How to Stop Your Dog from Barking at the Doorbell

The doorbell rings and your dog launches into frenzy, barking and howling as you yell at him to be quiet or try quietly to shush him, but nothing seems to help. Maybe you resort to locking him in another room when friends, or even the pizza delivery person, is scheduled to stop by. That doesn’t have to happen, if you patiently and consistently work with your dog to greet guests quietly and calmly.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Getting used to the doorbell

1. Choose a word, such as “quiet” or “hush” to use as a command to let your dog know he should stop making noise. Pick a word that you don’t use often in regular conversation, as this might confuse the dog.

2. Stand or kneel next to your dog, with treats in your hand or pocket.

3. Have a friend ring the doorbell once.

4. Ignore the dog’s barking. Tell your dog to “sit” or “lie down”. If your dog knows a “settle” command or a “quiet” command, these would work even better. On your first few tries, your dog might ignore you or take a long time to obey you. That’s OK. Be patient and wait until he does.

5. Say “Good quiet” when your dog stops barking, and reward him with a treat. This is a great training exercise to use a clicker with, if you are used to clicker training. Click immediately when the dog stops barking, and treat. Then say “good quiet” as he eats his treat.

6. Repeat these steps until it takes less time for your dog to obey your command and stop barking. Eventually, your dog will begin to associate being quiet after the doorbell rings with being calm and getting treats. When he is able to bark much less or not at all, try naming the “quiet” command.

7. Tell your dog “quiet” when the doorbell rings. Then treat your dog and say “good quiet” when your dog obeys. Again, this might take some time and patience.

For overly-excited or unruly dogs

8. Teach your dog the “settle” command if he is having trouble calming down and doesn’t seem to be improving with practice.

9. Massage your dog, paying particular attention to the scruff of his neck and behind his ears.

10. Watch for signs your dog is calming down. He might lie down or yawn. His ears and tail will become more relaxed, and he will not look tense.

11. Say “good settle” and offer a treat when your dog is calm.

12. Repeat this exercise, but start saying “settle” before you start massaging. Your dog will need less massaging and eventually will be able to settle on command.

13. Use the “settle” command while teaching your dog not to bark at the doorbell.

Tips & Warnings

• Some dogs are bred to be watchdogs, who will bark to let you know when a new person has come into your territory. While you can reduce the amount of alerting your dog does, you should not expect a watchdog breed to stop barking completely. With some breeds, it’s best to allow them to bark a couple times, before you expect them to be quiet. You should, however, be able to teach your dog to be calm while alerting you.
• Don’t yell at your dog when he is barking. He will see this as you also barking at the intruder.