AT MY WITS END..Help please!!

[coco]

split behaviors in small parts and concentrate on what do you want to happen. The longer you let them be uncotrollable the better they are going to get at it.
Do not let them go near windows, put x pens there, do not let them run to the door, put baby gate there. There were recently few posts about recalls courses. That is why you need strong recall- it does not matter if it deer in the woods or mailman under the door... it is same principle of working with distractions.
Start by putting one dog at a time on the mat in the bathroom, then rattle the knob, then knock on the door, keep rewarding for staying on the mat/ dog bed. Once you good in the bathroom, take that bed and go around house proofing other noises. Go all out with treats.

You are right. I have been way too soft with them. My departed babies were way better behaved. I've gotten way too soft as I've gotten older. I just think they're so darn cute. But cute is as cute does. Looks like I may need an assistant for this.

Thankyou.

 

[kobysmom]

thankyou

Wow, first of all im so relieved to see im not alone on this, and coco, like your furbaby...koby also runs to the door just knowing someone is coming, not just the doorbell, although that really sets him off. Good in many ways, as he really offers me a hugh sense of security when im home alone.

Someone mentioned if koby was hyper, when it is just him and I home he is literally like a old lazy furbaby, always loves to be near me or sleeping on my lap, all 40 pounds of him. He knows when the girls come home for a weekend away from college, or hubby comes home from work, it is major playtime and he will act silly, but never ever with me, with the exception of the door, he is very calm when with me, he follows me all around the house and makes himself comfortable where ever I am at.

With the exception of the door he is very intune with my disability and pain, he knows when im having a hard time and is always there to comfort, he so amazing and sweet, he will lay his head on my lap or lay on my feet, like he can't get close enough. I always said our beloved furbaby Sandy sent him to us lol

Halloween night we put a gate on our kitchen door so he could see the front door but no access to it. he only barked at the first few kids and then layed down and quietly watched. Considering my lack of physical strength, im considering putting a swing open gate there and encourage him into the kitchen until the person is gone from the door. Physically its likely the easiest way for me. What do you think? and is it okay to reward him with a treat to go in there or if he sits quiet or just to use the treat to get him behind the gate?

 

[Raya]

We generally crate Zoey if there's only 1 of us at home and we get guests. The crate is close to our front door, so when someone knocks, we tell Zoey "cage", and she goes in the crate, then we close it. When the guest is gone, we let her go. Voila. Doesn't really fix everything, but it saves us a lot of trouble.

If we're both at home, one leads Zoey away from the door, and she'll go wait patiently in the kitchen.

 

[BarbV]

You are not alone!

I live with this daily, and every morning I say that today is the day that I'm going to rassle these beasts of mine.....

Doorbells, mailmen dropping off letters, son leaving the house are all fair game to my crazy shelties.

The boys know my routine so well that if I approach the front door without giving them a treat, it means I'm not leaving the house....but there is something interesting outside and they MUST bounce and go nuts....just in case.

Someday......I'll get them to settle. In the meantime, I mostly just yell at them....."Fool Dogs! Settle"! Yeah, now that's training!

 

[Mikos_Mom]

he really offers me a hugh sense of security when im home alone.

My mom was over the other night and commented that she'd be scared to be alone because every time Miko barked she'd be worried that an intruder was coming. I had to laugh!! ... I told her that Miko's incessant barking has actually had the opposite effect on me. I'm to the point where the intruder would have to be standing in my kitchen for me to believe it, because 99.999999% of the time Miko is barking at NOTHING!!!!

p.s. I like the gate on the kitchen idea. Sounds like a good solution for you both.

 

[Danny's mommy]

My Danny Boy has a very deep bark not like a sheltie but more like a German shepherd or a bigger breed. Unless one sees him people think there's a real big dog in the house. Our local authorities that have stopped by for a friendly chat were all quite impressed by how he sounds. They said he is doing his job well. It is the phone that really gets him going bonkers. I have had people ask me if I am okay as they think I am being attacked by a vicious dog

 

[Emma]

My mom was over the other night and commented that she'd be scared to be alone because every time Miko barked she'd be worried that an intruder was coming. I had to laugh!! ... I told her that Miko's incessant barking has actually had the opposite effect on me. I'm to the point where the intruder would have to be standing in my kitchen for me to believe it, because 99.999999% of the time Miko is barking at NOTHING!!!!

p.s. I like the gate on the kitchen idea. Sounds like a good solution for you both.

I have this same problem with my dogs. Emma bum rushes the door and who ever is here; she will not let them pet her (she is more scared of them than the other way around), but has to be heard and is quite loud. Noelle will be at the door to but very lady like steps back and if invited, she will approach the visitor to let them pet her; my other 2 (Chihuahuas) just lay in my office right next to the door and barks!!!

I DO have a swing gate at my office door and it does work (yet they still bark)...but it doesn't work so well with Emma...she power bumps the gate with all 40 lbs until it is down. If I put them outside while a guest is here, Emma will bark and practically beat at the door until she is allowed in. I also have a hard time handling Emma due to her size opposed to the other fur babies I have.

 

[Craig]

I train boundary lines in the floor. Any divider in the floor, carpet to tile or doorways, can be trained into a boundary. Train to wait behind the boundary while sitting or laying down (better). If they get up just reset and go again. Using this method I can keep them away from the door when guests come and keep them out of the kitchen when I have food or make their food. If you train the habit of entering a room/doorway before them then this lesson is picked up even quicker.