How do I get my dog used to visitors?

There are plenty of training classes you can do to get prepared for when visitors come calling, whether online or in-person. It can take time but it’s a good idea to train your dog to go and lie down in their bed when told. This means that when the doorbell rings, they can be told to calmly go and lie down which can hopefully diffuse a bit of the initial anxiety involved with a guest’s arrival. Meeting friends and family outdoors first can mean that when they come into the house they aren’t strangers. When first getting visitors round, try to keep the numbers low, so make sure the first time your dog deals with visitors isn’t a massive house party. One or two quiet guests at first can be a great way to ease a dog into the idea of visitors. Ideally pre-warn these friends to come in and not fuss your pup. Let the guest sit down and relax for a minute or two, letting your dog settle down a bit, then your pup can get attention. For the shyer pups let them take their time to approach guests, and don’t force cuddles or greetings on them, keeping everyone calm and relaxed. Providing a safe place, whether a crate or dog bed, is a great way to give your dog somewhere to go if they feel overwhelmed, or just tired and wanting some space.

To help your dog get used to visitors, make sure they don’t have immediate access to the front door. Where possible, use a baby gate to section off a ‘safety room’ that your dog is comfortable in, but a visitor will not need to enter. Place your dog in this room before a visitor arrives, or is allowed in. With this training, it’s a good idea to ask a friend or family member your dog’s not familiar with to help. Arrange a time when they have a spare hour-or-so and invite them over. When they arrive, ask them to knock on the door, but before they knock, place your dog in their safety room, behind the baby gate, and show them their reward. Once your guest is settled and your dog is calm, you can open the baby gate and invite them into the room. If your dog chooses to stay where they are, despite the baby gate being open, that is fine, we do not want to force an interaction. Ask your visitor to remain relaxed and to completely ignore your dog, this includes no looking, touching or talking to them. The key now is to consistently praise and reward your dog for any calm and quiet behaviour they show, for example if they look at your guest without reacting or if they settle down somewhere.

My advice is to keep your visitors safe and keep your dog shut away in another room when visitors first arrive. Try to keep your dog relaxed (maybe with a chew or kong) before they greet your guest so that the arrival of a guest has a positive association. You may need to train your dog to settle happily in this space before you use it to shut him away for visitors. You need to ask your visitors to make themselves as non confrontational as possible. So ideally sitting down, head turned away and avoid all eye contact with the dog. Put your dog on a lead where you have good control for introductions and you need to be really calm and confident as any anxiety from you will be passed to your dog and they may feel the need to protect you. Never approach visitors head on, but from the side or ideally come alongside in parallel and stay at a good distance (several meters). Give the dog lots of praise/treats when she is calm and non reactive. If she starts to show any sign of anxiety, then create some distance by putting yourself between her and your visitor and herd her away. It's not going to be an overnight cure, but each positive experience will help her build confidence and trust. Each negative one reinforces the barking and lunging sadly, so you need to maintain distance and only praise and reward good behaviour. Soon your dog will learn that visitors mean good things happen.

To help your dog get used to visitors, prepare your dog in advance of visitors by having a safe space that your dog can happily settle in, away from the excitement. Giving your dog a good walk beforehand will help him/her to relax, since they will have burned off any excess energy. A tired dog will find it easier to switch off and relax in their safe space. Try and get your dog used to spending short periods of time alone in their quiet place so that it’s a normal event. You can also use a dog gate or barrier to reduce the risk of any unwanted physical contact between your visitor and your dog. Create a happy distance by tossing some treats away from where you are to encourage your dog to accept some distance. Give your dog something to do, such as delicious long-lasting chews and enrichment toys, to help your dog calm down and relax. Doorbell training can also help by desensitising your dog to the novelty factor of the doorbell. Meeting outside first can also make it easier for your dog to process the novelty of meeting someone new. Encouraging calm behaviour and setting house rules, such as not encouraging jumping up, can also help your dog get used to visitors.