Every single time someone comes home it happens: your dog barks when the garage door opens or closes! Why do they keep doing this? Why does your dog bark when the garage door opens? Are dogs safe around garage doors? Should you have them keep their distance? How do you keep your dog away from the garage door?

Well, there’s no need to stress any longer because today we’re going to answer all of these questions for you including the most important one: how to stop your dog barking when the garage door opens. This will all be behind you very soon. Continue reading below for our article “Dog Barks When Garage Door Opens? Here’s How to Stop It!”

How to Stop Dog Barking When Garage Door Opens

To stop dog barking when garage door opens:

1. Teach your dog the “quiet” command to use anytime they bark at the garage door opening or closing, or just whenever you need them to be silent.
2. For us to do that, you should take your dog somewhere you know they’ll probably bark (the park, etc) with lots of small treats.
3. As soon as your dog starts barking, say “quiet” in a calm, positive voice. If they listen and become silent while also giving you their complete focus immediately give them praise and a treat.
4. But if your dog keeps barking or quickly begins again, then hide a treat in the palm of your hand.
5. Put your fist right next to your dog’s nose. They’ll still be able to pick up the scent even inside of your hand and will pause their barking to sniff it.
6. Once they’ve quit barking and are paying you all their attention, again say “quiet,” and then open your hand to reward them with a small treat and praise.
7. If they continue to be silent and are giving you their complete attention, continue rewarding them with praise and treats.
8. But if they again begin to bark or are not paying attention, repeat the steps of placing a treat inside of your hand, placing it by their nose, and waiting until they stop their barking and give you their attention.
9. Make sure to always wait until they’ve stopped their barking and are giving you all their attention, and then say “quiet” before you reward them with any praise or treats.
10. This creates a positive connection with your dog with the “quiet” command, and with staying silent and giving you their full attention.
11. With time, repetition, and patience, you should be able to get them to respond only with the “quiet” command, and it will no longer be necessary to place your hand next to their mouth.
12. Once your dog is doing well with just the command, then you can begin increasing the duration of time you wait until you reward them.
13. Begin by pausing for about 1-2 seconds, then as they do well move that up to 5 seconds, and so on.
14. Soon, you won’t need to reward your dog with food and praise, and they will be quiet and give you their attention just by you giving the command.

These steps will get your dog to stop barking when the garage door opens, but it’s important to remember that the underlying behavioral issues (anxiety, dominance) that were causing all of this to begin with will still be present. And until you address those, any positive changes you see are only going to be temporary.

“So, how do I make these changes last?”

By getting your dog to truly choose to follow your direction, that’s how. I tried many times to write out how you can do that before deciding it made more sense to just link you to the free video series that explains it better than I’d ever be able to.

The series is by a man named Dan who is one of the world’s leading dog obedience trainers. In it, he teaches you how to put an end to things like when your dog barks when the garage door opens and all other misbehavior using his fast and easy-to-follow methods.

In the first video, Dan will reveal to you why the two most common methods of dog training only doom you to failure. You can watch the video now by clicking here. Follow the proven system he’ll show you in his series and you’ll never have to spend another second worrying about your dog barking when the garage door opens ever again!

Why Does My Dog Bark When the Garage Door Opens?

Your dog barks when the garage door opens because they get anxious due to the excitement of knowing someone they love is home. It’s also possible that if they’re a dog who feels territorially dominant, then they’re doing so because they feel like an intruder could be entering their area, and they see it as their duty to protect the space, themselves, and the family.

Remember that dogs have descended from wolves, so this type of territoriality is not unusual. But regardless of why your dog barks when the garage door opens, the real problem occurs when they’re doing so and then ignoring you when told to stop. This is particularly likely with dominant dogs.

Your dog is not just being disobedient but also showing that they don’t respect your orders or your leadership. You can’t allow this to continue or you are essentially (in your dog’s eyes) approving of them acting this way. Their issues will then only get worse, and become more frequent.

Your dog will bark at people walking by, they will bark when the mailman comes, and they might even get to the point that they become aggressive with your neighbors or try to bite visitors. These are clearly things you don’t want happening, so I’m sure you can see why it’s crucial that you get a handle on things immediately.

To learn how to stop your dog barking when the garage door opens by giving a simple command, while also addressing the root cause of their misbehavior (regardless of whether it’s anxiety due to excitement or territorial dominance), go back to the first section now where we have step-by-step instructions for you.

Are Dogs Safe Around Garage Doors?

Dogs are safe around garage doors generally, but you should still keep a close eye on them to ensure that they stay away from the door’s mechanism and also where the door closes. While all modern garage doors have safety devices to prevent them from closing on things, there’s no guarantee that these will engage before your dog has been injured.

If you have a particularly rambunctious or inquisitive dog, it’s best to never leave them in the garage unattended. If you must do so, be sure to keep them in a closed-off space such as in a crate or in a fenced-off area. If your garage is not climate controlled, be sure to provide them with a fan and water at all times they are placed in there — and toys too!

How Do I Keep My Dog Away From the Garage Door?

To keep your dog away from the garage door, fence off an area for them so that they can’t get to the door. You can use a baby gate so that you and your family members are still able to get through, but your dog is kept in a safe zone. If your dog is going to be kept in the garage, make sure that their area has a fan, water, bed, and plenty of toys to keep them occupied and happy.

If you’re getting your dog used to spending time in the garage, spend time with them there in the beginning. Pet them, give them praise, and keep rewarding them with small treats. Do this multiple times over a period of days. Your dog should learn to feel calm there and will create positive associations in their mind with staying in their area in the garage.

I’m sure you’re ready for people to come home without your dog going crazy, so I’ll let you get started on things now. Good luck, and thank you for reading our article “Dog Barks When Garage Door Opens? Here’s How to Stop It!”