Symptoms
The dog greets visitors with uncontrolled exuberance, barking, jumping up and pawing for attention.  It may race about the house never actually coming into contact with the visitors but barking from a distance.

Cause
Visitors are the focus of the excitable behaviour due to the sociable nature of certain dogs. The dog may become confused as he can’t decide whether to accept the visitor into his pack or reject him by showing dominance aggression.

Treatment
Try the following measures -

• The owner should reduce the dog’s general dominance thus removing the dog's desire to protect his territory and enabling the owner to exert more control over the dog. Exert your dominance by -

  • Ignoring the dog - reduce the social interaction with the dog i.e. no patting, talking to, cuddling etc. An ignored dog feels less dominant.

  • Only reward the dog (e.g. with titbits or petting) after he has shown a submissive posture i.e. sitting or lying down on command.

  • Do not permit the dog to take up dominant postures e.g. paws up, sitting on knee, lying on bed.

  • Have a daily session of obedience training to establish owner dominance.

• All visitors should be instructed to ignore the dog completely.
• The dog should be taught to sit quietly beside the owner on command. Wearing the lead may help. The dog can now be de-sensitised gradually to the stimulus. He is rewarded for remaining calm; if he becomes excited the treatment is going too fast, e.g. start with ringing the door bell, then opening the door, then people entering then leaving shortly afterwards, etc. Have training sessions, using an accomplice every night. The dog should be shut away when visitors are expected whilst he is still being trained.
• Never open the door to visitors without having the dog under control at your side, with the lead on if necessary.