Dogs get excited when we come home. It can be 5 minutes, or 5 days and they are equally as excited. It feels like FOREVER for them when their best friend is gone.
A lot of dogs jump and get way too excited. I want to try to put this in perspective for you from a dog’s point of view.
Dogs are mentally equivalent to toddlers. When Toddlers get excited they loud and active! As adults when we get excited we learn to contain it more.
Also, you are your dogs whole entire world. They don’t have anything but YOU. So yes they are going to be excited when you come home. They know You are the one that feeds them, loves them, brings them places, etc. And they live only for YOU. Dogs don’t live for themselves.
Dogs are affectionate animals. When your dog sees another familiar dog, a friend, they get excited. They run, play, jump around. So them doing this to you is a honor! You are one of the pack!
But, yes I understand we must teach dogs not to jump up because they could knock over small or elderly people. They could scare people unintentionally.
More to think about. So many trainers will tell you to ignore the dog when you get home and when the dog comes down, acknowledge it and give it attention. Though this works, guess what it does? It hurts your dog’s heart. They feel less loved. .
Imagine the person you love most, being gone, you miss them. When you finally see them you are SO excited and they walk right past you and ignore you. It would hurt your heart. A lot. You would question if that person is happy to see you. Thats how dogs feel.
Or imagine your living parter (kid, spouse), etc. going to run an errand. Coming home, you say “Hello”, and try to talk and they just keep walking away from you ignoring you. You would feel confused, sad, and shut down.
So what you can you do? Because they can’t jump and we want them to know they are loved.
There is a better way to teach them.
I 1000% say acknowledge and love your dog when you come home, every single time. I do. If they get too excited (which many do), instead of ignoring them, scratch them around their neck, under the collar, or on the back of the neck. Both places a dog can not reach well on their own.
It will RELAX them. And, it feels so good! It is a sign of affection and love because you are doing something for them. And, you are acknowledging them. And, most importantly, it will calm them. They will immediately stop jumping or bouncing around wildly.
This is a favorite spot for the major of dogs. But maybe your dog has a different favorite spot. If so, use that one. Find the spot that makes your dog turn into a noodle. I can tell you it is going to be a spot your pet can’t reach on their own. Use this every time you walk in the door. It will change wild and jumpy dogs into relaxed dogs. And if you have a dog that is quiet when greeting, scratch them anyway because it will show them you are happy to see them.
