Why Do Dogs Bark at the Door?

Jago Cattle Dog Hero of the Carolinas, a highly capable super hero reporting for MagicWithDogs.com

The question I'd actually ask is why don't humans bark at the door more? I've discussed this with friends and we find it odd to say the least.

Ok, let me explain this from my point of view.  With the 'pack living' deal, everyone has a job.  One of yours is to come & go in ways that frankly don't make much sense to me.  You do keep the food bowls full though, and you provide us all with a nice comfy home, so I'm happy to overlook it.  Those are your jobs.

Sadly your human ears and nose suck, and you miss pretty much everything that goes on outside the front door, let alone the street.  This is where I come in.  My job is to let you know when there's a man in brown shorts rummaging around on the front porch.  I didn't order anything from Amazon after all!  Although those chew toys you were checking out online did look rather appealing...just saying!  Same goes for the garbage truck with that beeping thing, ditto for the mail carrier.  I do this by barking.

What happens when I get up off a perfectly comfy spot on the couch to perform this important service for you?  Do you behave like a responsible group leader, ie. stop whatever else you're doing and hurry out to thank me for my diligence?  Do I see you check out the threat so you can decide what's to be done about it??  Sadly this is all too often not the case.  Sometimes you 'bark' back at me from the kitchen.  Sometimes you come out and bark angrily along with me.  Clearly you're worried too...either that or you're completely clueless and need saving.  I have no choice but to bark more.  Will the torture ever end??

So this is how it needs to go.  I bark.  You rush out at a smart trot, thanking me profusely.  Take a look through the window, feel free to open the door and look outside properly.  Don't 'phone it in' please!  Let me see you do it.  If it's all good out there, you tell me so and are then free to go back to whatever you were doing.  You may toss me a treat on the way past if you like.  I stop barking and get back on the couch.  It's that simple.