Stopping Your Dog from Barking at Delivery People

Nowadays, my humans seem to have everything delivered to our house. From their Amazon Prime purchases to groceries to takeout…there has been a lot of doorbells and knocking lately. Sounds like that can cause us dogs to bark like crazy! While we like to think that we’re warning or protecting our family, the truth is that our frequent barking can become very disruptive and annoying. So read below for some tips that pet parents can try to get their dog to stop barking at all those delivery people.

Ignore the Barking
It’s natural to want to teach your dog that their behavior is unwanted by speaking to or shouting at them, but in the case of barking, ignoring them is best. If your pup barks at the sound of a knock or doorbell ring, don’t respond to his or her behavior by verbally acknowledging it. When you raise your voice, your dog thinks you’re joining in on the excitement and will continue to bark. If the barking is ongoing, try turning your back on your pup so he or she understands that the noise doesn’t elicit a reaction. And if you open the door to stop the barks, it actually rewards the bad behavior, so you can’t give in! Don’t open the door until there is silence.

Reward the Silence
When your dog senses a presence at the door, they view it as an intruder and want to notify you. Then the barking begins. Teach your pup that they don’t have to bark every time someone is at the door. Anytime the barking stops, immediately reward your dog with a pat on the head or tell them “good boy or girl.” This teaches them that not barking gets them a special treat. Consistency is key, so be sure to reinforce this behavior whether it’s you, your spouse, your kids, or any roommates answering the door.

Distraction is Key
Try to redirect your dog’s attention away from the person at the door. Keep your dog’s favorite toy close by so that you can ask him or her to get it to both preoccupy their attention and hinder them from barking. You can also teach your dog to react to the doorbell or knocking by lying down on their bed. Do this by putting a treat on their bed and saying, “go to your bed.” Once your dog responds to this, try opening the door while he or she is laying on the bed, but if they get up, shut the door immediately. You should continue this new training routine until they stop reacting to the door being opened.

A Tired Dog is a Quiet Dog
We’ve all heard the saying that “a tired dog is a happy dog,” but a tired dog is a quiet dog, too! If your furbaby is getting enough physical exercise and mental stimulation each day, that will result in less barking out of boredom, frustration, or pent-up energy. One thing my mom, Tonya, never hears from her doggy daycare customers is that their dog had MORE energy after a day of playing around at The Hipster Hound doggy daycare. So check out more details about our daycare services on the website, and schedule your dog’s day of fun at The Hipster Hound ASAP!

Woof,

Rex, The Original Hipster Hound

Leave a comment