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Excitement when you get home..

3K views 22 replies 22 participants last post by  JudynRich 
#1 ·
What do you guys do when you get home and the dog(s) are super excited to see you?

I have read a book that said you should ignore them, until they go lay down somewhere, then call them over and love them. But it also seems like it could be a chance to proof their sit/down/stay in a high-distraction yet safe environment. Has anyone tried using that situation for training (proofing)?

So far I have been ignoring till they calm down, even if they do not go lay down somewhere, then call them over. It seems to work well, they get calm quicker now that I'm ignoring them compared to looking at them or talking to them when they are hyped up.
 
#2 ·
mine are all kenneled when we leave. They cant be trusted to stay out of trouble or the trash or off the counters (even when there is NOTHING in the trash can and we dont leave anything on the counters). They get all crazy and hyped up when we get homes and they get ignored until they chill out and stop. If we approached the crates and they start getting hyped up again, they get ignored again. Thats how we do it. I'm hoping Shasta will be allowed to have free run of the house when we're gone but i doubt it.
 
#3 ·
I rush mine outside to potty lol. I live in an apartment and usually by the time I get home from work, Madix's pea-sized bladder is full so I let them out of the rooms they sleep in while I'm at work, leash one and take him out and then swap. They're excited but by the time we get outside, they have calmed down significantly. I also encourage toy carrying to show excitement. And yes, I have asked for obedience (for example, when people come home with me) and expect it even when they're excited. It's a wonderful environment to work on that too :)
 
#4 ·
We're working on this too. If Panzer jumps or acts as if he is going to, we put him into a sit. I don't mind him being excited to see me (I'm glad someone is happy to see me!), but it is a problem if he jumps on me or visitors.
 
#5 · (Edited)
#9 ·
Ignore them. This isn't just an opportunity for 'obedience' it's a LEADERSHIP role thing to ignore them initially until YOU want to greet them.

Great book with this and other easy things we can do to be the leader in the home is in The Dog Listener by Jan Fennell.
That is the book I was referring to in my original post (ignore them, wait for them to lay down, then call them to you).

In a similar way though, couldn't a leader come in and say "Hey you! Stop acting like a maniac and lay down until I tell you to move!".

I have done it both ways, and it seemed like putting them in down/stays made them settle down quicker (breathing slows down, rear legs kick out to settle in) than if I ignore them.

Ignoring them is certainly easier from my point of view though, since I am tired from a long day at work and a commute, so I usually just ignore.
 
#6 ·
When I get home from work, my dog has usually been home alone for about eight or nine hours, so I know that the "excitement" is not so much being excited to see me as it is needing to go out to potty. :D

I put an indoor kennel in about three months ago, which is 5ft x 5ft in size and has rubber stall mats for flooring. I always ask her to sit and wait when I open the kennel door, but don't mind her running to the door once I let her out of the kennel so I can let her outside to potty. She has to sit and wait there, too, so I can open the door without getting bowled over (and make sure none of the cats get out).

I usually let her tear around the back yard for a while after she goes potty and then call her to pet, play, and train before we go back inside and I ask her to settle down.

Ronja does jump but it's up and down, and not ON anyone. :D That kind of jumping is okay with me when it's just me getting home. I do ask her to sit when I have people over because they don't know she won't jump on them, and a big jumping dog can be pretty intimidating, especially when she can jump to about face level.
 
#7 ·
I completely ignore Frag until he's calmed down whether he's loose in the house or in his crate. If he's loose and greets me at the door barking or whining, I close the door and wait 10 seconds, then try a re-enter. Repeat if he's still too excited.
 
#8 ·
I enjoy having my dogs greet me at the door when I get home; am I the only one who does? They are not allowed to jump on me, of course, and they all know the "back up" command which I use to have them back up away from the door and to allow me to enter with ease. I didn't bring my dogs home in order to ignore them....
 
#19 ·
I enjoy having my dogs greet me at the door when I get home; am I the only one who does?
I do too. Raven has taught herself to run a grab a toy/bone whatever she can find and runs around the kitchen with it her mouth while I set my stuff down. I talk to her as soon as I walk in the door and ask how her day was (yes, I am crazy. No, she doesn't answer, yet. ;)) Once I've gotten my stuff put away then we play with whatever toy she has and go outside to potty. She's good about not jumping for the most part, she usuallys jumps once when I've been gone a little longer than usual.

When other people come, that's a whole different thread...
 
#17 ·
When I get home I stand still and Abby lies down for a belly rub. Then I open the back door and she dashes outside to inspect the yard and comes right back in without 'going'. She has a walker at noon, so there is no great rush to pee or ....
After about 10 minutes I take her to a park where she can let it all hang out.
My wife gets home later and Abby does the tasmanian devil routine as Jax says and does the hand bump thing too with occasional mouthing (but no biting).
 
#18 ·
my dog greets us at the front door. his tail
is wagging, mouth open sometimes verbal.
we always say hello and pet him several times.
if we're bags in he'll check out the bags. he might follow
you around for a minute or so and then he settles down.
i like my dog greeting us at the door. i'm glad to see him also.
 
#20 ·
Inside or outside, when I get home they gather and sit with tails wagging and wait for a pet, they know if they aren't sitting nicely they dont get pet. Apache runs to get a toy for me, Lakota just wants to sniff the bags I have, specially if theres any meat. I don't make a fuss but I love to get greeted by the door by them, they're always so happy no matter what. So if my day was crappy, it makes it all worth it.
 
#22 ·
If both of us are gone, then we make them sit and calmly walk out of their kennels. Once all five are out, and calm, then we will pet and love and play. Each has their own favorite toy and they will bring them to us. If one of us is at home for the day, they each calmly come to the car and greet me. Once I get out of the car and they are calm, they each get a pet and then after I change we play for a while.
 
#23 ·
My husband gets home ahead of me so they have already been out and have been fed. Bella is always waiting by the front door (we think she hears the car) and Mia comes running. There is no jumping, and we all walk down the hall to the family room where I can put my stuff and remove my earrings (I have retreived too many from their mouths!). They sit, and then I will join them on the floor and we have a wonderful reunion.
 
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