds are the smartest. I would suggest that be reconsidered. . .

When I first adopted Gunner, I was renting the basement of my parents' house while I was looking for my own place. While I was at work all day, Gunner stayed in the basement (fully finished).

At first he was in his crate, but once he settled in, I started leaving him loose in the basement while I was gone. I never had any problems with him chewing anything or being destructive.

One day I arrived home and he was on the main floor of the house. Huh. I was pretty sure that the door to the basement was closed when I left. But it must not have been latched fully.

Next time I made certain the door was fully latched and closed.

I arrived home, and once again, he was on the main floor and the basement door was open. Huh. How did that happen?

Turns out, that Gunner had taught himself how to turn the knob and open the door all on his own!

These were round doorknobs, not the lever-type doors that are popular these days. Once I looked closer, I could actually see his teeth marks on the doorknob where he gripped the knob to turn and open the door.

That was impressive, especially since he was having to stand on the stairs coming up and still reach the knob.

So, now I had a dog who could open doors and let himself in or out.

What did I learn from Gunner at this time?

Lesson #1, Good management is essential. While dogs are still learning, management is an important part of the process. Things like keeping doors closed to areas you do not want your dog to be in when you are not there.

Lesson #2. Good management is a relative term. I thought I had good management in place by keeping that basement door closed, so that he was confined to one floor of the house and not loose in the entire house. Clearly, keeping doors closed for him was not as good of a management plan as I had once assumed!

Lesson #3. When one door closes, another opens. Heard that saying before? Yep, well, Gunner taught me that “when one door closes, just open it up yourself!” Why wait for another opportunity? Just create your own!

Lesson #4. If you think opposable thumbs are required to open doors, think again!

Lesson #5. Never let obstacles like closed doors stop you from accomplishing your goals. If you want something go for it!

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