# Improper Behavior Around Visitors-Help!



## Tianna0423 (Mar 21, 2006)

I'm a new member and I just want to compliment the good advice and training tips that so many of you offer in regards to training a Golden Retriever. 

I have a Golden, Barkley, who has been with me and my family since he was eight weeks old. He is our first dog, six months now, but I have been having problems training him lately. 
He was very good at first but I don't know where I have gone wrong. He knows his basic commands but when visitors come, it seems like he forgets everything. I know that he wants the attention from them and that he is very playful, but he goes overboard by jumping and at times annoying the visitors because he wants their attention all of the time. 
I tried to let him greet them and then take him aside to let him know that enough is enough of the humping and licking. If I put him on the leash he snaps at me, if I put him inside the crate he doesn't stop barking. I don't know what to do in order to teach him how to behave properly around my guests or other people in general even at the park. I would hate to have someone say to me that they won't come over anymore, especially other members of my family because of Barkley's unstable behavior. Or even worse, one comment I have already heard, "your dog is crazy." Any comments.


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## greg bell (May 24, 2005)

I would set him up and train him... first of all, he is really young.. the most worrisome to me is his snapping at you... 
You do need to take control. It sounds to me like he thinks he rules that roost and it is time for him to learn otherwise. 6 months is old enough to start some serious training. I dont think I will go into the exact methods, but I would get a good training book.. The ones I use all center around field stuff, so I am not much help there.
We always train the commands...then we move to the commands with distractions. That is really different.. I would also watch the Dog Whisperer.. a lot of the dogs he deals with are just like yours. 
Just because a dog knows the meaning of a word, does not mean he minds yet. He has to know that "sit" is a COMMAND..not just a way to get a cookie.. and 6 or 7 months is where i make that transition.. 
I think that sometimes people are afraid that if they are strict with their dogs, that the dog is not going to like them any more.. not true. 
Dogs need to love and RESPECT you. Just like your kids. 
I would start today with "sit".. get a lead on him and command sit in different situations.. and from a distance... if he doesn't comply on the first command..haul his young butt back to the spot that you gave the command and see that he does.. then day in and day out..when you give a command take the time to be sure he does it..each and every time... be consistant.. no nagging.. 
no screaming or raving..just a businesslike tone and no quarter... he will learn that when mom speaks, he MUST listen. 
He isn't a bad dog, he is just a dog and actiing like one. So treat him like a dog.


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## Lexie's Mom (Dec 14, 2005)

When visitors are around, keep him leashed. Just in case he gets out of hand you can grab his leash. Don't allow him to jump on anyone. The leash will help with that. If you don't get control of this now, you'll regret it later. It's good that you know that this is a problem and are seeking assistance. Try some OB training in your area. Socialization and training are always a good way to start. Good Luck


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## PeggyK (Apr 16, 2005)

Great advice, Greg. I would definitely have a leash on him EVERY time somone comes in the door. Every time he jumps-he gets a correction and then praise when he sits. it's a slow process, but he will come around. I would be more concerned about the snapping-he needs to know you're the boss. My first Golden went through a couple of months-at about 7 or 8 months when he tried to be the Alpha in the house. Someone gave me the Monks of New Skete book and I tried the alpha roll on him-it worked like a charm. I think, like Greg said-consistency is the answer. No matter what-he has to do what you tell him to. It's not easy, but the rewards will come with hard work. Good luck.


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## Tianna0423 (Mar 21, 2006)

Thank you for responding. I will definitely try putting him on the leash and sticking to it when I have guests. It's just hard sometimes you know. I have to admit that at one point I thought if I was too strict with Barkley,he wouldn't like me very much. Today, I had to take him back to crate training to see if he would calm down a little. So far so good but its only been a few hours. My sister-in-law mentioned the Dog Whisperer to me before but have yet to see it, I will try viewing it this week.


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## greg bell (May 24, 2005)

One other thing that I have learned on this forum and on the Dog Whisperer is exercise.. really calms them down. I never thought about it because my dogs get so much.. If you get him out and walk him every day you are taking care of the exercise as well as training him to walk properly on the leash.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

greg bell said:


> One other thing that I have learned on this forum and on the Dog Whisperer is exercise.. really calms them down. I never thought about it because my dogs get so much.. If you get him out and walk him every day you are taking care of the exercise as well as training him to walk properly on the leash.


Yep....a well-exercised dog makes a better behaved dog.

Also, wanted to say welcome to the site....


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## goldencity (May 26, 2005)

I've just read your post and the following are my thaughts on what you have said, I hope you find them usefull!

What you have here is a stroppy tennager- trying out
the rules, not listening, pushing to see how far he can go- you know how they are.
Hes not a bad dog, but you do have to deal with it.

Does he get enough exercise? I know its hard if you have a home and work to cope with, but a tired dog is a well behaved dog! A
t that age he'll have lots of energy which needs to be used up properly, or he'll use it up in ways which you wont like.

Stick with the training- just because he has learnt a few basic commands, dont stop. Make him work for every thing, ie sit for his dinner, down before you put his lead on. Try doing a search on here for "nothing in life is free"- If he has to do as he is told all the time, he will have lots to think about and will be calmer.

Jumping up on visitors is a real pain for you, but great fun for the dog. He gets up close and personal with people and lots of attention which is very rewarding for him.
Try this training method- it has worked for me- it makes jumping up less rewarding than being good. First, you need a volunteer visitor who knows what to expect. Have dog on his lead when the visitor arrives. Dog will try to rush forward, jump etc. the visitor then steps back, does not look at or speak to or touch the dog in any way. As soon as the dog has his feet on the floor, the visitor steps forward again to say helloe to the dog. At the first sign of bad behaviour, visitor steps back and does the ignoring thing again. The dog gets the message that people only talk to him if all his feet are on the floor. You do have to repeat this several times, get all the family to help. Do it every time any one comes into the house. Only speak to himif he is good.

Finally, get all the family to join in. You dont say if you have kids, but every one in the house has to give the same message, all the time. You have to be consistant, its no good letting him jump up when you come home from work, then getting cross if he jumps up when you have guests! 

It sounds harder than it is- stick with it because the results are worth it!


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## bailey75 (Feb 7, 2006)

Welcome to the forum...

I know what you're going through as Bailey, now 5 months has been doing the same thing. 

What we're doing with her is getting the visitor to stand still, arms folded and looking away from her. If she jumps again the visitor turns their back her, after a couple of attempts she realises that unless she sits downs she doesn't get a fuss. 

On the odd occasion when she was REALLY bad, usually with my dad (she loves him loads and gets VERY excited when she sees him) we have a small plastic bottle with a few stones in that we shake (not too loudly), only once and she gets straight down. We've used this bottle (we have a TV programme here in the UK called Dog Borstal, problem dogs with experts to correct them - got the bottle idea from this) when she's reaching up onto the kitchen side or dinning table. We now only have to go to touch the bottle and she gets down.


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## Goldndust (Jul 30, 2005)

OMG, your not alone! Some of these guys I swear there brains go right out the door when they hear that door bell, or that knock. They just get so exciting they don't hear you, or what you are trying to say or do. Kody is like this, he has been my toughest of all...my other two were nothing compared to him. I will suggest a few things that seemed to help me, things are just now beginning to get better, but he of course is getting older too. He's just a little over a year. Mine still rushs to the door because he's happy but the jumping has pretty much come to an end. I never minded the greeting, but that jumping was something I knew was dangerous so getting a handle on that is very important for us to work on.

First thing is plenty of exercise twice a day. Crating or gating when company comes if you do not have a helper at these times. I found it very hard to deal with the door, company and a happy excited dog at this time without a helper. On leash walks, keep him at a heel...if he isn't trained for this, begin working on it now. It's always best when company comes that they totally ignore the dog, no touching, looking, speaking to the dog. Nothing!!! He must calm down first and sit before anyone is allowed to pet him.....but what I found to work the best was to just crate or gate them in the beginning stages so as they don't keep being reinforced by the jumping and greeting the company. If by chance company does come and he's out with you and if he jumps on people, they must not grab his paws....this is just telling him it's ok to do. It is best to just take him by the collar and put him in a sit and ignore. 

I'm not sure what the snapping is about, i'm not sure how you handled this earlier on. Mine's never done that, or the humping of visitors. Those are no no's though. I'm thinking though the more exercise are going to help you big time though....it's gonna burn off some of that energy.

It's gonna take time, and they most likely will protest....but be consistant. I don't think he is unstable, I think he just needs some direction, and he's got a lot of energy to burn.


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## Tianna0423 (Mar 21, 2006)

I guess I should've mentioned that he did the humping only to my five year old son. He hasn't done that again because I have stopped him. My husband says that he is different with my son because he thinks he is a litter mate. But the jumping and nipping is still going on. But I have taken your advice and placed him on the leash. I'm trying to let him know that I'm in control the best way that I can. I also added an extra walk at the park yesterday in the morning (I normally walk him late afternoons every day) and he did seem to calm down a little. When I walked him this morning, I was surprised that he ignored most other walkers because usually he wants to run to them. But it was all about the walk today.

Another thing, last night my friend came over and I had him on the leash. As you can imagine, he tried to drag me to the door, but I held him back and then we walked together side by side. He greeted her well and didn't jump (well, I put my foot on the leash to keep him down). But when I put him in his crate so that I could talk to my friend, he wouldn't stop crying. I know he was crying because I separated him. But I must take your advice and be consistent, right? And fight the inner me who wants to feel sorry and let him out.


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