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Dog reacting to doorbell (plus tips on doorbell desensitization)
Does it drive you insane when someone rings the doorbell and your dog goes ballistic?
If the answer is yes, then it is important that one desensitizes their dog to door bells. It is critical to do this so that the dog does not get a conditioned behavior associating the bell noise with the arrival of someone. Some dogs are reactive even to door bells on TV!
To start the desensitization process:
- Open your door and stand with your dog with the open door and ring the bell.
- Once your dog stops reacting reward your dog with a toy or a treat.
- Practice this exercise several times throughout the day for a week.
- You can also find doorbell sounds on line. Play with them for a few seconds without there being an associate by a door.
This will help the dog stop associating the bell with the arrival of guests.
If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact us at 770-754-9178 and we will be happy to help you.