It is truly annoying when you have a dog that always barks at the door. Whether it is a visitor, the pizza delivery man or just your spouse or children coming home from work or school, the barking never seems to cease. It can be really frustrating especially when you cannot control your pooch’s very hyper and noisy attitude whenever this door situation happens. However, do not get discouraged when you see this kind of behavior from your pet. There are certain ways that you can do to successfully make him quiet without shouting at him or hurting him physically. Read on to learn more about how to stop a dog from barking at the door.
- Setting up the plan. Find someone that can help you train your dog. It could be a loved one or a friend. You will be reenacting a knocking and ringing doorbell situation at your door and you will need this person to be outside and do this part of scenario for you. You would not want to train your dog on a real visitor. That could lead to disastrous results.
- Treats and leash on the side. Prepare a whole bunch of dog treats (make sure that it is something that your dog loves) and a leash. Put it near the door but it should be in a place where it is completely out of reach from your canine. This way, you can get the treats quickly every time someone is at the door.
- Calm yourself. Before you start, set your mind and attitude. You are about to create a positive interruption. This means shouting, harsh words, high pitched voice tones, spanking and water spray bottles are completely prohibited during the course of this training session. It is very important that you are patient at all times.
- And the action begins! Tell the person in charge outside your door to wait for your signal before knocking and ringing the doorbell. Get ready with your treats and put your dog on a leash. Make the signal. When your dog starts to bark, say “Hush” or “Be Quiet” in a very soft and slow tone. This will distract your pup and will stop barking for a split minute. Take advantage of this by immediately giving your dog treats while praising and maintaining eye contact. Repeat this step until your dog stops barking on the door but will just focus on you and your treats instead.
The key to training your dog not to bark at your door is to consistently follow these very effective steps. It is very important that you do this every single time that you hear someone knock or ring the doorbell. Make sure that you always maintain eye contact. Instead of shouting, give him commands in a very soft and slow voice. This will not excite him and the low sound of your voice will definitely distract him from the high pitch screams of your doorbell or with the fast raps of someone’s knocks. Keep on doing this everyday, even when your dog has already stopped barking at the door. Good luck and do not forget to have fun!