Teach your puppy polite greetings
Tiny paws bouncing up for kisses – who can resist? But that cute puppy phase passes quickly. Soon you might have a boisterous teen who jumps up, nips ankles, and thinks chaos is a party game!
Learning to greet people calmly and politely is a fundamental skill for any dog. It's not just about good manners; it's also crucial for safety, especially with larger breeds. Basic greeting etiquette is best taught when they're young. It’s achievable with consistency and patience, even when faced with an overexcited puppy.
Why do dogs jump up at people?If your dog's jumping is driving you mad, you might have overlooked a key training principle: the behaviour continues if the dog gets what it wants – attention. While we see a treat or a game as a reward, for most dogs, human attention is the ultimate prize. They don't care if it's positive or negative; frantic twirling, waving hands, or shouting "no!" are all forms of attention that reinforce the jumping. So, what's the solution?
Tame the ankle-biterYour puppy doesn't understand that jumping up isn't acceptable. Like all good doggy manners, this needs to be taught. Jumping usually stems from excitement. Since greetings should be calm, managing their emotional state is key, and it takes time.
How do you stop the jumping frenzy?
* Remove the reward: ensure jumping doesn’t get them the attention they crave.
* Ask guests to turn their backs and ignore the jumping puppy.
* Teach an alternative behaviour: show your puppy what you'd prefer them to do instead, like sitting politely.
Teach a better way to greetDogs struggle with the concept of "doing nothing." A cornerstone of effective training is deciding beforehand what your dog *should* do instead of jumping. Simply saying "don't jump" is confusing, but teaching them to "sit when someone approaches" is much clearer and easier to learn. Start by teaching this alternative behaviour in a very calm setting, gradually increasing distractions and expectations. (See week 14 for more on managing distractions).
Only when your puppy can reliably sit in various situations should you introduce greetings with other people. Enlisting a helper, ideally someone familiar to your puppy, is recommended.
Training calm greetings* Initially, your helper should stay well out of reach (several metres).
* If your puppy pulls on the lead, wait until they’re calm. Then ask them to sit and reward them generously.
* As the puppy sits calmly, ask the helper to walk past at a distance, giving the puppy more treats.
* Once the helper has passed, stop the treats and continue walking.
Repeat this 5-6 times. If the puppy remains calm and engaged with the treats, your helper can gradually decrease the distance. Keep the exercise manageable; the priority is for the puppy to stay calm and still.
Once they're doing well, move to the next step: brief interactions at a closer range.
* Ask your dog to sit and give plenty of treats.
* Have your helper walk close, greet you, and pause nearby for a few seconds.
* While the helper is close, give your sitting dog treats.
* Count slowly to four as the dog eats, then the helper moves on, and you stop giving treats.
* If the puppy stops eating or tries to approach the helper, ask the helper to step back.
* Then, ask your puppy to sit again and restart from the simpler stage.
If your puppy tries to greet the person, simplify the exercise and have the helper stand further away. You may have progressed too quickly and need more basic repetitions.
When your puppy can remain calm with a familiar helper nearby, introduce another distraction: the helper should greet the dog. Start by having the helper look at and speak briefly to the puppy. It’s vital the helper remains neutral to avoid over-exciting your dog. Focus on keeping the puppy calm and still, rather than rushing the process. It often takes many repetitions and several helpers for the dog to truly master this. Remember to start from a simple point whenever you work with a new helper.
Once greetings work well outside, practice the same exercise inside your home. You might need to keep your puppy on a lead initially to prevent them from rushing excitedly towards the helper.
