# how to stop...



## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

barking when the door rings. 
dolce pretty much doesnt have a barking problem except when he hears the bell , i live in an apt bldg so ppl have to buzz the intercom and then buzz upstairs , as soon as they buzz downstairs he goes crazy n doesnt stop until the person is in the house, he does this everytime with the kids,our friends , even when i come home cause i usually dont use my key but ring for the kids to open... he only stops barking when someone carries him or when the person that came in is finally inside.. 

i like that he alerts me that someone is ringing but to continue til they come up n inside really annoys me , how to teach him to stop? any suggestions will be appreciated.


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## Matilda's mommy (Jun 1, 2005)

we use a squirt bottle with water, works everytime:HistericalSmiley: Matilda starts the barking, when B&B barks Matilda shuts up, she's smart and doesn't want to get squirted:HistericalSmiley:


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## yeagerbum (Apr 20, 2010)

hmm I have the same problem with Yeager. He barks when someone puts their key in the door or comes in and stops when the person is in. Yea, and same as Dolce, he stops when someone carries him or that person is inside. I don't know how to stop him!! Since most of the times I'm on the other side of the door trying to get in, can't really use the water bottle method. Even though he's just a little fuzzy ball, it still startles people! Sorry I don't have any advice for you, but I feel ya!


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

getting my spray bottle ready today!! something has to give , because its not even like he only does it to strangers its everyone including me lol ..


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## MandyMc65 (Jun 14, 2007)

You have to teach him that being quiet is more rewarding than barking. Sure the squirt bottle "works" but do you always want to have to search for it or have it on hand? 

He is barking until people come in the door or he gets picked up - he is barking until he gets a reward. Barking = people come in. Barking = people pick me up. He needs to be rewarded for being quiet. If he barks wait for him to pause then click/treat for quiet. 

Teach him a down/wait or go to a mat command and have him do that. He has to be quiet and in a down (it's difficult to bark and lay down) before the person comes in the door. If he gets up or barks the door gets shut, no person comes in and he has to get back into position. 

Start with just touching the door handle, click/treat for quiet/staying. Then turning the knob, click/treat for quiet/staying. Opening the door a crack, click/treat for quiet/staying. Until you can have the door open all the way and a person coming in with him quietly laying on his mat. 

This will also keep him away from the door and prevent him from getting out.  

Being consistent and setting him up to succeed is key. I'd do a few practice sessions every day for a few minutes. Don't push too far and try to manage situations where you haven't set it up. If someone shows up try it and explain to the person what's going on. Start taking your keys so you don't have to get buzzed up. This will prevent him from practicing the behavior you don't want.


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

thanks mandy! im going to practice these things... so question when im home n someone rings the intercom n he barks i usually try to get him to shush but he usually doesnt .. so when do i give him the treat ? as soon as he quiets down? also he doesnt go to the door , theres an invisible line that he never passes hehehe ... i understand what u mean though about teaching him n stopping the behaviour now though..


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## MandyMc65 (Jun 14, 2007)

It's easier to teach them do something else instead of barking/not barking. So when he barks instead of making him "shush", since he doesn't know what that means, have him down. When he's down he'll probably also be quiet click/treat. 

He wants that person to come in the door, so you do not want to let the person in if he is barking. If you have him down you can use the door opening as a reward instead of a treat. But if he barks, the door immediately gets shut again. 

If he can't handle it and you just need to answer the door, let the person in, etc... you can just remove him from the situation. Take him to another room for some quiet time. Just so his barking isn't followed by the door opening and him getting to greet the person.


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

thanks mandy ! i really am going to try to incorporate those tips!


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## Jane and Franklin (May 23, 2010)

Hi,
I have read that to teach your pup to stop barking, you first need to teach them to bark. This way you can limit the barks to say, 3 barks, and say stop/ quiet/ or thank you, then he'll figure out that that's enough to get your attention and alert you to someone coming. Apparently the learning phase involves a lot of noise, and I haven't tried it myself. The woman next door complains if my little guy passes wind in her direction.
Ok, maybe that is a bit over the top, but she dislikes furries, intensely.

This is something that worked for us... 1) Arm yourself with treats 2)Arrange for someone to ring the bell/ buzzer 3) Allow Dolce to alert you (a couple of barks should do it) 4) Put the treat near his nose, and tell him your shush word. Pups can't sniff and bark at the same time. When he's nice and quiet, give him the treat.

Repeat this a couple of times a day, and he'll realise that he doesn't have to bark constantly until someone comes in. He gets to be the security guard, and then the welcome wagon. 

Good luck! 
Jane and Franklin


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## Maltsnme (Feb 7, 2009)

uniquelovdolce said:


> getting my spray bottle ready today!! something has to give , because its not even like he only does it to strangers its everyone including me lol ..


\\

NO don't use squirt gun!!! I'm off to show this morning but maybe Jackie can come in and answer.. if not, I will try and get to this but its been going on for a bit, please don't use a squirt gun!!!! you can cause other behavior issues when you supress behavior by using a negative correction!

karla


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## Maltsnme (Feb 7, 2009)

Jane and Franklin said:


> Hi,
> I have read that to teach your pup to stop barking, you first need to teach them to bark. This way you can limit the barks to say, 3 barks, and say stop/ quiet/ or thank you, then he'll figure out that that's enough to get your attention and alert you to someone coming. Apparently the learning phase involves a lot of noise, and I haven't tried it myself. The woman next door complains if my little guy passes wind in her direction.
> Ok, maybe that is a bit over the top, but she dislikes furries, intensely.
> 
> ...


yes, Jane, MUCH better advice than squirt gun!! My Labradors all ran to their crates when the doorbell rings ))


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

I would never use a squirt bottle or gun. 

Mandy is a trainer and has some great tips.


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## nekkidfish (Aug 25, 2009)

MandyMc65 said:


> It's easier to teach them do something else instead of barking/not barking. So when he barks instead of making him "shush", since he doesn't know what that means, have him down.  When he's down he'll probably also be quiet click/treat.
> 
> He wants that person to come in the door, so you do not want to let the person in if he is barking. If you have him down you can use the door opening as a reward instead of a treat. But if he barks, the door immediately gets shut again.
> 
> If he can't handle it and you just need to answer the door, let the person in, etc... you can just remove him from the situation. Take him to another room for some quiet time. Just so his barking isn't followed by the door opening and him getting to greet the person.


Any ideas on what to do when you don't know anybody that could work on this with you? I know a few neighbors, but they all have busy lives, and we have no family here.

Will Poppy learn the same behavior if it is the hubby and I doing it, with him outside ringing the bell, etc. I just wasn't sure if that would work, since after a few doorbell rings, Poppy will know it's hubby.

HUGz! Jules


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## Jane and Franklin (May 23, 2010)

nekkidfish said:


> Any ideas on what to do when you don't know anybody that could work on this with you? I know a few neighbors, but they all have busy lives, and we have no family here.
> 
> Will Poppy learn the same behavior if it is the hubby and I doing it, with him outside ringing the bell, etc. I just wasn't sure if that would work, since after a few doorbell rings, Poppy will know it's hubby.
> 
> HUGz! Jules


Hi Jules

I could be wrong, but I don't see that it would make any difference. You may not even need to open the door and let someone in. If it's just the sound of the doorbell/buzzer/knocking that causes her to bark, and that's what is being reacted to, then my idea would be just to get her used to the sound, and to alert you in a more acceptable, less noisy way.
Maybe somebody else has some ideas?
Jane


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## poochie2 (Jan 14, 2010)

I don't like the squirt bottle idea....mine doesn't mind being squirted and actually likes it. She loves water.
I also don't believe in rewarding good behaviour with treats. Too many treats cause weight gain and then the dog thinks every time they do something good they should be rewarded. That's silly but my opinion only.
What worked for me is the simple "no". Every time the door bell rang she went nuts and barked. I just gave her a firm no.....it took a bit of time though and now she does not bark at all when someone is at the door.


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

i have not used the squirt gun , i have tried the treats , everything n he is just barking away , maybe im not timing the treats correctly. but i definitely like the idea of barking a bit then stopping.


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## MandyMc65 (Jun 14, 2007)

poochie2 said:


> I don't like the squirt bottle idea....mine doesn't mind being squirted and actually likes it. She loves water.
> I also don't believe in rewarding good behaviour with treats. Too many treats cause weight gain and then the dog thinks every time they do something good they should be rewarded. That's silly but my opinion only.
> What worked for me is the simple "no". Every time the door bell rang she went nuts and barked. I just gave her a firm no.....it took a bit of time though and now she does not bark at all when someone is at the door.


I don't like squirt bottles because it doesn't teach the dog what the right behavior is.

I, however, completely disagree with not rewarding good behavior with treats. My dog is motivated by food (as most are) so I reward him with that. I also use toys, praise and life rewards (doors opening, going outside, walks, etc..). None of my dogs are overweight and they don't think/expect a treat every time they do something good. The most likely way to get a behavior to be repeated is to reward that behavior with something your dog finds motivating - for most the easiest and best motivator is food.

I don't know about you, but every time I go to work I expect to get paid... Is that silly?


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## MandyMc65 (Jun 14, 2007)

uniquelovdolce said:


> i have not used the squirt gun , i have tried the treats , everything n he is just barking away , maybe im not timing the treats correctly. but i definitely like the idea of barking a bit then stopping.


To stop barking takes patience and consistency. If he thinks that barking and having someone come in the door is more rewarding than treats then the treats will not work. You either have to get more rewarding food or use the door opening and/or the person coming in as his reward. 

Jules - you can desensitize to the sound of the doorbell with just you and your husband. It works pretty much the same way. You could also try getting a remote door bell so you can both be inside and push the bell. Even though no one is out there it will still help and get him used to the sound and not reacting.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

I have done similarly to Karla in teaching the dogs to go to another place. For one dog I taught him to go to his crate and then brought him out when everything was calm. For others they learned to run to another room and sit for a treat. Some dogs need to be removed from the situation. 
Another method is to keep your dog on a leash. Allow a couple of warning barks, give your cue "that's enough" and remove the dog from the room. Wait for a moment of quiet and return. The second you get barking walk right back out. This takes a lot of time and consistency but can be very useful for a dog who is too keyed up to work in front of the door.


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## tamizami (May 1, 2007)

you are getting some great advice from mandy and jackie, but i just wanted to add that i also have the same issue with not having people that can come to my house, ring our bell then walk up the 2 flights of stairs to our front door over and over.....so, i recorded the sound of our doorbell on my computer and play that to help desensitize my dogs to the sound. i will play the bell ringing and wait and reward the behavior i want, then eventually i move on to pushing the buzzer (they can hear that sound), and work on that. eventually i work on opening the door (to no one), and rewarding the behavior i want.

hth!

and to the poster that commented on not using treats: once you have trained the response you want from your dog, you definitely don't want to reward with a treat every time or your dog will expect it. its much more effective to start to randomly give treats, so your dog never knows if they will get a treat or not, but they will be more likely to behave as trained for MAYBE getting a treat.  as mandy mentioned, when you don't use a treat, you use praise or a pet or play as a reward.


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