Alert Barking

Q. I have a dog that about goes through the door when someone walks by,comes to the porch, etc. He stops barking if I say “no bark” but how can I get him to not have such a reaction? I see other dogs that just lie quietly by the door and watch us walk by, how can I get Max to do the same?
A. One of the reasons most people have dogs is for alerting us when someone is around. And it is very normal when they do bark to notify us. If you dog gets quiet when you ask him to, that is great! Good job!

However, if your dog “goes through the door”, then you might consider some behavior modification to help resolve the intensity of the reaction.

I would recommend that when you are home and supervising your dog, have him wear/drag a leash around, so when a situation arises where is trying to “go through the door”, you can grab the leash and pull him back away from the door until he calms himself. Make sure you praise him when he gets calm and quiet. You may have to repeat this several times before you see an improvement, but as with everything training, practice makes perfect.

There are some other tools we can use if you need help beyond the above. If so, please be sure to give me a call and we can set up an appointment. 770-579-3865


Tina McCain, MDTB/CNWI is the owner MerryMac Dog Training in Woodstock, Georgia. Tina has been successfully training dogs for over 40 years in and around Atlanta including Cobb, Fulton and Cherokee county puppies and dogs. Tina is a Certified Master Dog Educator/Trainer, an NACSW Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI), an AKC Certified Canine Good Citizen Evaluator and a Member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers. MerryMac Dog Training is located at 2485 Towne Lake Parkway | Suite 108 | Woodstock, Georgia 30189. Phone: 770-579-3865.