Hi all. My 6 month old pup has stated to bite my other dogs when someone knocks at the door or guests come in.
When there is a knock my 3 grown ups all bark but i wouldn't say they bark aggresivly, they are exited that we have visitors and they are all very friendly to everyone. The pup seems to think they are barking because they want a fight and he jumps on the others to fight them, especially on to the smallest dog in the house. would the best thing to do to him to shut him away from the others when anyone knocks or would that make it worse. The pup is a giant breed and a full scale fight is brewing.

It's going to be hard to seperate them before somebody knocks/rings because you don't know when it's going to happen - if you did, they woulnd't need to knock ;)  Can you get a friend to help you train him to an alternative behaviour, such as going to his bed when the door bell goes - make that his 'job' when somebody comes.  He's probably just looking for something to do when everyone else is barking, he may be confused and needs direction from you.

I've got to westies aswell as a bullmastiff pup, my westies can be quite boisterous running around and yapping so Nina my bullmastiff jumps on them, as Digger said i do think they get confused and can't understand what the other dogs are doing.  So when the two westies are playing up i just call Nina to me to distract her, it is hard though with three dogs.

Warm regards Susan.

tell me about it frank, it's really hard. I think it's right in saying he does get confused. ill try distracting him and see if that works. thanks.

I think if I were you I would start by retraining the older dogs NOT to bark when someone comes to the door or at least bark only once then stop on your 'quiet' command.  You need to make someone coming to the door as low key as possible as this will stop the little one getting overly aroused and nipping in excitment.  If you have to resort to shouting above their din you will only aggrevate and increase the excitment felt by all.  You may have to start by 'stage managing' a few visits by friends at pre-arranged times so that you can shut all but one dog away and work with them one at a time.

I have been through something similar with one of mine but he tried to 'bonk' the older barking dog when visitors arrived.  I taught the older one to 'cease' (barking) on command and taught the little one to 'sit' on command.  Altogether I have three and all now sit quietly in a semi circle when visitors arrive.

Sigh.  I'm still trying to stop mine 'bouncing' for food and howling the house down when the postman comes!  I have to retrain them every day!  The idea of them sitting quietly when they spot / hear / sense /mistakenly believe that something has moved is just fantastic!

Poppy is exactly the same.  The telephone, the washing machine, the mobile phone, the fan, the post, a leaf outside the front door, the central heating clicking over, the doorbell, someone coming into the house, someone leaving the house, ANYTHING and she goes into barking alert!!!! Its funny at times but when i have to race her to the front door and then battle with her to get her away from the door (saying quiet or get to bed) so i can see who it is - then its not.  I dread to think what visitors think!!!! :-)

I'm like that myself, when someone knocks i have to open the door a little so i can just see out because all the dogs run out to see who is knocking!  thats if i can get to the door.  I know they need training or i'm going to have to lose some wait so the person knocking can see me through the inch the door is opened to. ha ha ha

Warm regards Susan.

Im like you frank, i can only open the door a bit the older 3 are all jumping over one another to see who it is and the pup is not interested in who's there he thinks it's time for a fight. and if he's woken up from a sleep at them barking he's even more angry.

Mine dont fight though i do feel for you, for me it's just like going through a maze trying to get to the door, i do hope you find a solution because it's the last thing you wont, your dogs fighting that is.  I do think though that he just gets confused and thinks whats going on, so he resorts to biting the others.  Take care and good luck with your dogs, i hope you can get to the door soon with no hassle.

Warm regards Susan.

thanx frank

If your pup is very young the older dogs will let him get away with biting at them but as he gets older, your other dogs should reprimand him for this sort of behaviour - it's not aggression it is just puppy over excitement.

I would suggest that you put all the dogs in another room when the doorbell rings, it then becomes their cue to get out of the way and let you deal with who is at the door.

Chaos and an open front door don't mix even with well trained dogs and you don't want to scare the life out of people who do knock on your door.

hello deaks. The situation is becoming a nightmare! My brother knocked at the door the other night and a full scale riot broke out. your dead right about as the puppy gets older the other dogs will tell him off. Pup is a 6 month old dogue so he's bigger than 2 of the others already. I am starting to put the dogs in another room if i know im getting visitors. i,ve also noticed that puppy is picking on one dog in particular,my neutered staffie. I have also got an entire jack russel that he likes better. Do you think it might be because pup and staffie are simerler in hight and build and it might pass as the pup overtakes growth wise. He used to pick on jack russel when he was same size but as he's got bigger than him they are now buddies. i have got an akita bitch who i think he's not bothered about.
Tanya

Its probably the way that the staff and the dogue play together now.  Bull breeds as I am sure you know have different body language from other breeds and it is probably this that is making him seek the staff out.  Does the staff tell him off at all??  Is your Akita bitch the ruler of the doggy roost? 
I have 4 weimaraners (2dogs/2bitches) the pup is 7 months old now and is starting to get told off more by the older dogs - he is very deferential though whilst being told off.  The bitches are definitely in charge and the boys do as they are told!!
I have always put my dogs in another room when the bell goes that way I know I don't have to worry about them when I am at the door they do bark at the bell but I want people to know they are there.  Just as I open the front door I tell the dogs 'thank you' and they quieten down.
Remember when dealing with barking excited dogs that if you shout they think you are joining in so remain calm and give your quiet command in an even voice.
Since you have tried putting them out does the bell still have the same effect (chaos!)? If it does you might want to try desensitising to the bell i.e firstly apologise to the neighbours for the noise then get someone to ring the bell and only intermittently answer it - reward the dogs for quietening down.

Hi deaks, it is better since i started to put them in another room. If i know iv'e got visitors coming i get them to phone me when there nearly here so i can get organised, that way they bark and i let them calm down before they can come in and say hello. My staff has started to tell pup off but the pup love's it. staffie is the oldest in the house and is a big softie he like's a quite life apart from when we have visitors and he goes back to being a puppy again, getting the ball and barking in the garden util some one plays with him. All my other dogs have played rough with him as pups i think like he's the daddy and they learn off him, it's just this time it seems more nasty and not just when doorbell goes, extremly rough play all the time. My Akita is top dog in the house, she sort of acts like the referee and gets between them if it gets out of hand sometime's telling pup off sometimes telling staffie off.

Try having a treat box by the front door and when someone knocks or rings ask for a sit and give them a treat they then will assocociate a knock at the door with recieving of a treat for good behaviour, this also gives you time to answer the door without the dogs barking.

thanks for advice i will try the treats and see if it works
Tanya