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Simon Goodall
Simon has a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and Psychology and specialized in Canine Behaviour. He was recently the first New Zealander approved for membership to the IAABC, and he is also a member of APDT Australia. Simon founded Dog Guru in 2002. Dog Guru has helped hundreds of dogs and their owners with training and specialist problems, and is also a dog trainer for the ministry of Education. Simon lives in Auckland, New Zealand with his wife Michelle and two golden retrievers. Sherlock is often used as a demonstration dog in schools and retirement villages. He was also used as a demo dog in the Auckland pet expo in 2004. Training is always using positive reinforcement.

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http://www.dogguru.co.nz
Why is my dog barking? [Edit]
6/10/2005

Many people have problems when their dog is barking at people when they come into the house. Some of the dogs bark when people are entering and exiting the house and other dogs bark the entire time that you are inside the house and until you leave.

It is nice to have your dog bark a few times when people come to the door but is not nice when they bark non stop and cant be controlled. These pointers should help you on your way. Remember they are a guide only and if you are having any more problems please consult a professional.

The first thing we have to think about is what is going through our dogs mind when people come to the door. Basically they think it is their job to guard the house when someone comes to the door. They do not want anyone else on their property. The same principal applies when there is a cat at the back door and the dog chases it. The dog is doing what it is designed for. But some dogs just need to be taught that enough is enough.

So what do we do? I get people to practice strangers coming to knock at the door. When the person knocks the dog runs to the door and will bark. I then get the owners to have a treat present and to tell the dog “quiet” and “sit”. This gets t
he dogs attention and we reward it as soon as it is quiet. It may only be quiet for a few seconds but tell it to be quiet again and treat it. Open the door slowly and tell the dog to stay as you open it. If it rushes off and barks again close the door and start again. Don’t open the door fully until the dog is quiet.

There are another few things to remember. First make sure your dog knows all the commands first. It may not know quiet but it soon will. Don’t use force. If the dog is not responding to the treat simply put it on a lead to be able to pull it around slightly to take the obsession away from the door. Also tell the person coming in to ignore the dog completely. This takes the greeting onus off the dog. Finally be relaxed. Often if the barking is happening the owners get stressed every time someone comes to the door because they are ashamed of the dog and just want it to be quiet. Nearly every time I go to a person’s house with this problem they say that the dog is so well behaved and not doing what it normally does. The reason is that people know I am their to fix the dog and are not stressing out when I come out.

Follow these simple things and you will hopefully notice a huge difference.


Simon Goodall is now a member of IAABC (International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants). This means the information you receive is the most up to date.

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