How To Make Them Enter The House Calmly?

[cassie]

Hi all. We've got a 3.5 year old Bernese and a 1.5 year old Saint. When we come home from being out, we go outside to greet the dogs (not necessarily first thing) and they are so happy to see us, they get excited and bounce around and act silly. We try to wait until they have calmed down before we let them inside, but without fail, every time they RUN inside, bound up the 3 steps (split level home) to the top storey, then back down to greet us again. This is 125+ kg of dogs running through the house and knocking into furniture and/or us and I'm sick of it! I don't know how to teach them to enter nicely so am seeking advice on this please. They only do zoomies for a minute then they settle and behave calmly inside, it's just that initial entry. It also occurs if they've been outside to eat or toilet and they are returning inside. I think they just love being inside with us that it excites them!

Thanks in advance.

[The Spotted Devil]

Personally I would have them come in one at a time so you can manage the crazy. No dog comes in unless they OFFER a sit AND can hold it whilst you open the door wide. So, here it is "Zig wait" "Em ok" or vice versa. Temp pup is still learning. Door shuts if dogs bolt through without being released. I have a baby gate in the house that has the same rules. At bedtime I put my hand on the gate and the dogs automatically sit. I open the gate wide and walk off. No-one moves. Then I release and they race to their beds for a biscuit. Same in and out of the car, front gate, getting out of a crate, being let off leash etc etc.

Nothing wrong with excitement! They just need to learn a bit more impulse control.

[Nekhbet]

We try to wait until they have calmed down before we let them inside

Here is your problem

1) inconsistency

2) lack of actual calm behavior

3) you're actually building excitement then allowing them to explode

They might sit and not be jumping about but that is not calm - that is just performing a trick to get inside. The actual position does not matter it's the dogs excitement level that does

Put them on the leash before they come in, if they wont listen straight away them straight back outside for a while until they get it. You have to be firm and consistent or it will never end

[cassie]

Thanks to both of you.

TSD - how have you gotten your dogs to that point? Ask for a sit again and again, and now they just offer it to you?

Nekh - you're definitely right, we're inconsistent. I see what you mean when you say they're sitting, but still hyped up. We'll try them on leads. So would you suggest bringing in one at a time on lead, and if they act up put both back out? Or something else?

[Staffyluv]

I had a foster that just couldn't seem to calm down - so I went out to them and we just sat for a minute, had a nice pat and then we all walked back in calmly. It didn't take him long to work out, if he is calm, we go in sooner.

I am the same with TSD, with my Ziggy - if he is out, then he must wait calmly before he is released to come in the house (or out of the car, of we go somewhere).

[The Spotted Devil]

Hey cassie - in this situation I NEVER ask for a sit. I like to put the onus back on the dog to make some decisions and work out how to get the reward. With my adults they already understood basic crate games but I still needed to wait them out until they worked it out. Started by marking the sit with "yes" and opening the door and simultaneously releasing. Then I make them wait progressively longer before releasing. Same with putting their food down - I don't ask for a sit but I wait for them to sit and hold it until released. Always have my iPhone at hand so I can check emails and out wait them in the learning stage :D Once they start to get the idea I will walk away from the door if they don't offer a sit and do something else for a few minutes. Pups are easier as they naturally offer lots of behaviours. Makes for a much more peaceful household because the dogs are doing all the hard work.

[Luke GSP]

Personally I don't even acknowledge my dogs until they are calm, and I mean calm, not just sitting or standing still, at any other time than I want them to be excited such as when retrieving or training as with three of them it can get to crazy town real quick if you want it to. ;-)

From day one I walk them in to the house holding their collar and walk them to their bed inside. Any crazy town and they go back out side 5 minute break and then we start again. Once they will walk in without me holding the collar, I introduce the fact that the dog needs to sit in it's bed in the laundry to gain access,(they always have access to the laundry, I just open the internal door and stand in the way so they can't go past) at first just getting in the bed, then sitting in the bed, then sitting in the bed and increasing duration. eventually ending up that they all get in their beds and then wait until they are told they can come in one by one (by name). They are still expected to walk in calmly and then go to their bed area in our main living space.

[Lasareina]

we have this problem too ... they will sit at the door and stay until they are released, but then it's crazy racing inside, a bit of jumping up and down for pats, and then racing into the lounge to sit in their spots.

I can see what Nehkbet means about site not equaling calm... Hunter in particular is practically vibrating as he waits for the 'ok ' to release and come inside. It is like he can not physically contain the excitement of seeing his humans again. Hunter also vocalises any time he gets frustrated, including while walking and asking him to stay in heel when he wants to pull me to the park for example. This seems to feed back on itself and increase the pent up excitement until he explodes.

I will give the leads a go as well - just hope I don't get dragged along on the zoomie by 2 hyped up staffies

[huski]

I have a routine which is as soon as the dogs are let inside they go into their crates. I wanted to build a habit where they think enter the house = go to crate, even if I let them out straight away. They do this automatically now without any command or prompting from me, so they don't enter the house expecting fun zoomie times but have a clear direction of what to do. You could do the same thing with a mat or bed as a 'place'.

Edited September 29, 2014 by huski

[Nekhbet]

I like to put the onus back on the dog to make some decisions and work out how to get the reward.

All well and good but sometimes frustration can work against you when you are not directly controlling the dogs behavior. Two frustrated and excited giant breed dogs can destroy a back door in no time.

You do either one or two at a time, whatever you can control properly and enforce your rules. Conversely if you're short of another person to help and their leash skills involve potential shoulder dislocation, treats in the pocket and leash on the leader. Ignore the other totally and reward heavily the ringleader for following your guidance - the other usually follows.

You know your dogs better then I can see down the interwebs ;)

My dogs have free access to the house 24/7 so I set inside and outside rules early so I dont come home to a trashed house

Edited September 30, 2014 by Nekhbet

[Kavik]

I have a routine which is as soon as the dogs are let inside they go into their crates. I wanted to build a habit where they think enter the house = go to crate, even if I let them out straight away. They do this automatically now without any command or prompting from me, so they don't enter the house expecting fun zoomie times but have a clear direction of what to do. You could do the same thing with a mat or bed as a 'place'.

Mine do the same thing :) (except Diesel who doesn't have a crate, he goes onto his bed)

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I've got the opposite problem. I get home - my dog is inside the house and we have the drill of nothing exciting is going to happen until after she's been out and done a 1 or 2... And I will be boring...

After she's done her bit - then she gets some pats...

But - when we go out - she has been blasting out the front door (despite being on lead) barking and lunging - worse if something is there but she seemed to be doing it just in case...

So I decided this wasn't a behaviour I was going to accept any more.

We already had a sit at the door to go through - I think I got this sit before I got it from the crate. But she will offer sit if she wants something... that works quite well for her most of the time.

So we get to the door and I say "what are you going to do for me?" and she has a think and sits. If she's barking from that side of the door (and it's not a door to door sales guy), we move away from the door until she's calm. Which drives my neighbour from across the road nuts, but she's very exciting and doesn't liked being jumped on or licked... so we practice self control.

When I get a nice calm sit on my side of the door - I open it. Slowly. If the dog's butt starts to lift off or nose go forward... I shut the door - fast enough that she doesn't get out - tho she is still on lead so she's not going to win. She has head butt the door a couple of times... oops.

But the idea is the dog doesn't get what they want until the dog calms down and you control the environment eg one dog, on lead, known stuff on the other side of the door (maybe block the stairs off?)...

And we play lots of self control games in different situations and places. What I want is a dog that is excited (or calm) but still has great self control.