Managing Canine Chaos At Your Front Door
Many of us don’t mind a few barks to alert us to the arrival of visitors and most dog-friendly visitors can appreciate (or at least, tolerate) the wagging, sniffing and snuffling of a sociable canine greeting. But, some dogs assume the role of welcome wagon too enthusiastically, becoming a whirlwind of friendly canine chaos. If your dog is one that races around bouncing excitedly off guests, some chaos-management tactics may help you as you implement a smart and effective training plan for calmer front-door greetings.
Environmental Changes Help Behavior Change.
Simple changes to your entry area can help to lessen canine chaos for dogs that are overjoyed and over-exuberant.
Reduce sliding and scrabbling by clearing the entryway and using a low-pile rug and rug pad to limit slipping. It is safer for everyone and often lowers the frenzy-level by reducing scrabbling and sliding.
An entryway treat jar of pea-sized treats that is easy for you to reach, but inaccessible to your dog, allows you to grab a handful on your way to the door. In a pinch, scatter these some distance away from the entry area to briefly occupy your dog’s attention while you open the door. Better yet, reinforce simple, desirable behaviors, like looking at you, standing on all four paws or sitting as your guests enter.
A fridge or freezer of pre-prepared food toys with a long-lasting filler (e.g. peanut butter, cream cheese or canned dog food) is a good choice for canine control. Ask your guests to call or text when they arrive, so you can give your dog one occupy and redirect his attention when guests arrival.
Limit predictable noises that send your pooch into Canine Watchdog mode. Ask expected guests to text or call upon arrival instead of knocking or ringing the doorbell.
Note: If your dog reacts with fearful or aggressive behaviors, please contact our trainer for appropriate training and management.
(Kindly) Control the Beast
Preparation and training to help your dog develop calmer behaviors is the best long-term strategy, but you’ll also need some management strategies to prevent your dog from rushing and jumping on guests. The best options maintain safety, minimize frustrated barking and jumping, while you implement a smart training plan.
A tall, sturdy pet gate gives you a hands-free way to prevent your dog from crowding the entryway (or slipping out the front door).
A durable leash limits your dog’s range of movement, if handler attention and timing are good. If possible, have another household member welcome visitors while your handle your dog several feet away.
If a crate, bedroom or fenced yard is already a place your dog can comfortably by contained, then it might be a good place to stash your dog while your guests get settled.
The hardest concept for us humans to wrap our heads around is that training for calm greetings starts outside of the actual greeting event. A realistic and effective training plan helps you train your dog progressively, giving you both the skills first and building those in more exciting conditions. This doesn’t necessarily have to take a long time, especially with good planning, management and training.
