Train Your Dog to Greet Visitors In An Acceptable Manner Overview
Train your dog to greet visitors in an acceptable manner with this dog training exercise, taken from the Dog Training Planner. You’ll need a playpen and a visitor!
The 5 Steps
If you scroll down a bit, you’ll see that I’ve written out all the steps from the video for you. I know. I know. I really am that nice (lol).
Videos are great if you’re a visual learner!
Most people learn dog training drills best by first watching a video tutorial, and then having the written steps available during the training session, so they don’t get confused (Hey, if you want to completely avoid confusion, you might like to get your paws on my Dog Training Planner).
Step 1: Play Pen
When you know that visitors are coming to your home, set up a playpen in your living room and fill it with some of your dog’s favourite toys or a favourite blanket.
Step 2: Ask Your Guest
Before your guest arrives, put your dog in the playpen so they are unable to race to the door when they hear the doorbell. Then, as you open the door to greet your guest, ask them to help you with the training. Asking your visitor for help will enable you to keep control of the situation and should prevent the dog from becoming over-excited.
Step 3: Ignore your Dog
When you take your guest into the living room, your dog is likely to be very excited, behaviour could include jumping, barking or whining. It is important that both you and your guest ignore the dog. You should not look at, talk to or pet your dog.
Step 4: Reward
Ignore your dog’s excited behaviour no matter how long it takes. After a while, your dog will become less aroused. When this happens, click and give a food treat.
Step 5: More Rewards
Each time your dog sits (without you asking him to sit) give him a click and food treat, then reward all calm behaviour with a click and food treat. When your dog is calm ask the guest to introduce themselves to your dog.
Final Thoughts
Continue these five steps with all guests that enter your home and soon you won’t need a playpen.
Before you go, read on to discover the secret sauce to dog training success...
Loving Leadership
Have a philosophy of loving leadership when training your dog.
As a loving leader, you should be constantly working on the communication pathways with your dog. At the bare minimum, your dog should also have some basic commands such as the lie-down command, sit command, and stay command.
When your dog knows a few basic dog obedience commands he or she will feel loved because they know what you want and have no anxiety or fear about what they should be doing and when.
Once your dog has a few commands under his or her belt (I mean, collar), practice behaviour dog training, command dog training and tricks dog training regularly to ensure your dog is physically and mentally healthy. As you are probably acutely aware, untrained dogs have a way of taking over the control of a home if not taught otherwise (which can be a nightmare). A trained dog, however, will bring years of doggie love to your household.
Pssst. Don't tell anyone, but you can become a loving leader by getting your paws on my Dog Training Planner. You can get my Dog Training Planner for a limited time at a 70% discount.
