Dealing with a Hyper Doggy? Try These Calming Techniques

Whew, aren't you glad there are training methods you can use to calm Fido down?! You can't blame your doggy for getting excited when guests arrive, but there are ways to get him to reign in the excitement. Obedience training can help as well as making sure he's tired out when company arrives. A tired pup is a well-behaved pup! 😉 Furthermore, check out more tips from That Mutt to train Fido to take a chill pill!

1. First things first, use the best treats!
I don’t know how many times I’ve heard “But my dog just doesn’t care about treats!” Really? Is it because your treats are boring? Try using highly valued, smelly treats your dog can’t ignore. Hold them right up to your dog’s nose if you have to when re-gaining his attention.

2. Provide lots of exercise.
The less pent-up energy your dog has, the easier it will be for her to remain calm. That doesn’t mean you take her for a two-hour hike on Saturday. It means two 45-minute walks every day or whatever it is she needs.

3. Work on your dog’s general obedience training.
Start with the basics and keep working so your dog has some seriously solid obedience skills for things like sit, stay, come, heel, down, etc. It makes a big difference. Let me know if you need some suggestions.

4. Decide what you want your dog to do, and practice.
Instead of “just be calm” what do you really want? Do you want your dog to lie down and stay on her bed? Do you want her to calmly walk to the door without barking?

5. Determine what your dog needs to meet the above expectations.
Does she temporarily need to wear her leash in the house while you’re home, at least when you’re expecting visitors? Do you need better food rewards, like bits of hotdogs? Do you need to practice having people ring the doorbell a few times a day? Do your guests need to do better at ignoring your dog?

6. Set up scenarios so you can practice.
You wouldn’t expect your dog to stay 30 feet away from you for 10 minutes on the day you taught her the stay command, right? She would need weeks of practice in very small steps to work up to that point.



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