Let’s take a look through a dog’s perspective;
A stranger knock on the door, the dog runs to the door, the person walks into the home and they pet the dog. In your dog’s mind, the act of petting the dog is a reinforcer for barking, so, the dog will think that if they bark at the door, they will always get pet. You will need to desensitize your dog to someone knocking at the door.
Try This!
Lightly knock on the door, if your dog does not bark or respond, click and treat. Once your dog has this down, you can move onto the next step.
This time, knock a little louder! If your dog does not bark or respond, click and treat. Once your dog has this down, you can move onto the next step.
Now, you will need two people in order to do this part. Have someone go outside and knock on the door while you and your dog are waiting inside. if your dog does not bark or respond, click and treat.