Two of the biggest unwanted behaviors we get called into handle are dogs trying to bolt out of the front door every time someone opens it, and dogs jumping on people when they come in the door. When it comes to ranking the seriousness of an unwanted behavior, it can range from mild irritation to downright dangerous. Both of those behaviors can be down right dangerous. An excited dog running out of the front door is a high risk to getting struck by a car or running away. A dog jumping on people can cause injury from knocking someone down to scratching them with their nails. That latter may normally not be that big of a deal, unless say the person being jumped on happens to be on blood thinners. Let’s unpack why these behaviors are so common.
First of all, I always like to look at things from the dog’s point of view. Many of my clients have fenced in back yards where the dog is let out to do his business and play. Even though this door is used all the time, many dogs are still super excited to go out any door at all. Depending on where you live, going out the back door can be very boring when it comes to what there is to see, smell, and chase. Also the dog knows that it is fenced in and they are confined to that space. Now, in comparison, let’s look at the front door.
It reminds me of in the movies when a very innocuous door is opened to reveal ninjas training. That is your front door. When that door opens, who knows what amazing smells, sights, and movements to chase await. Plus, if they have gotten out before, they know that there is nothing confining them. Once out the door, they are free.
Regardless of what you see on Facebook and Instagram, most dogs lead very boring lives, and unfortunately get very little stimulation and even fewer get stimulation as part of a pack by moving together. A dog in the wild would hook up with other dogs to form a pack, and that pack could spend 12-18 hours a day foraging for food and water. The whole time communicating with each other through movement and eye contact, not barking. There would be a pack leader who would be in charge and all the other dogs would be constantly aware of where he was by always watching for him. For many dogs, the only place they get to follow their humans is from the recliner to the fridge. Sounds depressing, doesn’t it? That’s because it is, but we can change that in only 30 minutes a day. The people reading this who are constantly doing things with their dogs are saying to themselves “that is not enough”. Most of those people are not away from their dog working 8-12 hours a day and coming home to make dinner, do homework, laundry, and whatever else to do it all over again. Like I said previously, for most dogs, 30 minutes a day will be 30 minutes more a day than they usually get. As it is with all things, the 20/80 rule applies, 80% of the impact on your life comes from 20% of what you do. So, back to the excitement at the door.
For many dogs the only time they go out the front door is to go to the vet or when they escape. Because of lack of stimulation and and not having an outlet for their dog energy, the most exciting thing that happens in their mundane life is that front door opening. Dogs as predators are all about movement. The door swinging on a hinge is movement and very attractive to them, but it gets better. If there is a knock on the door or the doorbell rings, it lets them know that the person on the other side is a stranger, and strangers bring all kinds of possibilities such as new smells from where they have been. Strangers typically won’t stop them from bolting out the door, and in fact may offer a great distraction for them to do just that. Then if they do come in, they are likely to immediately focus on them and give them lots of attention includng eye contact, talking, and petting, all as the dog is barking, growling, and acting crazy. Then add in the owner giving the dog all kinds of commands out of frustration, embarrassment, and anxiety. The dog loves this because finally their owner is excited, animated, and not boring. This is their response to the door and it encourages the dog to have the same response at the door. So, what do we do to change this?
#1 Walk your dog 15-20 minutes a day using the MCS SSW (Silent Structured Walk). At the time of the day that you prefer (I always suggest when you get home from work so that you can use it as a peaceful transition for you as well). Walk to where you keep the dog’s leash, pick it up, and walk to the middle of the room where the front door is. We recommend that you use an Immediate Correction Lead, and just stand there with leash in hand without saying a word. Wait, no matter how long it takes, for your dog to come and sit in front of you. Put on their leash. With the leash in your left hand, walk towards the door with the dog behind you. Put your hand on the door knob. If your dog moves towards the door, simply pop the leash to get their attention. Take your hand away and do it again. Repeat until they don’t respond to your hand being placed on the door knob. Then repeat as you twist the knob. Then pull the door open just enough to break the seal, again correcting the dog for moving. Then open the door all the way. Finally, you should be standing in the open door between the dog and the outside. I don’t care if the dog is standing or sitting just as long as they are still and focusing on you. During this entire process, you should not have said a word. The first few times it may take a while. Set your phone for 20 minutes. This is all part of the SSW. Now, step out the door leading your dog out the door. This part of the SSW shows your leadership to the dog. By not talking, you greatly decrease the chances of the dog seeing your frustration or burning your commands by telling the dog to do something they have not been trained do. You took the focus away from the door opening and going out the door, and put it on you. You controlled the movement and space by claiming the approach to the door, opening the door, and going out the door. As you lead your dog out the door, you are telling them that you are claiming the space you are going into and they are not responsible for anything except for following you. Letting dogs habitually go out the front door ahead of you on a leash tells them that they are in charge of you in that space. It often leads to dogs that pull towards, and bark and growl at everything and everyone they meet choosing to engage it, scare it away, or fight it.
Now that you are outside, remember to set the pace. The first place you come to that you know your dogs like to relieve themselves at, let them do so. Stand still, and let them have the whole leash while they are doing their business. Once they are done, or choose not to, take your leash back and begin walking. Head up, shoulders back, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Act like a powerful and confident pack leader. Do not let the dog control the pace. Keep the dog in the heel position with your left knee cap between their front right shoulder and the tip of their nose. This position allows them to use the peripheral vision of their right eye to look at your face to see what you are focusing on and where you are going. You may have seen this while watching a military or police handler team. The dogs only focus should be on the handler, because they decide what the team responds to, not the dog.
Getting a dog to walk on a loose lead can be very challenging at first. If they pull ahead, pop, never pull the lead, and then go right back to relaxing. It is not about how far you go, it is about silently communicating with your dog and keeping their focus through movement (walking) and touch (the lead).
When you get back to the front door, give the dog a pop on the lead (this means FOCUS ON ME) and put your hand on the door knob and repeat the exact same process you did going out. Once you are back inside, break your silence and act like you just won the lottery. Yell, scream, pet, praise your dog like you never have before.
#2 Door desensitization drill-with your dog on a leash, stand in the middle of the room where the front door is. Have someone knock & or ring the door bell. If your dog responds to it in anyway, pop the leash and have them repeat. Do this until the dog is not responding at all to the audible stimulus. Then have them crack the door and repeat. Then have them come just inside the door and act very erratic. Have them scream, yell, jump up and down, whatever. Every time the dog responds in anyway, pop the lead, remember FOCUS ON ME. When the dog is not responding at all, break your silence and give all the praise using the energy you used to use correcting the dog. Then have the other person praise the dog. If they bring their front paws off the ground at all, pop the leash.
#3 Off leash door approach drill– start anywhere in the house, have someone go outside and knock. Your dog will probably beat you to the door. Walk up and get between the door and the dog. With your back to the door, walk towards the dog forcing them to back up. When they stay, put your hand on the door knob. If they move forward, you respond by moving forwards towards them. When they stay, crack the door. Keep doing this until the door is all the way open. You can do this with a 6 or 15 foot leash attached so if they get past you there is something for you to step on. When you are done with your business at the door, turn around and break your silence. Shower the dog with praise.
All three of the above drills are based on the foundational principles of MCS and Focus Based Canine Training-
Conditioning your dog to focus on you while moving and stationary.
Conditioning your dog to focus on you in response to distractions.
Conditioning your dog to generalize the above behavior in any environment.
Hopefully, in the next week or so, we will be posting a video of how to conduct the Silent Structured Walk by the numbers.