You’ve probably been in a situation where you invited some people home, and the moment they arrived and rang the doorbell, your dog charged at the door, unleashing a frenzy of ferocious barking.
Don’t worry. There are ways to tackle this troublesome behavior.
Why Do Dogs Bark At The Sound Of A Doorbell?
Before getting into the answer to why your dog is barking at the door, you should know why your dog is engaging in the behavior.
Your dog may bark when a doorbell rings for many reasons. They may be scared by the sound, or they may be excited to meet the person on the other side of the door.
Watch out for these signs to figure out if your dog is scared:
- Ears pulled back
- Low tail
- Shaking or pacing
- Lowered head
If your dog is simply excited, you may see these signs:
- Running straight to the door
- Wagging its tail
- Running back and forth
While you may become frustrated by your pet’s behavior, yelling at them is not going to help either of you. Instead, you should focus on learning your pet’s body language to understand what they are feeling.
How To Stop Dogs From Barking At Apartment Door?
It doesn’t take long to train your dog to be calm and quiet when the doorbell rings, but you must do this consistently for at least a few weeks. You can follow the following steps for training to stop your dog from barking aggressively at the door.
Get Your Dog Used To The Doorbell
Practice makes a human perfect and a dog too. Make sure you make a routine of opening a door with your dog. When the doorbell rings, you can say something like “Someone’s at the door” every time. When you are opening the door, instruct your dog to “Sit”. Adding some yummy treats with your regular phrase will make this even easier for you and your pet.
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Give Clear Instructions
When you give the same instruction over and over, your dog will get used to the routine. It will always know what the next step will be, removing the surprise and fear factor from your dog’s mind.
Keep Practicing
Once you think your dog is ready, ask other members of your family or even friends to ring the doorbell and observe your dog’s reaction. How many of your instructions did they follow? If they follow all the instructions, kudos to your training; if very few, you need a few more weeks with your companion.
Why Does My Dog Bark At The Door So Much?
Your dog may not always bark due to fear or excitement. Sometimes, they may just want your attention.
If your dog is barking excessively, it may be trying to tell you something. Maybe it is unwell or ill due to stomach ache due to eating something it shouldn’t have. Learn how to get a dog to throw up in case it has consumed something toxic.
Another thing that can contribute to this is compulsive barking. Sometimes, dogs will keep barking to hear their own voice.
“So, how do I get my dog to stop barking at the door? Should I just yell at it?” No, yelling is not going to help. Yelling at your dog may cause them stress and anxiety. They may also think you are joining them, making matters worse.
Here are two ways you can stop your dog from barking.
Make Them Understand The Words Quiet Or Stop
Again, don’t yell. Instead, calmly tell your dog to stop barking. When it stops barking, give it a treat. This will make it think that stopping barking when asked is rewarding, and they may start obeying next time.
Use Sign Language
You may not always be able to get in front of your dog and say “quiet”. You may be far from the dog, and you may need to shout for it to hear you. To help in such situations, you can teach your dog some sign language. Try putting your finger on your lips when you say “Quiet.” Reward your dog when it stops barking. This will help them associate the gesture with having to be quiet.
How Do I Get My Dog To Stop Barking At The Door?
How do you stop a dog barking at the front door? There is no perfect strategy that is going to work for all dogs. Some dogs will take time to learn, and some will just never get used to keeping quiet after hearing the doorbell.
Try to understand what is best for your pet, and do not force anything on them, as it can make the situation even worse.
In addition to the methods listed so far, you can also try the following tips to hasten the process:
Change The Doorbell
Changing something like a doorbell is so much easier than asking a living being to change. Changing the doorbell may not bring positive results for some, but others may find that they don’t have to do anything else, as their dog is comfortable with the new doorbell.
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Create A Safe Room
If you find no change in your dog’s behavior after weeks of training, try making them comfortable by providing them with a safe room far from the door. Although they may not stay inside when the doorbell rings, set up a cozy spot for them to sleep, and give them a bone to chew. So, even if your dog hears the bell ringing, it will not react much.
Send Them Out With A Family Member
If you cannot provide a safe, distant room for your dog, you can just ask one of your family members to take it for a walk. This will solve your doorbell and evening walk problem at the same time.
Dogs may bark at the doorbell for a bunch of reasons. Identify the cause of the behavior, and provide them with the best combination of training and behavior management to fix the issue.
