How to Get Your Dog to Stop Barking at the Door

Рет қаралды 47,817

3 жыл бұрын

Barking at the door can be one of those "annoying" habits dogs do that people tend to get frustrated with. But let's face it, everything exciting happens at the door. Guess what happens when it rings? You always answer it, and there is always someone on the other side! That can be both fun and scary to different dogs. This process I take you through can help with both of those dogs.
This video is just an introduction to the process, with the next steps being what you would like your dog to do instead. That is where I would look at my mat training video ( • How to Train Your Dog ... ) as a potential option.
Note: This video can also help dogs who are sound sensitive - the same concepts that I am talking about apply :)
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Пікірлер: 74

@acdawe216 3 жыл бұрын

My dog starts barking in response to the doorbell in your video. Guess I have to start this training, too 😉 very well explained, thanks for bringing up really useful topics.

@sarahcertified 2 жыл бұрын

Haha, well that's one way to find out! Thank you, and good luck with training!

@wordsbykatarina Жыл бұрын

me too LOL

@victoria31benson 3 жыл бұрын

This is awesome, thanks Sarah!

@NarenBRao 3 жыл бұрын

You’re addressing the most important stuff! Thank you!

@sarahcertified 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching Naren!

@doglife8882 3 жыл бұрын

You make some really great videos. Thanks so much!

@RosaCastillo-op3xm 3 жыл бұрын

It's very useful, Thank you so much!!!!

@jennyjim4291 3 жыл бұрын

I will give this a try thankyou! I wish i would have done this earlier with my dog but it’s never too late to start

@sarahcertified 3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely! Never too late to start these things 🤗

@charisginn6932 Жыл бұрын

This is a super smart strategy! Def gonna try this with my dog 👍

@sarahcertified Жыл бұрын

Awesome! Best of luck!

@mygardeninghaven 20 күн бұрын

Best video and most detailed video I’ve seen thanks so much! How often should you practice this with a new puppy? E.g every day?

@wordsbykatarina Жыл бұрын

Very great video!

@sarahcertified Жыл бұрын

Thank you, glad you liked it!

@Renvaar1989 Жыл бұрын

He knows when I'm playing a fake sound or fake knocking... When its an actual person at the door, my dog ignores all treats and goes absolutely insane... I'm at my wits end.

@sarahcertified Жыл бұрын

I have just added the next steps of this to my filming schedule! I can make a video on the next steps to this and how to break down a person being on the other side of the door. Thank you for the idea :)

@evry1loveronica 2 жыл бұрын

This is so smart! I’ll start doing this tmr, hopefully it works on mine too

@sarahcertified 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Take your time and move at your dog's pace, this can take a couple of weeks depending on the dog!

@palzone2443 Жыл бұрын

How'd it go?

@pelotontherapyy 9 ай бұрын

I guess not so well

@frost1183 2 ай бұрын

I did this exact same thing and then looked up how it’s done and it looks like the same thing cool! Do you still give a treat if they bark ?

@benchmarkequestrian3421 6 ай бұрын

I love this, and this worked perfect at my house. My dog was a star! But I have a boarding barn where I work at with Horses and customers, and when he’s in the tack room and customers walk in and out of the door, without knocking, he gets very anxious. Often times he’s lying right by the door when people come in or he’s back in the corner. But definitely if it’s a new person he hasn’t seen he will charge the person and the door when they walk in. Familiar people he just stays where he is. What can I do about this?

@sarahcertified 3 ай бұрын

Lots of management in this situation mixed with some counter conditioning. Putting up a crate, ex-pen, or tether station will be helpful so your dog can't practice charging at people that are walking in. Then instructing people he doesn't know to ignore him, while you have some high value treats ready to go. Person walks in equals he gets yummy snacks from you. Person goes away, snacks stop.

@turn-n-burn1421 4 ай бұрын

Also, how about knocking or ringing after disappearing outside for maybe 5 minutes (sit on the steps or something)? I was a UPS delivery driver for a few years before I moved on to tractor trailers. One of my dogs was around in those days and would get excited at the sound of my truck, then at any UPS delivery truck. Then when I retired we moved quite a bit away and now when the UPS, FedEx or whoever comes, this particular dog trained the new dog that those noises are exciting and thus the entire house needs alerted to this exciting event. It's extremely frustrating.

@sarahcertified 3 ай бұрын

I totally get it. Our dogs barking at these things is such a natural response, it can be really difficult to "get rid of it" entirely. However, we can teach them to turn it off when you ask them to. I made a video on how to teach this, if it is helpful: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/l910ftZeuNK3gIU.html

@coles7811 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for this video. How do the dogs know you’re not rewarding/encouraging their barking? My dog is nuts with the door and passerbyers, I don’t want her to think I’m treating her for the actual barking. Is it more of a distraction thing, being the treats taking their attention away from needing to bark?

@sarahcertified Жыл бұрын

Hey Cole, good question! You can kind of make this what you want. Personally, I like a few initial barks from my dogs when someone is at the door. I like people to know I have dogs if I am ever home alone. BUT I also like to turn the barking off. So with this exercise, I would encourage my dogs to bark a couple of times, then reward them for stopping. So the behavior chain I am making is "bark a few times, then stop when I tell you to". If you want the barking to stop completely, you would need to teach an alternative behavior. What I talk about in this video is a good way to get started by breaking the barking pattern from the start by making a new association with the door (treats happen!). But long term, you would want to then build a new behavior into the sound of the door. For example, door now equals to get your human, or go lie down on your bed. I hope this makes sense! It really just depends on what you want in the end!

@CamilleGG451 2 жыл бұрын

Now if only I could not get stressed when the doorbell rings. 😆 Ima get a bag of candy corns this weekend and find the online sounds! Just kidding. Sort of. Not really 😳

@sarahcertified 2 жыл бұрын

HA! I love this so much! Positive reinforcement for the people!

@CamilleGG451 2 жыл бұрын

@@sarahcertified Well and you know a funny thing about this whole doorbell thing is, what do the humans often do when the doorbell rings? We start running towards the dang thing yelling "I'll get it!!!" That can't help 😄. (Our poor dogs- they have to constantly figure out the crazy humans) So, also, trying to make sure we don't spaz out with door is important! Thanks for your video! 😊

@loriwilley7129 3 жыл бұрын

Sarah.... I watched the recall video a bit ago and now I can’t find it. Can you repost it??? I need a refresher as I’m working on that with Fen. Thanks

@sarahcertified 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Lori! I haven’t taken any of my videos down, it should still be there! Do you remember which one it was? The one that took place outside or inside?

@loriwilley7129 3 жыл бұрын

I found it!!! Sorry!!!!

@nicolecampellone8293 2 жыл бұрын

This is great. How long do you suggest we practice this for- how many minutes per day/times per day?

@erictovar537 2 жыл бұрын

As often as possible for 5-10 min a time, twice a day minimum I’d say for a couple weeks. Ok to miss some days. Continue follow up practice after the two weeks, even if the dog mastered it! Good to reinforce

@sarahcertified 2 жыл бұрын

I'll add to this, I would shorten the time if your dog really reacts strongly to the sound of the door. We don't want to stress the dog out from doing this too often. That is if your dog has a pretty intense reaction to it!

@daisyacevedo5644 2 жыл бұрын

Would the whole knocking from the outside then coming in also start help my dog to stop jumping on people when they come in. Like does it get him to associate knocking and coming in (to good behavior) = treats?

@sarahcertified 2 жыл бұрын

If you also want to use it for that, I might add in...knock happens outside, you walk inside and toss treats behind him. This will set the expectation that knocking means look for treats away and behind. He will start to hang out farther from the door just by hearing the knock this way. Then you can have others do this with him as well.

@audreymagny9263 2 ай бұрын

What if she goes crazy when people just get in, without knocking? Do you do the same proccess without knocks? My brother in law lives with us and she goes craaazy when he gets in (even if she sees him everyday), but he doesn't knock since he lives here. She always pees also when somebody gets in (reother in law as well. With everybody except me actually). She's a rescue and I also think she was a bit traumatized caus' she pees when we speak loudly as well... Do you have any trick for that ? Thank you :)

@christianreza144 Жыл бұрын

How many treats do u give them eash sessions and how often are the sessions?

@sarahcertified Жыл бұрын

I tend to just eyeball the amount of treats I’m giving out, and take that into account for their daily portion of food. Depends on what I’m working on, but I typically only have time for once a day with my dogs

@haymakerhank9206 3 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately my daughters dog barks at the sound of car doors closing and/or the beep from locking door. It’s gotten to the point where it’s either the dog or the both of them to move out.

@sarahcertified 3 жыл бұрын

I am sorry it has gotten to that point. If you want to work on it, this video is a good place to start. But I would also highly recommend reaching out to a local trainer in your area to help with the situation. I hope you are able to find a good solution.

@SoulCompanionServices 3 жыл бұрын

What about the opposite? What if you're deaf and your 'soon-to-be-puppy' will be a service dog. I will need my dog to alert me. Do you have tips how to get your dog to alert when someone's knocking? Would you recommend the dog come get me versus barking? Thank you! I love all your videos btw

@sarahcertified 3 жыл бұрын

Great question Allie! You can pair knocking with a specific behavior like coming and sitting in front of you. Each time a knock happens, call your puppy over and click/treat. Pretty soon they will pair those two things together - knocking equals I find my owner.

@SoulCompanionServices 3 жыл бұрын

@@sarahcertified would you recommend getting an additional person involved to knock on the door? Thank you

@sarahcertified 3 жыл бұрын

Yes! I would absolutely have a helper for that.

@sarajalbert4285 3 жыл бұрын

do you give that amount of treats everyday to your dog or is it his meal time that you use tu train his brain?

@sarahcertified 3 жыл бұрын

I mostly use Wrigley’s kibble for inside training, that gets portioned up throughout the day to use some of it for training. Any actual treats I mix in I account for with her overall food intake.

@jrr2045 Жыл бұрын

Question: what about dogs that do well with the exercise but it doesn't translate to real life. I've tried this exact thing with my dog. Many many times. But it seems he very quickly understands that the doorbell sound isn't the real doorbell. He also isn't reactive at all when I'm doing the knocking and ringing. He does really well and only barks the first time I play the sounds. He doesn't bark at all at any of the steps after that. Not even if I go outside and knock. But as soon as someone rings the doorbell for real, he goes mental. I try to do the desensitization a couple of times each month, but it's been three years and he still barks his head off at the sound of the door.

@sarahcertified Жыл бұрын

This is a great question! I would recommend having a family member, friend, or neighbor help you out with this. Invite them over and start with your dog on leash, and the front door wide open. Allow your dog to say hello to the helper (ideally someone your dog already knows). Start with the helper knocking on the door/ringing the bell with it propped open. Now it isn't you doing it, but somebody else. Your dog may make the connection immediately, but still feed the moment the knocking and doorbell happen. Gradually work your way up to the door being closed, and your helper knocks on the door/rings the doorbell. Do this exercise several times. As your dog does well like this, have people randomly drop by to knock on the door/ring the doorbell. Even if a little barking happens, still pair the sounds of the door with tossed food. Your dog is just smart enough to know when it is somebody else on the other side of the door, and is ready for that step!

@jrr2045 13 күн бұрын

Thank you. I'm still working on this. My dog is a chihuahua and sadly a super smart one 😂 He now only alerts at strangers. He seems to be aware already when a car pulls up, if it's not a car he recognizes. I tried interrupting at that point, when a new car pulls up but it is not something I can get enough repetition on. I've tried your suggestions and it has helped somewhat. But yeah, he still barks when people he doesn't know are at the door. I guess I have to recruit random people off fiverr to ring the doorbell to finally be bark free..what a challenge this dog is😂

@gemini6828 2 жыл бұрын

So if you condition your dog that he needs a treat every time the door bell rings or there's a knock on the door, what are you going to do if your dog is near the door and you're in the shower or other room or run out of treats?

@sarahcertified 2 жыл бұрын

This is just the first piece of creating what is called a "conditioned emotional response". Basically changing your dogs feelings towards the door making sounds into a more positive, happy feeling. Once we get that, then I would recommend teaching an alternative behavior, or you can teach a quiet cue.

@yellow8172 9 ай бұрын

How many minutes per day should I practice this with my dog? And should I do each thing on separate days, or is it OK to do a couple things in the same day?

@sarahcertified 8 ай бұрын

It completely depends on the dog. I'd start at just a few minutes per day, then you might up that if your dog is doing well with it. Same with the number of things to work on, if your dog can handle more, then give them more!

@anthonyd3907 3 жыл бұрын

First, thanks for the video. Second, are there any other ways to stop a dog from barking at the door, since i don't find it very practical to always give treats, and what if i dont have a treat on me one day? Will the behavior come back?

@sarahcertified 3 жыл бұрын

This is something to work on for a long term solution, and it does require maintenance (with going back to practice it) every so often. I recommend a positive interrupter (something like a kissy sound or whistle) to redirect your dog when they are barking at the door. Then ask them to do some other behavior you would prefer instead. This also requires lots of practice though!

@goldstar846 7 ай бұрын

it so hard when you have 2. They trigger each other and someone at the door is an absolute shit show at my house. They bark and jump...and then as I try to restrain them they start brawling. 😕

@sarahcertified 4 ай бұрын

I'm so sorry you are dealing with this! I would highly recommend reaching out to a trainer or behaviorist in your area to help you work through this. I'm happy to send you links to databases that can help with the search if you'd like.

@rockystein1977 Жыл бұрын

Our pup does not bark at a trigger like that doorbell just randomly…what do you suggest?

@sarahcertified Жыл бұрын

You may teach a quiet cue instead! Wait for a pause in the barking, say "enough or thank you" in that moment, then click and feed. You will be rewarding the barking to some degree, but we would also be teaching the dog that barking then being quiet is the game.

@turn-n-burn1421 4 ай бұрын

I'm just stopping this for a moment. Isn't it possible that once they've become conditioned to a treat when the doorbell or a knock occurs that they will get amped up merely by the thought a treat is about to happen and start barking because of the excitement?

@sarahcertified 3 ай бұрын

Yes, this is definitely a possibility. In that case, I would pause this and make sure that I am only rewarding the dog when I get quiet from them, even for half a second. Build this back up without the barking.

@joelknuf3435 Жыл бұрын

But my dog keeps punchin the door with his paw

@catedoss1556 3 жыл бұрын

Roxanne believes she’s the queen of all she surveys, so if she sees the neighbor across the street, she needs to warn me of the threat. 🙄

@sarahcertified 3 жыл бұрын

Lol she will forever be your protector Cate!

@stephaniehalvorson4021 3 жыл бұрын

I couldn’t even watch this video cause my dog was getting ticked by it lol

@sarahcertified 3 жыл бұрын

Haha, ya headphones are advised!

@TRUTH64 6 ай бұрын

My dogs are sitting next to me not barking as your door bell and knocking sounds go off. But they will go berserk when it’s my actual door Maybe my dogs are beyond help 😂

@sarahcertified 4 ай бұрын

Haha, use my video to help start the training then!