Greeting Visitors.

I don't get very many visitors so whenever we do Vito goes crazy, jumping up, dancing, barking- he only does this for a couple of minutes until he is satisfied the visitor has said hello then ignores them.

However this isn't exactly the nicest way to be greeted and until now it has only been close friends and family who he's done this with. I tell them to ignore him but he makes this almost impossible jumping up and barking.

I really want to start doing something about this as I am due to have a baby in December and will have not only midwives visiting but lots and lots of visitors I expect.

Can you give any hints and tips on the best way to change his behaviour. i'm going to rope in friends and family to come calling!

(Vito is 12 months old)

Many congrats on your pregnancy

I take that you just want to stop the excited jumping up & barking with visitors to your house & that Vito doesn't do this when you're out on walks?

One way to do it is to teach Vito to hold a soft toy in his mouth when greeting visitors. By holding something soft it creates soft pressure on the dog's palate, which in turn releases endorphins in the brain (feelgood hormones). This helps dogs relax & calm down, plus holding a soft toy is not very compatible with jumping up plus, as you've got a large breed dog, the sight of a big dog holding a teddy creates the "aaagh" factor, so visitors are more relaxed as well ~ win-win situation.

Another way to do it is to train lots of sits & downs in lots of different places so it becomes really well ingrained & automatic (classically conditioned so "sit" means park your bum any time, any place, whenever I tell you). Then start by getting a sit whenever you come home & make sure all your family members do the same. Have a jar of treats by the door so that as soon as anyone comes in, they ask Vito to sit, then reward with a treat. If Vito's not motivated by food, try using a toy. Keep a special toy by the door that he only gets when you come home, or when visitors arrive.

It's great that you've started to think about this now as you've got plenty of time to work on it before the arrrival of your baby.

Hi,

I still occasionally have this exact same problem with Zane and at just less than 60Kg I'd rather he didn't jump on people. It's quite rare he does it now though so he's learning.

You have the advantasge of having only 1 young dog int he house. With Zane, he has the other dogs, all younger than he is, who can someties wind him up. So I know if I can doit with him, I'm sur eyou can do it with yours too.

Also, as Wilbar says, you have plenty of time before your baby arrives (congratulations btw) to sort it out.

For us, I used stair gates around the house. I have them left over from when Oscar was a toddler and so I use them. Visitors are ivited in and can come strwight into the living room without being bombarded by dogs. My lot spend much fo their time in the kitchen or outside (the door is always open for them) btu if they'r ein the living room to begin with, I put them in the kitchen.

The dogs have learned (it's taken about 6 months to get this almost perfect all of the time with all of them) that they get ignored until all 4 feet are on the ground and they are quiet. I use commands I already taught them like "sit" and "quiet". Once I get what I ask for, the visitors give them the treat/reward and they are allowed to come into the living room.

Laura xx

If people come up to say hello to him he will try to jump up but if i get him to sit then he will- it hasn't happened in the house though- he will sit but as soon as people come in he goes silly. If they ignore him then he calms down but as soon as they give him eye contact the tail wags his ears go back and he starts jumping up trying to lick their mouth.

First of all congratulations!

Second of all I feel your pain.

Vinny is a little swine when people come round, as when he was a pup he just got made the biggest fuss off the OH and his friends (he was 6 months old when me and him got together) He is still a swine when they come round but with new people he is made to go and lay on his bed untill he calms down and then allowed to say hello, if he becomes boistress again back on his bed, its a tedious task but have finally (after 3 yrs) got the OH backing on this which makes it easier. Be strong with the people that come round aswell, thats one of my biggest bugbears "Oh its fine I don't don't mind if he's sits on my head" etc other people may do though!!

Good luck