How to Train Your Dog to Bark When Someone Is at the Door

Hello Bridgette, First, know that what you described is normal for basic obedience, especially at this age - the initial goal is just to teach pup what a word means and motivate them to learn. What comes next is intermediate obedience. For intermediate obedience, you will gradually work up to distractions and pup developing the skills to obey in those situations too - at first the distraction might be someone walking through the room, a squirrel in the yard, a leaf blowing by, ect...Start with less distracting environments, then gradually move onto harder environments and spend intentional time practicing in each of those new environments until pup can focus there too. For example, in your home without others around is easiest, your backyard is a bit harder, your front yard is even harder, your neighborhood is even hard, your home with guests present is even harder, a pet store is even harder, ect...Go out of your way to practice at the current level pup needs to learn at and to create the distractions pup is ready to learn to overcome during training sessions when you can control things - so that pup can also respond when things are more out of your control in every day life, but keep the distraction level what pup is ready for at that point in the training so pup can still succeed with your help - the goal is to guide pup and provide consistent, calm boundaries at this point. Second, it's time to start phasing out treats. First, ask pup to do a command to earn things they want in every day life, like before you open the door for a walk pup wants to go on, tell pup Sit, then wait to open the door until they do - even if you wait for fifteen minutes the first time. If your consistent pup should learn that you mean what you say and start obeying more quickly as you practice. This takes you being more persistent than pup. To practice come, use a long training leash, call pup to come in an environment they like to go explore, then keep the leash tight enough they can't get to what they want, until they finally come. When they come, then give more slack in the leash and let them sniff that bush or say hello if it's safe, as a reward for obeying. When you do use treats, only give a treat for something new your are teaching, for pup practicing something at a harder level than usual, like at a park when they normally just practice at home, for better obedience than normal - like a come where pup ran over right away instead of slowly walked over, or at random intervals, like every third time pup comes. Keep treats hidden in pockets or a treat bag that's tucked under your shirt out of sight and don't show pup the treat until AFTER they have obeyed. If you show pup the treat beforehand in order to get pup to obey at this point in the training, the treat becomes a bride and a dog will learn to only obey if you show the treat first. You want pup to obey not knowing whether they will be rewarded or not, like a surprise. Always praise pup for obedience though. Third, you may need to switch some of your training methods now that pup knows the commands and is sometimes choosing to disobey. For example, when teaching Sit I would first recommend using the Treat Luring method from the article linked below. Once pup knows that method well and has worked up to some distractions, I would enforce my command using the Pressure method from that same article when pup chooses to disobey something they know. The pressure method will still reward some but will also give a gentle consequence for disobedience to encourage pup to obey even when they don't find it as fun. Sit - Pressure method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-puppy-to-sit Some other methods to help enforce commands when pup is ready: Reel In method for Come: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-whippet-to-recall Turns method for Heel: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel The Leash Pressure method for down: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-to-lay-down Finally, check out the Consistency and the Working method from the article I have linked below. You can use everyday things pup wants as motivators to get pup to obey, such as telling pup to Sit before giving breakfast and waiting until they do so before putting the food down. Often you will have to wait pup out pretty long the first time, fifteen minutes being normal. Repeat your command just once every five minutes. When pup finally complies, give the food and praise calmly. As pup sees that you are consistent, calm, and firm, pup should start to obey more quickly as you practice. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you A drag leash can also be kept on pup when you are home to supervise, to ensure it doesn't get caught on things. When you give pup a command like Leave It, Place, Off, Come, Out, ect...You can calmly pick up the end of the leash and help pup follow through with your command, like walking pup over to where you called them from originally, showing pup that you mean what you say and they need to follow through without having to get angry or let pup get away with ignoring you. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

June 24, 2022

Hello! This behavior is actually fairly simple to correct, although the process is tedious. You will be slowly desensitizing him to the sound of the doorbell. Practice having someone ring the doorbell and as soon as the bell rings, you ask him to sit. Once he sits, give him a treat. Practice this with him on leash, and you may have to show him the treats before you start with the doorbell so he is a little more focused on you. But you will practice this on repeat until he completely stops responding to the doorbell. It could take up to about a month of consistent daily practice to correct this. And you very well may have to wait a good 5 minutes for him to calm down the first few times and that is ok and normal. Once he really understands that the calm behavior is what you are after, it will start to click.

Jan. 19, 2021