• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our use of cookies. To see what cookies we serve and set your own preferences, please review our Cookie Policy. Learn More.

The Dog People by Rover.com

Powered By Rover.com

Tips, stories, and reviews for people who love dogs, powered by Rover.com, the world's largest network of 5-star pet sitters and dog walkers.

  • The Dog People by Rover.com
  • Dog Breeds
    • Golden Retriever
    • Australian Shepherd
    • German Shepherd
    • Pomeranian
    • Shih Tzu
    • Border Collie
    • Labrador Retriever
    • Boxer
    • Beagle
    • Dachshund
    • Chihuahua
    • Poodle
    • Yorkshire Terrier
  • Dog Love
    • Cute
    • Funny
    • Heartwarming
    • Quizzes
    • Trending
    • True Stories
  • Dog Names
    • Best Girl Dog Names
    • Top Boy Dog Names
    • Unique Dog Names
    • Cute Dog Names
    • Best Puppy Names
    • Dog Name Generator
    • Tough Dog Names
    • Food Dog Names
    • Romantic Dog Names
    • Literary Dog Names
    • Country Dog Names
  • Dog Videos
  • Life with Dogs
    • Dog Safety
    • Dog Behavior
    • Dog Psychology
    • Dog Nutrition
    • Dog Training
    • Health and Wellness
    • Recipes
    • Can My Dog Eat…?
  • PuppyHQ
    • Dog Adoption
    • Puppy Essentials
    • Puppy Names
    • Puppy Training
  • Shopping
    • Shop Rover Goods
    • All Dog Product Guides
    • Dog Gift Guides
    • Safety and Training
    • Toys and Chews
  • Cats!
    • Cat Breeds
    • Cat Names
    • Cat Psychology
  • Grooming
  • Get Rover
    • Dog Boarding
    • Pet Sitting
    • Dog Walking
    • Doggy Day Care
    • House Sitting
    • Search Pet Sitters & Dog Walkers
    • Shop Rover Goods
    • Sitter Resources
  • Languages
    • en-CA
    • en-GB
    • fr-FR
    • es-ES
    • de-DE
    • it-IT
    • nl-NL
    • nb-NO
    • sv-SE
    • fr-CA

How to Stop Your Dog from Barking at the Doorbell

Share555Pin It36

How to Stop Your Dog from Barking at the Doorbell

Training Your Dog
By Elisabeth Geier

Share555Tweet0Pin It36

Dinner parties, trick-or-treaters, or package delivery can all be downright scary for dogs. Think of it from their perspective: the doorbell rings, and chances are that a stranger is about to encroach on their territory. (On Halloween, it might even be a bunch of small people in masks!)

Read on to learn why dogs bark at the doorbell and how you can help stop the behavior. (And if your dog is really having a hard time, like, say, on Halloween or a big party you’re throwing, you can always give him a break with a stay at a local pet sitter.)

Advertisement

Why Your Dog is Scared of the Doorbell

Let’s start by investigating the reason behind your dog’s doorbell dilemma. Some dogs are simply startled by loud noises. Doorbells are designed to be loud enough for humans to hear over the noise of the household, and their sudden ding-donging can be startling to dogs with sensitive hearing.

Excessive barking can be a sign of stress, along with these other common fear signals in dogs:

  • Ears pulled back
  • Tail low and/or back between the legs
  • Shaking, pacing, or spinning
  • Head lowering or turning away

If your dog exhibits any of these behaviors when the doorbell rings, chances are, she’s afraid of the sound.

Why Dogs Bark at the Door

Not all doorbell barkers are scared! Some dogs learn that the doorbell ringing equals a person arriving, and they get excited to greet whoever’s at the door.

If you dog barks when the doorbell rings but doesn’t seem scared, she may simply be barking from excitement. You can tell your dog excited if she:

  • Runs straight to the door when it rings
  • Wags tail rapidly with hip and even full-body wags (a classic sign of doggy happiness)
  • Runs back and forth excitedly between you and the door
  • Pants in between barks

Learning how to read your dog’s body language will help you manage her reaction to the doorbell.

What to Do When Your Dog Barks at the Door

Desensitizing your dog to the doorbell or a knock on the door takes time. When your dogs barks at the doorbell:

  • Never yell. Yelling over your dog’s barking simply adds to the noise, and can encourage her to bark more.
  • Remain calm, positive, and upbeat! Just as you read your dog’s body language, she will react to yours; the more relaxed and happy you can seem, the easier it will be to manage your dog at the door.
  • Use consistent training techniques (and make sure everyone in the family applies the same ones every time your dog barks). In other words, don’t let your dog “get away with” barking at the doorbell sometimes, and not at others.

When your dog barks at the doorbell, one option is to simply ignore her. Sometimes, dogs will bark for attention, and you can encourage them to settle down by not giving it to them.

How to Stop Barking

via flickr/sofakingfiercephotos

via flickr/sofakingfiercephotos

Training your dog to be quiet and calm when the doorbell rings is very doable, but it can take weeks of consistent training sessions.

  • Work on training a “settle” or “quiet” command.
  • Have “practice” visitors (i.e., friends or family members) come to the door, and practice ignoring your dog (or working on the commands above) so barking isn’t rewarded.
  • You can also ply your dog with high-value treats as the visitors approach in order to help desensitize them to the sounds, and create positive associations.

Check out our post on tips to stop barking for more detailed information.

Managing Your Dog When You’re Expecting Lots of Visitors

On a big visitor night, no matter how much training you’ve done, it’s all about managing your dog’s behavior. You don’t have to have a perfectly-trained pooch, you just need to have good management practices in place!

  • Create a “safe room” for your dog, on the opposite end of the house from the door. Set her up with a cozy spot to sleep, something to chew, and a radio or television to keep her company (and cover up noise at the door).
  • Have a member of the family hang out with your dog in their “safe room” and ignore the doorbell all night long. Or, hire a dog sitter to take the dog out and away.

The doorbell doesn’t have to be scary. With a combination of training and behavior management, you can help your dog learn to love it, or at least, ignore it.

Top image via Flickr

Share555Tweet0Pin It36

Elisabeth Geier

Elisabeth Geier is a writer, teacher, and animal advocate with extensive animal handling experience and a soft spot for bully breeds and big orange tabbies.

sidebar

By Elisabeth Geier

Share This Article

Share555Tweet0Pin It36

Popular Posts

  • How Do Dogs Choose Their Favorite Person?
  • 14 Muddiest Dogs on the Entire Internet
  • 15 Dog-Safe Plants You Can Add to Your Garden Right Now
  • TLC From B.C. Rescue Turns Fierce Feral Cats Into Calm Kitties
  • 19 Best Pug Gifts for People Who Love ‘Em
  • Most Unusual, Unique Dog Names
  • Arborist Brothers-in-Law Start Nonprofit to Rescue Cats From Trees [Video]
  • Esther the Wonder Pig and Her Dog Brother Phil Are Besties for Life
  • 10 Therapy Animals Bringing Joy to the World
  • Struggling to Find a Gift for a Dog Lover? Try a Dog DNA Test This Holiday Season

Learn More

  • About Rover.com
  • Download the App
  • Rover Store
  • Sitter Resources
  • In The Press
  • Terms of Service
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • User Terms
  • Privacy Statement
  • Cookie Policy

Need Help?

  • Help Center
  • Join the Team
Advertisement
© 2022 Rover.com. All Rights Reserved.