You have a new dog, and you want some dog training tips to teach him to behave himself when company comes over. Seems like a simple request. And one that you definitely want to get under control. No one likes a dog that jumps on them as soon as they walk in the house. Especially if they are afraid of dogs. And you do not want to be banishing your pup to another room when you have guests. Here are some dog training tips to teach him to behave when you have guests.
Dog Training Tips: Teaching Dogs To Behave In Front Of Company
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Speak up: When your company arrives, they may say things like ‘it’s ok, he can jump’ or just give him attention in general when they walk in the door. Kindly tell your guests that you are trying to train him to behave himself with guests, and it would help if they would not pay him any attention when they arrive. How are they going to feel about his jumping when he is 70 pounds? I am sure they will not think it so cute! Giving your pup attention when he is doing something you do not approve of, is rewarding poor behavior. If you don’t want your dog to jump on your guests when they arrive (which you do not want) you can not reward him with attention. Instead, do some practice runs with people ringing the bell or knocking and coming in and ignoring the dog. When he acts appropriately, reward him with praise and treats. This will take some time. And make sure you asks your friends that like dogs, you don’t want to scare away your friends by asking them to participate in this activity if they are scared of dogs!
Use a leash: You might want to think about using a leash when you are training, and guests arrive. You are already training him to behave when on a leash outside and listen to your commands; you can use this inside as well. This will help you stay in control, especially if he is particularly rowdy. When guests arrive, have your pup on a leash and greet your guests. Maintain control of your dog and pay attention to his behavior so you can reward him when he acts appropriately. Remember to not reward poor behavior with attention, simple commands and a slight tug on the leash to get his attention should do. No yanking on the leash! You want to reward him with as much positive attention as possible, negativity and harsh words are counteractive.
Clicker training: This is a great way to train your dog without using your voice (sounds pretty cool huh?) It is a little bit more difficult when you have an active dog you are trying to reward with treats. What happens is you have your hyper dog jumping up and down, and you have to wait until he stops jumping to reward him with a treat. As soon as you reward him, he may start jumping again and then he might think that you are rewarding him for jumping. You can stop the behavior, but you have to be quick and pay attention to your dog! If you wait more than a couple of seconds, you have lost your window to reward. So you really need to pay close attention to his behavior. His response to the clicker will amaze you. He is going to associate the clicker with a treat and know that when he hears it, he has done well! You can google for a dog clicker, and they are pretty cheap!
Dogs aim to please their families. Training is not difficult just takes time and patience, but you can improve his behavior and feel comfortable when you have company.
Maybe you have tried some other training tactics before that worked? What sort of things have you tried, and what were the results? Share your dog training tips with us below!
