^(upbeat music)
(doorbell rings) (dog barks)
- [Narrator] If your dog barks when your doorbell rings,
you can retrain what the doorbell means to him.
(dog barks)
Usually when the doorbell rings,
everyone jumps up and rushes to the door,
where exciting new people are waiting.
Well, it doesn't take your dog very long
to learn exactly what that bell means.
Changing your dog's reaction to the bell will take time,
but if you're consistent, you can be successful.
The first thing you should do, if possible,
is change the chime on your doorbell.
If you aren't able to do that,
simply place a cover over your doorbell to prevent
the sound while you're retraining your dog.
This way you won't have random interruptions
while you're working on the behavior.
Now, to begin training,
keep a jar of special treats near the door
and lay a floor mat somewhere near by
to provide a specific place for your dog to go to.
Next, have a friend or neighbor ring the bell
at a designated time,
knowing you won't actually answer the door.
When the bell rings, go over to the door with your dog,
grab the jar of treats, and wait.
Then using the treats, try to get her over to the floor mat.
Ask her to sit if you think she will, and give her
a few treats to reward her quiet, calm behavior.
Then calmly go sit back down and resume
what you were doing before the bell rang.
A little later, have your friend
swing by and ring the bell again.
(doorbell rings)
(dog barks)
Repeat what you did earlier.
Always reward her for calm, quiet behavior.
It's important that you only open
that jar of treats when the doorbell rings.
It make take a few repetitions
before your dog gets it, but she will.
Now, the next step is opening the door a crack.
When the door rings, your dog should be heading
over to the mat on her own by now.
Reward her for quiet, calm behavior.
(upbeat music)
Next, open the door a crack, and reward your dog again
for being quiet and staying on the mat.
Repeat this a few times a day for about three days.
Once you're having success with this step, you're ready
to open the door all the way when the doorbell rings.
Reward your dog for being quiet.
During this phase of training,
you'll want to sometimes have a person
on the other side of the door and sometimes not.
This way the bell will mean go to your mat for a reward,
rather than someone is at the door.
Once your dog is no longer barking
when he sees your company, they can start coming in.
Have your company take some treats from the jar
to give to your dog for calm, quiet behavior.
It shouldn't be long before the sound of a bell
will lead to a quick alert bark followed by
a calm, quiet greeting from your dog.
(upbeat music)