Go to your bed when the doorbell rings

[MaryAnn]

GO TO YOUR BED WHEN THE DOORBELL RINGS

First we must get the behavior (lure dog to bed or wait for dog to move toward bed on its own, praise). I like to add the cue backwards (dog goes to bed, ring the doorbell, reward heavily if the dog is still on the bed – operant conditioning for those of you who care). If the dog gets off the bed you simply start over. My next step involves linking the cue with the behavior (doorbell rings, wait about 5 seconds or so, a tiny treat gets put on bed regardless of your dog’s behavior – classical conditioning for anyone wanting to know). If you were paying attention I like to reward heavily for correct responses; pay according to the behavior but maintain classical approach by linking doorbell with treats on the bed. I like to use a clicker to mark exceptional behavior. Eventually the dog should either grasp the idea that if it goes to the bed it will get more treats than if it doesn’t (operant) or it will learn that the doorbell is in essence the dinner bell and dinner happens to be served on the bed (classical). The beauty of the two sided approach is that the dog is better set up to succeed. Of course there may be other hidden cues that you will have to proof out (maybe treats in your hand, your presence in a certain location, etc.) but that is easy enough. Let me know if you need more tips.

You can fade treats some but never plan on doing it completely. When the behavior is solid with low distractions (8/10 success rate) you can gradually add distractions, refine criteria, or work on duration. To maintain this behavior, reward with something like a stuffed Kong when visitors actually come over so your dog has a good reason to stay on its bed.

[newbear]

Here's a video on how to train your dog to go into his/her crate or go onto his/her bed when the doorbell rings. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz-aS3qmqQw