How to calm my large dog who gets too excited when greeting people?

Question

Bear is perfect usually for me and well trained but this one issue! But my issue is he gets very and I mean VERY excited when greeting people and he’s a 110 pounds I’m scared he will hurt people. Some days he greets people the right way and just stands there and waits for his petting. Other times he’s so excited I can’t seem to calm him down and I don’t want someone hurt! He is going to be an emotional therapy dog! How can I make him calm down and focus on me more? This is my sometimes battle! Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 1 year and 3 months old | 115 lbs

Dr. Elizabeth · Accepted Answer

You must focus on training Bear to automatically sit when he sees people. Have the people ignore Bear until he calms down from the initial meeting. You also can try using a gentle leader to help control jumping. If he is not yet neutered, this can also help to calm down dogs and is highly recommended. Lastly, keep in mind that not all dogs are suited to be service dogs (although I hope Bear succeeds!). Bear is an individual just like you and me and he has his own desires, likes and dislikes. Here is a great link about training service dogs: https://www.petcoach.co/article/training-service-dogs-from-puppy-to-invaluable-partner/

How to calm my large dog who gets too excited when greeting people?

Most Helpful Answer

Share