# Excitability and Jumping on Visitors



## timberwolfe (Apr 15, 2005)

Yes. You have to redirect his happy jumpy behaviour to a more positive behaviour. You need to enforce a Zero Tolerance Law with jumping and teach him how to properly greet people.

How is his obedience? Will he sit on command? If so then get him to sit when visitors come. Once seated, then the visitors can go and say hi and have a supply of treats at first to help reinforce this new positive behaviour. If he jumps, have the visitors turn their back and ignore him. If he continues then you can either leave him alone for a while by leaving the room or by putting him elsewhere until he learns how to properly greet visitors. You may want to have friends come over armed with treats and information on how to act when he starts to jump. He will eventually get it.

If you have problems getting him to sit when he is excitedly greeting people, then you need to go back and work on obedience training.


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## mojosmum (May 20, 2005)

My other golden Toby used to have this thing about bringing you something when you entered the house. He prefered shoes and even though he never chewed one it was embarassing when he was trying to get it off the foot of my company before they had a chance to do that. Once the shoe was off he would then pick it up and run around in doggy circles (going around and around with his nose touching his butt) until you took the shoe from him and told him what a good boy he was. Mojo does the same thing only with a doggy toy which isn't so embarassing.


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## Krugcrawford (May 23, 2005)

Thanks Timberwolfe for the reply. The problem is that he passes obedience classes with flying colours because he knows to behave away from home, like he will do a long stay unleashed outside a shop and will not move even when kids and other dogs pass by. It is just when visitors come to the house - he ignores me when I ask him to sit and settle, I often have to resort to grabbing him by the collar and forcing a sit - all rather embarrassing in front of visitors as you can imagine. I will try your method of asking friends to ignore him when he jumps - difficult with a very strong 40kg dog!


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## timberwolfe (Apr 15, 2005)

That is the problem with Goldens. They are very smart and know what to do to please us when they want to. They can zip right through obedience because they learn the routine very quickly. The problem with clever dogs like Goldens is that can also chose their times when they will ignore their training, especially if it involves socializing with other people.

Try the friends coming over routine. Also you could make it a routine yourself by having him sit everytime you come in the door. At first it will be you arrive, he comes to greet you doing the happy dance, probably with something in his mouth. You will now try to get him to sit before anything else. Once he sits, treat and praise and say HI. If you clicker train, keep the clicker near the door. Soon he will know that when you come home, the proper way to greet you will be with his butt on the ground, or in our case it is with Clancy sitting on our feet with his back to us and leaning way back to get pats. This can then easily be translated into the proper routine when anybody enters the house.

Hope it works for you.


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## goldencity (May 26, 2005)

Jumping up can be a real pain especially when they are muddy and your visitors are clean non dog lovers!
This is how I have delt with our young two. You will need a lead and a selection of "primed" visitors.
Put your dog on the lead. Get the visitor to walk up to the dog making welcoming sounds. As soon as the dog jumps, they step back out of range. When he is calm, they can approach again. Soon the dog realises that to get a fuss, he has to be sitting nicely. 
It sounds easy, but you need lots of patience esp. as your dog is no longer a puppy. Keep at it , always be consistent and practise every day with as many people as possible.


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## timberwolfe (Apr 15, 2005)

Goldencity, your method sounds like it should work. Same principal as my methods which is Reward Positive behaviour, deny what they crave when they are being bad. It does work and there is no need for punishment.


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## Rockin' Nerd (May 26, 2005)

Yes, but here are a few tips:

1) Put up a "Puppy in Training" sign in your window instucting people to try to not add to the excitment

2) Have your puppy sit and wait fairly far away from the door.

3) If he jumps, tell your guests what they should do to get him off ***The word "off", the "knee-bump"...*** . They may say, "Oh, its okay! I don't mind!" , but its not okay for the puppy to jump.

Hope this helps!


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## margie (Apr 25, 2005)

My 2 goldens are 4 & 5 and still get overly excited when company comes.

I have learned to let the company come and say hi to them outside when they are in the fenced in yard. When the company has entered the house for 1/2 hr or so, I let the dogs in. They run and jump (while company is sitting down) for about 2 minutes and then they decide company is boring and go back to doing their own thing. I usually have a treat or bone ready for them to come see the company and then take the treat and go lie down.

I live alone and I don't have alot of company come to visit to try and help train the dogs to "sit & stay". It is tough at times. 

I tell my company to not speak with their hands and wave them around, (dogs think they have a treat) and when they start to run to jump up on them, to keep their arms close to their sides, turn away from the dogs and say NO.

It seems to work. Goldens love people and so want to say "hi, how are you?" 

Good luck.


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## mojosmum (May 20, 2005)

My golden is 6 1/2 and he still goes crazy for people. He's not too bad at the jumping thing but the terrier, Zoe, is. She'd knock you off your feet if the door wasn't behind you. We're still working on her.


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## Amy (May 21, 2005)

My lab does that.. he's just crazy social. However, he's stopped doing that as much, unless its my mother he sees, then forget about it, he goes crazy! Again.. working on that.

We keep his leash on him, and when he jumps, he gets a correction via a pop of the leash. And if visitors come, and he starts jumping, he gets a correction, and told, "NO, OFF" and aforementioned visitor is to ignore him, until he is calm, and sitting. Usually works.


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