# Jumping on guests...HELP!



## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

We LOVE the enthusiastic greeting we get from our dogs when we come in the door but, our guests...not so much! 

My sister came over with her two boys who are only 3 and 2 and it took almost half an hour to calm the dogs enough that the boys could get down and play without being jumped on. I don't want them to grow up being afraid of dogs because of this! Once everyone calms down, the dogs and the kids get along great. It's not just little kids that get that greeting, everyone who comes in does.

Can anyone give me some advice on how to stop this behavior??? This is totally our fault as we thought it was cute when Scooter did it, then Murphy did it and we kept thinking we should stop it, now with Gracie joining in it's just overwhelming. I'd love to be able to have people come in and have the dogs be calm and wait for the people to greet them! Is this possible?


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Good luck, I have created two little door monsters. According to every book I’ve read and the trainers I have watched you have to reclaim the space around the door. No petting or speaking to the dogs while they are in the excited state of mind. It is very heard to do and you need family and friends to work with you on this. 

Most if not all have the same method. Someone rings the bell or knocks, you make the dogs sit quietly and treat when they do what you want. No allowing them to go to the door or approach the guest.

This takes time and has to be repeated until the dogs get it. My two girls are terrible.


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## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

SMARTY said:


> Good luck, I have created two little door monsters. According to every book I've read and the trainers I have watched you have to reclaim the space around the door. No petting or speaking to the dogs while they are in the excited state of mind. It is very heard to do and you need family and friends to work with you on this.
> 
> Most if not all have the same method. Someone rings the bell or knocks, you make the dogs sit quietly and treat when they do what you want. No allowing them to go to the door or approach the guest.
> 
> This takes time and has to be repeated until the dogs get it. My two girls are terrible.


I second this. That's the only method I've ever heard of (or tried) that works. The other thing that seems to work pretty well, at least in our house - we (DH and I) never use the front door. We always come in through the garage. So when someone comes to the front door, it's a BIG DEAL and causes LOTS of excitement. So.....rather than ring the doorbell and enter the house that way, we have visitors call us when they are a block away. We go outside and open the garage door for them, they come into the house with us (through the garage), and the dogs seem to be MUCH more accepting of this. There is still excitement, but it's controlled. My two terriers will sit and wait for attention, and Tango will spin circles, but will not jump up.

So if you don't typically enter through the front door, you might try changing the way you greet visitors so it more closely mirrors how you normally come home.

Don't know if that would work for everyone, but it's really helped things at my house.


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

I have five Havanese and it's a party when someone comes to visit. Blossom won't leave visitors alone, not even the computer tech, when he's on the floor she wants to be in his lap. 

Now I put the main offenders in the bedroom for a few minutes, then when things quiet down I allow them to join us, it works SOMETIMES. When I find out the answer about the right thing to do, I'll let you all know.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

I don't have answers for you and can only offer a :hug: Mine do it too! I have four little monsters here and Marley being the youngest seems to feed off all the energy and goes way over the top! I'm working to correct the behavior, but haven't had much luck so far.


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

I'm in the same boat. My girls go crazy when visitors come. My problem is, I don't have any neighbors that will help out with the "ring doorbell, wait until I settle the dogs, come in, repeat the process 1000 times until they "get" it routine." My neighbors don't really mind being jumped on and they are our most frequent visitors. 
If I know in advance I am having visitors who will not appreciate such a greeting, out comes the x-pen which is used as a divider between the family room and the living room.


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Ann, I have two door monsters too.

If I know people are coming and they are not going to enjoy an enthusiastic greeting, I will keep them in my bedroom while the guests arrive. Then, after 15-20 minutes, they are much more calm. I can then let them out to greet our guests, who usually get a much more toned down greeting. 

But if even this is too much, like with small children, sometimes we have to let one out at a time, or just keep them in another part of the house using expens. I can also divide my living room and family room with an expen. 

Kudo2u, I like the idea of having people come through the garage - my husband comes and goes that way and always wonders why they don't give him the crazy greeting.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I know for all the dogs in our extended family, everyone has used the same approach. The dog(s) have gone into another room or behind a gate while visitors are coming in (Kodi goes in his ex-pen 'cause he's still a puppy). Once everyone is in and settled, the dog(s) are let out, with a firm understanding among the visitors that there is no touch, not talk (to the dogs) and no eye contact until everyone is calm, with all four feet on the floor. Little ones who can't follow these directions sit in parents laps or are held in parents arms until the dog(s) settle. (it doesn't take long once they are used to it)

This has worked for all the dogs in the family, and since Kodi has been raised this way from day one, he never gets that excited when people come in. A bark or two, I thank him for letting me know, and he settles right down.

I know it's a lot harder with multiple dogs, because they feed off each other. But I know it can work even in large packs. The Kings use this approach when visitors come, and it's amazing how fast their dogs (I think there are 10 adults) settle. Once they are settled, you can interact with them at will, and they don't rile up again. 

While it does take some (minimal) cooperation from your guests, it's pretty easy to explain, and LOTS less work than repeated doorbell ringing and planned entries.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

It doesn't matter whether we use the front door or the back door here, they still go crazy. I have a gate blocking off the front room, so mine aren't jumping up right at the door, but they wait at the gate jumping and barking until someone tries to come through it. *sigh

Sometimes I will put the boys in the ex-pens to hold them off and introduce them one at a time but they get so excited and bark so much I can't even talk with anyone until after they settle down. Grrrr. It's frustrating.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

we love the greeting too! We have had no success with greetings but when guests leave, or we leave we have them go to "their chairs!" This is so they don't walk out the door with the guests. I wonder if you could try to teach them a place to wait for their greeting... perhaps a mat or bed. tell them to wait. and then reward them once everyone is in or settled.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

My guys do that too, but it only last for 5 minutes. I have a friends who is not fond of dogs jumping on him. When he comes over, I use the PETAGREE and it works like a charm.


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## luv3havs (Jul 27, 2007)

*Need to train my family members!*

I have the same problem with my two. They are gated in the kitchen, but bark like crazy when people enter through the front door.

I have better results when strangers come. The dogs stop the barking quickly.

However, when friends or family come in it's crazy. Some of my family members won't follow the directions @ no eye contact etc. So my training doesn't work. It's very frustrating. I live with it because they are such great dogs.
They are good with me when I come home, and will bark a little and then sit for a greeting or they'll get a toy and come greet me nicely. I am calm and quiet when I greet them. DH doesn't follow directions and he just loves the greetings .

Thanksgiving Day will be hectic until everyone is in the house and settled down. Then the dogs will be angel:


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## deejay (Aug 19, 2008)

I keep a spray bottle of water at the door and if they are badly behaved they get sprayed in their face. It does work. When they see the bottle come out they retreat and quit barking.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

deejay said:


> I keep a spray bottle of water at the door and if they are badly behaved they get sprayed in their face. It does work. When they see the bottle come out they retreat and quit barking.


I tried the spray bottle before with mine but Marley thinks it's funny and gets all the more excited with the addition of being wet. He's a very happy little bugger!


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## Tritia (Nov 17, 2007)

Yep, same boat here. Our first never did it. We had her under control. Add...the havanese! He was horrible about it. The Bichon also never barked until he came along. Then like idiots, we added a third. TOTAL CHAOS! It's embarassing! I'm that person that I never wanted to visit. I can't STAND going to someone's house and being attacked by their dogs. I've stopped having friends over. When my kids have friends here, I have to tell them to ignore them dogs. Which isn't so easy for a little kid...under attack.

Mine also calm down, and are fine within a few mins. But, it's miserable until then. I have tried putting a couple up, and letting them out one at a time. And they do ok with that. But it's not so easy with a surprise visitor.

I worry more then anything about my parents. My dad is 72, and starting to get unsteady. I worry they're going to trip him up when he comes in the door. I think he's their most favorite person EVER. And he won't tell them "off" or to "get down" like we've asked him to.

We've tried crating just cooper ( the hav) and nobody barks, nobody jumps up. And if they do, I can control it much faster.
Cooper, Cooper, Cooper :doh:


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

Tritia, I can relate although in my house, it's the Sheltie's fault.  She rarely barks. She barks so rarely that it almost seems like she's making up for lost time when she gets excited about two things in her life....visitors and meals. When visitors arrive, my Havs will bark a couple of times, jump up a couple of times but they settle farily quickly. Rumor, not so much. It's like a bark/yap switch turns on in her brain and it won't shut off until it has run its course (or I holler at her loud enough...not a good training method, I know). She keeps the other riled up for a bit longer. 
It is embarrassing.


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## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

We are in the same boat too. It doesn't matter from where we enter or exit, it is greeting, jumping, kissing time. It is quite embarrassing when we have visitors who don't like dogs. Others enjoy the greeting. DH usually puts them on the leash and makes them sit and it calms them. With unexpected visitors, Benji and Lizzie calm down in a couple of minutes after they greet and sniff.


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## KSC (Aug 6, 2009)

We use our crate which is in the kitchen to give Kipling time to calm down and see the guests. He is then allowed out. That works much better than simply letting him greet...and then...gasp...peeing out of excitement..OY...poor poor furnace guy.


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## Evye's Mom (Dec 16, 2008)

Same problem here. I know it's my fault for not correcting or discouraging it. I personally love the excited greeting. I usually tell people, give them 5 minutes and they will settle down. I know what you mean about the kids though. Two of my G-kids don't particularly enjoy being jumped on and they usually sit on the couch until the pups settle down.


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

Their greetings are nice, but people unlike me find it annoying. Today I came home and had 5 dogs walking on two legs following me out the door to the back yard where they do their business. I didn't pick anyone up today and waited until they came in a few minutes later to formally say hello. This worked really well TODAY, pantyhose are intact, no runs from claws. LOL, maybe we're on to something.


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## maryam187 (Jul 18, 2007)

Although I love happy greetings, DH and I decided we would discourage such behavior, because I don't like it when they greet other people (non-dog lovers, kids, elderly, strangers, etc.) like that. So we never make a fuss about leaving nor coming. We will completely ignore our dogs (no eye contact, talking, correcting) when we come back until they calm down and sit on their own, can take up to 2 min. with Chuy. Then they get a nice greeting with 'give mommy a hug' and they get on their hind legs to be picked up  
Pablo will get terribly excited about his favorite visitors but luckily he knows now that we don't want him jumping at them and he will wiggle around, whine, and go find an appropriate gift (like a stinky sock) to greet his peeps. Chuy is such a jumping bean, but he's learning well with Pablo's help. We also always tell people to ignore the dogs until they're calm.
Oh and whenever someone knocks, they bark or only huff and learned that they need to sit and wait a few feet away from the door until I say it's OK.


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

good buddy said:


> I tried the spray bottle before with mine but Marley thinks it's funny and gets all the more excited with the addition of being wet. He's a very happy little bugger!


I tried the spray bottle too, but it was just too much....guests arriving, trying to talk with them over the dogs' clamour....I just ended up spraying my guests and the floor!


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## Lynn (Jan 2, 2007)

I think I might be able to get one to be good, but with two of them there is no way. I have them gated off in the kitchen area most of the time, but they are still barking like crazy dogs and it is right by the front door area.

I sometimes wonder what my sweet little Missy would have been like had she not had her brother Casper to teach her some of this stuff like barking his head off when people come to the door. Missy really was never a barker until Casper taught her to bark...I think.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

I try to tell people to ignore them but usually whoever it is ends up laughing and petting them. One thing I was thinking of trying was bribing some of the kids' friends to ring the doorbell over and over again while we work on correcting them inside. Then we could actually have them come in and repeat the process. I can bribe the kids with treats just like I can with the dogs, I'll just have to be careful not to mix them up!

I will admit that I'm happy to know I'm not the only one struggling through this! (And not the only one who likes an excited greeting when I get home!)


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## Miss Paige (Apr 4, 2008)

Wish I could help-but I too have three door monsters-Paige & Frannie both think everyone is coming just to see them-so it's hopeless-Rommy just barks and runs the other way till he figures out the person is okay and he can get attention. I try to stand between the door-the person & the "kids" but let me tell you they sure can get around me and to the human in a blink of an eye.

Good Luck
Pat (humom to)
Miss Paige
Mr Roman
Ms Frannie


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tritia said:


> We've tried crating just cooper ( the hav) and nobody barks, nobody jumps up. And if they do, I can control it much faster.
> Cooper, Cooper, Cooper :doh:


Then why not crate Cooper?


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## luv3havs (Jul 27, 2007)

I've tried crating my two when people come in, and oh the misery! They yelp, bark and "scream" when it is family and keep it up until I let them out to say hi.
It does work when strangers come.


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## Tritia (Nov 17, 2007)

krandall said:


> Then why not crate Cooper?


We often do when it's a planned guest. But, if it's someone that just drops by. I kind of hate to leave them freezing, out on the porch while I try to catch and crate my crazy dog.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

:laugh:


Tritia said:


> We often do when it's a planned guest. But, if it's someone that just drops by. I kind of hate to leave them freezing, out on the porch while I try to catch and crate my crazy dog.


:laugh: I can see it now! :laugh:


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

Maybe my Rosie has a gene missing (this phrase is usually my word for brain-damaged); but so far, she doesn't interact with company, family or customers. She completely ignores them until they have been there for some time before she will allow them to touch or pet her. She never is still--always "on" with us. But with company she is either in our laps or in her bed just watching. Perhaps it is because she goes to work with me and has become used to strangers coming and going and is not allowed to interact with customers and customers generally ignore her. And from day one at the office I did not let her jump on the customers who did pay attention, she was gently scolded and sent back to my office to her bed. Now she doesn't even look up when someone comes into my office. Many years ago, I had a little miniture schauzer that nipped a small child who tried to pick her up. I knew then that my dog could be a lawsuit looking to happen, so I trained her to stay in her office in her bed unless I called her out. Another mini schnauzer later and now Rosie and the rules haven't changed. We never know that we have spoiled our childred or our pets until company comes or we take them out in public. Haves can be trained like any other dog without being unkind to them. They just have to know that you mean what you say.


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## mimismom (Feb 15, 2009)

:bump:

Had to bump, because now I need help. 

This past weekend, we had lots of adults and kids over. Some of my nephews are afraid of the dogs and won't come in the house unless they can't see them. So I left my pups in the room, while my family and friends visited. I really hated this... 

We had unexpected visitors yesterday, my one year old nephew who is learning to walk and his teenage sisters. I actually put pups in the room and closed it with the gate instead of the door before they came in. Mimi jumps out but Gordo couldn't and whined and whined. I finally let him out and he kept jumping and jumping on the girls to say hi. He also almost knocked the baby over. 

Other times, Gordo LOVES to greet others and begs for attention. He still quite hasn't learned yet he is excessively lovable to some people. The thing is he jumps and jumps, scratches and nips on people. 

Mimi is much more reserved and won't approach until she has stared them up and down or I ask her to say hi. 

Should I just keep testing them with me. Both will compete for attention when I get home and race to the door. I try to keep them calm and make them sit before I rub their bellies...But I really need them to be completely calm for other people. Should I train them separately?

Ann, how has the greeting been going with FIVE dogs lately?


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## ls-indy (Apr 10, 2008)

We taught Daisy and Beau the command "paws up" and they will put their front paws on a chair or on a leg if invited. Then we taught them "off" to get them to get all 4 feet on the ground. They get excited when we have guests, but we ask guests not to pet them until they respond to "off" and are in a sit waiting to be petted. Its not perfect - but it seems to calm them down.

If they don't get petted after being in a sit - they will get pesty.....


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

They all still go crazy, I really don't think it's possible to train all 5 at once so I'm still trying but will really work on it when we only have our 3 again. 

I feel your pain though!

When my nephews come over they were never afraid even though the dogs would jump and be crazy. Now if the weather is nice I take the dogs out when I knew they're on the way and get them to run and play a bit. When my sister gets here the little ones greet the dogs through the fence first and then come in the back yard. It's helped some.


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## nancyf (Nov 6, 2007)

We've had lots of visitors lately and I noticed that Bella (now 3 yrs. old) loves to greet them but a couple came from Europe and Bella was afraid of them. They are friendly and kind and they wanted to pet her but she was afraid. Maybe they were not as relaxed in another country? Bella picked up something from them, especially the man. But it's nice to know she's normal by her enthusiastic greeting of guests!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Another possibility is that thier diet may be significantly different than ours (even if it's just a whole lot less junk food!) so they may smell very different than most of the people Bella meets every day. Dog's noses are extremely sensitive!


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## nancyf (Nov 6, 2007)

krandall said:


> Another possibility is that thier diet may be significantly different than ours (even if it's just a whole lot less junk food!) so they may smell very different than most of the people Bella meets every day. Dog's noses are extremely sensitive!


That is an interesting idea. Peter was much more quiet because he doesn't know much English and Tami isn't a doggie person--not so "emotional" like us in the West. I'm always fascinated by the complex nature of these little Havanese creatures!


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## Narwyn (Jan 24, 2010)

mimismom said:


> We had unexpected visitors yesterday, my one year old nephew who is learning to walk and his teenage sisters. I actually put pups in the room and closed it with the gate instead of the door before they came in. Mimi jumps out but Gordo couldn't and whined and whined. I finally let him out and he kept jumping and jumping on the girls to say hi. He also almost knocked the baby over.


When you let them out, did you leash him? If he's too wound up to listen to you, you need another way to communicate with him - and a leash and collar will let you do that. You have to set dogs up for success!

I wouldn't use the gate for these guys; sometimes it can take the edge off, but sometimes it gets them MORE wound up with anticipation. Especially Mimi being able to escape, I bet Gordo is just losing his mind wanting to see the people.

Instead, keep leashes (and I might find a nice and easy leash/collar combo you can easily slide on) and treats by the door. Doorbell rings, leashes on. This way, they just can't jump on guests, they can pull and spin and go nuts but they don't get what they want. Once you sit down, make them sit or down and reward them for being calm. Once they are calm, have a guest come and very calmly stroke and quietly talk to them. If the dogs jump or get wound up, they have to sit alone again.

With my past training clients, I teach dogs they don't get attention from visitors unless they are sitting. This usually results in a dog that runs up to guests and plants their butt down, even if they are wagging so hard they are barely sitting still. If they do sit, they can get a scratch under the chin and a calm word, and then the visitor goes on with their visit. Usually the dogs follow them around and sit and look at them, which no one really minds! And I can tell which clients weren't doing this consistently - they would say their dog was jumping on people again, I would come over to help, and the dog would run up to me and sit :wink:

As always - pick something and stick with it! If *you *are not 100% your dog will never be either.


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