How do I stop my dog from getting excited with strangers?
Jena Ortiz
2025-06-29 04:44:34
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: 10
Try to avoid situations with lots of strangers. The first thing to do is try to minimise the number of situations where your dog encounters people and feels the need to react. When you are out on walks, try to maintain the distance from people that your dog is comfortable with. This might involve safely crossing the road so that strangers don’t try to approach them head-on, walking on quieter routes, or going out at quieter times. Consider using a muzzle, a muzzle often acts as a visual aid to indicate to people that they should give your dog extra space. Stay calm and try not to pull on the lead, if you see a person and suddenly tighten the lead and change your behaviour, this may indicate to your dog that something is about to happen and make them more alert. Change your dog's response to people using rewards, to change your dog's reaction to new people, you want to change the emotion that your dog feels when they see someone new. With treats in your hand, head out for a walk, as you walk, watch your dog carefully and as soon as they notice a person, calmly acknowledge that they have seen them with a marker word such as ‘yes’ or ‘good,’ and then reward them with a treat.
Kenna Schmitt
2025-06-29 03:44:34
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: 7
We're getting closer to a default sit or drop when a stranger walks past/approaches, but only people without dogs. I'm struggling with him jumping, pulling/lunging on the lead, and just generally being so crazy most people are scared off. We don't have nearby friends or family to help with this, so I've been using our daily walks to try to practise being more calm as strangers approach for a pat or walk past, but it feels like super slow going!
Isadore Smith
2025-06-29 03:12:43
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: 11
Your dog needs to know how to behave when encountering strangers. Your dog will need to learn to be calm, comfortable and quiet around unfamiliar people. Although, it is normal for your dog to let out a bark to warn you someone is approaching you or your home, this should not be excessive, and should stop once you have been alerted. A confident, controlled dog will not go on barking, become hyperactive, jump, or be aggressive around strangers, which is usually a reaction to fear. To train your dog to act appropriately and be calm when he encounters strangers you should never punish reactive behavior, do not yell or pull back on a lead, which creates more excitement and anxiety and makes the behavior worse. The best way to create calm behavior around strangers is to socialize your dog early by exposing him to lots of different people and situations. During the training period you will want to keep your dog from being exposed to strangers except during scheduled training sessions, where you can modify your dog's behavior. You want your dog to be mentally relaxed when he encounters a stranger.
Ebba Harris
2025-06-29 02:20:51
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: 8
To help your dog settle when new people come to visit, it’s a good idea to have 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.
If your dog is super keen to greet your visitor or to ward them off, then tossing some treats away from where you are will encourage your dog to accept some distance. Choose a high value treat that your dog can’t resist and slowly toss the treats farther and farther away. If your guest isn’t scared of dogs and if your dog isn’t scared of them then you could invite your guest to partake in a little treat tossing.
You can also give your dog something to do, delicious long-lasting chews and enrichment toys like Kongs and Lickimats can help your dog to calm down and relax. By giving your dog another focus, you are helping him/her to slowly switch off, while the buzz of something new dies down.
Alternatively, you could meet outside first, the novelty of meeting someone new can be easier for your dog to process outside of the home. With all of the smells and other novelties of being outdoors it’s easier for your dog to disengage from the exciting new person who just showed up.
Use your crate or safety gate and some yummy chews to give everyone some space to calm down.
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