The doorbell rings and the giant Great Dane isn’t sure whether to defend himself or bring a toy

A huge dog responding to the doorbell caused a stir among onlookers as he didn’t know how to handle the situation.

The owner, known on TikTok as @thereal_scoobydoo, narrated Newsweek that her one-year-old Great Dane, Scooby, usually has two set responses when visitors come into the house.

“He usually sees someone is there and just barks!” she said. “When someone comes into the house, if they find one quickly enough, they’ll usually bring them a toy. Usually not until he comes in.”

But as shown in the Dec. 23 video, Scooby recently decided to do both because he was “unsure” whether the visit justified defending his home and family. The huge dog ran to the front door with a stuffed animal in his mouth and his tail wagging, ready to welcome the visitor. But a few seconds later his watchdog instincts kicked in and he dropped the toy.

Scooby stood vigilantly at the front door, waiting for anyone to come in at some point. He barked to show the person on the other side that he was serious. Realizing that the threat had passed, he finally let his guard down and returned to his owner.

The caption reads: “It was just a big guy.”

When he finally concluded that there was no danger in the house, he took his toy and returned it to its owner. If there were no threat and no visitors to play with, he would have to settle for his mother instead.

The TikTok video had over 2.9 million views, 546,400 likes and 11,500 comments as of Monday.

“Scooby-don’t-know-what-to-do,” one viewer commented, while another added: “He’s definitely ready for protection playtime.”

A third demanded: “Let him out. He and the gang have to solve mysteries.”

Others couldn’t get over the fact that this giant dog looked just like Scooby Doo: “I have to applaud your choice of collar.”

Desensitizing Dogs to Doorbells

Owners often become frustrated when someone knocks on the door or rings the bell as this causes their dogs to bark or jump wildly. Dogs get stressed about protecting the house, but sometimes they’re just happy to have a new friend visit. Whatever the case, many pet owners want a way to stop the chaos when the doorbell rings.

To achieve this, the American Kennel Club recommends retraining them to get them used to the noise. Owners want to use high-quality treats like peanut butter or a lick mat and offer them to their dogs. As they lick the treat in your hand, press the bell on the door. Only praise your dog if he continues to lick. You must be consistent and repeat this training process.

If you notice that your dog is getting used to the noise, you can try teaching him to go to a certain place, such as the bed. Get your dog’s attention again with a treat. As soon as the doorbell rings, praise your dog and use the treat to lure him to the specific spot you have chosen. Reward them when they go to that place. Repeat the process over several days. You can also introduce a cue like “go to bed” during exercise.

At some point you will stop being tempted by the treat. You can say, “Go to bed,” and when they obey, reward them with a treat. Be sure to continue ringing the doorbell or playing a similar sound. The doorbell ringing will eventually be a signal for the dog to go to bed and wait for a treat.

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