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For many years, I, too, have been practicing that the dog sits at the door. I open it. If he moves, I close it. Once the dog is given permission, he can accompany me through the doorway.
Recently, I had a trainer suggest that you teach the dog to go out the door first. I was hesitant to buy into this since my dog can be reactive. How can I let him out in front of me and still be able to redirect him?
So, before going outside to try this, practice it in every doorway in your house. With the dog on leash, approach the threshold. Send the dog through first (???? i know right?! lol)
As soon as the dog passes through the threshold, keep hold of his leash and call his name. As he turns to look at you, “Praise phrase” and reward him excitedly. Randomly go through doorways in the house. If your dog starts to push ahead without your consent, keep hold of his leash and call his name. “Praise phrase” and reward him excitedly as he snaps back his attention to you.
By creating clear expectations and providing great rewards to reinforce the desired behavior, you can use this “praise phrase” in many different situations.