To stop unwanted jumping when your dog greets people, it is important to practice beforehand.  

Teaching your dog to greet people politely is all about practicing before the situation occurs! 

It can be really embarrassing when your dog jumps up on people while out on walks or in your home. In this episode, we sat down with Holly Ovington (certified dog trainer) to discuss ways you can teach your dog to greet people politely whether inside or outside.

We discuss how to handle your dog when they start jumping, and also, how you can explain to people how you want them to act when greeting your dog.

Holly has been passionate about dogs from the get go! Holly was part of 4-H dog clubs from a young age, learning to train and show her own dogs.

Holly is certified with the Karen Pryor Academy, a Fear-Free Certified Trainer, an Instructor for Dog Biz Dog Walking Academy and Walks N' Wags First Aid Certified and runs Positive Paws Training in the Vancouver area.

Holly's next goal is to complete a certification in separation anxiety. 

Connect with Holly via her website here: https://positivepaws.ca/​

Connect with Holly on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/positivepawstraining/

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OVERVIEW OF TEACHING YOUR DOG TO GREET PEOPLE POLITELY

WHAT IS THE IDEAL WAY OUR DOGS BEHAVE WHEN BEING GREETED BY HUMANS WHEN OUT ON WALKS? (Starts around 2:20)

Have your dog focus on you and stay near your side

Make sure your dog has all 4 paws on the ground before getting pet

If your dog remains calm with all four paws down, that is the ideal situation when being greeted by people

HOW CAN WE TRAIN OUR DOG BEFORE GREETING PEOPLE? (Starts around 5:15)

Practice with a friend, family member, trainer, or someone your dog doesn’t know super well yet

Have them walking up from a distance while remaining calm

If your dog jumps, the person can turn around and walk away

If your dog stays down, they can continue coming towards them

If the dog continues to stay, you can greet

Start by coming over without saying anything

Then slowly raise criteria. Add in distractions by talking to the dog, using a high pitch voice, jumping, etc.

WHAT IS THE IDEAL WAY OUR DOGS BEHAVE WHEN BEING GREETED BY HUMANS IN YOUR HOME? (Starts around 7:00)

Break down the steps and practice beforehand

Have a family member or friend go outside and knock on the door quietly

Have your dog with you (maybe on a leash) and redirect them to a sit or a touch or eye contact and reward them for not barking

Then have that person knock louder and louder

Break down those steps to set your dog up for success

HOW DO YOU HELP PEOPLE GET ON THE SAME PAGE IN REGARDS TO “RULES” FOR YOUR DOG (Starts around 9:06)

You want everyone to be on the same page because dog’s don’t understand being able to jump on one person but not another 

When trainnig, it’s important to make sure that the entire household is on the same page

“I know it’s annoying to do these steps, but doing the extra work will be rewarding”

When training our dogs, we want to try to set up our dogs for success. Practice proper greeting behaviors before introducing your dog to new people both in your home and on a walk. Make sure to break down steps and go at your dog’s pace, not your own. 


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Teach Your Dog to Greet People Politely: An Interview with Holly Ovington | Pupford