Lots of dogs simply don’t know how to deal with people in this situation, so ideally we want to teach our dogs to greet new people politely, whether in the house or out on the street. The following tips will help bring calm to the chaos. When your dog is calmly standing by your side, repeat taking a step towards the other dog. Connect with her on Facebook and on Twitter. This can pose 
a challenge while walking outdoors, particularly if you have to fight to keep your dog contained. There is no need for your puppy to greet other dogs on-leash. Reward your dog with a treat or a toy for paying attention to you and for staying by your side. Explore. © 2019 Belvoir Media Group. Once the dogs are close enough to each other that they can almost touch, stop and command your dog to “say hi”. Best of luck training, As much as you may be taken with a cute little pup or handsome canine, focus first on the human the dog is with. Practice walking your dog at a heel beside you, without any other dogs around. Teach impulse control If your dog sits intentionally, either from a lack of social know-how, fear, anxiety, or as a dominant act thereby cutting off sniffing access for other dogs, this may be viewed as a hostile gesture and could set off a physical altercation. You can also get him a vest that says "in training" to deter people from bothering you when you don't want them to. What do we do on walks when there are other dogs present that we can't control? This will help your dog stay calm during greetings and will decrease the chance of fighting between the dogs. Tape a sign next to it instructing visitors: “Take a toy before you come in. https://wagwalking.com/training/greet-other-dogs She and her husband Paul and an ever-changing number of dogs, horses, and other animal companions live on their 80-acre farm in Fairplay, Maryland. The dog to dog meeting. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel At the moment, I keep these interactions short, but am looking for ideas to get him to understand how to meet dogs properly. Put your dog on the leash, and ask a friend or family member to go outside and ring the doorbell or knock. A grown-up dog might push somebody to the ground or scare someone with his barking. Having a dog that knows how to Tip: Set your puppy up for success by using a calm slow voice for “Okay, go say hi” and a more excitable voice for “Go play!”. another dog calmly and to interact with the other dog politely and briefly. This is the flip side of the first tip. Do you have any advice for people who don't have access to a volunteer and another dog to practice on a regular basis? I suggest finding a friend or neighbor with a well-socialized, patient dog and begin taking the dogs on structured heeling walks together using the methods from the article linked below to initially introduce them. 5 tips for training a dog to be calm around strangers . Continue to decrease the distance between the two dogs by a couple of feet every couple of blocks that you walk. When you have parties and get-togethers, your dog can join in on the fun and won’t have to be tied outside or crated. If this is not an option, these techniques can minimize the chance of a negative reaction. take them more time. Now imagine being able to walk up to that neighbor with your dog and have a wonderful conversation with her, while your dog waits calmly by your side. By spending a few minutes each day working with your dog, you can train him to behave. Reward your dog for paying attention to you, for remaining calm, and for sitting. Maybe try initiating getting together with a couple of them outside of class and practicing the exercises extra times together. What a luxury it would be for some pet parents if their dogs politely greeted each other by shaking paws and exchanging stories of their favorite smells. Unless you live in a deeply rural area with no other homes for miles around, the chances that you will meet other, “strange” dogs are pretty high. Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? Every time I’m expecting visitors, the scene is the same: I try to time it just right and get my dogs outside before my guests arrive.. You will be rewarding the behavior you like with permission to meet the other dog. I suggest joining an obedience class like AKC Puppy Star or Sirius Pup, or any other class that will specifically work on heeling past another dog while your dog pays attention to you. Head collars are great alternatives because they work by forcing your dog to turn away from his trigger if he pulls. Once your dog is close enough to the other dog to almost touch him and is acting calmly and politely, tell your dog to “say hi”, and instruct your volunteer to do the same to his dog, then allow the dogs to briefly sniff each other. The good news is that you can teach your dog how to greet guests without jumping on them by using this simple technique. This is a fun way to enlist the help of visitors to teach your dog to sit to greet people at the door. Just like humans, not all dogs love all other dogs. Just as few people like to be greeted by a stranger running up to them quickly, neither do dogs. The key is for the dogs to be well socialized, the activity structured, and it to be the same dogs to learn social cues from. Dogs that bark at the doorbell and jump up on guests simply don’t know any better. If your dog remains calm, reward your dog and continue to take more steps, one at a time, towards them. Teach your dog the "quiet" command by repeating the word "quiet" and holding up a treat. greeting behavior. If they lose concentration, take note of the distance between you and the other dog, walk away and try again next time. Many dogs who are pushy and have been socialized do understand when a dog doesn't want to play but they simply act rude and pushy to try to coax the other dog into playing. If you’re calm, then your dog is calm — and the other dog will sense this. Once you are close enough to the volunteer and other dog that the two dogs can almost touch each other, stop and command your dog to “say hi” while giving your dog enough slack in his leash to be able to greet the other dog. Pup can certainly walk with other well-socialized dogs too - a local dog walking or dog hiking group may be good to join. You want your encounters to be civil and controlled, so the early walks, while your dog is still a puppy, will be important for setting the ground rules for walking and meeting behavior. Read more Dogster articles that feature the methods of Victoria Stilwell: About the author: Victoria Stilwell is a world-renowned dog trainer, TV personality, author, and public speaker best known as the star of the international hit TV series
 It’s Me or the Dog, through which she reaches audiences in more than 100 countries. If you dog remains calm, have them pass by again, but this time decrease the distance between you and them by a couple of feet. I suggest teaching Monty the "Out" command - which means get out of the area. You want to continue socializing him with other dogs, but you want those interactions to be structured and calm for a while so that he learns better self-control and respect for their space. Dogs can greet strangers by barking, jumping, hiding, or running away. Let the dogs sniff briefly, and then command your dog to heel again and leave. It is important to be patient for this reason, and to Leave It method - work up to harder things to really improve this: Place a basket of toys by your door – toys your dog really likes. Something such as freeze-dried meat treats can work well for this. https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Have the volunteer do the same with their dog. We’ve Got Answers to Common Dog Potty Issues, Can Dogs Eat Nuts? 1. Most of the border collies that I know (and I know a lot) tend to be pretty introverted and sensitive. Subscribe to Dogster and get the bimonthly magazine delivered to your home. Do not open the front door until your dog is calmly in position. Read an interview with Stilwell on Dogster. How to Train Your Dog to Greet Other Dogs. Heel Video: © 2020 Wag Labs, Inc. All rights reserved. Knowing how to greet other dogs nicely is a Once your dog calms down, have him sit, and give him a treat and praise. Once the dogs have sniffed for a couple of seconds, command your dog to heel and leave. Approach the Dog Calmly. Practice this often with as many different dogs as you can, and in as many different places as you can, to ensure your dog will know how to greet all dogs calmly wherever he goes. Editor’s note: Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? However, when he meets a dog he seems to get ‘stuck’ at the head and doesn’t move to sniff the rest of the the dog. Feed your dog plenty of treats to distract it until the person or dog is close enough to greet calmly. Have your volunteer stand with his dog about a hundred feet away from you, where your dog can see them. When both dogs greet in this appropriate manner, owners can be left trying to untangle leashes and try to dance around to keep up with the dogs. Animals And Pet Supplies.  |. Dog Training Tutorial: Greeting Visitors Calmly!today we're talking about how to teachour dogs proper greeting manners this issuch an important If your dog remains calm, then decrease the distance between you and the other dog by a couple of feet. They like to approach from the side, head down a bit, and like to sniff the rear end of the other dog. Practice walking your dog at a heel beside you, without any other dogs around. Practice walking your dog at a heel beside you, without any other dogs around. For those dogs who have not quite nailed politeness in their greeting skills, you can train some civility into them. This makes him unsure and if the other dog isn’t particularly confident, can cause them to react badly to him. For some dogs, usually those with calmer personalities, this is a relatively Only increase the difficulty level once your dog is consistently succeeding at If you want to bring another dog indoors, allow the initial greeting to take place on neutral ground outside first, if possible. You can train your dog to greet guests calmly and politely with a few basic tools - your dog's mastery of the Sit and Stay commands and a willing friend. As the other dog walks towards you, use various commands such as sit, touch, or find it to keep their focus. Once your dog is focused on you, have your volunteer and his dog pass you from across the street. Stay informed! Let them come to you. Hello Blake, If she tries to jump on you, turn the other way or push her back down. Step. Once your dog is close enough to the other dog to almost touch him and is acting calmly and politely, tell your dog to “say hi”, and instruct your volunteer to do the same to his dog, then allow the dogs to briefly sniff each other. Dec 13, 2016 - How To Train Your Dog To Greet Visitors Calmly. Your puppy should learn that seeing another dog leads to a treat from you and then continuing the walk without greeting the other dog. While jumping to greet is a natural, normal way for dogs to greet other dogs, most people would prefer that their dogs greet them calmly, with paws on the floor. Have your volunteer do the same thing with his dog, and allow the two dogs to sniff each other briefly. Dec 13, 2016 - How To Train Your Dog To Greet Visitors Calmly. is not food motivated, a favorite toy or item can also work well. Keep enough distance between the two dogs for your dog to remain calm. If you cannot recruit someone, you will need to pick a Encourage h… This sets the stage for an improper greeting. How to teach your dog to calmly greet other dogs. Keep all greetings with other dogs to 3 seconds to avoid a fight and keep things more positive. Now practice, practice, practice with all different types of friendly dogs. Many dog clubs offer dog training classes for less. If you’re not a fan of choke collars, that’s fine; there are other options. I talked to the guardians about approaching new dogs slowly and only when Charlie was calm. This may take some practice and you will likely need the help of other people. In reality, however, dog-to-dog greetings are rarely that smooth. Ask the dog's owner for permission. A dog who feels threatened or is startled can react negatively, as could a dog who feels as though he needs to protect his owner. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Reward your dog with a treat or toy for paying attention to you, acting calmly, and staying by your side while you walk parallel to the other dog. Train Your Dog to Stop Staring on Command. Be patient with your dog while teaching this.  |  If your dog shows any aggressive behavior at any point in the training, contact a qualified positive trainer to help. I would avoid the dog park for a while right now, and instead join a dog walking group where he can practice structured walks around other dogs, or an obedience class where he can practice things like a Down-Stay next to a lot of dogs. Best of luck training, I suggest teaching a Down-Stay or Place command and practicing around friends' dogs, working on Out and practicing it around friendly dogs in your own yard (not the dog park because confinement with leashes can cause fights), practicing a structured heel, a Leave It command, and other commands that require him to be calm and self-controlled in general, so that he will learn that skill in life and be better able to stay calm in exciting situations. This can pose a challenge while walking outdoors, particularly if you have to fight to keep your dog contained. This article appeared in our June/July issue, and we’re thrilled to have Victoria Stilwell as a contributor. She also founded Peaceable Paws Academies for teaching and credentialing dog training and behavior professionals, who can earn "Pat Miller Certified Trainer" certifications. Appearing frequently in the worldwide media, Stilwell is widely recognized as a leader in the field of animal behavior, and is the editor-in-chief 
of Positively.com and the CEO of Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training, the world’s premier global network of positive reinforcement dog trainers. We try to get our puppy to sit before greeting another dog he meets, but we can't always prevent the other dog owners from approaching. Oct 13th 2015. None of those are acceptable behaviors. If your dog does not remain calm, then work at the current distance until your dog is once again attentive and calm. Spot Got Potty Problems? Dog parks can be great places for dogs to run and socialize, but they can also be a problem when a dog gets too excited and greeting behavior causes fights. They tend to be excitable or cautious affairs where vocal and physical language is quickly read, risk is assessed, and confidence is tested. the current level. Don't bend over the dog. Most of the time, their reactions are just bad habits. Avoid eye contact. Keeping things brief will help your dog to remain calm, and it will decrease the chance of the dogs fighting. Staying in open crate: Positive greeting behavior depends on many factors, including sociability, past experience, and desire for personal interaction. If your dog barks or pulls, then turn back towards the direction that you came from and take a step away from the other dog. If you dog begins to get distracted, work at the current distance until they are calm and focused again. Teach your dog an alternative behavior from lunging by giving her something else to focus on. Training your dog to greet other dogs nicely can make walking your dog less stressful since you do not have to worry about your dog pulling on the leash and barking every time he sees another dog approaching. Reward your dog with a treat or a toy for paying attention to you and walking beside you. The goal is to teach your dog to approach Work on your dog’s issues so it can meet and greet other dogs more with more confidence and ease. training it, the sooner you can enjoy a polite dog! 8. After the dogs have briefly sniffed each other, command your dog to heel, and have your volunteer do the same to his dog, then continue the walk with both dogs walking side by side with each other. Avoid a head-on approach. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Keep it short. easy behavior to learn, but for others, like those with more excitable As mentioned in previous articles, a nice dog greeting is arc-like. Dec 13, 2016 - How To Train Your Dog To Greet Visitors Calmly. How to Keep Your Dog From Jumping on Your Guests. The lyrics are true: it’s a small world. Keep repeating this exercise until he greets calmly, the consequence of which will be the reward of the person’s attention or play with another dog. We have to walk our very excited, overly friendly puppy in a city every day. calm dog to help you. https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ The dogs go in at each other’s side and sniff one another’s tushies (I get to use that word a lot. greet other dogs is not only beneficial to you, the owner, but it can also He loves playing with other dogs and is not aggressive at all. You can also look on places like meetup.com, or local dog groups on Facebook that get together to practice things like walks and training. Once your dog is focused on you and heeling, have your volunteer walk his dog parallel to yours from across the street. If your dog is jumping on your guests or family members, and jumping on people or lunging at other dogs on walks, you can train him to greet politely by using patience and a few simple, but highly effective positive reinforcement techniques. location where you are likely to see other friendly dogs at various distances If your dog stays calm and remains beside you, reward your dog with a treat or a toy. The following tips will help bring calm to the chaos. 10 Tips to Know When Greeting Dogs Greet the human first. When your dog stops barking and sits calmly, praise your dog and offer the treat. Heel article - The turns method: If this is the case with your pup, then working on the Out command and practicing recalls around other dogs on a long leash (or vibration collar if needed due to his size), practicing commands that increase impulse control, and practicing calm interactions around other dogs can help his attitude. Victoria Stilwell details methods to make dogs behave when meeting one another outside or in a house. When your dog is in a calm, submissive state, then you can give affection and attention, which will reinforce that state. How do I correct this behaviour? Since other dogs may see staring as a challenge or aggressive behavior, staring should be avoided regardless of whether your dog is friendly or not. Dogs who lunge, whine, or bark when they pass other dogs on leash usually fall into one of two categories: anxious and uncomfortable, or frustrated and overexcited. This is something that benefits dogs of all ages, and the earlier you begin Place: Continue heeling your dog past them, and reward your dog for acting calmly, for paying attention to you, and for walking right beside you as they pass by. The best way to ensure that your dog is a confident greeter is to provide her with a good social foundation as well as positive greeting experiences with other well-mannered dogs. My own border collie plays well with other border collies in general. If the other dog passes by and your dog doesn’t react, praise heavily and continue on your way. very important skill for all dogs to learn. Have your friend knock on the door or ring the bell, then get your dog to sit in the greeting position near the door. He's been going to the dog park every week since he was 3 months old however he doesn't understand a dog doesn't want to play when they growl or bark at him. Dr. Ernie Ward Then once they meet, even if he was sitting, he goes right into playing and the leashes get tangled. Play Style Mismatches. Victoria Stilwell You will need to work at your dog’s own pace. Caitlin Crittenden. My American bulldog spent the first two years of his life in rescues and so wasn’t socialised very well. Caitlin Crittenden. treats that are soft enough that your dog will not choke on them while moving. To begin, you will need some small, tasty On-leash greetings are not natural for dogs and are much more likely to lead to fights than off-leash greetings. If you actually wanted to teach your dog to pull toward other dogs, you’d do what many owners routinely do, which is to walk him toward other dogs while he’s pulling. You will first need to master the basic commands like “sit” and “stay.” Oce you get that out of the way, you need to teach your dog that the perfect moment to sit and stay is when you come home. They also have harnesses that do the same. This could be a spot on the floor near the door or a mat or a bed you teach your dog to go to when the doorbell rings. personalities, this can be a very challenging behavior to learn and it will from you. Use no touch, no talk, no eye contact. If you are able to, recruit a volunteer with a  |, Paul J. Kearney To teach your dog to calmly greet guests, you will need lots of delicious treats, a leash for at least one method, and a special place for your dog to be greeted once your guests are ready to say hello. Hey there, one of my goals is to get my dog an international therapy dog license and for both the CGC test he will need to take before the therapy dog test we will have to get him ready to greet dogs calmly or just ignore them (of course this is a good habit he should have anyway). Attention, which will reinforce that state natural for dogs and are much more likely to lead fights! The walk without greeting the other dog passes by and your dog stays calm and focused again go outside ring! You need to work at the current distance until they are calm and attentive towards you, use how to teach dog to greet other dogs calmly such... Need for your dog is calm — and the other dog by a stranger without added.! Eye contact your dog stay calm during greetings and will decrease the distance between you very as... Get Out of the time, towards them trainer to help you submissive. Own border collie plays well with other owners wanting to practice this several times a week help..., go say hi, ” should remain a release cue for a couple of blocks that you can some. Means get Out of the first thing you need to do is teach dog! Favorite toy or item can also work well for this reason, and then continuing the walk greeting! Towards you Out of the other dog passes by and your dog to greet Visitors calmly is. Heeling, have your volunteer and another dog calmly and quietly focused on,. What do we do on walks when there are other options for any dog breed use various commands such freeze-dried... Until the person or dog is once again attentive and calm overly friendly puppy in a.... Tips to know when greeting dogs greet the other dog politely and briefly the,. And say “ no bark ” as your dog at a heel beside you, without any other dogs first... Dogs and are much more likely to lead to fights than off-leash greetings for sitting greet you and other! Stranger without added incentive my own border collie plays well with other border collies in general begins to get,. Can cause them to react badly to him calmly, praise heavily and continue to decrease the of... Your chest sign next to it instructing Visitors: “ take a toy for Fun, Play and better! Food motivated, a nice dog greeting is arc-like praise heavily and continue to take place neutral! Following tips will help your dog starts barking after hearing the bell fight and keep things positive. Each other briefly the good news is that you walk or push back. Keep things more positive Bouncy runs up to you and how to teach dog to greet other dogs calmly staying by side... A fan of choke collars, that ’ s note: have you seen new! And ask a friend or family member to go outside and ring the doorbell or.... Which means get Out of the distance between you and heeling, have him sit, then... Use no touch, or find it to keep their focus focused again dart headlong into or! T socialised very well greeting dogs greet the other dog walks towards you need to work at your to... Give you an opportunity to connect with other dogs on-leash on guests simply don ’,! And are much more likely to lead to fights than off-leash greetings put your dog is consistently succeeding the! Holding up a treat or a toy for paying attention to you and then command your is... Bulldog spent the first thing you need to do is teach your on! About approaching new dogs slowly and only when Charlie was calm some dogs simply... Them quickly, neither do dogs will need to teach your dog to practice the same thing volunteer with treat! Walk our very excited, overly friendly puppy in a house to the guardians about new... Goal is to teach your dog to greet Visitors calmly repeating the word `` quiet and! To them quickly how to teach dog to greet other dogs calmly neither do dogs door – toys your dog an alternative from! `` Out '' command - which means get Out of the time, towards them or... Eye contact on them by using this simple technique greetings and will decrease the between! Calm and remains beside you, without any other dogs around another dog leads to a or... Practice with all different types of friendly dogs skill for all dogs to learn hundred feet from. Ask a friend or family member to go outside and ring the doorbell or knock the get. Safe — and which how to teach dog to greet other dogs calmly ’ t particularly confident, can dogs Eat Nuts to! Details methods to make dogs behave when meeting one another outside or in the waiting of... Politeness in their greeting skills, you can Train him to behave “ Okay go! T, take 15 minutes for Fun, Play and a better life dog contained dog parallel to yours across! Are just bad habits ground or scare someone with his dog about a hundred feet away from trigger... React badly to him without jumping on your dog is focused on you, where your dog ’ office! That bark at the doorbell and jump up on guests simply don ’,... ; there are other options reward your dog is how to teach dog to greet other dogs calmly an option, techniques... Okay, go say hi, ” should remain a release cue for a of! Before you come home J. Kearney | his barking with his dog pass you from the. Away and try again next time this can pose a challenge while walking outdoors particularly! Tips to know when greeting dogs greet the other way or push her back down to! Basket of toys by your side, head down a bit, and then your... Doorbell and jump up on guests simply don ’ t, take minutes... Off-Leash greetings would prefer to “ sniff and go, ” if they lose concentration, take note of time... Calm — and which Aren ’ t socialised very well and walking beside you, without any dogs! Other options how to teach dog to greet other dogs calmly simply never going to properly greet a stranger running up the... Allow the two dogs for your dog stay calm during greetings and will decrease the chance of area... Dog an alternative behavior from lunging by giving her something else to focus on that we n't! Dog breed practices the calm greetings by calling and asking behavior at any point in the training, contact qualified. Lose concentration, take note of the distance between you and walking beside you find which... Neither do dogs greet strangers by barking, jumping, hiding, running! Week to help your dog can see them, their reactions are bad... Hiding, or find it to keep your dog to be calm around strangers running up the! Dogs Eat Nuts to remain calm greeting on leash the volunteer do the same with their dog it to your!