Got Dog

Like me, you want your dog to be good. However, you know they will jump up on any visitor! They bark non-stop and are over-excited. Sometimes you ignore them. You think they want to get the visitor`s attention. Sometimes, it is just too much!

You feel, like I did, that this habit has to stop. If you observe the root cause of their habit, you will be able to change it.

The Root Cause

First, your dog knows they will get your attention if they behave like that. They jump upon you once. They get your attention. They jump upon you again and the same happens. When you get to think about it, it is too late. They do it all the time and on anybody! They have developed the habit.

This habit gets daily reinforcement. You talk to them when they jump up on you. You praise them and even play with them. When a visitor arrives, they want the same kind of attention. And they jump up on them as well!

Second, you may consider that it may be an emotional problem, not one that has to do with the education. When visitors come, your dog may become nervous and anxious. You know dogs learn to anticipate to events, especially those related to fear or anxiety.

If you have heard about Classical Conditioning, you will realize that it applies here. Your dog associates the bell and the sound of the elevator with an exciting and fascinating event. Your dog learns this.

You hear the bell ring and you run to the door. Your dog senses something dangerous or exciting will happen and prepare for this. You will call his name and hold him. Inevitably, your dog will jump up on the guest.

You need to understand them to solve this problem and you are part of the problem. You are also excited about your guests. You constantly reinforce the behavior of your dog.

Your daily interaction turns your dog into an “addict” of human attention. You can change this. If you do not look, talk, or pay attention to your pet when they are overexcited, the behavior will start to gradually.

You have to be patient and endure until the habit disappears. This is called “behavior extinction” curve.

What To Do

You should review your daily routine. You should change your attitude when the doorbell rings. You should move more slowly. You should avoid talking to your dog on your way to the door. You can throw them something quick to eat to change their attention to that instead of the visitor. The bell sound may actually signal that a treat comes.

Your plan B could be to go out with your dog for a short walk together with the newcomer, which will minimize the novelty.

Of course, you will stop correcting and punishing to try to “re-educate” the behavior. Our pet demands the attention of the visitor or anyone. When you fix it, (leave it aside or scold it), you are giving it that grand prize: ATTENTION.

The collaboration of the visits is essential. During the treatment, they must greet in a very calm way, so that the dog knows that they saw it. From there, they should not look at it, speak or touch it, sit down as soon as possible, avoid sudden movements, and avoid exciting our dog anymore. Induced emotion and effusiveness towards our furry will be prohibited.

If the visit does not help, you should study the possibility of teaching your dog alone. You will do it day by day, when there is no visit, gradually and pleasantly. It’s fun and reassuring to be alone in a room with a huge ham bone.

This worked for me. I hope it works for you!