Our guidance to House Visitors with our reactive dog. Yes we ask them to read before they come in

[snowden1]

@romans82 This is how we had to introduce our dog for years to people! I still do it to be safe but now she just walks up to people and starts loving up on them. She used to charge at people. Has only tried to bite one friend but they are now best friends. We’re very lucky all of our friends we’re understanding and followed the rules!

 

[bigotsbeware]

@romans82 Well you will at least find out who your real friends are….

 

[romans82]

@bigotsbeware Truth!

 

[stepsinprogress]

@romans82 I meet people down the road and walk around together for a bit then enter the house at the same time as the dog also

 

[refei]

@romans82 I text everyone our rules when they pull into the driveway. People generally do well with rules they can read. But we still run into the friend who thinks he’ll like them. No he won’t. He’ll act friendly until he’s close enough to lunge for your face.

Head straight to the living room.

Don’t take off your shoes.

Don’t look in his direction.

Don’t talk to him.

If you see him we’ve done something wrong. If he gets near you do not offer your hand for him to sniff. Cross your arms across your chest and turn your back to him.

 

[tranikamarie]

@refei

If he gets near you do not offer your hand for him to sniff. Cross your arms across your chest and turn your back to him.

Love this! Everyone's instinct is to offer the dog their hand TO BITE. Just dont, lol

 

[romans82]

@refei Oh yes! Turning the back was a new thing we learned from a vet tech and it was magical!

 

[algernon22]

@romans82 This is awesome!! Thank you!

 

[servercrash]

@romans82 Love this! Adapting for our boy and sending to some visitors that struggle with him

 

[romans82]

@servercrash I hope it helps! At the very least, maybe therapeutic like it was for me!

 

[pedrocosta]

@romans82 I really hope your guests are willing to do that. My boyfriend's old boss always ignored our requests and encouraged our dog to jump on him while we were training him. Infuriating. You sound like great parents!

 

[romans82]

@pedrocosta I think we must all be good humans or we wouldn’t be on this sub doing the best we can for our doggos!

 

[vasilishan]

@romans82 this is incredible. thank you for sharing!!!

 

[romans82]

@vasilishan Of course!

 

[vasilishan]

@romans82 this is incredible. thank you for sharing!!!!

 

[jessiejackson]

@romans82 I usually tell people to ignore her until she stops barking. If she starts to sniff the guest I give them the bag of treats and tell them to sit on the floor and toss them too her. When she’s more relaxed people just sit where they want and by the end of the night she’s usually pawing at their hands asking for skritches. Kids are the hard one because they don’t follow the rules as well.

 

[mykell]

@romans82 This is fantastic!!!

 

[ngozi]

@romans82 I always have to text people before they come over, “do not look at my dog or talk to my dog until I tell you it’s okay”.

Even if they’ve been to my house 100 times it’s like they just forget or they think my dog knows them so she won’t react to them. NO. DO NOT LOOK OR TALK OR TOUCH HER UNTIL I SAY ITS OKAY!!

 

[josh3221]

@romans82 I think mine greatly complicates things by absolutely hating when people ignore him. Talking to us and ignoring him seems to make him more upset than anything else he can imagine.

He also usually won't take a treat they toss unless he watches us hand them the treat - even then it's iffy.

 

[romans82]

@josh3221 Oh that’s a funny twist! What works for you all??