Your dog might be your best friend, but he might also be wary of guests in your home. Scared or overly excited dogs may jump up on or lash out and bite guests. To avoid potential problems, such as rifts in your friendships, fearful guests, and personal injury lawsuits, it’s very beneficial to teach your dog how to be gentle and calm around guests.
Teach Your Dog How to Greet You
Teaching your dog how to greet you when you get home will help her learn how to greet guests when they come to your home. Place a “greeting mat” just inside your front door. When you come home, tell your dog to, “sit,” on the mat. Once she’s sitting, calmly give her a treat and praise her in a calm voice. Stroke your dog calmly to greet her. When she learns to greet you by sitting calmly, she will learn to greet your guests in the same gentle manner.
Invite one Friend Over
Once you’ve trained your dog how to greet you when you come home, it’s time to invite a friend or family member over. When your friend or family member knocks on your door or rings the doorbell, get your dog to sit on his, “greeting mat.” Do not open the door until your dog is sitting calmly on the mat, no matter how long it takes. Praise your dog, and give him a treat when he gets it right.
Open the door, and allow your friend or family member to greet your dog, talking to him in a calm voice and stroking him. Ensure that your dog remains in a sitting position for the greeting. Tell your guest to have a seat. Your dog should remain in a sitting position until you give him the okay to join you and your guest. You may need to practice this routine with your dog numerous times, so choose a friend or family member who is patient, understanding, and loves dogs.
Invite Multiple Guests Over
Once your dog has mastered greeting one guest, it’s time to invite different people over. Every time someone knocks on your door or rings your doorbell, have your dog sit on her, “greeting mat,” before you open the door. Allow your dog to sniff each new guest, and allow each of your guests to greet your dog calmly while she remains sitting on her mat. Be consistent and patient; this training process will take time.
Teach Guests to Ignore Unwanted Behavior
If your dog tries to jump on guests after they enter your home, teach them to ignore your dog. Have your guests turn their backs to your dog anytime he tries to jump on them after they enter your home. If they pet, talk to, yell at, or try to physically push your dog off themselves, it will encourage your dog to continue jumping on them. Once your dog realizes that he is not getting the attention he wants when he tries to jump up on your guests, he will stop the behavior.
Reward Positive Behavior
It’s important to reward your dog when she does something you want her to do. When you have guests over, reward your dog with a treat and praise when she calmly sits by you or your guest on the floor, lays in her bed, or sits calmly nearby. Give your guest the opportunity to reward your dog’s good behavior, too. This will help your dog learn that she will get attention for being gentle and calm with your guests.
Teaching your dog to be calm and gentle with guests is important for avoiding potential problems. Following these guidelines, you can train your dog to be well-behaved around guests. Remember that being consistent and patient are important keys to successful training.
