Upon arrival at a potential client’s home, we say “hello” and make our introductions. I then let them know that I will be delaying my greeting of their dog/s for the first 10-15 minutes of our visit and I explain why. Sound mean? Well, no, I’m not being mean at all…quite the opposite, actually. In the canine world, when a new dog is introduced to the pack and that new dog plays it cool, that behavior calms the rest of the pack. They don’t perceive this new dog as a threat. The same principle applies to humans who approach the pack. Ever notice how your dog/s react when a person appears at the door and approaches them with a high-pitched voice, looking them right in the eyes and petting their head right away? In most cases this won’t get a positive reaction from Fido! On the other hand, notice what happens when your guest has a calm voice and demeanor, spends a few minutes talking with the dog’s owner. Most dogs will go about their business and then later approach the stranger for some TLC.
I have two beautiful, loving, male dachshunds, Pepper and Sebastian (pictured below). Like many of their breed, they think they are very large dogs. They bark like they’re a couple of guard dogs when the doorbell rings! When opening the door, I simply ask my guest/s to please ignore the dogs for the first few minutes, until they calm down. Eventually my guests will find that one or both of my dogs is snuggling warmly on their laps! This method works like magic for friendly but vocal dogs. If you too have dogs that get overly excited and make lots of noise when guests arrive, give this calming method a try.
Please note: This methodology is to be used for non-violent, non-aggressive dogs only!
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