Calmer with visitors when we're not home

[Christy&Riley]

We have a 6 yr old goldendoodle who is overall well behaved and just a sweetheart. But...we've always had troubles when people visit, walk up to us outside, etc. She is so excited she can't sit still and chokes herself on the leash to get to them. If we're walking and I have her sit a good distance before some comes by, she will stay sitting with a little whining. But as soon as the person acknowledges her or bends down to pet her, she gets all excited, bounces around them and licks them to death. I usually have to walk away to get control. My husband can't even get her to settle down and he's done all the "pack leader" steps since she was a puppy.

When people come in the house, we make her sit in the mudroom until she calms down...but she's moaning and complaining like she's dying. (She can see the front door from there.) We also have to stay with her at first to make her stay otherwise she'll dart to the front door. But once the people come in and sit down, she will stay on command in the mud room until we release her. (In full disclosure, she will crawl to the end of the pony wall and look around as if to say "Have you forgotten to release me? But at least she isn't having a meltdown on them so I'll take it.) When we do release her, she is still excited, but not insane. She also eventually calms down into the sweetheart that we know. However, she continues to lick people like crazy. I feel like I'm always dragging her away to stop the licking.

So here's the interesting part. We have a gal coming over twice a month to clean our house. Today was only the third visit. She said Riley is totally different when we're not home. When we're not there, Riley greets her but then leaves her alone. No crazy excitement or insane licking. I came home an hour or so after Erykah had arrived and while we're talking Riley started going nuts on Erykah with the licking, etc. It makes me think of a toddler who keeps interrupting a parent...except in this case the toddler is bugging the visitor not the parent. I'm sure we're doing something wrong to cause this. Any suggestions? Thanks so much for your help!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I want a heart emoji for this comment, lol! 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I think it really doesn't matter if she obeys "begrudgingly"....if she obeys that's a great thing and she doesn't have to like it.  So I think your strategy of using the mud room is perfect IMO....once she starts dancing around and licking I'd put her right back there.  With my guys who are pretty well trained every now and then when we have all the kids and grandkids here at once they get so wound up that after the second "try" at letting them out to be with everyone they are still not behaving they go back to the gated room and they stay there.  I'm sure it seems a little frustrating, but in a way I really think it's not so bad.....there is no insecurity or aggressiveness...just excitement and a need for attention.   You can make the call on when you just don't want to deal with that with guests and they can go into another room.  I don't look at it as a punishment...just that the environment at that particular time is not conducive to them behaving calmly.

[Christy&Riley]

She will actually grumble like a teenager which is so funny but I’m definitely ok with it as long as she obeys. Another thing we do when she is getting in the way or bugging visitors is to make her sit on her blanket. This is especially helpful during meals so she isn’t going under the table, etc. She is close enough to see what’s going on but far enough to not be a pest. Even though it is frustrating I’d rather deal with this than biting and aggressiveness. I would be way out of my league on that one.