Why does my dog sniff at the door?

If your dog has been sniffing at the door a lot, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of reasons why your dog might have been doing it and what you can do about it.

So, why does my dog sniff at the door? Possible reasons why your dog sniffs at the door are that it smells something on the door, it smells the scent of other animals on the door or that it wants to get to the other side for some reason.

Since there are a number of possible causes, it would help to consider what would make each of them more likely. Once you have a good idea of the most likely cause, it should become a lot easier to get your dog to stop doing it.

Why your dog sniffs at the door

Below are a number of reasons why your dog might have been sniffing at the door and what would make them more likely to be the main reason.

It smells something on the door

The cause could be that it smells something on the door. This would be more likely if it sniffs a certain door that is likely to be smelly such as the door in the kitchen or the front door. It would also be more likely if it does it more when there is something smelly on the other side such as the smell of food.

It is smelling other animals that have been around

The cause could be that it is smelling the scent of other animals that have been around. This would be more likely if it tends to sniff the front door or if you have other animals at home and it often sniffs where they have been.

It wants exercise

It might also be the case that it sniffs at the door because it is trying to tell you something. One thing that it might be trying to tell you is that it wants exercise. This would be more likely if it tends to sniff at the front door at around the same time that you normally take it for a walk.

Separation anxiety

Another possible cause could be that it has some separation anxiety. This would be more likely if it tends to sniff at the door to the room you are in when it cannot come into the room with you and if it gets anxious when you are leaving it.

It wants to get to the other side

The cause could also be that it wants to get to the other side. This would be more likely if it sniffs a specific door at a certain time. For example, if it sniffs at the door to the backyard when it has not peed for a while, it could be because it wants to pee.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.

What else happened when your dog first started sniffing at the door

If your dog did not always sniff the door, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. For example, if you started making stay outside a certain room, it might be sniffing at the door because it wants to get back into that room or because it wants to know why it can’t go in anymore.

What is different when it does not do it

It would also help to consider the timing of when it sniffs at the door since it could be the case that the timing has something to do with it. For example, if it sniffs at the front door, when you would normally walk it, the cause could be that it wants to get a walk.

Consider what door it is sniffing at

It would also help to consider what door it is sniffing. If it is sniffing the front door, it could be that it smells the scent of other animals there or that it wants to go outside. Whereas, if it sniffs at the door to the room you are in, it might be because it has some separation anxiety.

What to do about your dog sniffing at the door

Below are some options you have when getting your dog to stop doing it.

Redirect it when it is about to do it

One option would be to try to redirect its focus onto something else such as a toy or bone, when it is about to sniff the door. Doing this should help to get it out of the habit of sniffing at the door.

Avoid encouraging the behavior

It might be the case that you have inadvertently encouraged the behavior by giving your dog rewards when it sniffs doors. Instead, it would help to reward your dog when it does not do it, to wait for it to stop before giving it any rewards and to try to redirect its focus when it seems likely to start doing it.

“Leave it” training

Another option would be to give it lots of leave it training when it is near the door. You can watch the video below to see how to do it.