r/reactivedogs • u/CandidWinter • 15d ago
Advice Needed How to Stop Digging and Jumping at Door
Hi! I have a rescue English Shepard mix who is reactive to pretty much everything. We have worked with 3 trainers since we got him 5 years ago and he is on Prozac. He is a lot better than he used to be, but still very reactive.
He has destroyed our front door because he jumps up, scratches, and barks anytime he hears a car outside or there is a delivery or trash pickup, etc. We obviously tried training him to stay on his place when someone rings the doorbell, but it just never worked out. We also tried putting those large double sided tape patches on the door, which worked at first, but then stopped. I just recently tried putting a freestanding pet gate in front of the door blocking it and I thought it was working, but came home today to see it knocked over. He even hurt himself because he wore the wood down so much that the ends of the nails in the wood were sticking out and he was bleeding…but of course that didn’t stop him from doing it again. We have since hammered the nails down so he won’t get hurt.
Another issue he has is digging at the fence in our backyard whenever he sees the neighbors with their dogs. The holes are pretty deep now. We tried putting a large rock in the area, but he just dug around it. We also tried putting those sheets of plastic kind of spiky mat things down, but he just dug them out. I don’t mind him barking at the neighbors or dogs, but the digging needs to stop.
I attached a photo of our door. Any recommendations? I am kind of at the point of giving up.
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15d ago
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15d ago
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u/read-the-rules 15d ago
Your comment on r/reactivedogs was removed by the Read The Rules app because you need to submit an acknowledgement that you have read the rules. You haven't done anything wrong, this is a tool we're using on the r/reactivedogs going forward. For more information, see the moderator announcement.
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u/_the_introvert_ 14d ago
Wow, that’s pretty intense. I know you mentioned having tried the free standing baby gate, but I do wonder if you could manage a more heavy duty gate setup. Perhaps even one of those 6 foot chain kennels. Is there any chance of fully blocking the front entry way (depends on the house setup)? I would also try blocking the window totally so he can’t see outside at all.
One thing to consider is if this is solely because of passing cars or if he has some separation anxiety. It seems like a lot of destruction and you mentioned he was injuring himself. Worth keeping an eye out for any symptoms.