How to Stop Barking at the Door

Training Your Dog to Greet Guests Quietly

Jan 13, 2009 Miranda Styborski

Barking at everyone that enters your home is not only troublesome and embarrassing, but can become a habit that is difficult to break and one that drives away guests.

A great way to get rid of any unwanted behavior is to substitute an incompatible “good” behavior. In this case, teach the dog to lie down by the door instead of running around and barking. This is very effective because dogs are far less likely to bark when they are lying down. It is also important to reward quiet behavior.

Teaching "Go to Your Spot"

First you will need to teach your dog to go to her bed and lie down on cue. To do this, pick a spot near the door and place a bed or mat there. Next, throw treats onto the bed and when she gets on the bed to get the treats say “Yes!” enthusiastically and then call her over to you and repeat the process until she is reliably going to the bed.

Then you are ready to add in a cue that will let her know what to do. Throw the treat and as she is going to the bed say something like “Go to bed” or “Park it” and when she gets to the bed repeat your cue phrase and add “Good” in front of it. Repeat this several times until you can say your cue and she will go to the bed. Now, quit for the time being and begin again in a couple of hours or the next day.

Teaching "Down"

You will need to do a quick review of what she has learned and then you will be teaching her to lie down on her bed when you give the cue. First get her into a sit then take the treat from her nose level directly down between her paws and then, once on the floor, pull the treat out of reach and she should follow the treat and lie down on her own. You will be making an L shape with the treat in your hand.

Practice this until she is reliably lying down while you are luring her, then add in the cue “Down” while she is in the process of lying down and then say “Good down” when she is down. Repeat this many times all over the house. Next, only treat her when she lies down on her mat after you tell her the cue to go there.

Putting It All Together

Now you are ready for the hard part. Have a family member or friend come to the door and ring the doorbell with the door open and your dog on a leash. When you hear the bell send your dog to her bed with the cue. If you hear any barking, the door shuts and the person leaves, no treats.

In the same manner try this again and if and when she goes to her bed give her a jackpot of 3-7 treats for the “right” choice and have the person come in to say hello to her. Keep practicing by getting closer and closer to the “real thing,” when a stranger comes to the door. Make sure to have all visitors pet the dog only for quiet behavior on her bed. Once company comes in and things have settled down, she may get off her bed and go about her business once you have released her. A great video reference of this process is available at petvideo.com.

The copyright of the article How to Stop Barking at the Door in Dogs is owned by Miranda Styborski. Permission to republish How to Stop Barking at the Door in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.