My dog rushes out the door when it opens!

Your doorbell rings, and of course you go to answer it; the race has begun! You try to get there before your dog so you can stop him from assaulting your guests with their over excited greeting behavior or causing a mid-day chase around the neighborhood because they got out the door. A wrestling match has started as you try to grab their collar, and you feel like you are dancing with your dog as you circle round and round. You finally get their collar and open the door. Now begins the human-dog tug of war, and launching when your guests come in. All of this usually happens in the longest and most exhausting 3 minutes you ever had.
I hear this story everyday from owners who are at odds as to what to do about their dog and their greeting manners. Too many people have let their doorway “go to the dogs” so to speak! Most consults I go on, the dog greets me first. They are happily saying, “Welcome to my house, this is my pack!” Many owners have tried to “reclaim” their doorways by having their dogs sit at the door, but they still cannot control the bad manners of jumping or rushing out the door!
The problem is, as hard as you try, if your dog is right next to the doorway you will have a harder time controlling them! The doorway creates 5 steps of excitement for all dogs!
1. The doorbell or knocking
2. You touching the doorknob
3. You opening the door
4. The high pitched greeting most people use to welcome their guests
5. The new people coming in to your den!
People forget that dogs have a very short attention span! They react to each step of excitement! When practicing door control you must remember these 5 steps!
When the doorbell rings, quietly go to the door and check to see whom it is. Again, quietly! Your dog is doing their job by alerting you; don’t yell at them for it! If you yell at them you have joined them in barking at a stranger. If you quietly walk up you have acted like an alpha.
When you get there, calmly turn around and say “enough”, then place them in a sit/stay far enough back that if they start to move, you have time to shut the door! You cannot be quicker then your dog, so give yourself some room! Your dog should be sitting five to ten steps away from the door (in the beginning you may need the help of a family member and a leash).
When your dog is sitting, reach for the doorknob and repeat your stay command (remember each step is a new and exciting adventure for them). Then open the door and repeat stay again. Do not yell at them to stay. If they break, close the door and calmly place them back in a sit/stay. If you get frustrated or yell it will make your job ten times harder.
After each of the above five steps, repeat your stay command calmly. When your guests come in, you must initiate the greeting! Tell your dog to “go say hello” if they are calm! If your dog is too excited then keep them in a sit/stay until your guests walk past them. I always tell my guests to just walk past my pack without talking or looking at them. When you are aloof to a dog they generally do not get overly excited! After they are calm release them! If you are consistent and practice this with each arrival, you will notice your dog will auto sit/stay when the doorbell rings!

 

 

 

This is what door control should look like!

 

 

 

Good luck, and please contact us if you need help!

Tara, Brandie, Amanda and the “pack!”

www.trainingbytara.com

Pack Mentality, Can it really be seen in Domestic Dogs?

In the recent weeks, I have heard and read too many people saying domestic dogs do not possess the same “pack” mentality that wolves do. Seriously? I have studied canine body language and behavior “hands on” for 20 years. From all my research and the cases that I have worked with, every dog understands their own language (pack behavior and body language). Dogs are pack animals, period! Even the smallest of breeds will demonstrate this! I recently read an article about a pack of Chihuahuas that attacked a police officer in California! Now granted, a pack of Chihuahuas cannot do serious damage (besides some ankle wounds), but these dogs were defending their owner in a pack-like manner!
I believe a lot of this has come to debate because of the “Dog Whisperer”, Cesar Milan. Many trainers and people dislike him and his methods of training, some think his stand on pack behavior is incorrect. While I do not agree with all of Cesar’s methods, I do agree with his theory. I find many people who have studied pack behavior and have worked with aggressive dogs (successfully), understand them, and work with them in the language they understand. Dogs are naturally pack animals and follow their instincts and their own language.
I have had a great many debates over this with other trainers and clients. I have had trainers tell me that training a domestic dog is completely different because they are not wild. Some trainers think human alpha training is wrong and that there should be a canine pack order among a domestic dog pack. They regularly suggest letting one dog be the alpha (usually the older weaker dog); feeding them first, giving them more attention, and taking them on walks alone (essentially, they make them a target). I believe these people have slept through the news about packs of domestic dogs that have attacked livestock and humans when abandoned.
First I would like to quote what Wikipedia declares in their article on dog attacks.
“Dogs as pack animals will often seek to dominate others in their pack or family (acquire more status and authority) if they feel they are able. A dog that seeks to dominate may use aggression as a means to elevate its perceived power and authority, or to make others respect its wishes and not challenge it. Pet owners are generally encouraged to not allow a dog to become overly dominant due to the aggressive behavior that may result.
Dominance may include “pushy” behavior, refusal to show respect or obedience to humans, attempted “ownership” of high status locations such as beds, sofas, or doorways, and in general, any type of behavior the animal sees as furthering a dominant social role.”
Again, the above is directly from the Wikipedia site.
When I lived in NY, Queens was the dumping ground for unwanted dogs. There was plenty of open space where owners could just pull up and let their dogs out. As awful as this sounds to us dog lovers, it happens all over!
There have been many domestic dog pack attacks in Queens. Obviously, we all know wolves do not live on Long Island. In Dec. 2001, a 74 yr old man was attacked by a pack of 5 abandoned dogs. This pack went on to also attack a jogger before they were captured. According to the victims, the dogs circled and stalked them prior to attacking. They attacked like “wolves” because it is their instinct. In Feb. 2005, a pack of 3 dogs found to be abandoned by their owners, terrorized a local neighborhood including an elementary school. The animal control declared these dogs as not vicious and said they were most likely someone’s pets that were left to fend for themselves. Again, these dogs relied on their instinct to form a pack and hunt and defend the same way a pack does.
All over the world stray dogs have formed packs to survive! In Jan. of this year in Bainbridge Georgia, a 73 yr old woman was attacked by a pack of five dogs. These dogs had also been responsible for attacking local livestock. Then in Feb of this year in Dayton Ohio, a pack of dogs was responsible for attacking a German Shepard and several other animals in the neighborhood. In Morristown, Tenn., a 22 yr old woman was attacked by a pack of 8 heelers while jogging down a rural road. They were owned by a local resident who was charged for letting them roam free.  Even in Italy, a 10 yr old boy was killed by a pack of famished dogs that were owned by local woman. They were not properly cared for and fended for themselves the way wolves would. And here in Texas, a pack of dogs in Lakeway was responsible for attacking local livestock a few months ago.
To say domestic dogs do not “act” as wild dogs or wolves do is ridiculous. Any dog will go back to their natural ways if abandoned or given the opportunity. It does not matter how long they were owned or “spoiled” by us humans. I have cases that owners have contacted me for, where one of the pack has been killed or seriously injured by another pack member. These dogs were not mistreated, nor neglected. They were domestic dogs that were cared for properly but given the right to have a pack order among themselves. The dog they killed or attacked in most cases was the weak, old alpha or another strong dominant dog that wanted the alpha position.
Remember in a pack, the leader will “size up” the situation and decide whether it is a good idea to attack or not. The pack will not act unless the leader says it is ok. If it is, they will circle, stalk, and one or more of the pack will attack from the best and safest position; usually from behind the victim. If the leader feels threatened in anyway by a situation, the pack will attack. It is a natural response for them. This is also seen in households. You are your dogs pack and hopefully, their leader.
Anyone who owns a dog needs to realize that they are pack animals. You cannot change this, no matter how long their lineage is, what size, or how well treated they are; they are still dogs and they still have a natural pack drive. This is not a bad trait; this is why a dog is such a loyal companion!
If you understand pack mentality and talk to them in their own language, dogs are calm, happy, and very obedient. Even a dog who has an aggressive history can become a great dog with the right owner and proper training.

Tara, Brandie, Amanda & the “pack”