Does your dog go on high alert, bark like mad, or try knocking over your guests? Both reactions can be frustrating, embarrassing, and even alarming if a guest gets unintentionally injured. If you have a small puppy, you can scoop them up quickly. But, an over-eager dog can send your visitors sprawling across the floor.
You, in all probability, don’t want to hold your pup while you have company. Therefore, working with your dog and preparing them for guests is a good idea. It’s time for your best companion to get a crash course in Doggy Etiquette.
Preparing your dog for guests
You might initially assume your canine is barking out of aggression, whether possessive, protective, or some other type. However, quite often, your puppy is likely just super excited. You can guess by their body language, how they’re holding their tail, ears, and overall conduct.
Still, no matter why your pups are barking, your guests will understandably find it annoying or at least unsettling. So, as a responsible canine parent, it’s your job to ensure your guests are comfortable and your pup is calm.
You can set up a dog barrier in a pinch, but this won’t solve the issue. Plus, placing a barrier between your puppy and your guests can worsen barking and behavior. Therefore, what’s necessary here is training.
Start early with training.
Teaching your pup the basics, like stay and sit, is the foundation for any well-behaved dog. Plus, the earlier you teach and train your canine, the better. It’s also necessary to socialize with your dog and expose them to various positive experiences and people.
Ensure you have lots of tasty treats ready for positive reinforcement and stay calm and consistent. You can give your dog the lie-down or stay and settle commands when guests arrive.
Make sure your dog isn’t bored.
It’s a good deal to work with your pup to end excessive barking. If your dog is over-excited, give them ample mental stimulation and exercise opportunities. A bored puppy usually gets up to more mischief than one that has had a chance to have fun.
Practice makes perfect.
If the proper foundations are in place, you can work on certain behaviors, like staying calm when guests arrive. You also can work with desensitizing your canine to the sound of the door opening and the doorbell.
Practicing these things before guests arrive is key since practicing during the actual event will likely lead to confusion. After all, you want your pup to develop good habits before they rip off your guests.
- Start small by giving your pup the stay-and-sit commands by the front door. Then, open the front door and treat your dog when they stay in position.
- If your pup moves or stands when you open the door, close it and give the stay and sit commands again. Keep working on this action until your pup consistently stays in the same position when you open the door.
- Next, have someone stand outside the door and knock. Give your dog the stay and sit commands. Tell your friends to strike again, and reward them if your pup stays put. Do the same with the doorbell. Keep practicing these steps until your canine consistently remains in position in spite the noise and doesn’t move until you give the command to release
Products that can help your pup stay calm.
Do you ever notice that when families bring young children to restaurants, the kids can start getting nasty? This is because they’re bored. If they participate in the conversation or at least have something to do, they’re less likely to act out.
The same applies to your canine. So, give your dog something to keep them distracted and stimulated. Engaging and fun dog toys, like the Rolly Cannoli, are a great way to provide your pup with much-needed activity. Another great alternative is spreading some of your pup’s favorite treats onto a Neat-Lik Mat and letting them self-soothe. The licking helps release endorphins and naturally calms your puppy.
If your dog has anxiety issues and you’ve tried the above to your best effort, it’s necessary to discuss the situation with your vet. Your pup might need pet medical aid or behavioral therapy to help cope with stressful situations. They might require pet medical aid, that’s why buying pet insurance proves wise, as it protects you from unexpected expenses.
Read Also: Hoo Review: A User-Friendly Platform for Exchanging Cryptocurrencies and tokens