niki schaef Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 my 10 month old terrier x Ted is really obsessed whenever we get visitors. he gets super excited and will jump all over them and runs around like a loon grabbing toys then runs back to them and jumps up again. he isn't like it when me or my housemate get home. when i get home he will be right at the door tail going million mile an hour put doesn't jump up. he does run off and grab toys but he doesn't jump up at me or housemate i can tell it is super annoying for visitors i mean hes like ALL over them. after a bit he calms down but is still obsessed with visitor. if they sit on the couch he will drop toys at their feet or on their laps and then attempt to climb onto their laps and he LICKS!! i don't think he EVER licks me but with visitors his tounge just goes, not even necessarily licking them just licking the air near them!! he ususally settles into a spot as close as he can to them on his back hoping they will pay some attention to him. even worse is that when friends stay over they sleep on the foldout in the lounge room and ted will try and sleep with them!! i've started closing my door so he physically can't get to them but if he needs to go out during the night or as soon as i wake up in the morning first thing he does is go stright to the poor sleping visitor!! it doesn't matter who they are, my parents, friends, brother, strangers (they don't usually sleep over ) he is the same. so what can i do? most of my friends aren't really into dogs that much but even if they were he is just all over them and that would be annoying to anyone!! i've tried correcting him and pulling himaway but as soon as i think he's over it, straight back to them! i've told my friends to just ignore him but they can't handle it and just push him off. and most of them talk to him in an excitable voice which i know makes him want them more but they just want him away!! now he just has to be on a leash whenever anyone comes over. is there anything i can do as training to help him get over this obsession? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faolmor Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 I would recommend keeping him on the lead around visitors until he can learn to control himself. How he learns this will be up to you, and there are many methods you can employ to help train him. Find one that you can do consistently, and stick with it. For me, personally, this is what I do (others will use different techniques, and that's fine - whatever works for YOU is best): - visitors arrive and the dogs bark to announce this - I acknowledge the dogs (this helps to takes the responsbility off them - they've warned me that there is a possible intruder - great, thanks guys! Remember also that until you open the door, the dog has NO idea who is on the other side. Everyone is a potential threat.) - the dogs are put in another room - the visitor is welcomed inside and when and only when we are all relaxed and settled, do I "release the hounds." This is logical for several reasons, the most important of which is that the dogs then re-enter a calm and pleasant environment, which takes pressure off them and tells them it's fine to settle down again now. - if the dogs rush over to the visitor, i tell the visitor to ignore them COMPLETELY. no eye contact, no pats...nothing. This tells the dogs that they may not demand attention on their terms. - if they won't settle, they are removed for a time-out until they can behave acceptably - once they have settled, it is then up to the visitor to choose ONE of the dogs, and to call that dog over for attention. any other dog that comes over is to be ignored. Obviously, if you have only one dog, then that's the dog they're going to choose. But only when they are ready. This works well for my pack...others will use different methods that work well for them. But the main thing is to make sure that your visitors are comfortable and happy. There's nothing worse than being accosted by someone else's rudely mannered dog, even if you are a total dog lover. If your dog can't control himself, put him on the lead for everyone's sake...or if he's being a real pain, remove him to another room until he learns that his behaviour is getting him nowhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 (edited) He does it because he's been able to. And probably because, in addition, he's received attention for his efforts. Take control and prevent it. And have your guests/visitors ignore him. Crate training is handy in these circumstances too. Edited June 7, 2007 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niki schaef Posted June 7, 2007 Author Share Posted June 7, 2007 thanks faolmar good info there. i've told visitors to ignore him but coz they don't really understand dog behaviour/training they don't really get it nd so push him away (therefore giving him attention). i'll try putting him in the other room. should he be quiet (no whining etc) before he comes out and should he be on the lead or 'free'? does anyone have any idea why he does this to visitors but when i come home its very uneventful? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 (edited) thanks faolmar good info there. i've told visitors to ignore him but coz they don't really understand dog behaviour/training they don't really get it nd so push him away (therefore giving him attention). i'll try putting him in the other room. should he be quiet (no whining etc) before he comes out and should he be on the lead or 'free'? On lead - you need to retain control. does anyone have any idea why he does this to visitors but when i come home its very uneventful? We're not there, so it is difficult to tell what's been going on, but I strongly suspect inadvertant reinforcement (by way of attention from you as a result of his behaviour) as well as possibly that the visitors reward him at inappropriate times. You have actually answered your own question in your previous post. Schaef10 : i've told visitors to ignore him but coz they don't really understand dog behaviour/training they don't really get it nd so push him away (therefore giving him attention). Edited June 7, 2007 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faolmor Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 (edited) If they push him away WITHOUT looking at him, or speaking to him, this is not giving him attention. This is showing him, kindly and firmly, that his behaviour is not acceptable and that he will not receive attention (that is, the type of attention he is craving in the form of speaking to him, pats, cuddles etc) until your visitor wishes to pay him attention. On the other hand, it's better to prevent him from getting to the point where he actually needs to be pushed away. I would agree with Erny that the reason he over-reacts to visitors is because of their behaviour - and yours - when they arrive. Just think - when visitors arrive, there is lots of excitement and from the dog's point of view, the unknown. Who is this visitor? Why have they troubled the pack's peace? Are they a threat? All these cues, your dog must receive from you. If you don't show him how to behave (remember, he doesn't understand English), then how will he know how to respond? He might decide to take matters into his own "paws" and investigate. This could be in the form of demanding attention from your visitors - or in the worst possible instance, in aggression. Obviously your dog is a happy little chap, and not inclined to aggression What he is trying to do, however, is manipulate the situation his way. By keeping him on lead, and by being consistent in NOT giving him attention until you and your guests are ready, you are showing him (in dog language - that is, in actions, rather than spoken language) that this is the way you would like him to behave. ETA: When you release him from time-out, IMO there's no reason why he can't be off-lead...providing, that is, that the millisecond he breaks the rules, he's straight back into time-out. DOn't make a fuss or speak to him - just pick him up and straight back into time-out without a word. This way, he gets to learn to make decisions for himself. You could put him on-lead - but then, how will he be able to decide for himself the best way to behave? If you need to put him back into time-out 50 times, that's fine. The penny will drop eventually. Edited June 8, 2007 by Faolmor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lablover Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Do you have a command for "off the couch" ie off. If taught OFF, simply reward (whatever you use) for obeyed commands. I like taking every possible to proof and reward. Bores most non doggie visitors though LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niki schaef Posted June 8, 2007 Author Share Posted June 8, 2007 yeah he knows 'off' he isn't allowed on the couch when people are on it, even if there is room. with visitors he puts his front paws up on them or drops toys on them for attention and trys to lick them. ok so if its my fault hes like this how should i greet/act when we get visitors the thing is we don't get HEAPS of visitors and he is the total opposite when i get home? (maybe i just need to get more friends ) also how long should he be left in time out? just a few minutes so he calms down? yes faolmar he definatly isn't aggressive, he doesn't even bark when we get a knock on the door, its just tail wagging, excited mode!! thanks for all the help everyone. its a starting point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lablover Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 I just noticed you have 4 dogs. 5 would be better, only joking. It is Friday night afterall. Ted simply needs to learn manners. You will get there. Keep your standards high and try your best to concentrate on him, when visitors arrive. Joke of the night, to keep it all light hearted, especially with your need for more friends. FRIENDS SAY I AM POPULAR............they both say that, actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Amy Rose Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Tucker used to get so excited when a select few of my friends came over that he would actually jump up and wee on them! For a while I had him on a lead, and now the people that visit the most often know to tell Tucker to get down and ignore him until he's sitting and waiting for a pat. He used to be an absolute shocker, and while he's not perfect yet, he's slowly getting there. I had to REALLY drill it into their heads not to let Tucker get over excited, most of my friends have dogs and LOVE Tucker to death, so it was hard for them to ignore him when they visited. Now, they're fine, and if he still acts like an idiot, he gets sent to lie down on his bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niki schaef Posted June 10, 2007 Author Share Posted June 10, 2007 breakthrough!! (sort of) my housemates dad stayed over friday night and when he came i put ted in the other room then when he came out later he calmed down SO much quicker he did a quick hello excited sniffs all over the dad but then was just kinda like yeah ok someone else is here!! but i am looking after a friends pomeranian for the weekend so i don't know if this can totally count ted pretty smart so i think he should catch on reasonably quickly. Amy rose- know how you feel- ted used to roll on his back and 'squirt' luckily hes grown out of that. yeah lablover 5 would be better, maybe i should get another one maddie, dot and clifford live at home (country s.a.) with my parents and ted is my 'city dog'. i live in a flat so couldn't bring maddie with me (plus i don't think it would be very fair on her going from farm to city). i go home regulary so they are still 'my' dogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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