Why Do Dogs Bark When Doorbell Knock?

Especially dog ​​owners living in apartments show uncontrolled barking behavior when the doorbell rings, orders or guests come to the house. This often puts dog owners in a difficult situation or even causes them to be afraid. In this article, we have prepared a short article about understanding this situation, which is one of the most common dog behaviors, and what can be done about it. Let’s explore together!

Causes of Barking in Dogs When Doorbell Knock

First of all, you need to do small exercises in order to normalize the knocking in your dog’s mind. Once or twice a day, you will have formed some things in your dog’s mind when you perform these very easy 2-3 minute exercises. First, let’s take a look at what can happen to an uncontrolled dog when the doorbell rings, and what kind of troubles you might experience.

First of all, we must remember that many dogs go into an alarm state when there is a knock on the door, and this is normal. Dog barking at the doorbell is actually their very nature to let you know “something is out”. If your dog barks a few times when the doorbell rings, this is acceptable, but if this barking turns into a crisis without interruption, there is one of the dog behaviors that needs to be resolved. The door is where your dog’s connection to the outside is established. It’s where you come home from work, where it meets you. Since dogs are social animals, the door is where the guests and the people who love them come.

No matter how well-mannered your dog is, there may be a situation outside the door that you can’t control. Your neighbor may be afraid of the dog, and with a sudden reaction, your dog may experience a traumatized situation. When the doorbell rings, your dog heads towards the door; Meanwhile, it can also go out when you open the door. That is why it is very important to keep the dog under control in front of the door.

What To Do To Stop Barking In Dogs

When the doorbell rings, first of all not to do We can list the essentials as follows:

• Trying to prevent your dog from going out by pushing with your foot in front of the door
• Cause a negative mood by holding the leash
• Communicating with the incoming person by holding hands
• Locking the dog in another room when the doorbell rings

All of these situations create negative associations in your dog’s mind. This can sometimes create a problem that can trigger dog barking. Not only when someone else comes; When you come home, instead of showing your dog exaggerated affection, you should normalize this situation for half a minute calmly, without showing excessive joy.

So what exercises can be done to reduce the tendency to bark in dogs?

First, start by placing rewards in an area near your door. You can place dry treats in your coat rack or in a basket where your dog cannot reach them. There is usually a mat or rug in front of the door. You can use it as a marking point. You can reward your dog when he sits and looks at you when you open and close the door of the house. Reward him if he’s still sitting and looking at you every time you open the door. Close the door and reward him again when he looks at you. Reward your dog whenever he focuses on you. This will desensitize your dog to the opening and closing of the door and will allow him to focus on you. In this way, you will keep the dog barking under control to a large extent. Using a place that has distance from the door, such as a mat or rug, will help your dog create a space against the door. You can perform this exercise at a distance of 1-2 meters without coming face to face with the door. If you do it 2-3 times a day for 2-3 minutes in different time periods, not consecutively, you will keep your dog insensitive to the door as much as possible. Thus, by focusing on you, not the outside, you will minimize the exaggerated behaviors that may be towards the outside.

So what can you do for the dog to bark when the bell rings?

Suppose you are sitting at home with your dog watching TV and the bell rang. Your dog rushed to the door, barked several times; which is perfectly normal. Look through the hole in the door and turn to your dog. Guide your dog to where you are exercising. Sit your dog where you are exercising and back up to the door, but don’t turn your back on him. This allows you to control both sides of your dog’s move. In this process, if your dog gets up from his seat, sit him back on command. Your dog will also see the incoming person, but will not make a move outward or towards the person. Let’s say the person who came didn’t come in, you talked and left. Reward your dog after you close the door for staying stable. When the guest is going to enter, direct the person to enter without contact, even if he knows the dog at the entrance. After everyone comes in and your dog is comfortable, of course, you can contact and reward your dog. Remember that dogs generalize good things through practice. You can easily eliminate the barking problem in dogs by rewarding the right behavior.

While greeting is something many dog ​​owners have problems with, don’t just assume that your own dog is in this situation. It’s up to you to create more positive memories with your dog by rewarding the right dog behavior and with lots of practice!