This is blind-and-deaf Spinner on our front step this afternoon. She was waiting not only for me to open the door for her, but to give her "the touch," as I call it. Somewhere along the way she decided that she would not go through an open door until I had given her permission, and her chosen signal was for me to lightly touch her on the nose with my hand.
I did not train her to do this. She trained me. I don’t really remember when Spinner and I figured this out together, but early on I had a problem getting her to understand that it was okay to come in the house. She’d stand at the door, knowing it was open because she could smell the inside air coming out, but she wouldn’t go in. So I finally tapped her on the nose with my hand, and she shot right into the house.
"Oh, I get it," I said to myself.
Now whenever she’s at the front or back door, she waits patiently … head pointed up in the air … for "the touch" that tells her to come in. And in she goes.
Interestingly enough, as soon as I touch her nose, she puts her ears down. She does the same thing when we blow on her (our other way to communicate). It’s recognition of some sort, as if it’s her way of saying, "Okay, thanks, message received. Here I come!"
Rolling Dog Farm Blog 
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