Solutions for dogs who get too excited when you answer the door.
- May 14
- 3 min read
Three case studies
When the doorbell rings, does your dog go ballistic, barking and jumping on the door and on the visitor who is trying to enter?
Different dogs have different reasons for excitement at the door. Finding the right solution depends in part on addressing their reason for barking and jumping.
Are they excited because they love getting attention from visitors?
Are they worried about outsiders coming into their space?
It also helps to consider your dog’s personality and the layout of your home,
For social butterflies, provide an activity that helps them calm down before they say hello.
Tip: If your dog is wiggly, chances are they feel good about the visitor.
This link provides free resources for learning more about what your dog is telling you through
their body language.
Case #1: Dibs and Mango LOVE visitors. They also LOVE Pupsicle lickable treats.
Teach your dog who LOVES people that the doorbell sound means they’ll get to go into another room and enjoy a long-lasting treat that they’ve already learned to enjoy.
Choose a room that’s a convenient stop-off on the way to the front door.
Keep a jar of chews or a lickable treat, such as a Pupsicle, there.
Practice this regularly when no one is arriving, so your dog associates going to the room with relaxation and pleasure rather than with frustration and feeling left out.
After 10-20 minutes, most people-loving dogs have calmed down enough that they’re able to come out and say hello in a civilized way.
With minimal training, Dibs and Mango learned to enjoy their Pupsicles in an office adjacent to the living room. By the time they finished their treats, they were calm enough to come into the living room and be polite.
If your dog complains and scratches the door when you confine them, add some simple patience training.
Case # 2: Finn the Vizsla not only loved visitors, but he also loved to dart out the door and run, run, run through the neighborhood.
This made his people nervous about bringing in mail and other deliveries.
There was a room right off the entry foyer, with a door that closed. That door had glass panes, so at first Finn would watch through the glass and get frustrated.
We taught Finn to love going into that room and lying down on his relax-mat when his person approached the front door.
Then we gradually increased the time he would stay on his mat and taught him to tolerate the distractions of that door closing, the front door being opened, and Mom having a pretend conversation with someone on the porch.
The result: even though he gets up from the mat now, the calming practice enables him to stand quietly and watch as his person brings in Amazon boxes without fear
If your dog is worried about strangers entering the house, but able to warm up after a time, and/or confining them in a quiet room is not feasible, meeting the visitors outside may help
Tip: Here are some indicators of social discomfort.
Frantic jumping and pawing
Backing away from the visitor (sometimes alternately approaching and retreating)
Holding their tail in a very low position or vertical and stiff (a wagging tail doesn’t always indicate a welcoming attitude)
Case #3: Mindy has conflicting feelings about visitors
She is genetically predisposed to territorial guarding (she meets people more easily when away from home).
She was rescued from abandonment as a puppy and has fears possibly related to her time living on the street.
She is curious about new people and makes friends given time and patience, but she’s a little nervous at first, so she barks (loudly) and sometimes jumps anxiously.
Confinement in a “safe room” isn’t an option because she has separation issues.
For dogs with territorial or other concerns about strangers, and who are safe to introduce to people, it can help to have them meet visitors at or beyond the edge of the property and then enter the house together. This worked very well for Mindy.
We fitted her with an ergonomically correct harness and double-ended leash to promote calm walking.
We practiced walking politely and responding to her guardian in everyday situations.
We practiced calmly greeting her trainer, Wendy.
We practiced calmly greeting Wendy plus a new visitor (then repeated with a different new visitor).
In the video below, she’s greeting Wendy and meeting a new visitor.
We’re happy to help tame your over-the-top greeter!
What's your dog's door-answering style? Whether they love too much or worry too much, I'm here to help take the stress out of answering the door. I love customizing solutions to your environment and dog.
Contact us to get started!
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