Front Door Chaos? Here’s an easy solution.
In the Casa Luna Canines training formula, Reframe - Manage - Train (RMT), we like to focus on temporary (hopefully) solutions to manage your dog’s rehearsal of unwanted behaviors while you both learn to train FOR the behaviors you want.
But here’s the thing…most people won’t use the tools! The “one and done” quick fix culture in the United States has trained us westerners to assume “there HAS to be an easier way,” like a cue or command, to make my dog behave!
A simple reminder:
Whatever your dog is allowed to practice, they will do more and more…and more…and more.
In animal training and behavior terms, we call this pattern rehearsal. And rehearsing patterns is GREAT when it’s ultimately a behavior your want your dog to do…like sitting in front of you when you call them, or backing away from their bowl before feeding, or spinning, lunging and barking at the door when it rings. Oh, wait, scratch that last one!!
Basically, a dog can rehearse a pattern of behaviors to the point it becomes habit. When the habit is good, or wanted, we think “I have the smartest dog EVER!” When the pattern is “bad”, or unwanted, we scratch our heads and think “I need to hire a trainer!”
Unfortunately, there is rarely a quick fix for changing a habit. You know that. How many times have you wanted to change something? Maybe it’s eating or drinking less, or getting up earlier, or finishing a project early, or arriving places on time. You start and you’re great for a few days, maybe even a week or so, and then you revert back to your old behavior.
Dog’s do that, too! So, as we train for the behaviors we want our dog’s to do, we MUST manage their current behavior, and that means we may need to manage access to certain environments, areas and other animals that cause, or trigger, your dog’s unwanted behavior.
THIS is where I was supposed to type “like if your dog is spinning, lunging and barking at the door when it rings. As a start, don’t allow them access to the door where they bark.
Luckily, dogs are contextual learners. This means they learn behaviors in a specific environment, with specific characteristics, associations and cues. They do not easily generalize behaviors to new environments.
Why is this lucky for you? Because you can make just a few simple changes to an environment to make it seem new to your dog and then they’ll be better suited to try a new behavior.
As our title suggests, let’s look at front door chaos. If your dog barks when the doorbell rings or someone knocks (like that wonderful delivery driver!), or if they jump at the door when there is a visitor, do your best to manage their access to that area. Consider using a baby gate or play pen to block access to the door by a few feet. THEN, when your dog is in the new environment, start immediately training for the behavior you want them to do and reward that behavior - like calm waiting in their bed.
For example, place your barrier or baby gate so they can’t access the front door. Then establish a new routine (behavior pattern) by playing calm games near the gate, consistently and generously rewarding your dog for being calm. When they understand they can simply lay around near the gate and not continue to push their boundary, practice having someone ring the doorbell, then reward your dog for being calm on the other side of the gate. Keep practicing the GOOD behavior and eventually your dog will extinguish the unwanted barking and lunging.
If you don’t know how to reward for good behavior, subscribe to our newsletter, Paws and Success, for Training Tips and Tricks.
Casa Luna Canines is your partner in dog training, human learning. Join us to learn how to be your dog’s best friend using 100% pain and fear free methods. Imagine what it will feel like when your dog chooses to behave well around you, no matter where you are!
