4 Ways to Improve Your Dog’s Behavior with Visitors

Is it high time for you to improve your dog’s behavior with visitors? If you still find the need to put up a “beware of dog” sign to warn your guests upon entering your home, it’s time. If your friends don’t feel comfortable coming over because of your pup, it’s time!

Why Your Dog Might Act Up Around Guests

Pet dogs display various actions when they are not uncomfortable with guests. When feeling agitated, your pet might growl, shake, or cower at the sight of any stranger. If you have not tamed your dog correctly, even the slightest sound coming from your front door or gate can already make them behave rather badly. Try these tips on how to improve your dog’s behavior with visitors!

Invest in Their Social Skills

Like human beings, your pet dog needs to learn social skills so they would know how to interact properly. Dogs tend to act poorly toward guests mainly if they are not yet accustomed to dealing with strangers.

That is why, if you recently adopted a dog, it is ideal that you invest in honing their social skills as early as possible. Sure, they might be friendly towards other dogs, but it’s not the same with human interaction. Teach them how to behave not only with people within the house but also with people outside. Bring them to play dates at the park or take them to a walk in the neighborhood where they can interact with various people coming from different walks of life.

By making an extra effort to improve the way your pet socialize with others, your pet will eventually get used to being around people and that they will no longer feel anxious around anyone new in their eyes.

Recalibrate Knowledge of Basic Training Commands

Even if you have already taught them the necessary training commands such as “stay,” “sit,” and “no,” you should recalibrate their knowledge with the basic commands from time to time. By doing so, you reinforce their previous knowledge and keep them under your control.

When pets know who is in control, they can respond to whatever is being asked of them to do around your guests. By reinforcing their knowledge on these commands, your dog can easily recall the ideal conduct that he or she should exhibit when visitors arrive.

If taught right, your pets can also respond to any command coming from your house guests. You no longer have to continuously watch over their behavior when your guests would like to interact with them.

Affirm Good Behavior with a Reward

As soon as you see any improvement with your dog’s behavior, give rewards! Use treats, a pat, or even words of affirmation that express your satisfaction toward the favorable actions they exhibited. This encourages your pet to behave the proper way the next time another visitor comes around.

Don’t worry about getting your dogs dependent on treats. Your pet will eventually come to a point where he or she can respond to a command. By then, a simple pat on the head will be enough.

Display Good Behavior and Give Enough Understanding

No matter how good you are at teaching your pet with new skills and reintroducing basic commands, it will not weigh any importance if you, yourself, do not display good behavior toward your pet. If you are too harsh on your pet dog and act aggressively when he or she does not immediately absorb new skills, then expect that your pet will reflect your actions and act the same way toward other people.

It is also essential that you give enough understanding toward them, especially with the fact that they are slow learners and learn things at a different pace. However, despite this, you still need to be extra patient when it seems like your pet is not learning anything at all. Avoid venting out your frustration on your dog. Instead, take breaks and slow things down when it gets overwhelming for your pet. 

Make sure to be consistent when training!

Bottom Line

Dogs are among the friendly pets that anyone can own. With the right training and proper habits, your dog’s behavior with visitors can greatly improve!