Does your dog bark wildly when the doorbell rings? Dogs bark when they hear the doorbell for several reasons: they are excited (“Yay, someone is here!), they are scared (“Oh no, someone is here!”), or they are simply doing their duty (“Someone is here—I need to tell my humans!”). No matter what your dog’s motive is for barking, you can teach your dog to be quiet when the doorbell rings by asking for an incompatible behavior, such as lying down on his/her bed.