Chapter 13: Visitors At The Door - Premier MannersMinder Instruction Manual

Chapter 13: Visitors at the Door

Recommended Daily Practice:
Two 10-minute Guest Visits (and any other time visitors come over).
Now it's time to practice with actual visitors. You'll get quickest results if you set up visits
where neighbors, friends or guests visit two times a day, until Fido gets the idea, but you
can also train just when you have your regular visitors come to the door.
If you've been consistent about picking the MannersMinder up between sessions and
ending the training session before Fido loses interest, Fido should be glued to his rug
whenever the MannersMinder comes out. If this is the case, then you can now leave it out
all the time. He will quickly learn that treats only come out when you cue him to "place."
If he goes to lie down on his own, don't reward him. Only reward him when he lies down
on cue, then call him off at the end. This way he'll learn that you're still in charge of the
rewards and he can't just go back randomly to get rewards, then get off his "place"
whenever he feels like it.
Start with One Dog:
If you have more than one dog that's misbehaved at the door, make sure only the dog in
training is out during the early guest visits. You'll add the other dogs later on.
Step 1:
When the doorbell rings and your dog runs and
barks at the door, tell him to "Place." If he doesn't
immediately place, then instead, stand near his rug
and call him to come. If you've practiced your recall
he should come readily. (Refer to Chapter 10.) Then
once he reaches you, give him a treat by hand, then
tell him to "Place." Often dogs will place on their
own once you get them near their rug or bed.
NOTE: If the "place" is located on the way to the
door and within 5 feet of the door, it will be easier
to teach him to "place" with high distractions
and also easier to block him from getting to the
guest if he stands up.
Step 1: When the doorbell rings and
your dog runs and barks at the door,
tell him to "Place." If he doesn't
immediately place, then instead, stand
near his "place" and call him to come.
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