You’ve probably heard this one before: a friend comes over and rings the doorbell, and your dog shares their excitement of their presence by jumping up on them! While your friend may not mind, establishing a visitor routine with your dog can set an important standard for anyone who visits your home. You and your dog will know what to do right away, and your guests won’t get jumped on!
Preparing for Visitors
The first step to prepare for visitors involves deciding on the following:
- Where will your dog be when visitors knock on the door or ring a doorbell? (In their crate? On leash? In a specific area?)
- How will you introduce your dog to guests? (Ask for a sit? Keep on leash? Keep them in their area and introduce once everyone is settled?)
- How will you reward your dog for greeting visitors politely? (Offer a treat? Allow them to mingle freely?)
- What behaviors does your dog know that might be helpful? (Sit? Stay? Down?)
Once you’ve made a decision on each of those topics, you’ll want to practice without visitors. Gather your dog’s mat, treats, and whatever else you will need and have someone ring the doorbell. Go through your plan that you’ve decided on a few times, like a sit by the door, or letting them go to their specific area.
Lastly, invite a friend or family member over to practice your visitor routine. Start small, with one person in the beginning to establish the routine before bringing over larger amounts of guests.
Assessing the Visit
After the visits, it’s time to break down what went well and what didn’t for you and your dog. Ask yourself these questions:
- What did your dog do well?
- What needs extra practice?
- Is there anything you think should go differently next time?
In answering these questions and working with the initial preparations, you can build a better routine the next time a visitor comes over! You and your dog will have a solid routine established in no time, and you won’t have to worry about your visitors being jumped on as soon as they enter the room.
Training Tip: If visitors are coming over and you don’t have time to train, put your dog in their crate or confinement area with some things to chew on. Don’t give them any opportunities to learn bad habits!
Training Tip: If you find your dog is struggling with the routine, be ready to reward more frequently and ask for something easier. For example, if you asked for a sit-stay when the doorbell rings, instead ask for a quick sit and then release your dog to say hello.
Have more questions about training? Visit our Canine Training page for more resources and classes at AWS.
