Hello Karyn, It sounds like pup is becoming overly aroused before reaching people and when pup forst anticipates people coming to your home. I suggest desensitizing pup to the things involved in each situation, like sounds and events the proceed a guest even before one arrives, and things leading up to a close encounter on a walk, like spotting a person far away or even starting the walk over excited. Check out the video below and the video series below. Guests: https://youtu.be/bpzvqN9JNUA Barking series - for outside desensitizing: https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAA4pob0Wl0W2agO7frSjia1hG85IyA6a I also suggest working on a structured heel and requiring pup to sit or calm down and wait patiently before opening the door to even begin a walk, to help start things off calm. Heel - Turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Best or luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Sept. 10, 2020

Hello Amy, Check out the video linked below. Start with just you and him, and recruit friends or hire trainers who are willing to practice being guests while you work on implementing the same type of training but around other people too - which will probably look like greetings on leash at first with the right attitude, calmness and tools to teach more respect to you and your guests. When he is totally calm, he can calmly greet guests or have guests ignore him for a bit after they get there, and you can reward with a treat for being in a calm state of mind and polite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcwvUOf5oOg Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Aug. 11, 2019

Hello Hugo, First, you need to determine whether he is doing is as a show of dominance or territorial behavior - like trying to mount a person and keep them from entering, OR if he is doing it playfully because he is excited to see people. The two types of jumping are VERY different and need to be dealt with differently because one is dangerous and the other is just rude. Assuming you are describing the most common type of jumping and biting - playful and overly excited (you need to do something different than what I am about to suggest if the behavior is aggressive instead)...Assuming the behavior is playful and just rude, check out the video linked below and work on some structure and appropriate corrections to teach him that it's unacceptable to jump and mouth. Once he is calmer, then reward him for sitting and greeting nicely instead by dropping a couple treats at his feet or feeding them below his chin - not holding them above his head which encourages more jumping. Rude dog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcwvUOf5oOg Finally, working the Step Toward method for the jumping from the article linked below, and the Leave It command for the biting from the second article linked below. Step Toward method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-australian-shepherds-to-not-jump Leave It method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite When he gets really riled up, use the Out command to make him leave the room completely. Follow the section in the article on teaching the Out command, and the section on using Out to deal with pushy behavior. If his behavior is aggression you need to take a different approach though - feel free to ask another questions with more details about the behavior if the jumping and mouthing seems aggression and not just rude and excited. Out command: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ When you practice all of this, when he can stay calm when you get home normally, then practice acting silly and super excited (think jumping jacks) and use the methods to correct any jumping that happens then, and reward him for staying calm then...then when he can handle your silliness, recruit friends to come over and practice the training with him until he does well with volunteers too, and is ready for real-life visitors. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Aug. 1, 2019