So Nice to Meet You! (Proper Greetings)

It’s great that your friendly dog loves meeting people during walks or when you have guests come to your home but if they jump up on them to greet them then that’s not good!  For a proper greeting, you need to teach your dog to sit on cue and then have them sit in order to have your guests and people you encounter on walks come over to say hello.  No sitting equals no greeting for them!  However, if they sit and stay seated, then your dog gets to enjoy a friendly greeting.  You can also have treats handy to reward your dog for a nice greeting and even let the person saying hello to them offer the treat.  While teaching your dog to calmly greet guests that come to your home, I recommend keeping them on leash so you can have control.   When your dog is sitting, you can step on the leash to help keep them seated.  Your dog will quickly learn that if they try to jump up to say hello they won’t be able to and will quickly go back in a sit position.  Have your guests turn away and walk in the other direction if your dog does not stay seated.   They can then turn back around and approach your dog once your dog is seated again.  Be sure to praise your dog for sitting and soon they will learn that when they are seated and calm they will get to say hello and maybe even get a treat!  Consistency is key so just be patient and soon you will be enjoying calm and happy greeting’s with your dog!