Where am I going wrong?

[busters mum]

Buster never seems to get the hang of my 'visitor training'
Whenever we have friends round for the evening, you know quiet drink nice meal , He plays up terribly.

The guests walk in Buster kidney beans and slobbers and jumps all over them. I say NO and make him sit , he ignores me! I hold on to his collar He flops on the floor rolls over and wriggles like mad. Ive tried putting his lead on, He thinks hes going out ang gets worse or does what he did when I held his collar. I send him to his basket and give him his toys and tell him stay. He doesnt.
He eventually calms down but now he glues himself to the guests and keeps trying to climb up the chairs/sofa...which he is not allowed on.
I put him out and he barks and barks.
Ive told visitors to ignore him but I think they find it hard. The guests who dont like dogs ignore him easily and he is a bit better. HELP.
By the way Buster is actually very well behaved this is the only problem he has, Is it just the way he is or can it be solved. He is now 16 months.

 

[mochasmommy]

I feel your frustration

Mocha does the same exact thing and he is almost 2 years old. When I come home he is perfect and just comes to see me wagging his tail excitedly. However, when my husband (or other MALE figures that he knows) comes home he goes wild and crazy much like you described. I hate it when it guests are involved because in my heart i KNOW how good of a baby he really is.
I haven't tried this like I should, but I read that if you set a little jar of treats outside the door with a note on it that says to give one to the dog if he is sitting down after much practice he will be much better behaved. I know it works to some extent because I gave my husband puppy treats to keep with him in his car, and as soon as he gets home if Mocha is sitting he gets a treat. Mocha has improved with him. He still gets up and excited after he has his treat but he is much calmer than he used to be.
I also read that they do this with guests that they don't know because it is sort of an anxiety thing too, trying to figure out why exactly they are in the house. Supposedly, if he receives a treat than he will begin looking forward to the guest instead of the anxious/excited/spastic mixture because he will learn the expectations and how he is supposed to behave.
I hope this helps~ Let me know if anything else works

 

[busters mum]

Hmmm, Im not sure that would help. Knowing Bust hed be like..."visitors yippee im gonna get a treat, cmon give it me . Shall I search them for it ? Is this a game, I know Ill bark like when I want my dinner"

Does this sound familur?

 

[Tulsa-Dan]

I have found that leashing the dog when the bell rings and placing your heel on the leash so the dog doesn't have room or slack to jump is the best method for resolving this problem. After your guests arrive, take the dog with you ON LEASH and using treats have the dog lie down next to you. Reward and praise for compliance. But again, keep the slack so he can't get up. Give the dog about 3 to 4 minutes of "quiet" time. This allows the adrenalin to work its way thru the body and dissipate. Once the dog is calm, gives out the "big sigh," you can quietly, without any fanfare or words, remove the leash and continue socializing with your guests. All of you MUST continue to ignore the dog until he lies down on his own. THEN, if your guests want to greet the dog, they can do so by softly calling the dog to them, asking the dog to sit first, and then pet the dog.

Reminder: These are TRAINING METHODS. It takes time and patience. You cannot expect to see "instant" results. You must continue this until the dog behaves appropriately on his own. Olympic athletes are not made in a week or two. It takes months, sometimes. Be patience and be diligent and most of all BE CONSISTENT.

Good luck.

 

[momstaxi]

I have the same problem with our 13 month old. I will have to try the leash. Thanks
Michele

 

[busters mum]

Thanks Tulsa dan.

That makes sense, I tried the leash B4 but put it on when the guests had already come in. Will try your way.
I had some visitors at weekend, And Buster was terrible and far too excited so I sent him to his basket with his toys and shut the door to the room. When he calmed down I let him back in but he ran straight at the guests with slobber flying everywhere and jumpingaround so I sent him back out again.

Next time Im gonna try it your way with some tasty ham as a treat.
If he lies down by my side waiting for the ham do I just give a little peice throughout the evening to keep him 'baited' Or do you do it a different way?