Do You Have a Charging Puppy Every Time There's a Knock At the Door?

A frustrating habit that a lot of dogs possess is the act of charging at the door when someone knocks. Since dogs are much speedier than their owners, the dog believes they are out of range and only under the control of the voice.

Achieving a dog that completely responds to voice control is highly desirable, but is not as easily accomplished. Until then, how do you deal with this unwanted behavior?

At first, I used a chain collar that was supposedly programmed to disrupt the ears of the dog when moved, as I was the owner of an adult, door charger named Heidi. One day, Heidi was racing towards the door and the sound collar was nowhere to be seen, so I lunged for the regular chain choker and hurled it towards the door. When it hit, I thundered the word, "NO!" This was effective, as she backed off. I then found out that pet owners don’t need any fancy equipment, but any noise is reasonable enough to get a dog to listen to the NO command.

When constantly enforced, throwing the chain coupled with the NO command caused my dog not to charge at doors any longer. In fact, she reduced her charging and then finally gave up completely. I have since used this approach with other dogs who have caught on to the lesson in only two to three tries.

Some people worry about what others think, as you are instilling this type of training in your dog. However, visitors to your home are not happy when they are knocked over or jumped on by a dog that comes to answer at the door.

Any efforts to make their stay pleasant are usually welcomed. Using thrown objects indoors to facilitate training is also useful while outside. You can toss a few pebbles into an empty plastic jug during sessions of outdoor training.

Although a puppy may not listen to a voice command, they are frightened by the shake of a noisy jug, causing them to associate safety with listening to your authority. A handful of dirt or a bunch of pebbles are easy training aids. It is important not to use any item that could cause harm to your puppy if it accidentally hits them.

The goal is to grab the attention of your puppy – not to touch him or her. Obedience is reinforced when the thrown object and commands are combined in order to gain full attention. It is also suggested to hide the fact that you are throwing the object. If they see you throwing the noise, they may become afraid of you as a result.

For more detailed advice for handling and preventing problem behaviors, step-by-step how-to’s for obedience work and tricks, and an in-depth look at canine psychology and communication, check out SitStayFetch. It’s the ultimate resource for dog and new puppy owners!

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