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7 Secrets to Keeping Your Dog Calm When The Doorbell Rings
From the postman with a parcel to a friend popping by for a cup of tea, your doorbell probably rings at least once a day.
If your dog doesn’t react, it’s no big deal. But we know from first-hand experience at Tug-E-Nuff that if you have a dog that goes bananas every time the doorbell rings, it can quickly become tiresome.
What causes doorbell barking?
First up, we need to look at why some dogs bark and jump all over the place when the doorbell rings.
For lots of dogs, it 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 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.
So, what’s the secret to changing their behaviour?
The key here is to associate the sound of the doorbell with something positive for the dog (usually, a treat or a game of tug with their favourite Tug-E-Nuff toy).
This won’t happen on its own. You need to plan in some time for training…
- Ask your dog to sit near the door, with a treat ready.
- Ring the doorbell. If they do not 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.
- Only offer the treat when they react calmly.
- Remain patient and calm at all times. Train in short sessions to avoid frustration. Be prepared for a few set-backs.
- Over time, you will no longer need to offer a treat each time – but always praise them.
- NEVER punish your dog for barking at the doorbell. Never shout or growl back at them. This could actually make things worse.
- Positive reinforcement (and lots of time and patience) is the only way to change an established behaviour like doorbell barking.
After the barking… comes the leaping!
If your dog adds leaping all over your visitors to the barking frenzy, here’s a bonus game to teach them to keep all 4 paws on the floor!
HOW TO PLAY:
- Grab a pre-filled Clam, our clever treat dispensing Tug-E-Nuff toy that rewards your dog for using their nose to search out treats.
- Have a visitor or helper come in and start with your dog on a lead so you can keep your distance - ask your dog to sit.
- When your dog sits, drop The Clam to the ground and encourage your dog to keep all fours on the paws while they sniff out their reward.
- Keep this game calm, so try not to throw The Clam too fast or too far.
Your goal is to calm your dog down and give them a rewarding activity to focus on that isn’t leaping all over your guests! Rinse and repeat the game, building your dog’s ability to resist temptation to jump up in favour of the reward for keeping their patient paws on the ground.
Thanks to our followers on Facebook who asked for help with doorbell barking. Are you following us?
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