Puppy gets wild meeting people!

[Sher]

Lily will soon be 6 months old. I have had her about 3 weeks now. Whenever she gets around any people she almost turns inside out with excitement! She does cartwheels and somersaults on the end of her leash. I am afraid she is going to break her own neck trying to get to someone that nearby. She is so wild that no one can safely pet her. She jumps and her toenails scratch and her little needle teeth scrape outstretched hands. She is not trying to bite or even to mouth anyone, she just gets so excited and exhuberant that she can't control her feet and mouth. When I take her to the vet, it is almost embarassing. It's when I am outside in the front yard and these people walk by now and then that I am most concerned with. I usually step on the leash close to the ground and she is just about strangling herself, but she is not calming down much. Will this get better as she gets older? She is getting spayed in a couple of weeks. Will that help a little bit? She is traveling with us to meet family in about a week and I can't even imagine how she is going to act. I was kind of hoping the newness might wear off of meeting a lot of new people if she is exposed to alot of new people like she will be next week.... they can help me, by ignoring her when she is like that, I know... It's going to be fun...right?.... :lol-sign:

[Charliesmommy]

Yes, it will get better as she gets older.

She is in the crazy-puppy-stage right now. I think the first thing you need to do is teach a reliable "sit". This was the thing that finally got Charlie to stop jumping on people. Once he learned SIT so that it was instant and reliable, as soon as I saw him even think about jumping - SIT - then a treat. As soon as he would finish the treat, he would start to jump again. Same thing, again and again. He figured out within a couple of days that staying calm and not going crazy would get him treats and pets and that jumping and being psycho would get him nothing.

[~Tucker&Me~]

I think teaching a reliable sit is a very good idea. Also teach 'watch me'.

It would be great if you could get some friends to 'stage' a petting visit.

She would be on leash and as the friend aproaches, they would stop just out of reach. Calmly but FIRMLY command her to sit. If she does not sit, the friend walks away. If she does, the friend can offer her a treat. As she gets better at sitting, your friends can pet her as opposed to giving treats. You can mix it up a little.

Just remember to work on the sit BEFORE doing this excercise. If she doesn't understand what sit is it will be an unfair, frustrating excercise for both parties.

Good luck!

~Tucker

[Sher]

Thank you for the ideas.... It is reassuring to know she might outgrow this trait! She knows how to sit. Not sure how 'reliable' it is, especially when she is out of her mind with joy at seeing a new person, but that sure sounds like the right way to go. Thank you again...

[Julie]

If you could get some volunteers to come in your home, and totally ignore the excitable behavior. I mean if she starts jumping on them they turn and ignore... etc. And then when she calms you call her to you and give her a treat.
Let her know that you are the only person that "loves" her. She might rethink the "I love everyone" attitude.
JMO though. :)

[bubbatd]

I still have this problem with Ollie .....being adopted at over a year old , I have NO idea of his past !!! The more people you can greet , the better it will be . If only their breeders had done their jobs !!!!!