The lobby shouldn’t be the hardest part of every walk

Why lobbies and elevators are uniquely hard

Most leash training advice assumes you can increase distance from a trigger. Step back, give your dog space, reward calm behavior from across the street. But in an elevator, there is no "across the street." You’re in a metal box with a stranger and their dog, and everyone is pretending this is fine.

Lobbies are similar. They’re narrow, echoing, full of interesting smells, and the one place where every dog in your building eventually shows up. Your dog can’t rehearse calm behavior if they’re constantly being surprised by other dogs in a space where escape isn’t possible.

These confined spaces require a different training approach — one built around tight-space management, predictable routines, and threshold training at specific doorways and transition points.

Common lobby and elevator challenges

• Pulling toward or lunging at other dogs in the lobby
• Barking or whining in the elevator, especially when others get on
• Refusing to enter the elevator or bolting out when the doors open
• Dragging you through the lobby to get outside faster
• Reactivity that escalates because your dog starts every walk already over threshold
• Anxiety-related behaviors: panting, trembling, or freezing in confined spaces

If your dog shows genuine fear in the elevator (trembling, refusal, whale eyes), start with the elevator anxiety protocol in Bubbas before working on lobby reactivity. Fear needs to be addressed before you can train alternative behaviors.

What you’ll work on in Bubbas

Bubbas breaks lobby and elevator training into specific sub-skills. Instead of trying to fix everything at once, you’ll work on each transition point separately: your front door, the hallway, the elevator, the lobby, and the building exit.

• Threshold training at every door: teaching your dog to wait and check in with you before crossing each boundary
• Elevator desensitization: gradual exposure to the elevator environment, sounds, and motion
• Lobby focus exercises: maintaining attention on you while passing through the busiest area
• Management gear guidance: front-clip harness fitting and proper leash handling for tight spaces
• A "let’s go" cue for moving past distractions smoothly instead of pulling through them

The front-clip harness and why it matters here

In wide-open spaces, any decent harness works. In a lobby or elevator, the right gear is the difference between a manageable moment and a rodeo. A front-clip harness redirects your dog’s forward momentum toward you instead of away, giving you steering control in spaces where there’s no room to maneuver.

Bubbas’ plan includes guidance on harness selection, proper fitting, and how to use the front-clip redirect as a training tool — not just a management crutch. The goal is a dog who doesn’t need the redirect, but the harness keeps everyone safe while you get there.

Your first week: building the lobby routine

Week one focuses on creating a predictable sequence your dog can rely on. Predictability reduces anxiety, and reduced anxiety means less reactivity.

• Days 1–2: Practice threshold training at your apartment door. Your dog waits, checks in with you, then walks through. No hallway work yet — just the door.
• Days 3–4: Extend to the hallway. Walk to the elevator with a loose leash, rewarding check-ins. If another dog appears, do a calm U-turn and go home. Try again in five minutes.
• Days 5–7: Begin elevator work. Ride an empty elevator up and down, rewarding calm behavior. Practice the full sequence: door → hallway → elevator → lobby → outside. Track each segment in the app.

If your building has stairs as an alternative, use them during the first few days while you build the elevator skill separately. Bubbas adjusts your plan based on your building layout.