Ask your dog to stay and open the door without anyone outside first. If your dog holds his stay, reward him heavily! I give my own dogs several treats in a row. Once he is holding his stay throughout, it is time to add a person outside and repeat the process until your dog can hold his stay while the person enters.
For instance, if the dog feels afraid or thinks that it needs to protect the home, it could become aggressive and even bite the person who comes to the door. This is often made even worse if the owner does not appear to have noticed that someone is there and the dog thinks that they are the only one aware of the issue.
If your dog gets overly excited when a guest is in your home, give him a time out. Put him in his crate in a back room away from the noise and confusion. Give him something to chew on, or at least a few treats, when you put him in his crate. This time out is not punishment; he's done nothing wrong.
Territoriality: Sometimes dogs growl when they feel the need to defend their territory—think of the mailman approaching the door. When the dog sees someone who it believes doesn't belong on the property, it wants to let them know that they're overstepping their boundaries.
If your dog shows severe reactions to strangers, or you feel like they need to wear a muzzle to safely be around new people, you should contact a qualified behaviourist who can offer one to one specialist training to you and your dog.
Why do dogs bark at the door? Humans are a friendly bunch, and even then, we tend to dread the sound of our doorbell ringing unexpectedly. For dogs, the stress can be tenfold, so that friendly little chime might as well be a voice shouting "INTRUDER ALERT!" around the house.
The best way to create calm behavior around strangers is to socialize your dog early by exposing him to lots of different people and situations. An older dog that becomes over excited or aggressive around strangers will need to have their behavior corrected and replaced with appropriate calm behaviors.
Is training an aggressive dog possible? Yes. Aggression in dogs, whether it be toward a dog's owner or other dogs, is a serious behavior that should be adjusted with the help of a professional dog trainer.
It's never too late to socialize an adult dog. If your woof lacks experience in the world, take them outside and get started today.
1) First get the "OK" from the owner! 2) Hold out your hand, fingers closed, palm down, slowly toward the dog. Allow the dog to approach your hand and sniff it. 3) Wait for the dog's "OK." If he wants your affection, he will lower his head, perk ears, or even come closer to you.
If a reactive dog approaches you, the best thing you can do is give him space. Do not approach in an attempt to greet him. If you have a reactive dog, working with a trainer to try behavior modification techniques that will address the cause can prevent escalation to aggression.
The most effective way to help a fearful or aggressive dog is to change the way the dog feels and responds to whatever he is scared of. This is done through a process called “desensitization and counterconditioning”.
Territorial/Protective: When a person or an animal comes into an area your dog considers their territory, that often triggers excessive barking. As the threat gets closer, the barking often gets louder. Your dog will look alert and even aggressive during this type of barking.
Dogs bark at people for a variety of different reasons, whether because they are excited, frustrated that they can't greet the person, or even worried or uncomfortable about another's presence. If your dog is barking while in your front yard, they may feel protective of their home or be warning others to stay away.
Do not punish. Punishment won't help and, in fact, will make the problem worse. If the reactivity is motivated by fear, punishment will make your dog more fearful, and could lead to aggression.
This issue often stems from fear: they fear the people coming to the house, and may feel territorial about that person crossing the threshold… or just being in the vicinity of it.
It just means that you will need to be more diligent at socializing your dog. You should not “socialize” a reactive dog to his triggers before addressing the core of why he is reactive. Most dogs are reactive to certain stimuli, such as another dog, people, or moving objects.
To help ease your dog into social situations, start small. This can be a long, stressful process for both of you that takes weeks to sometimes months. Just take it one situation at a time, be patient, and stay positive. A great way to begin is by letting your dog interact with one person at a time.