|
 This
means that under certain circumstances,
the animal must be intentionally
put behind a closed door. This
is a "management technique"
meaning that it is controlling
the pet's environment.
Reasons
for this technique
A)
A dog that is not safe at the
front door when people first
arrive
B) A pet that tries to rush
out the door when it is opened
C) A dog or cat that tends to
eliminate in a specific area
D) You are having guests over,
and don't want the pets
involved
E) Many other situations
|
The
goal is to desensitize the
dog to confinement behind
closed doors, and ideally
to teach the dog that confinement
can be a good thing. |
Canine Barking Behind Closed
Doors
Many
dogs bark due to either the
fact that they are emotionally
aroused due to visitors arriving,
or they are frustrated by the
door barrier, or both. Barrier
frustration often leads to barking
in dogs, and some dogs will
even scratch the door to try
to get out. Thankfully cats
don't bark and rarely
scratch the door.
If either of these situations
occur with your dog, it means
you have some work to do at
another time when the dog is
calm.
The goal is to desensitize the
dog to confinement behind closed
doors, and ideally to teach
the dog that confinement can
be a good thing. Here are some
suggestions and ideas:
| 1)
|
Begin
feeding the dog every meal
behind this same barrier,
and set a timer to return
and release the dog before
it finishes its meal and
before any barking occurs. |
| 2)
|
Teach
the dog the DOWN-STAY command,
then practice it behind
a closed door. If the dog
gives up the Stay or barks,
it means you are going too
fast, and have to slow down
and practice more. |
| 3) |
Close
the dog behind the door,
and stand on the other side
PRAISING the dog for being
quiet. Gradually space out
your praise 5 seconds, 10
seconds, etc. |
| 4)
|
If the dog barks, knock
on the door or make some
other sound to confuse or
alert the dog, to temporarily
interrupt the barking, then
immediately praise quiet,
and start over. |
|
5) |
Once
the dog will stay quiet
with you on the other side
of the door, begin to move
away, and come back and
release the dog before any
barking. |
| 6)
|
Start
with short sessions of 10-20
seconds of being gone and
work up to longer periods. |
| 7) |
If
the door is too large of
a challenge, try "Close
Tethering" which is
described elsewhere. |
The
overall message needs to be
that when a door is closed,
the pet should relax and settle
down because when the door does
open, there will likely be something
good that happens.
|
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