How do I stop my dog from jumping on guests without also making him scared of visitors?
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jenna_ok·1 day·1151 views
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Murphy (2-year-old Golden mix, 70 lbs) is the friendliest dog alive which is the problem. He launches himself at every visitor and has knocked over my 65-year-old mother twice. We've been working on 'sit' at the door for 6 months but the greeting excitement completely overrides any training the second a new person appears.
I don't want to suppress his joy — he's genuinely happy to see people — I just need him to express it without using my guests as a landing pad. What approaches actually work for an over-the-top friendly dog?
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priya_gsd· 1 day
The key insight: you can't train greetings at the front door because it's the highest-arousal moment in the dog's day — he's too excited to access his training. Instead, manage the door (leash on or behind a baby gate) and train greetings in staged practice sessions where you control the arousal level. Have a friend come over, walk calmly in without looking at or engaging Murphy, and only pet him the moment all four paws hit the floor. No attention for jumping — not even eye contact or 'no.' This takes 20-30 staged sessions but it works because you're not fighting peak arousal.
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dan_runs· about 23 hours
The 'turn your back' technique people recommend is often applied wrong — you have to be fast enough that the turn happens before he gets contact. If he makes contact with your back at all, he still got the interaction. A solid 'sit and stay while I open the door' is achievable but takes way more repetitions than most people do — we're talking 50-100 before the door context really sticks.
