One issue that dog parents often want to address is their pets jumping up at people when they come through the front door. It doesn’t bother everybody, but for some of us, it can be annoying or even dangerous if we’re caught off guard or carrying something fragile.
However, there are some simple things you can do to encourage your dog to stay closer to the floor, and it’s easier than you might think – even just a handful of the best dog treats can come in handy!
Juliana DeWillems, owner and head trainer at JW Dog Training & Behavior Consulting, has made some great suggestions in a recent Instagram post, and it could be a game-changer if you’re hoping to stop your dog from greeting people in such an energetic manner.
DeWillems’ video begins with someone coming through the front door while a dog lays down calmly before getting up and following their human. As she says, “You might think that this is your ideal goal for your dog’s behavior when someone comes into your home.”
However, she then goes on to explain that many of us don’t realize that it can be quite tricky to train and there’s an easier solution: “Putting up a gate and keeping your dog from the door so that the greeting is easier and more pleasant for everyone without a ton of training.”
She demonstrates this in the video. The dog is on the other side of the gate (like this one on Amazon), and greets the visitor calmly when they come into the house. Even if the dog gets excited by the guest, they won’t be able to knock them over with the gate in place. Try scattering some treats on the floor, too, to give your pup something to keep them occupied.
"Work smarter not harder!” adds DeWillems in the caption. “Gates and a few good treat scatters can improve your chaos at the front door more quickly than training a ‘place’ behavior that holds up against the distraction of someone walking in.”
Dog training, of course, is hugely important, and it’s not something to ignore. However, there’s no harm in finding other methods to keep everybody happy. Training takes time, and you probably won’t see change overnight, so even if you’re trying to train your dog to stop jumping up or to greet guests nicely, you can use things like gates and treats in the meantime.
Read next: I tried everything to get my dog to stop jumping up, here’s what actually worked
