Prop it open before it locks
Before relying on the electronics at all, prop the flap fully open, or remove it entirely if the frame allows, so your dog can walk through the opening without pushing against anything. Let them go back and forth freely over a few days until walking through that spot in the wall feels completely normal. Only once they're relaxed with the opening itself should you reintroduce the actual flap.
Introduce the flap's resistance gradually
Once the flap is back in place but not yet locked or programmed, hold it open yourself and encourage your dog through with a treat on the other side, gradually giving them less help each time so they start nudging it open themselves. Some flaps are stiffer than others straight out of the box; a flap that's too heavy for a small or nervous dog to push confidently is worth adjusting if the manufacturer allows a tension setting, since a dog that gets a fright from an unexpectedly stiff flap can become wary of the whole door.
Pair the sound and motion with something positive
Electronic locks click, beep, or hum when they unlock, and that sound alone can spook a dog the first few times, especially a noise-sensitive one. Stand near the door during early sessions and reward calmly the moment the flap unlocks and your dog walks through, so the sound becomes associated with something good rather than something startling. Doing this at a quiet time of day, not during a storm or a busy household moment, sets the first experience up to go smoothly.
Confirm the chip is actually registered and reading reliably
Before you assume a training issue, check the practical side: is your dog's chip correctly paired in the door's memory, and is the sensor's read range wide enough that your dog doesn't need to stand in one precise spot for it to unlock? A door that unlocks unreliably, requiring your dog to pause and wait, teaches hesitation fast, and a dog that's been startled by a flap failing to unlock in time sometimes avoids the door altogether afterward. Testing the door yourself with the chip a few times, at different approach speeds and angles, catches this before it becomes a training problem.
Patience for nervous or older dogs
Puppies usually adapt within a few days; older dogs, especially ones used to a different kind of door or no pet door at all, can take a couple of weeks of consistent, low-pressure exposure. Never force a dog through by pushing them from behind, since that's the fastest way to create a lasting fear of the flap. If your dog remains anxious about the door after a genuine few weeks of gentle, consistent training, it's worth checking the flap's weight, the sensor's reliability, and whether the door's position, near a busy area, a loud appliance, is adding stress that has nothing to do with the door itself.
