Hi! My dog always gets so overly excited during mealtimes and when people visit the house. What are some strategies for teaching a dog to be calm and well-behaved during mealtime or when visitors arrive?
Melanie Dawes
When you arrive home it's important not to fuss over your dogs, same as when friends come over, the more excitement they show your dogs, the more your digs will react. Teaching your dogs to sit and wait before giving their food may be helpful in calming them before eating.
Laura Napier
I struggle with the excitement when people visit too. So far I haven't found anything to work. Even if the visitors ignore her, she goes crazy for several minutes.
She used to get excited at mealtime but I started waiting to pour her food in her dish until she was calm and sat down. I did that consistently and now she doesn't even react when she gets her regular food. I also make her wait if she's given a treat in her bowl because she will bowl over anyone or anything in her way otherwise. Now when she gets a special treat in her bowl, she is still excited but she sits, waits, looks at my face, and waits to be told "ok" before she goes to the bowl.
Melanie Dawes
When you arrive home it's important not to fuss over your dogs, same as when friends come over, the more excitement they show your dogs, the more your digs will react. Teaching your dogs to sit and wait before giving their food may be helpful in calming them before eating.
Laura Napier
I struggle with the excitement when people visit too. So far I haven't found anything to work. Even if the visitors ignore her, she goes crazy for several minutes. She used to get excited at mealtime but I started waiting to pour her food in her dish until she was calm and sat down. I did that consistently and now she doesn't even react when she gets her regular food. I also make her wait if she's given a treat in her bowl because she will bowl over anyone or anything in her way otherwise. Now when she gets a special treat in her bowl, she is still excited but she sits, waits, looks at my face, and waits to be told "ok" before she goes to the bowl.