Help your dog greet people appropriately. Using this technique, your dog will learn that he only gets what he wants when all 4 feet are on the floor.
Supplies:
– Willing {human} victims
– Love and ear scratches
– Food or toy rewards for your dog
Have your guest arrive armed with 2 handfuls of treats. The second your guest enters your home, have them scatter a handful of treats on the ground. Allow your dog to eat them all. When your dog is done, the second he looks up at your guest, have them throw the other handful. Allow your dog to eat all of those treats as well. At first, this is mostly just a distraction for your dog, but over time, staying on the floor becomes a habit that your dog won’t even think about.
For some dogs, this will provide enough time for them to calm down, and they may not attempt to jump up again. For others, the excitement may still be too much to handle. If that is the case, and you find your dog is jumping up on your guest even after the second round of treats, keep reading.
This will be difficult, but this part is why we need to recruit willing “victims.” Allow your dog to jump all over you or your guest. Ask your guest to keep their body still, and stiff, and boring. Don’t move, turn around or make any noises. I know this is counter-intuitive, but stay with me here.
The milli-second your dog has all four feet on the floor, have your guest shower him with affection or treats or toys (whatever your dog really loves). If your dog jumps back up, go back to being still, stiff and boring. Repeat as necessary. In short order, your dog will learn that it is more “profitable” to keep all four paws on the floor. Most dogs begin to understand this game within one training session.
Pro Tip
Most dogs will need to practice this with 10-20 different people multiple times each before they begin to realize that this is how they should behave with everyone.
