DOGGIE DOOR MANNERS
By Cherie Maitland, Trainer and Behavior Specialist at Our Furry Friends Training Center and Canine College
Dogs can have such a wide range of responses when people come to visit. From the timid, frightened dog to the
territorial protector or the friendly, “I want to jump on your head to greet you!” . . . all dogs need to be taught proper
meet and greet behaviors. This article is geared to training the dog who is happy that company has arrived. Please
contact me if you need help with more serious behavioral issues and to learn more about dealing with fear and
territorial aggression at the door.
So company is coming and you know that your dog is going to be a handful and maybe even an embarrassment! This
is not the time to start training, since this situation would be one of the most difficult. Kindergarten must come before
high school - so your dog needs to be taught the basic skills first. Here are some steps to teach basic skills leading up
to good doggie door manners.
1st Step Teach your dog that he only gets attention when he is sitting. If he starts to jump up, turn your back and
walk away without touching him or making eye-contact. At home as he is approaching you, tell him to sit. Do this before
he is within launching distance. Telling him to sit after he’s already jumping is too late. Praise and pet him when he is
calm and sitting so that he learns that this is the way to get attention - not by what comes natural - the jumping up to
the face.
2nd Step Practice with your dog on leash with 1 person at a time. Instruct your friend to calmly approach your dog
when he’s sitting and only continue to the petting stage if he continues to sit. Use food rewards if you need to increase
his motivation to sit politely, especially if he is a very friendly, excitable dog.
PLEASE NOTE: In dog training, it is better to build upon success, rather than to repeatedly try and fix a problem or
deal with failure. In terms of training - progress to the next step when your dog can perform the current task. For
example, if your dog is having trouble just sitting near another person, do not progress to the petting stage which is
even more arousing and exciting. Don’t progress to several people until your dog can succeed with one person and so
on.
3rd Step Now it’s time to start practicing with your leashed dog at the front door. Start with your dog sitting quietly
with just one cue that someone is out there, perhaps the sound of the car in the driveway. When he is calm, then go to
the next cue, perhaps the car door slam or the sound of footsteps on the walkway. Next progress to the doorbell/a
knock. After you get your dog calm and you have rewarded his sitting, then ask your helper to knock again - work on
this until your dog can stay calm and seated. Do not progress to the entry through the door and petting until your dog
can handle the previous steps. This may only take several 10 minute or so sessions. Remember repetition is important.
CAUTION: I know it’s tempting to want to rush through these steps to work at the front door when people come over. In
my 10 years of professional dog training, I have seen it time and time again, that the tortoise often wins the race - that
you move forward more quickly when you build upon successes and then progress to the next step, rather than trying
to over and over fix the mistakes!!
Final Step Now ask a friend to come over to practice the whole scenario. Don’t do this when you are expecting a
dinner party of 4 to arrive - this may not be the time that you want to be doing dog training. It is important that your dog
is on-leash in the beginning. Over time you can build up to an unleashed dog with groups of people coming over.
Remember strong and steady wins the race!!
Please contact me for further information on this or on any other training and obedience issues. You can
call me at 209-296-4DOG or 530-622-PUPS.
Toll-Free at 1-888-DOG-B-GOOD (1-888-364-2466.)
E-mail to: AsktheTrainer@DOG-B-GOOD.com or by mail at PO Box 97, Pine Grove, CA 95665
or PO Box 678, Diamond Springs, CA 95619.
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