Beyond enthusiasm!

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

OK quite frankly the greeter Hurricane Abby can be embarassing. She loves people too much! When anybody comes to the door her greeting is so over the top. (Ever watch the Tasmanian Devil on The Bugs Bunny Show?...now imagine him on crack!)) She is so fast that only time lapse photography can catch anything more detailed than a furry, bouncing, freaking out blurr. She just pummels people with her enthusiasm that is so over the top that I actually am embarrassed at times (not every one wants to be jumped,on and pummelled with such exhuberant love!). And she has gotten the "OMG so hyperactive" sideways looks from bystanders. I always try to get hold of her and make her "sit" to say hello and be petted instead of leaping on people like crazed 'The Price is Right 'contestants on the young Bob Barker. And the recipients of this love are just, friends, acquaintances, sometimes strangers...

How do I get her to "chill" Pls tell me she will grow out of this.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Your description of this "super over the top greeting" is priceless - perfect! The doodle greeting has been the subject of many discussions here on DK. My 20 month old, Roo, is really trying to keep his enthusiasm in check. It still bubbles over quite often. But, then, he is now assisted by our one year old, Tigger. I really do think they will "grow out of it" with persistence. I even had a trainer out to the house. It is really embarassing. DK members have tried every thing, citronella collars, water spray bottles, leashes, you name it. If you have a really enthusiastic ( not hyper just very very friendly!) dog like we do, I think just plain old consistency and patience are probably the best bet. Both my dogs greet me appropriately, have almost mastered greeting DH with all four on the floor, are fairly decent with grandma who lives here, but my daughter(s) who all live close are greeted everytime as if they just returned safely from Mars. I just keep saying "off" and trying to remind everyone, "no touch, no talk, no eye contact" until they have four on the floor. As you can tell it is slow going, but there is some noticeable progress. Just know you are not alone.

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

Obedience classes will help this. It isnt an age thing it really is a training thing.

At one time I had 9 dogs living here, each would line up and toe the area rug in my foyer when we had guests, this included 3 dogs who were under 6 months of age.

Practicing Sit Stays in every possible situation is necessary. We go to ball fields, outdoor malls, parks, buss stops, farmers markets, car shows, garden centers, outdoor cafe'... any place that I can take my dogs and we practice Sit and Sit Stay and if I see that one of the dogs is overly rowdy then we Down Stay. No one is allowed to pet the dogs until they are seated firmly~ no bouncing bottoms, they must be still, then they can be petted and get treats. We skip meals the day we do this that way the dogs are sure to work for their food.

I can not tell you how many shirts and pants that I have that are tore up because my friends allow their dog to jump all over people. I have actually stopped going to their house.

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

I was thinking that when I practice training at home she does real well. But it is like she loses her mind and that is thrown all out the window in the heat of the moment. I do take her everywhere and I take her to school every morning to drop off my kindergartener. I hold her leash and keep her in a sit position for people/kids to greet her - but she gets away from my holding her in sit. - she is slippery and then the freaking out happiness continues into a pumelling of greeting. When she is in this state treats dont distract her.

I myself have many ripped clothes, but I dont want to be too harsh because she is a human lover and I dont want to break her of that completely for fear of getting the opposite - I wish I could teach her manners without making her gun-shy of people. Dont get me wrong I am not too soft - I am firm - but I dont want to be harsh (if that makes sense). I am trying to do this on my own because there is only 1 dog trainer here and she is old school...I guess I may have to enlist her help anyways if Abby doesnt improve.

[Adina P]

You will not break her of being a human lover with training. Not knowing much about the 'old school' trainer I can't advise, but if she is FAIR then it might be just fine.

By FAIR I mean first the dog is taught a behavior and has a chance to practice.
Then distractions are brought in that are challenging but not overly so .. so that she has the chance to be successful more times than she is corrected....and then distractions are used that are gradually more and more difficult.

UNFAIR would be constantly setting her up with over the top difficult situations where she is mostly corrected and rarely successful.

Another thing that I consider important for "fairness" is that the dog always be able to choose. One choice leads to desireable results...another choice less desireable results. AND that the dog is able to figure out the connection so they feel they have control over which consequence they receive. That is where consistency is critical...if sometimes she is allowed to do something and sometimes she's not...sometimes she is corrected, sometimes she's not...it can be quite difficult for a dog to know what to expect and what she can get away with and what will lead to corrections and what will not.

Although you are not being harsh by holding her in a sit...she's not learning much at that moment because she doesn't have a choice and consequences to learn from. That's okay in the meantime if you can manage it...but better to just start with a concerted program/plan of training.

If she is as enthusiastic and hyped up as she is...I would not allow kids/people to greet her within touching distance just yet.... Not if you want to practice a polite greeting. See if you can gather some friends and their kids for a practice session...and in the first few practice sessions you keep the kids as far away as necessary so that she can sit still in their presence and be rewarded.

Then gradually have the individuals inch closer. Again there should be more success than failure...when the balance tips the other way, it's time to step back to where she was successful mostly and practice there until she is successful completely. Then and only then practice at closer proximity....

But going from kids across the street to kids in touching range is like going from 0 to 60 in 2 seconds. It floods her with so much excitement she can't think straight. So she has to learn to think straight with kids 10 feet away...then 9...then 8...7...6...5...4...3...2... then kids just STANDING near her but not looking at her. Then kids looking at her. Then kids saying words to her but not coming close. Then kids 1 foot away not looking at her...and so on until a child can stand right next to her and pet her while she sits politely and happily and enjoys the attention.

This takes a lot of time and practice with friends, strangers (hard to train THEM!), in all sorts of environments and situations.

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Adina have you ever had the hankering to visit the north coast of BC? You sound like the trainer I would want! lol

[Phoebe's Mom]

My over-enthusiastic Phoebe also has the 'excitement pee' issue added to her greeting exhuberance which drives me over the edge. I work with her a lot on sitting calmy to be greeted, but she does 'lose her mind' when we are out and about. I wish I could offer some sage and sound advice to you. I have questioned our trainer who assures me that more training and a little growing up --she is just shy of 5 months--will do wonders. I am waiting...patiently (some days!)...for this metamorphosis to occur.

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Abby is Noahs size. She will be 5 months old June 6th. Ya I hear you - people are hard to train - lol.

[Liza, Halle and Finn]

Kachi has the same problem. He's now 14.5 months old, and he is much better, but we still call him "Krazy Kachi" when people come over. When the doorbell rings, he immediately looks at me and goes into a very nice sit. But as the guest enters... the wiggle butt begins, and he jumps up, and tries to jump up on them, and then he's trying to smell their behinds. all the while. I've got him by the collar, trying to get him to 'down', and then when he does finally down, he wants to bark... oi! He calms down after a couple of minutes, but those couple of minute sare very frustrating!!
However, when we go to someone else's home, or he's out in public, he is fine, in fact, he's almost not even all that interested in the people he meets, or he's suspicious of them if they come up to quickly.