Doorbell Command.

[allymack]

I am sure everyone has gone to a house, rang the doorbell and you hear a dog braking like crazy, and then the owner going, no! no barking!, etc. I have a barker like that. But i am working on a command that when the doorbell rings, he goes straight to his mat, and lays down quietly until he is told he is allowed off. I want the doorbell to be the command. I have started working on it and he is seeming like he is getting the general idea ( we started practing at the back doorbell, becuase it was closer to his mat) and about 90% of the time, he will go to his mat on his own from there. from the front doorbell, i have to point to his mat, but i dont say a command, and he goes and lays down. Does anybody else have a doorbell type command? i am just looking for any ideas on how to make it 'solid' so he will learn to do it on his own. I have had a few people come by and ring the doorbell, at random times, which is when i have to redirect him to his mat, but he will wait there untill told to get off. Should i just keep up with the random people coming by to ring the doorbell?

[danam314]

Originally Posted by allymack

Does anybody else have a doorbell type command? i am just looking for any ideas on how to make it 'solid'

In my experience, the command you use does not matter. You could say "Piglet" and as long as you are consistent he will know what to do. He doesn't understand the word anyways, so use what is natural for you to say at that moment. Just keep it consistent.

I like the random doorbell pushing too. There's no substitute like the real deal

[allymack]

Originally Posted by danam314

In my experience, the command you use does not matter. You could say "Piglet" and as long as you are consistent he will know what to do. He doesn't understand the word anyways, so use what is natural for you to say at that moment. Just keep it consistent.

oh, i know the word doesnt matter, i just meant having a noise ( the doorbell) as a command, if anybody has had expirence with it.

[Stacer]

But aren't you worried that when you're not home and someone rings the doorbell to determine if you're home, when they hear silence they may attempt to break in? Our trainer told us "alarm barking" is good, and getting your dog to immediately stop barking (when you're home) once he/she has sounded the "alarm" is the key.

[cpietra16]

My Winnie barks when a stranger is at the door. She will only stop when I tell her to go and lay down on her bed. I like knowing that her bark may be an affective deterant to a potential break-in.

[allymack]

that really is a good point stacer, although i think enzo would only do that if we are home, if i do ever get him trained to just go to his mat, i think i will have some random friend go to the door and ring the door bell and see what happens. also most of the time when i am gone enzo lays in the window, watching outside, so if someone did come to the door ( before they got there) he would be barking up a storm, but that really was a good point, something to consider for sure.

the reason i am teaching him this is because i have trouble getting him to calm down once the doorbell rings , and wont go to his mat and stay there until i tell him to. if, like winnie he did, i definately wouldnt teach him that

[Longblades]

If you think he'll only do it when you are at home and that's what you want anyway then why use the doorbell and take the chance he might get stuck forever on the mat?

We learned to send our dogs to a mat in one of our training classes and we just said MAT. Well, I said beddy byes. So did one other owner. With a word, instead of the doorbell, as your command you can take a mat with you when visiting and have the dog do the same thing at someone else's house. Very handy. Incidentally, this was presented to us as a remedy for exactly the barking situation you do describe. Also to control overly exuberant greetings.

[hazelrunpack]

Okay...anyone got any tips for training this in 8 dogs simultaneously?

No...really! This would be very handy here...

[TeriM]

I think you are also probably better off improving the "go to mat" command as well. What if the person just knocks instead of rings the doorbell? There are to many variables in my opinion .

Hazel, let me know if you figure out a system for eight .

[lUvMyLaB<3]

i want my dogs to bark when someone is at the door, she knows that she is allowed to bark until we say enough! then she will stop. I don't have her go to the mat when someone is at the door, but she does have a go lie down! command and it is solid.

Maybe work on getting your dog to "quiet" or "enough", and then teach him to sit at the door, so he can still great people, but learn to do it politely. I understand that a barking jumping happy dog is not that much fun when someone comes to the door, especially if it is a food delivery or something and you run the risk of someone not likeing dogs, or your dog getting out. I would work on this for about 20 minutes two times a day or so, depending on your dogs attention span. Have a friend come and be the "guest" or someone in your family, or you could always be the doorbell ringer. It is consistancy that will make it work, persistance and patience pay off.. Work everyday and by the end of the week I bet that your are happy with the results.

You can even make it more advanced later if you like, I have a friend who has dobermans, and they are trained to bark 3 times EXACTLY then stop and sit back about 8 feet from the door, they don't move until they are released.. If you work everyday at it your dog can learn anything.. GOOD LUCK!!!

[MajorsMom]

Hi Allymac,

We just recently rescued our dear GSD and he was quite quiet when we first got him, but once he realized he was staying here awhile he started to "protect" his new property. However, his barking was getting out of control, he was barking at people walking past the house (even on the other side of the road), with or without a dog, barking at dogs that rome the town. It seemed all he was doing was barking the whole time he was outside. However, being the smart dog he is, I spent 1 week outside with him every time he was out there and if he barked at people passing or other dogs passing I would correct his behavior by telling him in a stern voice NO BARKING. But I allow him to bark if someone pulls into the drive way or comes to the door and once he has met the ppl, if he continues to bark I tell him NO BARKING. This works for us.
I was also told that a dog is as aggressive as the size of property he is allowed to rome, we have 1.5 acres, but we keep him on a lead when we aren't out there. We do let him off if we are out there so he can run and play fetch and be a dog. So I think this may be why it works for us.