How do I stop my dog barking at delivery drivers?

From a dog's perspective, barking at a delivery driver appears to work every single time: the dog barks, and within moments the person leaves, which reinforces barking as an effective strategy regardless of the driver's actual reason for leaving. This accidental reinforcement pattern is a major reason delivery-related barking can be more stubborn than other triggers.

Blocking the view of the front path or driveway with a frosted film, blinds, or repositioning furniture reduces how early your dog spots an approaching delivery, giving you more time to intervene before barking escalates. Combining this with background noise indoors softens the sound of an approaching vehicle or footsteps as well.

Train your dog to go to a specific spot or settle on a mat whenever the doorbell or a knock occurs, rewarding generously for choosing that response over barking. Practicing this with recorded knock and doorbell sounds, without an actual delivery happening, builds the habit faster than waiting for real deliveries to practice with.

If you know regular delivery times, being near the door with treats ready during that window for a week or two can help you catch and reward calm behavior specifically during real deliveries, accelerating the training. Requesting that packages be left without knocking, where the service allows it, also reduces the number of practice opportunities for the unwanted behavior, and a small sign asking drivers to leave parcels quietly can genuinely help too.