Crazy Barking At The Front Door – Phoenix Scottsdale AZ Dog Training – Dog Trainer – Behaviorist
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Sam Basso
PHOENIX , AZ AREA: (602) 708-4531
OR, if you are out of this area, inquire about a telephone or e-Lesson
Email: [email protected]
We’ve all seen this. Maybe it is happening in your own home.
The doorbell rings… and then your dogs go absolutely crazy, barking at the front door. Then, when you open the front door, you have to hold your dogs back from your guest, as they continue to bark and bark and bark. Usually, they are also jumping up on the guest. Or running out the front door. How embarrassing.
Even worse, in some of these cases, the dogs sometimes turn and attack one another, or you are concerned that one day the dogs are going to bite your guest.
The first thing to recognize is that all dogs are territorial, meaning they patrol where they live, and guard it from intruders. Even the most friendly dogs are still somewhat territorial, compelled to greet newcomers. This is a basic behavioral “algorithm” of dog behavior. It is a rule of thumb, programmed into every dog. The second thing to recognize is that some dogs are going to be more excited, and even more aggressive, than others at greetings, depending upon the dog’s breed and breeding. Some breeds were created to guard property, so we expect them to be aroused when a newcomer arrives. Some breeds were created to be super friendly, so the aggressiveness isn’t there, but they still are going to be excited when a newcomer arrives. On top of all of that is whatever learning experiences you’ve provided to your dog over the months or years. Learning can either make things better or worse.
One type of learning is your dog’s early socialization. Dogs need to be socialized in order to be more trusting of strangers, and better able to assess the body language of guests. Dogs that were never socialized can’t read people very well, and therefore are afraid and/or offended when a stranger, or non-family member, arrives.
A second type of learning is whatever type of training your dog has received at the front door. I’m convinced that most of the uncontrollable barking, jumping and running away that happens at the front door is mostly learned.
Now, you may think that since your dog has never been in obedience classes, that your dog hasn’t learned any of this. But, you’d be wrong. No training is still training. Your dog is learning every waking moment.
This is where a good dog trainer comes in, to help solve this stuff. If a dog hasn’t been properly socialized, then a good trainer will show you how to start socializing your dog, and developing your dog’s confidence and ability to greet and read people. Secondly, a good dog trainer can show you humane ways of teaching your dog to be calmer at the front door, and to have a mannerly greeting for your guests.
It doesn’t work to tell your dog to be nice. It doesn’t work to yell at your dog. It doesn’t work to have people knee your dog in the chest when he jumps (you or your guest could be seriously injured, too). It is inhumane and ineffective to use an electric bark collar to fix this; you will just mask a bigger problem, and possibly see your dog bite someone some day. It is dangerous for the dogs and people if fights break out at the door, or if your guest is bitten. And you are liable for whatever your dog does if it runs out the door and someone gets injured.
Crazy barking at the front door is a serious issue. If you have a puppy, you can head this off early, from the very first day your dog comes home, if you have a good training program to follow. If you have an older dog, don’t dismay: these things can be fixed. You shouldn’t ignore crazy barking at the front door. It is a symptom of something going wrong. You are mistaken if you think it will get better on its own, or to think that this is normal. It isn’t.
So, hire a professional today, and get this fixed.
Sam Basso is a professional dog trainer and behaviorist, in the Phoenix/ Scottsdale metropolitan area. He’s known for being fun, kind, intelligent, and humane. Sam Basso has a unique personal touch. He has appeared on his own TV show, been a guest radio expert, gives seminars, publishes a dog related blog, does rescue volunteering, and is active in promoting animal welfare and fair dog laws.
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