One of the most challenging and frustrating behaviors that many dog guardians experience with their canine companions is when someone knocks on the front door. Dogs seems to go into some kind of medieval warrior role as if their Canine Castle was about to be invaded. God forbid the doorbell rings! And oh my word, don’t even think about letting someone waltz calmly into their home. If a dog has any “dog sense” at all, they are going to freak out a bit when a stranger arrives. They are programmed to respond and protect!
Most dogs will dash to the door in a panic while barking wildly. If you live with more than one dog it’s probably not unheard of to be literally run over by frenzied dogs while you are trying to even get to the door. And forget about even trying to open the door with a dog that’s determined to get to the Stranger Danger on the other side of their Doggie Castle!
Once the door dashing chaos has subsided and you are able to let the guest inside (without a dog escaping), then the fun really begins. The dogs are jumping up on the person as they are entering your home. Slobber is flying. Tails are whacking. You’re utterly embarrassed and equally aggravated. You find yourself yanking and yelling at the dog to “GET OFF!” your frightened and overwhelmed guest.
Well, all of that chaos can be managed and even eliminated.
In the video below, Victoria Stilwell’s teaches you how to train your canine companions to stay calm and stay put when the doorbell rings!
IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE:
- Victoria never raised her voice.
- She never became aggravated, irritated, or impatient with the dog.
- She remained calm and patient throughout.
- She never forced the dog to do anything.
- She allowed the dog to have a mental break.
- She let the dog be a willing participant.
This is how all animal training should happen. I promise you will see faster and more accurate results when you use these positive training methods.
Note: A “release cue” is how you let the dog know that it’s OK to stop doing what you’ve just commanded. For example, if you say “sit” the dog should remain sitting until you say the “release cue” word or phrase. A very common one is “OK”.
Check out more helpful dog training tips from Victoria here.
Conscious Companion® 
This is a wonderful site; I have learned a lot here, keep up the good work. Another place I learned from is a book that I purchased on Amazon. “I wana know what love is.” is the title. It is a Kindle book that teaches you everything anyone would want to know about how to train their pet from puppyhood on to adulthood. After reading this book, I was able to get control of my Yorkies and stop all their bad behavior. For example, to break your pet from jumping on you with his front feet, it’s best not to be a “No” person, which is negative. Teach your pet how to “sit”, this will give you control of your pet in a positive way. Once you teach your pet basic commands of sit, stay, lay down, come when called, and release, the rest is easy. Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HKK22EA
Best book I have ever read on the subject
Cheers
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Dwight, thank you for the feedback! I’m glad to hear you’re learning some cool things here and enjoying the posts! I’ll have to check out that book. Thanks for the recommendation!
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