When was the last time one of your friends invited you over and asked you to bring your dog? Been awhile? Perhaps your friends would rather you didn’t bring your dog. Ever wonder why?

Is it because he tends to jump on people when he greets them? Or is it because he jumps up on furniture? Remember when he lifted his leg on their table? Oh! And what about the time he got possessive over the dog toys and growled at their dog? Let’s not even mention when he chased their cat all over the house and knocked over the lamp.

If you want your dog to be welcome in other people’s lives and homes, you have to work on his social skills. Just as kids need to have manners in order to be welcome in nice restaurants, your dog should have good manners in order to earn invitations into your friends’ and family’s homes.

Ask the homeowners what are the rules they have for dogs while in their home. Though it seems like common sense, not everyone has the same expectations of a dog’s behavior as you do. So it’s best to make sure your canine companion is acting his best for everyone’s sake. For instance, your friend’s or family’s prize garden is probably viewed by your dog as a playground, so try to ensure that your dog is under control during visits.

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to go to someone’s home and have everyone comment on your dog’s good behavior? It will take time and effort to achieve this. You don’t show up for a competition unless you have practiced and prepared. There are so many things you can do to help prepare your dog for visiting friends.

1. Calm attitude: A calm attitude leads to calm reactions. Energy leads to energized reactions. Teach your dog that calmness wins him what he wants. He must be calm to be fed, to go out the door, to approach other people, and to get attention from you. Teach your dog to be calm and the invitations will flood in.

2. Calm greetings: Teach your dog to greet calmly and patiently. He should only get attention from other people when he is sitting patiently.

3. No jumping up or pawing: People generally don’t want a dog to leap up at them and soil their clothes, and they also don’t want paws scraping down their arms and legs. If your dog is a jumper, you’ll need to find a friend to practice this skill with.

4. No licking: No one wants a bath from a dog.

5. Ability to hold a long sit-stay or down-stay: This is always useful and very impressive. If your dog has a well rehearsed sit- or down-stay, then most of your problems disappear. The trick is to teach the sit-and-down-stay commands in an easy environment, and then work towards more difficult environments. Your dog’s ability to do a sit-down-stay for 30 minutes while everyone stands in line for the BBQ could come in very handy.

6. Ability to stay out of an area: Teach your dog to stay out of spaces like the areas surrounding the BBQ and the picnic table. Create a bubble he can’t come into without your permission. You will need to practice at home around your own dining table.

7. Sociability with children: He should know children and not feel nervous in their presence. It is good idea to teach him to lie down around little kids so he is calm and not likely to whack them in the face with his tail.

8. Housetraining manners: Be sure to give the dog a chance to soil outside before taking him into the house, and take him out regularly so he isn’t tempted. Be sure to pick up after your dog.

9. Calmness with other animals: Your dog is a guest and should not harass the household pets. If he doesn’t have experience with other animals then keep your dog on a leash to keep everyone safe and comfortable.

10. Respectfulness of everyone’s personal space: Dogs need to learn to respect people’s personal space so they don’t run them over. If your dog learns to respect your space, your dog can easily translate this rule to apply other 2-leggeds’ space, as well.

11. No barking: A quiet dog is a good dog to be with.

12. Hygiene and cleanliness: Your dog should be well groomed so he doesn’t shed hair all over your friend’s home.

13. Comfort in a crate: If you are visiting friends for the weekend, it would be ideal for your dog to be crate trained. A dog who loves his crate is home anywhere in the world so long as he has his crate. This skill cannot be stressed enough when traveling with your dog.

Know your dog’s limitations; if he can’t handle the household rules, then keep him on a leash. Sometimes you need to manage behaviors while you are still teaching them. Better to set him up for success with some restrictions then to let him make mistakes and fail.

For more information or to contact:
Doug and Elizabeth Simpson
www.tenderfoottraining.com

Phone: (303) 444-7780