Have one person go outside and knock on the door/ring the doorbell. Completely ignore the knock. When your pup has stopped barking and comes to check in with you, say “Good” and give them a treat. When they have completely calmed, have the person knock on the door again. Repeat. We are teaching them that a knock does not always mean someone is about to arrive. When the person finally does come back in, wait until your pup is calm and DON’T knock before entering.
When someone does arrive and knock on the door, ignore it until your pup has stopped barking. A sign on the door explaining that your dog is in training and any parcels can be left outside will help with this process.
Knock/doorbell as a cue to go to bed: Have someone knock on the door, then tell your pup to “Go to your mat”, then reward them for being on their mat (in that order). Repeat a lot! They will eventually start to go to bed themselves when they hear the knock and you can reward them when they are in their bed.
