It isn’t uncommon for dogs to struggle handling visitors that show up at their homes, especially when they are young. Dogs often get entirely too excited, and in some cases, they can even get aggressive if they consider the visitor a “threat.
To help ensure that your guests feel welcome, you should take the time to train your dog to welcome guests into their home properly.
Check out a few tips that will help you do it.
Let your guests know you’re trying to train your dog before their show up.
Part of the reason dogs get so excited when guests arrive is that guests themselves often get excited and start showering the dog with affection. While your guest might be genuinely excited to see your lab, (as they should be!) they could be teaching the dog that it’s okay to behave with “high energy.” By letting your guests know that you’re trying to train your dog not act out when greeting guests, they can change their behavior accordingly to help you do so.
Put your dog on a leash when introducing them to guests.
At first, it’s best to leash your dog when you’re introducing them to guests at your home. This will help you maintain control of them as you strive to let them know that they can’t jump on guests or act too crazy around them. However, use extreme caution as you start to phase the leash concept out in order to make sure it’s working.
Reward your dog for good behavior when meeting guests.
When you have your dog on a leash, you should be able to prevent your dog from jumping on your guests and acting out. Ideally, you will be able to keep them still until your guests make their way through the front door and interact with your dog. If they demonstrate good behavior, you should reward your dog with treats. You might also want to consider giving a few treats to your guest so that they too can reward your dog. It will show your dog that they are behaving properly and motivate them to continue that behavior.
Avoid introducing your dog to guests if they appear to be stressed.
In the event that your dog is showing signs of stress in the minutes leading up to your guest’s arrival, you might want to forego an introduction of any kind and keep your dog in a separate part of your home. A stressed-out dog might act out of character and misbehave, even if you’ve been training them not to. It’s better to skip the introduction and try again the next time a guest shows up.
In addition to offering Pointing Labradors, Lankas Labs is pleased to offer pre-season and season training for all breeds and ages of dogs. Call us at 785-626-9313 today to sign up.
