Week 4

[Day 26] "Stay" exercise for visitors - relaxation for dogs and humans

November 1, 2024

Time to read 4 min

Basic obedience: Day 26 of 56

This video and training is part of the Grunge Obedience Concept, a structured programme to promote obedience and the bond between humans and dogs. The concept is carefully didactic and methodical to ensure that each exercise builds on the previous one for maximum effectiveness. It is crucial that you carry out the training in the intended order to achieve the best possible results for your dog.

Visiting situations are a challenge for many dogs, as they often react territorially or very happily when someone comes to the door. Whether it's the postman, the take-away delivery person or a visitor coming to the house - your dog has to learn to recognise the visitor and still remain calm. In this blog, we'll show you how to use the "stay" exercise to help your dog stay relaxed in such situations.

We will focus in particular on desensitising your dog to the doorbell, which triggers a strong reaction in many dogs. Let's work together step by step so that your dog learns to remain calm even when the doorbell rings or visitors come in.

Goal: The dog accepts a defined boundary in visitor situations

Equipment: treats, helper (visitor), Collar if necessary, house lead and separation fence

Location: Low-stimulus environment, later different locations

Duration: approx. 5 min. per learning step with a break between the learning steps

Trainingsplan Downlod

"Stay" exercise for visitors - calm instead of excitement

When visitors arrive, many dogs react with either excessive joy or strong territorial behaviour. For you as a dog person, however, it is important that your dog remains calm and composed in such situations. With the "stay" exercise, you can teach your dog to relax and remain in position while you receive the visitor.

Why do dogs react so strongly to visitors?

Dogs often perceive visitors as a change to their usual territory. Territorial dogs in particular react to strangers or even familiar people because they want to defend their territory. Other dogs, on the other hand, are simply so excited that they can hardly keep still when someone new comes in. Both can be stressful for you and your dog - this is where the "stay" exercise can help.

This exercise teaches your dog to recognise the visitor's stimulus, but not to react to it in an uncontrolled manner. The point is for the dog to remain in its position, even if the doorbell rings or the visitor enters the house.

Desensitisation of the doorbell

Another aspect of the training is desensitisation to the doorbell. Many dogs become frantic as soon as the doorbell rings because we humans often react frantically when someone is at the door. This hectic behaviour is transferred to the dog and increases his excitement. The aim of desensitisation is for your dog to hear the doorbell but remain calm.

Dog lying on his dog bed and looking to the left.

Combining management and training

You have already learnt in the house rules (Day 8) how important it is to take certain management measures to control visitor situations. These measures support the "stay" exercise: your dog learns that he is not allowed to rush to the door immediately, but should stay in a certain area. So you combine management, such as setting up a fixed place for your dog, with targeted training to achieve the best results.

It is important to understand that this training needs to be customised for each individual dog. Territorial dogs in particular need more time and patience to learn that they do not have to intervene immediately when someone enters the house.

Proceed step by step

Start training in a low-stimulus environment before working with real visitor situations. Start by training your dog to stay calm when the doorbell rings. As soon as this works well, you can gradually increase the stimuli by inviting friends or acquaintances as training visitors.

It is important that you provide your dog with positive reinforcement during training. Every calm reaction to the ringtone or the visitor should be rewarded - be it with treats, praise or cuddles. This will teach your dog that it is worth staying calm instead of immediately rushing at the visitor.

Trainingsplan Downlod

You'll find the perfect equipment with us

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Summary

The "stay" exercise in connection with visitor situations is an important step in teaching your dog to remain calm and controlled. By working specifically on desensitising your dog to the doorbell and setting clear boundaries, you will help him to behave in a more relaxed manner when someone is at the door. The training requires patience and positive reinforcement, but will pay off in the long run - for you, your dog and your visitors.

With a little practice and management, you will both be able to master this challenge and approach visiting situations much more calmly.

[Day 25] Combination training "Stand" & "Stay" - More control through signal combination

The authors: Paulina & Lui

Paulina and Lui are the heart and soul behind Vitomalia [Dogstraining & Store]. Her journey in dog training began with the adoption of her first list dog, Vito. This experience sparked her deep interest in teaching other dog owners about dog behaviour and training. Initially this was just a hobby, but with the adoption of the American Pitbull dog Amalia, who had been relinquished several times due to severe behavioural problems, her passion developed into a true vocation. Amalia's particular behavioural challenges intensified her interest in dog training and behavioural therapy. This turning point led Paulina and Lui to leave their original career paths, undergo intensive further training and dedicate themselves fully to the subject of dog training. Their work with human-dog teams also revealed a gap in the dog market: there was a lack of safe, high-quality dog accessories specifically for medium-sized and large breeds.

From this realisation, Vitomalia [Dogstraining & Store] was born, a combination of their commitment to professional dog training and the need for quality dog accessories. Paulina and Lui bring their personal experience, extensive knowledge and passion for dogs to every product to help human-dog teams live together.