[gstuart]

hiya

was wondering if someone can give me some wisdom please.

If anyone knocks on the door the dogs rush to the front room door, then when visitors come through the door there are rushed by 2 x nutty labs.

In the past ive tried putting them on the lead, telling them off, got people to ignore them but dont want them jumping over them, especially my elderly parents.

Got a baby gate put it between the kitchen and front room, but go nuts and barking as they can see visitors from where they are.

Any ideas please

ps sorry meant to add, even tried shutting them out in the garden for a bit am i making it worse


thanks as always

gary

 

[_Jane_]

Wow; I know exactly what that feels like. Our Rosie is a nightmare with the front door. It took me ages before I realised that my reaction to her behaviour was making it worse. The doorbell rings and she will go nuts barking; and then it's like a mad charge for the front door, with me following. I thought perhaps I was encouraging her by charging after her, trying to grab her collar, trying to get her back into the dining room so I can shut the door on her.

We also had a similar problem when we come through the door; she will still jump, jump, jump, jump.

We are still trying to improve her behaviour but this is what I've achieved so far.

When the bell goes, I let her do her mad charge at the door. I follow calmly. I take my time. I don't charge after her, I don't shout over the barking. I walk calmy up to her, put her firmly but calmly into a sit, and tell her to wait. Anybody on the other side of the door can hear all this going on and they're usually appreciative that you're trying to get your dog to behave before opening the door. I reach for the door handle; if her bottom comes off the floor, I tell her to sit, I tell her to wait. WHat she wants is for me to open the door, because she wants to see who the person is and have them tell her how bueatiful she is - so I just use what she wants to motivate her. Giving her the commands also results in her becoming quiet; but if she doesn't I just tell her "SHUSH!" which is a command she understands.

THe next part is the bit we're still having trouble with, when the door is finally open she will get up, jump up, be over excited. We are trying to curb that by not acknowledging her when we come through the door when she is loud, pushy, exciteable or jumpy. I ignore her completely; I don't even make eye contact; and then I tell her "SIT AND SHUSH!" if she doesn't do as she's told - I ignore her. It's very hard to ignore a big dog leaping about like a loon, but the time she does it is getting less and less, so it is working.

I ask the visitor to ignore her, I then give the command sit and shush, and tell them, "if she does it then you can make a fuss of her, but quit the second she starts jumping about".

Just another word of advice; don't let your visitors give commands. I had particular difficulty with my father and step-mum who come through the door and start barking "SIT!" and "NO!" and "BE QUIET!". I had to tell them really firmly that when they come into my home - I'm the one in charge. Rosie was paying absolutely no attention to their commands at all, and all it was doing was making mine even weaker.

I completely understand the difficulty you're in. Perhaps someone here can advise you how to deal with two dogs better than I can with one. We went through the "putting her out" stage; but actually - I want her at the door greeting people nicely, and also providing me with a sense of security if I have to open the door to someone I don't know - so it's worth perservering!

 

[gstuart]

Thanks so much for the advice, ive recently been shutting them behind the baby gate, as candy is getting bigger finding it difficult to try and control them otherwise at the front door,did think about changing the front room door with a glass one so they could see who at the door but i dont think that would make any difference.

Seems as though they have got springs attatched to there butts, hopefully it may settle down, lolol.

Like you say i will try one at a time, wonder if treat would help, but i imagine i would have to be pretty quick to praise the right action.

thanks so much for the helpfull information.

all the best

gary

 

[Gnome]

Door greetings, what a toughie :roll:

I'm deaf and I'm training Jet as an assistance dog. His door greeting manners left a LOT to be desired But I have turned him around.

When the doorbell rings (which I can't hear) he comes running to me, sits in front of me and touches my leg with his paw, I ask him to "show me" and he leads me to the door where he sits quietly waiting for me to give him his treat from his pot by the door, then I open the door. All is calm

I have trained him to do this by myself, it can be done but it isn't easy.

If their normal doorbell behaviour is something you don't like you have to tell them (by training) what you do like.

Decide what you want to happen, it doesn't have to be as rigid as mine, then break it down into tiny steps and don't move onto the next step until the behaviour you want at each stage is reliable.

With Jet I started out by pressing the doorbell with us both at the front door, when he was quiet I rewarded him and ignored him when he went loopy - this took some time and lots of practice. Then when he could cope with being quiet when the doorbell rang I started teaching him to sit when I pressed the bell next came the paw, etc....... building up to the behaviour I do want. Now he know what to do on command (ie the sound of the doorbell) he does it automatically and the old looney behaviour has dissappeared.

He even gets me to answer the door when we visit friends houses which ha raised a few laughs :lol: :lol:

Hope this helps

 

[gstuart]

wow how impressive is that, i think i could only dream of that behaviuor from my two, if i got them to that level they would wait until the visitor is in side then pin them to the wall with licks.

I like the idea of the door bell, and breaking it down step by step, as previously said i think i better train them seperatly.

i think ive got a long road ahead of me, as its also keeping them jumping all over the visitors.I tried letting them saying hello, but for the duration of people being in the house they just keep coming back for more

thanks again

 

[sue51]

Try having five doing it :lol:

I separate mine out when they have visitors - and put them on the lead initially (unless it's someone we know very well) - if they then settle, they come off lead and stay, if they don't, they get removed to another room - they soon get the message.

 

[gstuart]

you must have a huge amount of patients with 5 of them.

i heard this a while ago, that when answering the door with a dog shout out just putting the dog on the lead and say " ok Crusher Sit and wait"

just made me laugh

still thinking about having 5 labs greeting you in the morning,havent got a suit of armour have you, or do you have a piece of rope to open the back door.

thanks for all the great advice

defently gives me plenty to work with

gary

 

[Moj]

Bracken was a 'mare for molesting people on arrival. I used to horse her into the kitchen and shut the door.

I have a storm door and then an inside door. When I come home, I used to stand inside the storm door, but before opening the next door, tell her to sit and stay. I'd make her stay as I opened the door and walked in past her to put my bags down, flick the kettle on etc. All was well, but this didn't work at all when visitors arrived.

So, I then implemented plan B. Making her go to her bed when I come home. It was dead easy to do. I'd stand in between the 2 doors and tell her 'in your bed' and off she'd go. She'll stay in her bed until I'm ready to release her. I found this was working well with visitors too.

THEN, Boots arrived and it's all gone to pot :lol: :lol: I need to get back on track and train then both separately on how I'd like them to greet visitors and me on arrival!

Can you enlist the help of a stooge Gary? Someone to come to the door loads of times over the course of a day or two so you can practice? I'm intending on getting my little nephew roped in - he loves helping with the dogs.

 

[_Linda_]

You are not alone Gary, I have to admit putting mine in the kitchen when anyone knocks on the door, though Jana is the only who barks, if when I am coming home she barks and I ignore her, then she starts jumping up and I still ignore her, i praise Cori for not barking or jumping and then Twix, Jana soon gets the idea (but she is really not at all bright so we go through this every time I come home :lol: :lol: :lol: )

Glad to see you sounding more positive and good luck at the hospital and keep us updated and rant whenever you want

 

[Jaynemaria]

mmmmmmm if you find a way let me know :lol:

We usually shut the living room door to answer the door, to let people in and they go mad for a few minutes of fuss when vsitors first come in but then they soon settle.

Now if its salesman or religious people we dont want to talk, we let them answer the door with us,funnily enough they dont stand talking for long :wink:

 

[gstuart]

thanks so much, i do feel a lot happier, as i talked everything through with macmillan and they are arranging for a social worker for me and my wife, plus got very mixed opinions from junior doctors now consultants, as they say it will come out in the wash, my head seems to be getting more in order.

I will try and get a victim , erm i mean volunteer, for the dogs now where have all them window salesman gone

really appreciate the help will take the advice kindly offered and go one step at a time, hopefully i wont loose to many volunteer's lolol

thanks

gary

 

[Jemima]

Another one here with a nightmare lab when visitors come.

We get barking, charging to the door, jumping etc.

Sometimes, I put her behind the baby gate in the kitchen....sometimes, i'll wedge myself between her and the door, but she'll inevitably squeeze passed and give my poor awaiting visitor the usual 'labby welcome' :lol:

I just tend to shout out 'BRACE YOURSELF' just before i open the door.....and let carnage ensue.... :wink: only joking....we are still trying to crack this one....slowly..... :lol:

 

[gstuart]

i had thought at one time about putting a long line on them so they cannot reach the front door, but worried what i could attach the other end too, as with them both running full pelt i fear the other end may come loose and anything i may have tied it too coming along for the ride

Would be good if i could get one of them super duty elastic harness's what you sometimes see on television, where they have to run grab something before the elastic pull them back.

sorry will get onto planet earth again

would it make it worse if a visitor had a treat in the hand, so if they sat nicely they would get a treat, or would it make it worse.

thanks as always

gary