Tips to keeping dogs calm when someone calls at your door
Danny Nelis-Rouse, owner of motivational toy company Tug-E-Nuff, shares his secret to keeping dogs calm when someone calls at your door.
It might be a fun time of year for humans, but Halloween isn’t a dog’s favourite holiday. It often means constant doorbell rings or knocks, which can send some dogs into a frenzy.
If you’re looking after a dog that goes bananas every time that someone calls at your door, it can quickly become tiresome. However, the good news is that there’s a simple way to change this behaviour.
The key is to associate the sound of the doorbell with something positive for the dog, such as a treat or game of tug with their favourite toy. This won’t happen on its own. You need to plan in some time for training,
Ask the dog to sit near the door, with a treat ready. Then, ring the doorbell and if they don’t react, give them the treat. If they do, show the treat and get them to sit calmly again. Ring the doorbell again and repeat the process. You should only offer the treat when they react calmly, and it’s important to remain patient and calm at all times during training too.
I suggest training in short sessions to avoid frustration and be prepared for a few setbacks. Over time, you’ll no longer need to offer a treat each time, but you should continue to praise them.
Positive reinforcement – and lots of time and patience – is the only way to change an established behaviour like doorbell barking.
What causes doorbell barking?
For lots of dogs, it’s all about excitement and they bark in anticipation of what or who is on the other side of the door – maybe it’s a Tug-E-Nuff delivery.
Other dogs may feel territorial about their home and see someone approaching the door and making a strange ding-dong noise come from it as a threat. Instead of sitting quietly on the sofa, they bark loudly to alert you and as a warning to the person on the other side.
Barking at the doorbell is a really common problem, so if you’re experiencing this, know that you’re not alone and there is a solution – it just requires a little bit of training.
