Dogs will Bark, Let’s Try to Curb It
Have you ever walked up to your dog, asking him to stop barking at the door? It can be frustrating, and a lot of times your dog won’t even listen to you. They speak dog – not your language.
A lot of people’s dogs bark at the door when people knock or ring the doorbell, it can be frustrating for the person living in the house and for the person outside the door. This is especially true if you’re inside:
- working
- studying
- sleeping
- taking care of an infant
- aiding an elderly or infirmed person
Often, it’s a delivery service such as UPS, USPS, Amazon Walmart and Fedex making a delivery. They have been instructed to knock to let you know they’re their and dropped a delivery by the door. To many of us, it drives us crazy thinking “Why are they ringing the doorbell, just to leave the package anyway?”
In this post, we’re going to go over 5 ways to (hopefully) get your dog or dogs from barking at the doorbell or quick knocks that delivery people make. They may not work 100% of the time, but the goal is to reduce your headaches as much as possible.
Step. 1: Ring the Doorbell Often
Practice ringing the doorbell with you pet. Open the door quickly and let them see it’s you. You’ll be greeted with waggly tails and wiggly butts. Seeing you will help calm them down and not think there is danger at the door.
Step 2: Knock on Hard Surfaces Around the House
Calmly and gently knock on surfaces in your home. Small simple knocks might just get their attention along with a small sounding “woof”. Knocking too hard or too loudly will most likely get them rushing to the door in a full-on barking rage – even if they’re happy while doing it. Some experts say to distract them with their favorite treat before the barking begins.
Step 3: Claim the door area
How do you claim the door area or entry way? You can do this without the ringing or knocking. Assuming you take your dog(s) out (and why wouldn’t you?) practice by making them sit at the door whenever you go in and out. It’s a good idea to have their favorite treats handy again. You should be the master of the area, by making them sit each time, it reinforces what they need to do by the door.
Note: This technique works if you only ever “let them out” a side or back door. It will just require an extra bit of effort.
Step 4: Practice with Real Visitors
In the next few days, invite some visitors to ring the doorbell or knock loudly. Be ready with the treats and when it’s time to open the door, remember the sit training we did in step 3 and claim the area for yourself and your guest.
Step 5: Use a Do Not Knock or Ring Doorbell Sign
Step five is the easiest method. While it doesn’t actually teach your dog not to bark, it can eliminate the need for your pooch to bark in the first place. As we mentioned above, a bulk of disturbances are salespeople or deliveries. Using one of our “Please do Not Knock or Ring Doorbell” signs can eliminate the problem before it begins. If there is nothing to disturb your dog, there’s nothing for them to bar at. Our top-rated signs come in a large variety, including some of the Amazon’s best sellers such as:
- PLEASE DO NOT KNOCK OR RING BELL – We’re Working and the Dog will Bark
- PLEASE DO NOT KNOCK OR RING BELL – The Dog will Bark and the Baby Will Cry
- PLEASE DO NOT KNOCK OR RING BELL – Kids Are Sleeping
- PLEASE DO NOT KNOCK OR RING BELL – (No Reason Given)
- PLEASE DO NOT KNOCK OR RING BELL – (Blank line to permanently write in your personalized solution)
Most of our signs come in two versions. Either with two holes to hang with string, twine or screws or adhesive for a more permanent solution. They are made from PVC and have soft edges that will never rust or scratch your surfaces.
See them here: https://www.amazon.com/spryzzle
Final thoughts: The ultimate goal here is we want our beloved, but noisy pets, to learn to react positively and be calm when someone knocks on the door or when the doorbell rings.
Some of these techniques may take time – even step 5 may require a gentle nudge to your usual delivery people but with time, you’ll find this behavior improving along with your peace and quiet.
One last thing: If you find your problem is not deliveries but solicitors going door to door trying to sell you something our brightly colored (and strongly worded) No Soliciting Signs may be a better fit for you. You can see them on Amazon.com or learn more about their benefits here: The Five Benefits of Using No Soliciting Signs for Home.
