Stop your dog going crazy when someone knocks on your door

During lockdown, I was delivering fast food, (as we couldn’t do our normal jobs).

Every other door I knocked on were dog owners.

It’s a great thing, seeing how many people have dogs as part of their family

But nine out of ten of those dog owners houses I delivered to, I heard, “Here! Stop! Wait! Come Here! Get Down! Shut Up! No! No! FFS”! That shouting was the owner trying to stop their dog barking at the door and getting in the way. The door opens slowly and I see a hand reach out for the bag of food. Sadly, the owners had zero control over their dogs. Their dogs do what they want, when they want, and don’t listen

The thing is, if they knew how to correctly communicate with their dogs, the owner could come straight to the door, open it wide and take their food while their dog just sits. No shouting, no stress

Getting your dog not to run to the door barking (or at least stop barking and back away from the door on your command) is one of the easiest things to train a dog

Shouting and using multiple “commands” just gets your dog hyped up and causes mayhem

Putting a stop to all this only takes a very simple training day

You’ll need a patient volunteer

Get your volunteer to knock on the door. When doggy starts barking, running to the door and tripping you up, step in front of the door and in front of your dog. Walk calmly toward him/her, backing them away from the door. When he/she is as far back as you want them to be, give the sit command. You don’t need to say stay, as that’s another unnecessary command. They’ll learn that sit means they aren’t to move until they hear their next command

If you haven’t taught the sit command, you’ll find videos on my website that will help with this. Or you can hire me to come to your house and show you in person

When they sit, give them praise in a calm voice as not to get them hyped. Walk toward the door. If your dog hasn’t been trained at all, he/she will follow you. If that’s the case, don’t open the door, instead repeat the process

Repetition and calmness is key here!

Once your dog starts realising that the door won’t open if he/she follows you, and starts understanding that sit means sit until you say otherwise, you’ll be able to open the door without your dog bolting through it and barking

When your dog sits when you say, and lets you open the door, only keep the door open for a second, close it, walk up to your dog (don’t call them to you), and pay them with a toy, food or praise. Repeat this process, each time keeping the door open for a few seconds longer each time

After this has happened for a few minutes, hours, or days (at most), your dog will associate the sound of a door knock with sitting, so you’ll find you may not even need the sit command

Now your dog associates a knocking sound with a sit, and the door opening with calmness

If you can't be bothered / don't have time to train your dog or hire a professional, you shouldn't have a dog 🐶