Greeting Guests Graciously

3 one-hour class sessions PREREQUISITE: Family Dog Manners 1 Go to list of all courses to learn more about prerequisite class(es)

How lovely to let your calm, wagging dog, all feet on the floor, be the gracious door greeter for guests!  If this isn’t exactly the picture in your house when Grandma or neighbors come to visit, then try out Greeting Guests Graciously.  No more jumping up!  No running in circles making odd noises!  No more barking barking barking!  Learn how to help that extroverted pup realize there are better (and more rewarding) ways to make friends.

Special Notes: This class is for overly friendly greeters of humans.  As a 3-week class we can make significant progress on getting your “Mr. or Ms. Friendly” to quit happily mugging people.  You, the human half of your team, will need to continue practicing at home and in other places to develop a solid alternative behavior to jumping on people…but this class can give you a great start on training a calmer, more respectful Wagging Welcome Committee in your walks and at home. 

This class is best suited for:  Dogs and humans who already have built a good relationship and who finished Family Dog Manners 1,but are still working on not jumping up.  Dogs need to be friendly to humans, not negatively reactive to humans.

Min/Max Enrollment:  4/8

Bring the Following to Class

-flat buckle collar or harness (head halters not appropriate for this class)
-sturdy, strong 6 foot leashes appropriate to size and vigor of dog
-water and water dish (please water your dog off the blue mats)
-“regular” treats (tiny pieces) and…
-extra special treats….like MEAT and tiny pieces of CHEESE
-an old sweatshirt or jacket with big front pockets for your treats
(you want fast, easy access to plenty of tiny treats)
-your clicker (you will receive one in PREP class)

You will learn:
-how to choose and teach an incompatible behavior to jumping up
-how to be absolutely clear with your cues
-to use reinforcement on varied schedules
-to recognize the signs of overexcitability as it barely starts
-how/when/where to practice and how to set up scenarios to practice

Your Dog will learn:
-an incompatible behavior to jumping up to greet people
-to use the incompatible behavior as a default
-that the new behavior is more FUN and Rewarding than jumping