Is this acceptable to you?

[areias]

This is kind of a follow up from the anti-bark collar post, and kind of a question. Do you allow your dogs to bark, and/or crowd around the door when someone rings the doorbell or knocks? I've never really been to vigilant with this behavior, but since obtaining 5 dogs I've noticed it's becoming increasingly annoying. I deliver pizza, and I notice it is a very widely accepted behavior...about 90% of the people who have dogs that I deliver to, allow their dogs to do this. Some of them HAVE to let the dog out to greet me, or it is literally a battle. The other 8% have dogs who could care less, and the last 2% is people who actually have a command to send their dogs away from the door.

Is there a way to curb this behavior? If not the immediate barking, then the crowding around the door? Everyone knows their sit-stays, but when you're trying to answer the door in a timely fashion it can be difficult, especially when the person knocking comes in with a big greeting (which is irresistable to my dogs). Would it be simply easier to work with one dog at a time? Although I think they feed off each others energy. :)

Just a thought.

[luvofallhorses]

we don't have a doorbell but they bark if they knock. It doesn't really bother me that much, because we don't have company often. it does bother me when Buster barks at kids, though. :rolleyes: we live across the street from a school and I hate that he barks at them! can you try bitter apple spray or a water bottle and maybe that will phase them? when I trained Jenny in 4-H..when they would bark at other dogs we grab them not in a harsh manner but just grab them and say OUT! not like OUT but I was told that that's what their mothers did when they got out of hand and it has worked for me. :)

[k9krazee]

Ohhh man, I know exactly what your talking about :rolleyes: Our five immediately charge the door at the sound of the doorbell but we're at the point now that they immediatly back away and stop barking as soon as one of us answers the door. It was getting really out of hand a while back and the dogs were acting really obnoxious, so I set out to fixing it. For a couple of weeks whenever the doorbell rang I'd lead all of them into the kitchen rug and make them sit/stay. But they're so much better now with much less barking that I don't care if they don't sit/stay in the other room, as long as they're away from the door and being quiet. Now as soon as the person enters the house they're charged and greeted excitedly, with plenty of barking from Micki, but we're still working on that part. http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y125/kangashrew13/shrug.gif

[wolfsoul]

Candy isn't very good at listening yet so I just put her away when someone comes to the door. For Visa, I put her in a downstay until she stops barking. Then I allow her to come greet the person. Back when Visa was shy, this really helped improve her. When she's in a downstay away from the door, she can't see and becomes curious and excited as to who is there, rather than suspicious. She isn't at all shy anymore but I still continue to do it because I find it helps quiet her.

To me, it is unnacceptable for dogs to jump around barking at someone at the door. I always had dogs that did this growing up and it annoys me to no end to see it happen now. Candy still isn't very well trained since I just got her, but Visa has been taught with quite strict rules and she knows not to be rude. I wonder how effective training will be when I have four or five dogs though lol. Probably not great.

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

My dogs are put in another room with a baby gate up when people come to the door, except Tango, she's put in a sit stay or a down stay for pretty much the same reason as Visa. Winston and Morgan are put in the other room mostly because most of the people we know are intimidated by 2 large dogs greeting them at the door. Since Morgan has to be socialized and stuff still, I often bring her upstairs on a leash and make he 'be friends' with people who aren't intimidated by her as she can react fearfully at new people. Tia doesn't like visitors so she chooses to stay on the couch whether their's a gate or not. Jumping and barking at people at the door is one thing I cannot stand from any dogs, now, mine aren't perfect, but they aren't really annoying either. If I tell them to get out of the way and stop barking, they do.

[.sarah]

I prefer for my dogs to bark, but not crowd the door. If I tell them "get back" then they move back. They bark until I tell them to be quiet. The reason I like for them to bark is that I'm not sure if they can tell the difference between knocking and noises outside, and I want them to bark to hopefully scare off any intruders we may have ... not that we've ever had that problem, but just in case. ;)

[cali]

my dogs fee off my others, for example I moticed when I was at Jordans that when were ordered food, I was all prepared for my dogs to throw a fit, so I had them leashed and muzzled, the guy came and the girls did not even try to bark they just walked up quietly, I was shocked, because with my moms dogs going off at every little thing it sets off mine, so they are noisy as he77 at my house. it was the same with feeding, at my house Happy barks and barks and barks and barks till her food is handed to her, we tried the whole ignoring till quiet thing, but nope, Happy did not give a damn how long it took, she barks for the exitment she has no interest in food. however at Jordans, Visa was calm, and guess what? so were Happy and Misty, they just watched and waited quietly. it really made me happy to know that my dogs really do know there manners, its my moms dogs that set them off lol

[Crazy-Cat-Lover]

Bailey never barks when people come to our door. He just stays exactly where he is when I go answer the door. He will let out a little "hmph" if someone walks by the patio, but other than that he doesn't bother. Where I live, a dog thats barks too much can get you evicted, so I'm glad he doesn't! :D

[Danegirl2208]

My dogs usually give a couple of "warning barks" when someones at the front door, which is aboslutly fine with me...i do NOT let them rush the person at the door though, most people would feel a bit uncomfortable to have 2 cold wet noses in their private parts when they walk in, lmao... When someone comes to the door i make them do a down stay, which works most of the time

[sanford8916]

Winchester will bark but will not go to the door, that takes up to much energy! Lou Lou is only 9 months so she is told to sit and stay. I have many people comming her daily for my daycare so it is totally unacceptable for them to be at the door when people come in! :)

[GreyhoundGirl]

I love it when my girl barks at the door. She stands on her back legs and leans on the window still, It makes her look like she's about 5 feet tall !!!

Often though, I am home alone ( or with just my brother ) That is when I especially enjoy Jen's behavior.

I live way out in the forest, it would take a while for police to get here.

When delivery people come, she just walks out onto the doorstep and sniffs thier ankles :rolleyes:

I think she knows weather I like people or not. Sometimes my moms friends come over ( who jen has never met before ) and she doesn't jump up on the window sill.

Yes, I do let Jenny bark and grow and snap and bare her teeth at pizza delivery people.( through the window ) I don't want to confuse her about when to protect me.

Sorry to any delivery people Jenny might have scared to death. ( she looks very fierce, especially if you don't know what she's really like. ;) )

[Merlin]

I can't control my dog from barking at the door and so it is somewhat acceptable for me. I just think of it this way, the dog has just as much right to talk as you.

[Bronx'sBower]

The only time ours barks is if he doesn't know someone is there and they startle him but otherwise he is quiet. He will bark if its someone he doesn't know but that doesn't happen often. A few months ago I had a strange homeless man show up to my front door and I opened my window to talk to him since the door was still sealed from winter. He just stared at me for almost a minute and then asked if I needed him to do any yard work. Firstly I have the neatest yard on my block so I found it odd but secondly he didn't even have a lawnmower, weedwacker or rake. He eventually left but Bower didn't bark once at him, I don't know if that is because the guy wasn't threatening but he sure as heck scared me. I only hope if it happens again my Bower, now much bigger, will scare them off. The one thing that ours does do that bothers me bad is he likes to jump on certain people. I can't for the life of me figure out how to keep him down, I started the "OFF" command and it works sometimes but if he is really excited it doesn't so I have to crate him til' he calms down. But it doesn't teach him anything I don't think, I am planning on obedience classes soon but is 7 months too late to start? I feel irresponsible for not taking him to classes but he really is a good pup. He just needs to learn he's not the alpha and that daddy isn't the only alpha...

[lv4dogs]

My dogs will bark & charge at the door when someone knocks. I actually never had a problem with that part as I lived alone for quite some time, it's nice to have some "guardians" to protect you & your property. But it stops there, I do not like dogs that crowd the door & continue to bark when you are answering it. They quiet down when I strt to approach the door and I tell them to "back up" and they obey, leaving room for me to actually answer the door. They don't back up too much, just enough to give me some room, which is good, as I said before IF it were someone that posed a danger to me the dogs are not too far away.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

Mine bark and charge the door when the door bell rings or if someone knocks at the door. It's not a big deal though because I don't answer the door unless I'm expecting someone. If I'm expecting someone I either watch for them and answer the door before they knock, or if it's family they just come in.

[Alysser]

I don't find this behavior acceptable at all. I figure, I hate it when dogs do that to me, so why would I let my dog do it to someone else? I absolutley HATE it when Sassy does it, but I usually don't allow it because I pick her up or put her in her crate until she settles down. When she knows someone she usually just sniffs them, which I allow. I let her bark at people I don't know as a warning, sure, she is a little "puff ball" but she DOES have the capablity to draw blood of an intruder if nessacary, not to mention, if I open the door, I always check out who it is before I do so.