Question about guests to house...again!

[ladybug1802]

I have the whole management when guests come pretty much under control in that I know what I have to do for the best with Dylan, and how to tell guests to behave to him, but this evening prompted a question.

My parents dropped by on their way home this evening for Dad to fix something for me as I am useless at DIY! So the doorbell went, all fine and Dylan trotted off to his crate and went in. Then as he turned round in the crate, which is next to the window, he saw my parents outisde and started barking. All understandable I guess, as he couldnt necessarily see it was them.

Barking continued as I opened the front door and they came in, which it usually does. Now when I do have other guests over he does carry on barking and will calm down when the guests have sat down.....and I dont blame him for this. After all - he doesnt know who they are and whether they mean harm. But what I dont understand, is that even when it is my parents, who he knows really well and adores, he carried on barking like mad until they had sat down. Then I let him out and he bounded over and couldnt wait to give them cuddles and say hello.

So my question is does anyone know why he would still continue to bark even when it is someone he knows really well? I reckon if he was loose when my parents came in he wouldnt bark like that when he saw who it was, so am wondering if it is something to do with being shut away and hearing people come in but not knowing who it is until they come in the room, and by then it takes him a while to calm down? Just guessing.

I have been occasionally trying to ring the doorbell from inside, then he goes into his crate, then I shut the door and walk into the hall and open the front door....as that is the time he starts to bark. I hope the more i do it the less it will make him bark.....but it hasnt happened yet. And of course when guests DO come, the sound of their voices at the door will make him bark anyway!

Hmm...just want to make sure I get the little details right in all this!!

[runlikethewind]

Maybe he recognised them and was barking out of excitement to greet them. It could also be a small routine he has developed - a habit maybe? Doorbell, crate, barking until people sat down (his cue to stop) Mum lets me out!! I have no idea really - just thinkng of scenarios. The trainer I have wants me to put our female right away in the little utility room so she cannot see anyone until they are in and she comes out when she stops barking and goes back in if she starts again. It take about 3 goes and she eventually stops. The difference with your set up is Dylan can see the guests come and sit down. I dont know which is best.

[Noobs]

It might be the moving around that is stressing him out.

When your parents are inside and seated, have you tried this: Have Dylan on leash or behind a baby gate or in crate (however you want to confine him during this practice), then one person at a time stands up and moves around slowly...while you praise/reward/treat Dylan for calm behavior. Murphy is not always good when people move suddenly - but only when there are more than two guests. When there are only two guests and they're moving about calmly and slowly Murphy is fine. When we have several people over and he's behind a baby gate (and I'm not back there with him), if someone moves too suddenly to go to another room or whatever, he'll still flip out. So it's worth a try.

[ladybug1802]

Runlikethewind.....thats an interesting point about it being ahabit actually. Hmm. The only problem with having Dylan in another room, is its not great when I let him in eventually if he hasnt been able to see the people as he tends to rush in, and I dont trust that he wouldnt then lunge at someone. Whereas when he has seen them sit down, he realises they are OK and seems to start to chill. And I cant put him on a lead (unless of course it IS parents or people he knows) as the lead makes him far more stressed and barky and lungey.

Noobs.....yes that makes sense that it could be themoving around. But once they have sat down (my parents this is) and he has stopped barking, even if I leave him in his crate and they get up and move around, he is OK. Definitely worth a try again though, to see how he does react for sure. Not sure what he would do with a stranger though.....he may well bark if they got up soon after they had sat down.....although with people he doesnt know as well I leave him in the crate longer and he chills.

[jakesmom]

As you may be aware we have a problem with our dog Jake when visitors arrive.

The normal routine is -- we put him outside, where he can see through the patio window. He watches the visitors, and we open the door slightly and give him a treat. We know when he feels calm, because he scratches the door to come in. We then put his muzzle on and let him in.

One day though it was pouring down with rain when the door knocked. We didn't want to put him outside because it was raining really heavily, so we put him in the laundry. The visitors came in and he started barking, but he did calm down after a few minutes. The visitors had been there about half an hour when it stopped raining, so I went to put Jake outside so he could see them through the door. I was really surprised by the way he reacted, he wouldn't come out of the house and into the garden, so a I coaxed him out. He then wouldn't go round the rear of the house to where the patio door is, so I just stood and watched him. He very slowly worked his way round to the rear of the house, but he backed well away from the patio door and really growled at the visitors, and wouldn't even go close to the patio door.

So I can only speak for my dog, he is certainly better when he can see who's there.

[ladybug1802]

Yep i think Dylan is better off when he can see the people too Jakesmom. Initially he barks the same as he would on the other side of a door, but he is able to see the guests settle, and I often leave a kong or tripe stick or somerhing in there for him to occupy himself with, and once people have settled and he starts to calm, he lies in there and busies himself with a kong. If he were on the other side of a door, he would be so manic to be let out and into the other room that I feel he would zoom in and then not sure how he would behave...and on a lead it seems to make him worse. So this way does work OK....its just the initial mad barking! But I just get people to sit down as soon as they can!

Parents are popping round in a bit, and I will just leave him loose, as once the door opens and he sees it is them he is fine....its easier! Although he gets so excited, and mum is still a bit wobbly from her brain op, so just need to make sure he wiggles around her as little as possible!!